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He grunted but when he looked at her once more, he noticed the amusement in her eyes and, just like that, the anger in his gut melted away.
Teasing. She was teasing him.
“Everyone, get to your places. And for the record, I think we need to do this with balloons as well.” Sonya slid off her chair. “One balloon per couple and we can do it to music, where you have to keep the balloon between you without popping it or letting it touch the floor. Then again, there is the one where you do it with a ball. Or fruit…we could get a hard piece of fruit and do it.”
Erick cleared his throat and Sonya blushed.
“Cards. Oh, I have them. Pick your spots, people.”
Mitchell snuck a glance at Hope, who sat next to him, her bottom lip caught in her teeth as she smiled in slight embarrassment at what he presumed to be Sonya’s last comment.
“I get you for fruit and the balloon,” he muttered, bending to speak in her ear.
“We’ll have to see how good your skills are with the card first. I, for one, have exceptional skills at this.” She didn’t glance at him but continued looking ahead. “I could rival a hoover. Just saying.”
There wasn’t going to be relief in his pants anytime soon.
Chapter Six
Hope wanted to hide. Officially hide in a corner until this game was over. What had she been thinking when she’d challenged this man beside her? Oh, that’s right, she hadn’t been. At least not with her brain.
Her ovaries on the other hand, yes, they could be blamed for getting her into this mess.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
She tuned out the rules coming from Sonya’s mouth and tried to calm down her heart rate and breathing.
And I have to turn to this man on my right and pass a card to him with nothing more than my lips. Or get one from him. Either way the result is the same. Our lips almost touching.
She’d be lying to herself and the entire universe if she pretended she wasn’t hoping they did this a few times, using a balloon and, hell, she’d figure out the fruit. Hope smiled as Sonya grabbed Erick’s shirt and tugged him close before slamming their mouths together.
The whistles and catcalls began and Hope put her fingers in her mouth and joined in. “What about the card?” she called out.
The two sprang apart like they were teens being caught by their parents, flushes racing up both of their faces and necks.
“Yes, well,” Sonya said. “I forgot to suck.”
“Looks like you were doing fine from this angle,” Wendy hollered.
Alistair hooted and drummed his hands on his thighs.
Laughter filled the room and mixed in with the crackle and pop of the fire. Sinking down further in her chair, Hope glanced about once more. She didn’t have to look to the windows to know the storm hadn’t lost any of its fury and once more she was exceptionally glad to be in here instead of out there.
Erick picked up the card and held it aloft for everyone to see. Then he placed it on the arm of his chair, dipped his head, and when he came up, the card was plastered to his lips.
“Ohh, good suck, Erick.” Alistair’s comment earned him a glare.
Sonya took it from him then turned to pass the card along to the person beside her. Jokes and off-the-cuff humor fell from the group as everyone waited to see who would drop the card. The closer the turn came to her, the more nervous she became.
Collette had the card now and Hope didn’t want to see her passing it to Mitchell, so she glanced to her other side and caught Alistair pursing his lips over and over again.
“Do I want to know?” Logic told her she didn’t and yet the question slipped free anyway.
He grinned and did it a few more times. “Gotta make sure this is good for you.” He rolled his shoulders. “Feeling like I should do some lunges or something like that. Get limbered up.” His eyebrows bounced up and down. “You know, in case you drop the card on purpose and it ends up being a real kiss.”
“Pay attention, Hope. Mitchell is waiting for you.” Sonya’s words pulled her attention from Alistair.
Gah, if only that were true. She turned her attention and found the man there, card plastered to his firm mouth as his eyes held hers.
She bit the inside of her cheek as she leaned closer to the man she shared a bed with. “I’m confused,” she muttered. “Am I sucking or blowing here?”
He narrowed his eyes and reached out to tug on a curl. Hope nearly curled up with a purr at the simple touch. Instead, she put her lips on the other side of the card, determined not to think about how Collette’s lips had touched this card as well.
