Page 75 of Without a Trace

The room was dead silent.

Lena covered her face while Sloane let out a stunned breath.

Alden pulled back just enough to let me feel how hard he was breathing.

And I didn’t move.

Didn’t smile.

Didn’t laugh.

I just said, “Thank you,” like I was royalty collecting confessions.

And spun the bottle again.

Trace hadn’t moved.

But I could feel the war in him from across the room.

We were so close now.

So close to everythingbreaking.

***

The bottle spun, my pulse a thunderstorm behind my ribs.

Zeke.

It landed on Zeke.

He leaned back in the chair like he’d been waiting for this the entire night. Calm. Confident. Dangerous.

“Truth or dare?” I asked, voice slick with tequila and sin.

He raised a brow. “Dare.”

The room stilled.

Sloane looked like she was going to throw something. Lena’s mouth parted in protest.

Trace watched.Burning.

Alden was still behind me, silent, breath sharp.

I smiled. “Kiss me.”

Lena gasped. “No—”

“Kiss me like you want to ruin something,” I added. “Or don’t bother.”

Zeke stood slowly, eyes never leaving mine. “You sure you’re ready for that, sweetheart?”

“Are you?”

He crossed the space in three slow steps.

And he kissed me.