Page 49 of The Best Wrong Move

“Aren’t the dares the best part? Why leave them out?” he asks suggestively, squeezing my hip. Then he plants a kiss on my temple while I lean into him. “Though I guess we don’t really need a dare to have fun...”

I giggle as his kisses make their way down to my jawline — Rex rolls his eyes before looking away again.

“We haven’t been in college for a long time,” he mumbles at Juju, taking a stiff gulp of his drink.

“I’ll start!” Juju calls out, ignoring him. Then she studies the three of us each individually before digging her eyes into me.

“Liv, tell us the last time something horribly embarrassing happened to you,” she says gleefully, totally unaware that the last global embarrassment I experienced stemmed from me proposing to her boyfriend on live TV.

I should just admit it. Get it all over with and out in the open.

Rex glares at me, then swallows, blinking frantically.

I smile at Juju and feel myself turning pink when I remember a much more recent moment of embarrassment. One that still truthfully answers the question without ruining her night.

“Well,” I start, tilting my gaze up to Dom. A full-blown smirk filled with appreciation takes over his face when he realizes the story I’m thinking of, forcing a deep blush to stain my cheeks. Nothing about this is acting for me. “My bikini top washed off during my surf lesson with Dom the other day,” I confess, looking at Juju.

“Jesus Christ,” Rex mutters, snapping his attention away from me.

“What?” Juju shrieks, then breaks into laughter. “Girl, if I had a dollar for every time my nipple popped out while surfing, I’d be filthy rich.”

“That’s never happened while we’ve been surfing.” Rex shoots her a look as if he’s personally hurt that her nipples don’t make a surprise appearance around him.

“Honey, it’s not like I can plan it,” she assures him. “Besides, it usually involves being in stronger waves than what you’re comfortable with.”

She doesn’t say it like a jab, but Dom erupts into laughter, then quiets himself by kissing the top of my head, snuffing out his final chuckles into my hair.

Rex glares at him, but Dom doesn’t seem to be bothered, if he’s even noticed Rex’s reaction at all.

“What about you, Rex?” I ask, baiting him. “When was the last time you were deeply embarrassed in front of a big crowd of people?”

I grin at him innocently. Dom squeezes me in closer to him, knowing that I’m poking the bear.

“I don’t think a crowd of people was part of the question.” Rex frowns, knitting his brows together like he can’t recall a time when he was humiliated.

“Oh, just answer the question, babe!” Juju trills, smiling up at him.

“Uh, it had to be the time I tripped up the sales pitch in front of my boss. I started selling the guys at Pyrex the Dover line instead of the Duel.”

I scrunch up my face at him like he doesn’t understand the assignment. Then I notice Dom and Juju giving him the same look.

The deck is silent for a beat before Juju pipes up. “No, it had to be that time at Christmas when the waiter got your order wrong. Remember? You were so embarrassed about—”

Christmas?

I narrow my eyes at Rex.

Rex quickly interrupts Juju by planting a kiss on her lips.

When he pulls back, he calmly brushes her hair back from her face. “Yes, I remember that, you’re right. The time the waiter got my order wrong and the kid at the table next to us came and swiped it off us when he realized it was his. But that wasn’t Christmas, sweetheart. Dom, I think you’re up, man.”

“I could have sworn that was Christmas.” She looks confused.

“You don’t happen to have any more of that mai tai mix in the fridge, do you, babe?” Rex motions to the nearly empty pitcher.

I silently stare at Rex as Juju busies herself by refilling the pitcher inside.

Rex smiles tightly in my direction, before asking Dom some stupid question about the grill, taking his immediate attention away from me while I silently do the math.

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