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“How come you’re so wise about my life but are a shit show with yours?”

“I care about your life more than I do mine.”

What he says is so sweet, I throw myself into his arms and plant a kiss smack dab on his mouth. Surprised, he opens his mouth. I do too. He’s trying to speak, but his tongue is inside my mouth. I push him away the same time he grabs on to me. We fall back, and I land on top of him.

Dare looks up at me with wide eyes. I must have the same expression. We break out in laughter.

“Awkward.”

“Holy fuck, yeah, it was.”

“You didn’t feel anything, right?”

“Like what?”

“Like the burning need to rip off my clothes and shove more than your tongue inside my mouth?”

“Syn, the dirty words you say.”

“Well?”

“Did you?”

“I asked first, Dare.”

“Nothing except for how warm your mouth is. How sweet you taste. I could go for seconds, B.”

“I . . . That’s not funny,” I sputter. “Or true. Take back the words.”

“Why when I’m speaking the truth?”

“Dare.” God, this cannot be happening.

“Just kidding.” He waggles his brows. “Shit, Syn, you should’ve seen the look on your face. It was like someone died or something.”

“Or something. Don’t ever tease me like that again. I mean it.”

His face gets all serious. “You’re right. I’m sorry, B. I love you like a sister. Nothing more. We’re good as friends.”

Thank goodness. I climb off his body, and upright again, I shove a few of those huge couch pillows between us. Dare gets rid of them, making a mess on the floor as he tosses them haphazardly. I grab the nearest one and lop it at him. He smacks it aside, and soon, we are on like Donkey Kong, having ourselves a pillow fight.

Laughing and out of breath, I fall back onto the couch. Dare sits next to me and stretches out his long legs.

“Well, are you?” He glances sidelong at me.

“Am I what?”

“Will you talk to the guys who have boners for you?”

He can be so crass.

“Let me check my calendar.” I pick my phone off the coffee table and find my calendar app. “I see Taron tomorrow for our sex ed class, then meeting up with Cindy for lunch. We’ll ‘accidentally’ bump into Hank at the cafeteria and have lunch with him.”

Dare gestures with his hand for me to move along. I glare at him for hurrying me through tomorrow’s schedule.

“Practice with Taron. I’ve made a mental list of the guys who don’t like him.”

“What you planning on doing with that intel?”