Chapter 4
Daria
After leaving me alone for about half an hour, Cade approached, speaking from outside the bedroom door.
“So…funny story…” he began.
I leaned up against the headboard. “What?”
“I texted Billie, like, ‘What the fuck was up with those games?’ And apparently, she didn’t mean to send that box.
She told her husband to order legitimate team-building games for us.
Those are still in another box at their apartment.
These games were meant for some romantic getaway they’re gonna take. They gave us the wrong freaking box!”
“Oh my God.” I laughed.
“Anyway, she told us to make the best of it,” he said. “How nice of her…”
“And how exactly do we do that?”
“We’re supposed to work through our issues. If you stay in your room diddling yourself to your book the entire time, we’re not gonna be able to tell Billie we made any progress.”
I hopped up from the bed. “I’m not diddling, jackass. I’m avoiding you.”
“Seriously, Daria. Why don’t you come downstairs, and maybe we can figure out how to modify one of these games so they’re not basically porn. Talk, Flirt, Dare doesn’t look that bad.”
“Or we could say we tried and not do anything.” I leaned against the door.
“Billie’s smarter than that. She’s gonna ask what we did, and we’re gonna have to get our stories straight. Might be easier to put the effort in and not have to bullshit her.”
I sighed. “I guess you’re right. If we can’t prove we’re getting along at least a little better, both our asses are on the line.”
“I’m glad you agree.”
I opened the door. “I’m gonna need more wine.”
“On it.” He winked as he ran ahead of me down the stairs.
Cade opened a fresh bottle of red, pouring us each a glass. He placed the board game on the coffee table, and we situated ourselves on the floor.
He took some time to read the instructions inside the box.
“This game is pretty simple. You draw a question card, then ask the other person that question. They can either answer it, flirt with you, or submit to a dare. But the dares are written on cards they draw. So you don’t tell them what to do.
It’s random.” He tossed the instructions.
“It says you can only choose flirt three times per person. The rest have to be answers to questions or dares.”
Secretly a bit nervous to play, I exhaled. “What a stupid game.”
“Right!” He took a drink of wine. “I mean, why play this game when you can be upstairs imagining being Dante’s little pet?”
“I’m not listening to that book anymore.” I grabbed a corn chip. “You ruined it for me.”
Cade rubbed his hands together. “You want to draw a card first, or shall I?”
I shrugged. “I guess I will…” I reached for a card and previewed the question, smirking over at him. “Have you ever made a sex tape?”
“Oh.” He scratched his chin scruff. “I’d have to think about that.”
“What’s there to think about? You either have or haven’t.”
“Yeah, but if I answer, I don’t get to do a dare.”
“Why would anyone want to be dared?” I tossed the card at him. “Just answer the damn question and put yourself out of your misery! Not like it matters one way or the other if you have a sex tape.”
“That takes the fun out of the game.” He paused. “Okay…dare.” He reached over to the dare card stack and drew one. He read it silently and chuckled to himself.
“Read it,” I said.
“Stare into your opponent’s eyes and say something dirty without laughing.” He started to crack up. “Fuck.”
Oh boy.
He kept trying to put on a straight face, but ended up laughing over and over again. I was laughing now, too—laughing at what a goof he was.
Then he cleared his throat, long and hard.
He seemed to get his shit together. Cade’s expression turned serious.
Very serious. His dark brown eyes seared into mine for several seconds, and you could hear a pin drop.
Then, in a low, deep voice, he said, “I would love to fuck the hate you have for me right out of you, Red. Right up against that wall, right now—fuck you over and over until you’re screaming my name and begging me not to stop. ”
A chill ran down my spine. That low, gravelly tone made my legs quiver. He could’ve given the guy who narrated my audiobook a run for his money.
I swallowed, trying not to seem affected. “Okay, nicely done. Moving on.”
He set the dare card down, his face a tad red. “I guess it wasn’t dirty enough, because I didn’t offer to slice some guy’s fingers off if he touched you, huh?”
I wouldn’t be admitting that it was plenty dirty and had awakened something inside of me that I didn’t want awakened—not by Cade McMahon, at least. But damn.
“Okay, my turn to ask you a question now,” he said, reaching for a card. He snickered.
I lifted a brow. “What?”
“You’re gonna hate this,” he said, running a hand through his black hair.
“Not sure I can hate this game much more.” I took a gulp of my wine. “So try me.”
His eyes filled with mirth. “How many people have you slept with?”
My jaw dropped. “None of your damn business! They have some nerve asking that question in a stupid game.”
“Welp.” He shrugged. “Your choice. Looks like it’s flirt or dare.”
“No way I’m flirting with your ass, so I guess it’s dare.”
“Okay.” He pointed to the pile of cards. “Draw your dare card, then.”
I took the top one off the pile and read it.
I froze. Oh, hell no.
I slapped the card down on the table. “I need another one.”
“Um…” He waved his index finger back and forth at me. “That’s not how this game is played.”
I crossed my arms. “Well, I’m sorry. I can’t do this one.”
“What the hell is so bad?” He grabbed the card and looked at it.
Take off either your shirt or pants.