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Shane and a couple of football guys were already in the bedroom as Tessa dragged us in. There were also a few girls I recognized from the year below us, and I frowned as I scanned the room.

“What exactly are we playing?” I asked Tessa. She didn’t give me an answer though, and the more she avoided my questions, the more concerned I became.

Tessa walked into the middle of the room and turned to face the group. “Okay, so everyone has to write their name down on a piece of paper and then pass it to me,” she said.

The uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach went from bad to worse, but I did as she asked, taking one of the small scraps of paper she offered before writing my name on it and handing it back. Tessa winked at me before placing the paper in a hat, along with everyone else’s.

I was surprised that Chase was so willing to go along with it, considering he too had no idea what deviousness Tessa was planning. Tessa gave the hat a shake before she glanced around the room one more time with a look of excitement in her eyes.

“So, we’re playing seven minutes in heaven,” she said.

I started to groan. “We’re not twelve, Tessa.”

“That doesn’t make it any less fun,” she responded. “Actually, I’d say it makes it more fun.”

I shook my head at her, nervous shivers running down my spine. If she thought that putting Chase and I alone in a room for seven minutes was going to achieve anything, she was sorely mistaken.

I really hoped this was her way of making a move on my brother rather than the scary alternative. It was a slim hope to cling to though, as I knew Tessa would never be brave enough to start a game of seven minutes as a way to stick herself in a room with Shane.

Tessa shook the hat around once more before she dipped a hand in, pulled out a piece of paper and read the first name aloud.

“Ally,” she announced, giving me a sly grin. Before I could even react, she dipped her hand into the hat once more, and I couldn’t help but notice her gaze flicker in Chase’s direction.

No, no, no.

“And Chase,” she said, revealing the name on the second piece of paper. “You guys are our lucky first couple…”

I think she needed to look up the definition of lucky.

“So, where are we doing this?” Chase asked. He seemed almost accepting of our fate.

“I think your bedroom will do,” Tessa immediately responded.

My heart was fluttering with nerves now. I’d expected Chase to laugh and tell Tessa there was no way he was going to spend one minute in his room with me, let alone seven. He wasn’t doing a thing to stop it though. As he caught my gaze, the look in his eyes almost dared me to wimp out.

I squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. “Sounds good,” I said, as casually as I could. Tessa looked like she was struggling to contain her joy, but she managed to keep her cool and gave me approving wink.

Not even my brother was coming to my rescue. He was too busy flirting with some junior, and I don’t think he’d even realized the game had started.

Reluctantly, I followed Chase down the corridor to his room. I felt like I was walking the plank, about to dive into shark-infested waters. Tessa was right behind me, like some kind of pirate captor, and I knew beyond doubt that if I didn’t choose to jump she’d be more than happy to push me off the end.

I glanced over my shoulder at my friend, glaring daggers in her direction. “You’re in serious trouble,” I hissed at her.

She grinned. “You can thank me later. Just remember to try andconnectwith him,” she whispered in my ear. “This is your chance to conquer step two.” She gave me one final nod of encouragement before she pushed me toward the door.

I shot her yet another scowl and followed Chase into his room. Tessa immediately closed the door behind me, giving me no chance to reconsider or try to leave. “Seven minutes, you guys. Have fun,” she called.

But as the door clicked shut and I turned to face Chase, I knew there was nothing heavenly about being closed in a room with him. Truce or not, this was going to be seven minutes of hell.

17

Ally

Chase stepped forwarduntil he was standing right in front of me. I hated how he towered over me. He was such an imposing figure, but when we were close, it always made me feel so much smaller than I was.

“We’re supposed to be making out,” he said. There was almost a husky quality to his voice, and the moment I looked into his eyes, I really wished I hadn’t. He was staring at me with such intensity that it was like fighting against a strong current as I tried to pull my gaze away.

Energy flickered between our bodies, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how his touch had set fire to my skin when he’d gripped my waist earlier this afternoon or how electric it had felt to be pressed against his chest. My eyes flicked to his lips as I considered what they would taste like, as I wondered if his kisses would be as strong and hard as his grip on me had been.