Page 65 of Meet Dare

I lean back on my chair until I’m in Cassie’s personal space. “What do I get when I win?” She glares at me. “What? It’s a fair question.”

She shoves me away and my chair skids across the floor. I grab onto the table to stop myself from face planting on the dance floor.

“Oops. Sorry.” Her apology is ruined by the twinkle in her eye.

“It’s okay. I know how hard it is to contain yourself when I’m near.”

“Contain myself? Ha! More like refrain from gagging.”

“As I recall, your gag reflex is almost nonexistent.”

“Too bad you won’t be recalling anything about my gag reflex anytime soon.”

“Shush,” Ashlyn hisses. “We’re down to the last question.”

“What is the collective noun for a group of unicorns?” Forest asks.

“Go ahead, Cassandra. Answer,” Beckett pushes.

I can’t stop myself from asking, “Why would Cassandra know the answer?”

A blush spreads across her cheeks and down her neck. I know from experience the color continues until the top of her breasts.

“Unicorns don’t exist,” she insists.

“You thought otherwise when you were five,” Beckett says.

“Do you remember when we were packing up for the move here? We discovered some books in her closet about unicorns,” Gabrielle adds.

“Holy cow! I remember. There was one about when unicorns poop.” Elizabeth bursts into laughter.

“Do you want me to break your foot again, big brother?” Cassie snarls at Beckett.

I rub my hands together. “If you don’t know the answer, I guess I’m going to win this dare.”

With her eyes narrowed on me, she raises her hand. “A blessing.”

“The Dempsey sisters win.”

As soon as Forest announces the winner, Cassie pushes away from the table and marches away. I chase after her. I catch her in the hallway leading to her office. Someone was going to hide from me? Not happening.

I snatch her hand and whirl her around.“You won fair and square. What do you want?”

“I need to think about it.”

I rub my thumb against her pulse and I feel it spike.

“You don’t have any ideas?” I push.

Her breath hitches. “No.”

I use my body to maneuver her until her back is against the wall and I’m looming over her.

“No idea at all?”

She stares up at me from beneath her lashes. “What if I want a kiss?”

I want nothing more in this world than to kiss her, but I am not going back to a friends with benefits arrangement. I want more. But I can’t resist the opportunity to touch her with my lips, although the kiss won’t be anywhere she expects it to be.

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