He shrugged and then moved off into the house, blending in with the crowd as if he had never been there.
Pacey just shook his head and smiled. “I do believe I need another drink and to go meet with Alexa.”
“Really?” Dillon asked. I had to wonder who Alexa was.
“Maybe. We’ll see.” He turned to Corinne. “Would you like to join me?
Corinne sputtered and then laughed. “You mean to get a beer? Sure. But I’m not getting into bed with you and another girl. Sorry.”
“I promise not to dare you on that. But I should at least dare a kiss, shouldn’t I?” I asked, teasing. Well, it was maybe teasing. I was a little flustered.
Corinne just grinned. “No, you wanted to end the game. So now you don’t get to dare me. Sorry.” She gave me a little finger wave, hooked her arm with Pacey’s, and the two blended seamlessly into the crowd, leaving Dillon and me alone in the corner. Is this what they had wanted? To leave me behind, wondering what the hell I was doing?
“So, should I ask you what your major is? Or your sign? I don’t know, something to start a conversation that doesn’t begin with a dare?” Dillon asked, and I let out a soft laugh.
“I’m usually better at conversation, but I didn’t actually expect you to kiss me. I thought I would just go along with the dare because my friend asked, and then I’d run away and hide and never have this conversation again.”
Dillon tilted his head and looked at me. “Do you do this often? Play Truth or Dare or whatever the hell you guys were doing?”
“I’ve known Corinne since we were five years old. Our mothers joined a Mommy and Me group and we grew up together—only three houses down. But the neighbors we grew up with when we were kids were great, and we were allowed to climb their fences if we wanted. Not that my parents let me too often.” My parents rarely let me do anything I wanted to do, but that wasn’t a subject I would get into with him—or anyone, for that matter.
“Corinne is a daredevil. She went skydiving as soon as she turned eighteen because her parents wouldn’t let her do it before then. She got a tattoo and has gone scuba diving, horseback riding, anything you can possibly imagine. She likes to live life to the fullest because that is our motto. Treasure every moment.”
“It’s a good one,” he said. “You didn’t do any of that stuff?” he asked, leaning against the wall as he looked at me. He made it seem like he was interested in what I had to say, and I couldn’t help but relax a bit. I didn’t know this guy, and yet I was speaking to him. I wasn’t hiding. It was odd.
“We started playing Truth or Dare when we were little, and it escalated into fun things—sometimes dangerous but never cruel,” I put in, wanting him to understand. Not that I even understood. “Corinne dared me to have fun tonight.”
Dillon grinned. “And kissing me was fun?”
“I’m pretty sure you already know it was. No need for me to inflate your ego.”
He put his hand over his heart and took a staggering step back until he bumped against the wall.
“Ouch. What did I ever do to you?”
Haunted my dreams and made me wonder what the hell was wrong with me. Of course, I didn’t say that aloud.
“And, yes, she dared me to kiss you. But as I said before, I planned to ask before I did it. It only seemed right.”
“Well, I’m glad you asked. It made this evening a little more fun.”
I looked around the full house. Saw people laughing, drinking a little too much, and others kissing in dark corners. More made out right in the open. “You weren’t having fun?”
He shrugged. “I guess. Just having an off evening.”
I flinched, and he cursed under his breath.
“That’s not what I meant. Sorry. I was having an off night before you showed up. And I swear that’s not a line. Thank you for asking me to kiss you. I enjoyed it.”
“And that’s not a line?” I asked dryly.
“It could be. However, let’s just forget lines and dares and everything. It’s nice to meet you, Elise. I’m glad you came tonight.”
“I guess I’m glad, too. I’m really not good at this sort of thing.”
“And what sort of thing is this?” he asked. I could have punched him.
“You know what I mean. Talking to other human beings.”
He laughed. “Sometimes, I feel like that, too. Although my siblings would say I never shut up.”
“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned them. Am I allowed to ask you more?” I inquired, eager to know, even though I knew I shouldn’t pry.
I was only setting myself up for failure.
Dillon smiled. “I have three brothers, but they’re all a bit older. They each recently got married and are now working on the next gen.”
“So, you’re going to be an uncle. That’s sweet.”
“I hope so. Somebody needs to spoil the kids.”
“And that’s going to be you?”
“Okay, maybe the other brothers will do the spoiling, but I can be the fun uncle. And then once I get a full-time job after school, I can start saving money so I can spoil.”
“So, the reason you’re going to college and working on a career—whatever that may be—is so you can spoil your nieces and nephews? Good priorities.”
“Exactly. I’ll be sure to write that down on my senior thesis. You know, when they ask you where you see yourself in five years? I’ll be covered in Play-Doh and flour, or whatever other sticky things the kids are into, and all of my money will go to them. Sounds like a plan.”
“You’re ridiculous, but I kind of like it.”
“Me, too.” He cleared his throat. “Do you need something to drink?” he asked. “It doesn’t need to be liquor. We have other things. I promise.”
“Honestly, I think I could use a beer. Is that okay?”
“We’re not carding here,” he said. “After all, I’m only twenty. Don’t tell anyone,” he whispered.
I smiled.
“Same. I promise I won’t blab.”
“Well, good. I like that I’m not hitting on a younger girl.”
“Hitting on?” I asked as he slowly led me towards the kegs for a drink. This time, he set his hand on the small of my back, and I felt the heat of him again.
What was wrong with me?
“Well, you did kiss me first.”
“I thought you were the one who kissed me.”
“Only because you asked. And I say ‘only’ because I would typically ask the girl more than her name first.”
I smiled as we made our way to the kegs. I didn’t recognize anyone in the kitchen.
He got me a cup, and I watched him pour then hand it to me directly. I kept my eyes on his hands, and he gave me a tight nod. “I’m glad you’re being safe. Though if I or any of my roommates see somebody putting something in a girl’s drink, they’re going to have to answer to both us and the cops. We don’t play that shit.”
“I’m glad you’re watching out for people.”
“I’m not getting drunk tonight, and neither are Miles or Tanner. It’s our turn to watch the rest of the party. Not that Miles or Tanner ever get drunk, but whatever.”