The Other P-Word(28)

"Want to play a game?"

"What did you have in mind? Beer pong with wine?"

"Not exactly … it's called Truth or Shot. We ask each other questions. You  can either answer truthfully or take a shot. Like truth or dare, but  without the dares." Now, this I was making up as I went along.

He shook his head. "What's the matter, Price? Can you not handle my dares?"

Hell no, I could not, but at the same time, I wasn't sure if I could handle his truths either.

"I think this is a better version."

"Sounds to me that if you pass enough times, you'll be drunk enough that the truth just spills out of you."

"Sort of the idea."

"I'm in."

"Go first, Evan." My excitement deflated as I took in his wicked grin. He wasn't going to let me get off easy either.

"What's your middle name?"

Okay, this wasn't so bad. "Marie."

"Billie Marie … that's pretty."

I swallowed, hearing my name from his mouth in a raspy whisper.

"Yeah, but I can never use my initials when I write a book."

"Why?"

"Because it would be B.M., and no one wants to read a romance novel from B.M."

Evan laughed. "Good point. Is Marie a family name?"

"No, it's for Marie Osmond, believe it or not." He gave me a look like  he didn't believe it. "My mom went through a country phase."

Evan arched his eyebrow suggestively. "Are you interested in going through a country phase?"

"Does everything you say have to sound so dirty?"

"Maybe it's your mind that's dirty."

I didn't respond to that because both things were true. He said naughty  things and I enjoyed those naughty things way too much. "What's your  middle name?"

"David."

"Evan David Wright. I like it. Is it a family name?"

"Yes," he said, his smile disappearing.

I decided it was best to move on. "Your turn, Evan."

"How many guys have you been with?"

My mouth gaped and snapped shut in an instant. "Wow, don't hold back or anything."

"Holding back is not my style. Or at least not in conversation, anyway."

And there was that bad boy that made my skin prickle and my breath  hitch. I reached for my cup and brought it up to my lips, but something  made me stop from drinking it. "Two."                       
       
           



       

Evan looked pleased by my answer. "I'll drink to that," he said, taking a swig right from the bottle.

"What about you?"

He raised his eyebrow before taking another long swig.

"That's not fair."

"Sure it is. Your game and your rules. Next question."

"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

He took another swig.

"Seriously? That's not even that personal."

"Sorry. What about you?"

"Antarctica."

"You're joking, right?"

"Nope."

"Why the hell would you go there, Price?"

"I think it would be an adventure."

"How would you get there?"

"They do cruises there."

"Is that a fact?"

"Yeah, on these old ice cutter boats. Mostly Russian built. It's  typically scientists that go, but I always thought it might be  interesting to go one day. To see land that's still naked and untouched.  I guess that's a bucket list thing for me, but it'll probably never  happen."

"Why's that?"

"It costs about a hundred grand per person."

He let out a low whistle. "That's insane." I geared up for him to make a  joke, but instead he just grinned. "I hope you make it there one day."

"I'll send you a postcard."

"Yeah," he said. He was quiet for a while, almost wistful.

I cleared my throat. "My turn-what's the craziest sexual thing you've ever done?"

He chuckled softly, probably recounting the event. "I let a girl drive my bike and then I made her come."

"That's not crazy."

"While she was driving it."

My mouth gaped. "That's so dangerous."

He shrugged. "We had our helmets on."

I took a long, unladylike gulp from my glass.

"What about you, Price?"

"I had sex with a girl once."

Evan choked so hard, I had to smack him on the back.

"I don't count her in my two. Should I?"

"Trot back a few sentences. I need a few more details."

"It was something I wanted to try."

"Like a bucket list thing?"

"More like a college list thing. I figured I should do at least one impulsive thing during college."

"And how was it?"

"It wasn't horrible, but it's not for me. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Ever been with a guy?"

"Nope. Can't say I've ever had the inclination." I was glad he didn't  make a disgusted face or anything. "Although, I guess I can say I've  kissed a guy now."

"I don't think Mike counts."

"I'd agree." He drummed his fingers against the metal fire escape. "My turn."

"Shoot."

"What's the best sex you've ever had?"

This time I did take a swig. After all, how could I possibly explain  that it was with myself, accompanied by his mad guitar skills? Nope,  that was definitely not something I wanted to reveal.

"What about you, Evan?" I asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer.

"My philosophy is that the best is always yet to come."

"Cop out."

"If you say so," he said, taking another swig. "But it's true."

I refused to analyze his statement or the way he grinned at me when he said that.

"My turn again. Why did you take this job, Price? A college graduate  like you could have held out. We both know you're overqualified."

I thought about my reasons. There seemed to be many, what with the  timing of things, but I couldn't explain that to Evan. I took the bottle  from him, but I stopped before it reached my lips. I did have a reason I  could tell him. "I feel like I belong here." That was truthful. I was  drawn to The Lost Souls' Club.

"Whatever it's worth, I'm glad you're here, Price."

I sucked in a deep breath, trying to drown out his seductive drawl.  "It's worth a lot." I opened my mouth and snapped it shut again. I meant  the words, but I did not mean to voice them. I had no idea how to  follow it up.                       
       
           



       

"Your turn," he finally said.

I decided to make my question innocent. "How did you get the scar?"

"What scar?"

"This one," I asked, rubbing my thumb across his jaw.

His fingers clasped mine, caressing them. So much for innocence.

"Surfing. I wiped out on my board."

"You surf?"

"Used to. I loved it once upon a time."

We looked at each other. The wind picked up, blowing my hair.

"I'll answer your other question now. If I could go anywhere in the  world, I'd go to Orange Beach, Alabama. The water stretches as far as  your eyes will allow. Whenever I looked inside that deep blue abyss, I  felt peaceful and calm. When the sunshine dances on the water's surface,  it looks like millions of tiny jewels. I've seen all kinds of water,  from lakes to oceans to seas, but none of them hold a candle to the  water on Orange Beach. I never thought I'd see that color again … until I  looked in your eyes."

I gulped and leaned into him. His breath washed over me, pulling me in. Then a cat meowed and broke the trace.

Evan backed away so swiftly, I felt suddenly cold. "Hey, Buddy," he  greeted the midnight-colored interloper, which now occupied the fire  escape with us. Normally, I loved animals. I hated this cat. It sat in  the corner, licking its paws.

"That's the cat you fed last night."

"He comes around when he's hungry." The cat began licking himself in  other areas. Well, at least someone was getting off tonight.

"What's his name?"

Evan smiled. "I call him Buddy. He's not mine."

The moon still hovered in the sky but the darkness had evaporated some, leaving a murky light behind. Where did the time go?

"We should take him to a shelter."

His expression turned solemn. "Why? So they can kill him? He's lived on  the streets most of his life. You can't cage a wild spirit." His voice  had lost its warmth, replaced with a cool demeanor that made me shiver.

"I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm sorry. It's late and I'm cranky. I should get him some food," Evan said.

"It's early," I replied, pointing toward the paling light of the horizon.

"Same difference. Night, Billie."

"Thanks for dinner, Evan."

"Thank you for being so truthful," he said, putting the last of our trash in the bag.

I crawled through my window. I headed straight for the shower. I turned  on the hot water and tuned him out. But it didn't work. I couldn't wash  away the hold he had on me. Was there something deeper in his statement  or were we really just talking about a cat? A feral cat with no home,  much like Evan. Shit … I had to get out of my own head.