Page 32 of Flirting With Forever

Sloane studied him hard as she pondered his words, her teeth sinking into her lower lip on the opposite side of the cut.

He had to force his gaze back up and keep it there while he waited on her response.

“I can’t see you juggling. That’s the lie.”

“Wrong,” he said. “I’m great at juggling. I taught myself for fun when I was a kid. And I love pickles. Hating them is my lie because I could eat them every day.”

“So you got kicked out of a bar?”

“In my defense, the bartender started it.”

“You’ve got to tell me the full story now.”

He inhaled as he rubbed a hand over his face. “A few friends and I got the bright idea to sneak into one of the bars here before we were of age. The problem came when I tried to get us drinks.”

“Wait, was one of these friends a girl?”

“Maybe.”

“Of course,” Sloane said with a snicker. “You were trying to impress her. Keep going.”

“Well, the bartender was a big burly guy, former Navy SEAL. And he saw right through us. So since I figured we had nothing to lose and were about to get kicked out, I challenged him to arm wrestle. If I won, we got to stay.”

“And you didn’t win.”

Gage laughed again, the memory one of good times. “He took me down in a second flat. Then grabbed me by the scruff and kicked us all out and threatened to call Alec if I ever tried anything like that again.”

“I love that he knew your brother.”

Gage grunted. “Yeah, small towns are like that. There are eyes and ears everywhere. Any trouble we got into made it back to Alec before we did. He was always there, waiting to take us to task. Now fess up. Two truths and a lie.”

Sloane tapped her fingers against her knee below the shorts he’d loaned her and slowly inhaled.

“I stole a car once. I can recite every line of The Princess Bride by heart. And once upon a time, I wanted to be a chef.”

Gage squinted at her as he went over her words. “You said that last one a little too casually. That’s a truth.”

Sloane arched one eyebrow high. “Is it?”

“Has to be. I don’t see little Merida stealing a car. That’s the lie.”

“Mmm, wrong. I’m full of secret talents,” she drawled.

Her throaty voice locked up his entire body despite his intent to stay professional.

“I stole my brother’s car when I was sixteen and grounded, drove it all the way into the city with my friends for a party. It was hours before he realized and tracked us down.”

A rough chuckle left his chest, and he knew the grin he wore held more than a bit of pride and amusement. “Okay, that was not what I expected.” He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. “You are far more dangerous than you look, aren’t you, Merida?”

Chapter Ten

She’d intended to say no.

No to staying on the second floor with Gage.

No to taking a shower in his bathroom and then eating with him.

No to playing Monopoly and now this game that revealed far too much and was far too much fun.