Page 12 of No Way Home
“Pierce my navel,” she said without missing a beat. “My dad would kill me. It’s too bad.” She sighed. “I have a really cute belly button.”
Dang. Now I wanted to ask to see it, but that was way too forward for a first date. “Do you always do what your dad wants?”
She toyed with the fray on the hem of her skirt. “It’s just hard. He’s…” I could feel her editing her words carefully. “He’s been through a lot. I hate seeing him sad.”
“So you sacrifice what you want to save him from any further pain.” I blew out my breath. “I understand that.”
Her brows raised. “You do?”
“Yeah.” But I couldn’t say why, even if this date felt like the start of something. Being a Dupree meant always carefully choosing your words. In case things went south, I needed to paint my family in the best light possible. I slapped my hands on my knees. “You should pierce your belly button.”
She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
I cocked my head to the side, holding her gaze. “I will if you will.”
“Seriously? You’d pierce your navel?”
“No.” I chuckled. “I was thinking of a vertical eyebrow piercing. That would be hot, right?”
“The man bun with a brow piercing?” She fanned herself.
“Let’s do it.” I grinned. My dad would lose his mind, but I had the sudden urge to be spontaneous. “Something to remember our first date by?”
Her mouth parted like she was a little stunned. “You’d let someone shove a hook through your eyebrow for me? A random girl whose name you don’t even know?”
“There’s nothing random about you,” I said, not realizing how bold it sounded until it was out. She blushed and I didn’t even try to hide my smirk. I gestured at the campus around us. “Wah-hoo-wah.” It was the UVA rally cry.
She closed her eyes and smiled. “Wah-hoo-wah. Let’s do it.” She tapped the paper with the instructions. “Do we want to finish this first, though?”
My gaze burned into her. “Absolutely. We’re not stopping until we finish the last clue.”
Nothing was keeping me from that kiss.
And I mean nothing.
Chapter Four
BOWEN
Another couple jogged up.So we stood. Velvet’s sandals scuffed against the sidewalk as she hurried over to me.
I stuffed my hands into my pockets. “What’s next on the list?”
She gritted her teeth. “I’m embarrassed to say.”
I stepped closer to read over her shoulder. “Oh, dang,” I blurted. “You smell good.” She did. Like rainwater and something sharp—maybe citrus, peeled fresh and fast.
“It’s my shampoo.” She leaned in, her shoulder digging into my chest. “You smell good too.”
“Aftershave,” I murmured, a little tipsy off being so close.
She pointed to number four. “I promise I did not make this up.”
4. Take a picture in a compromising position*
I dragged a hand down my face. “They’re asking for it.”
She giggled and pointed to the asterisk at the bottom of the sheet.
