Page 60 of The Cuddle Clause

The wine bottlewas nearly empty. Maggie was flushed and glowing, laughing with her whole body like she didn’t know how to hold anything back. It wasn’t the alcohol. It was something wilder, all loose and warm and golden. And it was killing me.

She tipped her glass back, took another sip, then narrowed those big, mischievous eyes at me. “Truth or dare, Velasquez?”

I smirked, masking the way my heart jumped every time she said my name like that. “Dare.”

She reached into the greasy brown paper bag from the food truck and pulled out one of the peppers we’d both sworn we were too sober to mess with. “Eat this. Whole. No breaks. No water.”

I took it like a challenge, even though I already knew I’d regret it. I bit into the thing like it was a damn apple. It was like swallowing lava, and I choked back a curse while Maggie doubled over laughing. “Oh my god, Roman!”

I grabbed a handful of tortilla chips to save my life. “I’m dying,” I rasped, coughing, eyes watering. “I see the light.”

“You did this to yourself,” she wheezed, tears in her eyes from laughing too hard. “For the record, I’m not giving you mouth-to-mouth.”

“Damn shame,” I croaked.

When I finally stopped seeing stars, we moved on. She took her turn. “Truth,” she said, propping her chin in her hand, like this was nothing serious. Just a game. Just a joke.

But it felt like we were on the precipice of something.

I kept it light. “Worst kiss you’ve ever had?”

She didn’t even blink. “Eric. Easily. He kissed like a dentist.”

I paused, glass halfway to my mouth. “A dentist?”

“All open mouth and clinical detachment. Zero vibe. Just… assessment.”

I choked on a laugh. “What, like he was checking your gums?”

“Honestly? Would’ve felt less sterile if hehadbeen checking my gums. I felt like he was mentally writing a report. Probably deducted points for enthusiasm and lack of tongue alignment.”

I snorted. “Did he at least give you a sticker afterward?”

She lifted her wine glass. “Not even a free toothbrush.”

That got me. I threw my head back and laughed until my stomach ached. I filed it away like the petty bastard I was. Next time I saw Eric, I’d picture him with latex gloves and a laminated score sheet.

Maggie grinned as she topped off our glasses.

It should’ve felt like pure fun. Itwasfun. But my pulse wouldn’t calm down. Something about the way she looked tonight with a messy ponytail and bare feet curled under her was rewiring something in me.

Earlier, on that dance floor, I hadn’t been pretending. Not when I kissed her. Not when I’d said she was mine.

God, I was fucked.

She twirled her finger. “My turn. Truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“Take off your shirt.”

I reached behind my head and yanked it off, folding it and placing it on the sofa. “You’re not even being subtle anymore.”

“I don’t need to be,” she said, but her voice was rougher now. Her eyes lingered on my bare chest. I pretended not to notice how her throat moved when she swallowed.

I leaned back, trying not to let her see how uneven my breathing was. “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.”