Page 69 of Into the Fire: After

“Fair’s fair, Caine.” Lin’s legs crossed, knees raised, and his arms wrapped around them. His biceps and abs on full display. If all worked out, maybe I’d be licking them a little bit later.

Taryn lounged back on her palms, bare breasts on proud display. “You’re really falling on a grenade for me, Esquire. If Ihad to strip, the game would be over, and I’d be sad. And we can’t have that, can we?”

A sexy, pouty lip popped out, and she tucked her chin just a little so her long dark hair shadowed her face. Brown eyes wide, pleading. “Please, Caine?”

Exhaling an amused chuckled, I pulled his arm off his face. “Would it be better or worse if I did it for you?”

He grumbled a sigh. “Better.”

Interesting.

“All right, then.” I raised myself to my knees and scooted closer to the condemned man. “Up you get.”

If I’d detected any hint that Caine was actually uncomfortable, or unhappy, the game would’ve been over immediately. As he rolled himself up slowly, face set in a dramatic scowl, his citrus and cinnamon scent wafted over me like a delectable autumn dessert.

I nearly choked.

The bastard washamming it upfor his omega.

He met my eye and—oh, my god, Caine Arceneauxfucking winkedat me. Quick, subtle, on the side faced away from Taryn.

Was our group grump…being playful?

…Grumpily playful?

My skin tingled with the prolonged eye contact, my nipples hardening under my shirt and bra. Red seeped up his neck and into his face.

Let’s see where that red begins, shall we?

“Arms up.”

With an astoundingly convincing death glare, Caine raised both arms above his head. Eyes still locked to mine. As I grabbed the hem of his gray tee and dragged it up his torso, my fingers dragged over his warm skin like whispers, until I pulled the fabric from his hands.

Taryn let out an appreciative noise. “You two smell good together, you know.”

Blood warmed my cheeks. Caine’s lips twitched. “Back to it,” he murmured as he returned to the floor. “Taryn starts this time.”

“Yes!” she cheered as we all resumed the position. “Get all the giddy out now. Five seconds!” Everyone—sans Caine—made a show of getting the wiggles out and exhaling dramatically, to prepare for the challenge to come.

Taryn. “Ha.”

Brooks. “Ha, ha.”

Lin. “Ha, ha, ha.”

Pause.

Taryn groaned. “Caine, my dude—”

“HA. HA. HA. HA.”

Four of the biggest, loudestHa’sin the history of the laugh circle made my head fuckingboinglike I was a ball in a bouncy house. I couldn’t have stifled the hysterical screech of a laugh that came out of me if I’d tried.

Eyes watering, couldn’t breathe, holy-hell-I-needed-that laughter.

Which, of course, set off Taryn and Brooks, and even Lin was hiding his behind his fist. I sat up to glare at Caine. He only met my gaze with the smug grin of a mad genius.

“Strip.”