Page 199 of Game Night: Truth or Dare

“Now that’s the excitement every date likes to hear.”

“Oh, they have a ride share available tonight! If I’d have known that, I wouldn’t have driven us here.”

But then I won’t have a reason to drive him home and hopefully get invited inside.

“If you’re concerned about how I’d get home, you can ride there with me. I can bring you back in the morning to get your car. Win-win.”

He says it so nonchalantly when he really just told me I could spend the night, so go ahead and get drunk. And how do I say no to that? Or anything, really. He takes my coat and hands me the coat check ticket, slipping our coats onto the same hanger.

“I like to hang them together when they allow it. Then you’re not waiting for them to find your date’s. It’s all together.”

“Looks and brains. Nice.”

Malcolm assesses me. Silent, but his gaze is unreadable.

“Thank you.” His voice is but a whisper and if I’m not mistaken, he’s not quite as confident as I may have thought. Sure, he just casually told me I’m welcome to sleep over, but this is different.

As we head to the bar, he waves at a beautiful man I’ve met before, but I can’t remember his name.

“Hey, Malcolm! Thank you for coming.” His interested gaze floats to me with a smile. “It’s Caleb, right? You own the coffee shop?”

He extends a hand and it clicks.

“Yes! Sasha, right? I remember you. You loved my dad’s brownies. He claims they’re what made you move here.”

He laughs a warm sound before scanning the room.

“Well, you can tell him it sweetened the deal, but I moved for the handsome man this party is for.”

We follow Sasha’s gaze where the man in question speaks to a small group of people. Sasha’s dreamy look says it all. That’s a love story I wouldn’t mind hearing one day.

“And you should join him.” Malcolm’s hand slips into mine. Natural and calm, as he tugs at me to follow him.

“I’ll see you next week, Malcolm. As usual.” He laughs as he leaves us and I have to ask what he meant with that comment.

“As usual? Does he have a standing date with you?”

Malcolm hasn’t let my hand go and I’m loving the feeling of his palm against mine without a mitten in between.

“Sasha is a frequent reader of romance. He visits the shop twice a week without fail.” We stop at the bar and he squeezes my hand. “He gave me these tickets and told me I should go out. Then you walked in.” He licks his lips and huffs a small breath. “The guy I’ve been crushing on for months. Seems a little…serendipitous.”

“Crushing on me or my ass?” I joke and Malcolm dips his head, a new kind of shyness from this bold man.

“Well, both.”

“Hi fellas. What can I get you?”

Malcolm turns to me. “Feel like doing shots?”

His switch from shy to mischief, to dripping with sex, makes my head spin. But we already established I’m going home with him tonight, so why not get a little tipsy in the process?

“Surprise me.”

With a grin, he turns to the bartender.

“Two Deep Throats, please.”

Chapter 7

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