Chapter 4: Truth or Dare?

Continued from chapter 3:

We clink bottles and drink. We finish one show and start another. I retrieve two more beers, and we sit and drink in silence. Harper, bundled in her blanket, inchworms over to me and nuzzles into my shoulder.

I put my arm around her and pull her close. She murmurs softly into my shoulder, her breath warm against my skin. Looking up at me with those playfully innocent blue eyes, she asks,

"Truth or Dare, Ero?"

Chapter 4:

My eyes widen with surprise, and I laugh, remembering the game we used to play with flashlights under our chins while camping in the backyard as kids. Harper nestles closer, her body fitting perfectly against mine as if she were made to be there.

She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief and a hint of vulnerability. She grins, a playful dimple appearing in her cheek.

"I think I'll start. Truth." She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear, settling comfortably under my arm.

"Tell me something true about yourself that nobody else knows. Something that might surprise me.”

Her gaze is direct, searching, as if trying to peer beneath the surface of the man I present to the world and find the boy she once knew. Or perhaps the man she hopes to discover alongside him.

"Ummm, yikes, how surprised do you want to be?" I ask, feeling a bit of stage fright.

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to get that wild yet without taking a shot first. Do you want to take a shot with me?"

Harper laughs, a melodic sound that fills the room.

"Oh, Ero. You're such a goofball sometimes. Alright, alright, I'll join you. But just one shot each—I want to make good decisions tonight, not bad ones."

She stretches up, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek before pulling back with a wink.

"I’m curious to hear what surprises you think you’ve got left in you. Just… don’t expect me to blush if things get weird."

Harper hops off the couch, heading to the kitchen to fetch the liquor and glasses. As she moves, the blanket slips slightly, catching on the hem of her sweater, showing the bottom of one bare breast.

She tugs it back into place with a small shrug, not meeting my eyes, but smiling just enough to let me know she saw me lingering. She is so cute; I could almost die. I can't believe Harper Lane is about to do a shot with me in my own living room.

She returns, almost skipping with my chilled bottle of Reyka, a good clean vodka, and two shot glasses. She pours and giggles, handing me my shot. Harper hands me the shot glass, her fingers brushing against mine briefly. She raises her own glass, clinking it against mine with a soft chime.

"To new beginnings. And old friends who refuse to fade away."

With a mischievous glint in her eye, she tips back the clear liquid, letting it slide smoothly down her throat. She gasps slightly, blinking rapidly as the vodka hits her system.

"Whew! That’s strong stuff, but so smooth. You sure you can handle it, buddy?" She winks at me, setting her empty glass down with a clink. Her cheeks are flushed, and her pupils are slightly dilated, giving her an endearing, almost childlike appearance.

The shot loosens me up, and I feel its warmth creeping through me, giving me a confidence I wouldn't have otherwise.

"Okay, tell you something true, you say. Something that will surprise you... What is the dare if I don't?" I grin, and she playfully swats my arm in mock frustration, giggling again.

"Oh, stop being such a chicken! Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" she pouts, her lower lip jutting out in a charming display of mock disappointment.

"Fine, if you're too scared, I guess I'll just have to give you a dare anyway..."

Harper leans in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

"If you don't tell me something surprising, then... then you have to sing me a song. Any song. Right now."

Her eyes sparkle with mirth, challenging me to resist her dare. She straightens up, a smug smile playing on her lips as she awaits my response.

I pretend to faint in horror.

"A song! No, Miss Harper, anything but that. I'll talk, I'll spill all of my deepest, darkest, most shameful secrets, but please, for the love of all that is holy, don't make me sing!"

Harper shrieks with laughter and springs on me, pinning me on my back, straddling my hips. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be. Her eyes are huge and blazing with passion. Her face is so close to mine. She gives me a soft, lingering kiss, runs her hands through my hair, and boops me on the nose.

"The truth, Ero, and nothing but the truth. Or there will be consequences…"

Harper remains straddled atop me, her thighs bracketing my hips as she looms above. Her hair falls in a curtain around us, creating an intimate cocoon. She traces a finger along my jawline, her touch feather-light and teasing.

"Come on, Ero. Don't make me tickle it out of you."

