Page 18 of The Dare

Mom breaks the silence, being more mature and never one to hold a grudge.

Plus, she can see the effect all this has had on me.

“I did warn you, girls,” she says, a matter of fact, and reminds me again that she’s getting off the train in a few hours.

My dad’s picking her up at the station.

“You’ll have a few minutes to see your dad,” she says, changing the subject to one I have zero interest in.

“Let’s not spend all the time we have left moping,” she adds with an awkward smile.

Suzanna ignores us both. Staring out the window, having put her earbuds in.

The twenty-first Century version of silently telling everyone around you to fuck off and leave them alone.

“What should we do then?” I ask, not trying to sound sarcastic but my emotions are joined to the world by my mouth. I can’t help it.

Suddenly there’s the sound of the railcar door opening and heavy steps.

My heart kicks in my chest, and I crane my neck around. Willing it to be Michael. Hoping that somehow he’s come. That somehow I’ll get to talk to him again, maybe even get as close as before.

It is him, and the look of determination in his eyes keeps us all quiet.

He stops right next to me. His huge body towering over me.

His groin level with my face, making my mouth start to quiver along with the renewed heat between my legs.

Suzanna glances over but rolls her eyes, bored, looking back out the window.

Michael looks from her to my mom and then down to me.

“I’ll see your dare,” he says firmly. “But on one condition,” he adds, curling his lip without meaning to.

The very thoughts in his mind overtaking his features.

I hear myself swallowing hard again, mute and stupid. Unable to even wet my lips enough to talk.

All the moisture in my body pooling in the now boiling valley between my legs as my eyes dart from his to his not-so-subtle pant bulge.

Mom tries to say something, reminding us all that the dare window has closed, but Michael ignores her. Speaking over her and lifting me up to face him.

Gripping me by both my elbows.

“You’ll be mine for the rest of the train trip. Riding first class, spending all your time with me,” he says in a deep, commanding tone.

My head is already nodding, and before anyone can stop him, he crashes his lips hard against mine, making me whimper as I clutch his body again.

Desperate to feel him against me. Needing to grab all of him that I can while I have the chance.

I hear Suzanna swear, and my mom lets out a dry croak of disbelief.

It’s a powerful kiss, but lips only.

A gentleman’s kiss.

Just when I think I’ll faint, or reach for parts of him I shouldn’t, or both. He pulls back.

His own breath is heavy as I give a shudder.