Sunshine Kisses

He was probably right.

‘Can we talk?’

‘Erik.’ She sighed. ‘It’s late.’ It had barely gone eight. ‘And I’m really not in the mood.’

‘Come on, Sunshine,’ he said. ‘It’s Saturday. Game night. For old times’ sake.’

It was then that she noticed the bottle of whiskey in his hand. ‘When did game night ever include half a bottle of alcohol?’

‘I needed something a little stronger than hot chocolate.’

She bit her lip.

Erik’s cocky smile faded slightly, leaving room for her to see the worry lining his face, and her heart twinged. He looked like a puppy when he was upset: all big, soulful grey eyes and those unbearably soft, pouty lips.

‘Abby. Please. We can pretend last night didn’t happen if that’s what you want, but we only have another couple of days together. You’re my best friend and I’ve missed you, and I don’t want to spend another day with you ignoring me to talk to your mum.’

She thawed slightly at his pleading tone and stepped aside slowly, ushering him in.

When they were settled, she looked at him warily. He’d dragged the plush sofa right up against her bed and sprawled on it, a sure sign that he was trying to give her space and keep her comfortable. Any other time, he would have flopped down beside her.

‘I’m assuming you brought something for us to play.’

‘Oh, I’ve given it a lot of thought.’ He nodded. ‘You left me plenty of time to plan today. And we’re playing Truth or Dare.’

Abby gulped. That childhood promise to tell each other everything gained more caveats by the day. She didn’t need rules demanding that she spill her guts.

‘This is how it’s going to work,’ Erik said, stretching his legs further. ‘We take turns asking truth or dare. You don’t want to answer, you take a swig. You don’t want to do the dare, you take a swig. You’re allowed three truths or three dares in a row before you have to do the other. Happy?’

She nodded resolutely, as if her heart wasn’t trying to explode out of her throat. Her mounting anxiety wasn’t helped by how mouthwateringly good he looked. He’d showered before coming in. He had that fresh, soap and linen smell that was so distinctive to him, and his damp hair pointed in every direction. As she imagined her hands as the cause, tugging on fistfuls of it while his body pressed flush against hers and his tongue explored her neck, it struck her why she had always been so fixated on the blonde mess: Erik Larsson, entirely respectable in every other way, had permanent sex hair. Added to that, the fitted white t-shirt he wore was practically moulded to his perfect chest. And with grey joggers? Criminal. Her gaze was straying dangerously when she heard her name.

Eyes snapping back up, she mumbled guiltily, ‘I guess I’ll start with truth.’

‘Are you happy we’re here?’ Erik’s voice wavered, but his posture was strong as he looked directly into her eyes.

Okay, he’d started easy.

‘Of course I am, Erik.’ She sighed. ‘I’ve missed you like crazy while you’ve been away. We were completely inseparable for eighteen years, and even after so long, it’s weird not seeing my best friend every day. Getting you all to myself for a while has been amazing.’

His body relaxed slightly, and he smiled that small, brilliant, and just slightly dopey smile that was always reserved for her.

‘I’ll go truth as well,’ he finally said.

She hesitated but then—fuck it. He wouldn’t have brought alcohol to her room and insisted they share secrets if he didn’t want to talk about the real stuff.

‘Why did you and Casey break up? You never actually told me.’

Again with that unfaltering eye contact. He’d always been intense. And she’d always loved having that attention focused on her.

‘She was ready to move forward with our relationship, start building a future. But I was still stuck in the past.’

Strained silence passed between them for a minute as she considered the potential weight behind those words.

‘Truth again,’ she whispered, not allowing her brain to linger on that train of thought. And she should have seen it coming. She really should have. But—

‘Same question. You and Sam. What happened?’

Shit. She hesitated a beat too long, and Erik leaned forward.