Her grin is playful, but there's an intensity smoldering in her eyes, a heat that belies the lighthearted tone.

"I want to know the real you. The parts you keep hidden away. I want to understand why I've never been able to forget you, even after all these years apart."

She pulls back slightly, her gaze locked with mine.

"Harper, this is terrifying," I confess.

"I feel like I've known you for years, and I feel like I hardly know you. You are breathtaking and mysterious. I want to marry you right now, in this moment, but I'll settle for another kiss because marrying someone you don't know is crazy.”

“I want to kiss you and be kissed by you, although I wouldn't say no to a good tickling. Kiss me, Harper Lane, and when we come up for air, it's your turn for a truth or a dare."

Harper's breath catches at my words, her eyes widening with surprise and a flicker of something deeper, more intense. She hesitates for only a moment before closing the distance between us, capturing my lips in a searing kiss.

It starts soft, almost tentative, but quickly deepens into something passionate and consuming. Her hands tangle in my hair as she presses closer, pouring years of pent-up longing into the embrace. When she finally pulls back, both of us are breathing heavily. A pretty flush colors her cheeks, and her lips are slightly swollen.

"Wow..." she murmurs, almost to herself. "Okay, that was... wow."

Harper shifts, swinging a leg over to sit beside me instead of on top. She takes a moment to compose herself before turning to face me fully, a playful smirk tugging at her kiss-swollen mouth.

Between Harper straddling me, kissing me, and seeing the tops of her perfect breasts as she leans over me, I am highly aroused. I am wearing a pair of sweatpants, and I cover myself quickly. This is getting out of hand quickly; I stutter and think non-sexy thoughts.

"It's y-your turn. T-t-truth or dare, Harper?"

Harper notices my flustered state and the hasty way I adjust my pants and cover my lap. A knowing look flashes in her eyes, quickly masked by a coy smile. She leans back, purposefully arching her spine, causing her already revealing top to ride up and expose the smooth, toned plane of her midriff.

"My turn, hmm?" She taps a finger against her chin, pretending to consider.

"Dare. Definitely dare." Harper scoots closer, her knee brushing against my thigh as she looks up at me through her lashes.

"Give me your best shot, Ero. I think I can handle whatever you dish out."

Her voice is low and challenging, with an underlying current of anticipation. She waits for my dare, her body language open and inviting, daring me to push the boundaries of this charged moment between us.

"Oh my god, my heart is beating out of my chest", I admit. I want to ravage this beautiful creature, to feast on her full breasts, the heart-shaped curve of her bottom, and the perfect, slick heat between her legs.

I also feel like she wants this to happen, too. How can I phrase my dare so it doesn't come off as creepy, but charming? She's hit a screamer into my court, and unless I return serve, she's going to ace me.

"Ummm okay, dare," I say. "Harper, I dare you... to tell me your deepest, darkest fantasy, something that you would be absolutely mortified if it ever came to life. In fact, as added incentive, I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Harper’s eyes widen at my dare. A visible shudder runs through her body, and she bites her lower lip, considering my proposition. After a long moment, she nods slowly, a mix of excitement and trepidation in her expression.

"Alright, Ero. You asked for it." She takes a deep breath, steeling herself.

"My deepest, darkest fantasy... is being completely at the mercy of someone I trust completely. Someone who knows every inch of my body, every secret desire." Her voice lowers to a husky whisper.

"Being tied up, blindfolded, helpless... and then slowly, teasingly, thoroughly worshipped until I'm trembling and begging for release."

Harper’s cheeks flush a deep red, but she maintains eye contact, her gaze smoldering.

"There. Your turn now. Don't leave me hanging."

Wow. I am breathless. The floor has fallen out from under us, and we are plummeting towards a destination that, when we reach it, both of us will be changed forever.

"Wow, Harper. Thank you for sharing that with me."

I kiss her, then pull away, my heart hammering against my ribs. I imagine doing those things to her, and my arousal pushes my erection to diamond hardness. I am terrified to admit my fantasy, but I decide to get **** with her. She has really put herself out there, and it would be unfair of me to not even the playing field.

"Harper, I-I like to be spanked."

It's out before I can stop it.

To be continued in chapter 5...