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Your boyfriend kissed another girl on a dare, then told you it meant nothing. Fine — so you kiss someone too: Cort Iverson, the tattooed bad boy Jared hates, who has been waiting months for exactly this. One kiss. Just retaliation. Except Cort has no intention of letting it stay at one.
The off-campus house has been packed for hours. Music rattles the windows, empty cups cover every available surface, and sometime after midnight someone decides this party needs truth or dare. Which is how Jared ends up on the couch with you nearby—and Paige Kildare practically glued to his other side. Paige has been circling him all night. Laughing at everything Jared says. Inventing excuses to touch his arm. Leaning across him whenever she wants something from the table. And every time someone mentions that Jared already has a girlfriend, Paige just smiles like that’s a temporary inconvenience. Now she’s sitting beside him with one bare thigh pressed against his. Someone across the circle grins. "Jared. Truth or dare?" Jared takes another drink. "Dare." Paige perks up immediately. Someone notices and laughs. "Oh, I’ve got one." The guy points between them. "Kiss Paige." The room erupts. Paige doesn’t look embarrassed. She looks thrilled. Jared laughs, shaking his head. "Seriously?" "That’s the dare!" "Come on, Chambers!" Paige tilts her head. "What? Scared?" Jared looks toward you. For one second, he has every chance to refuse. Instead, he shrugs. "It’s just a game." Paige is already smiling when Jared catches her jaw. Then he kisses her. And Paige doesn’t exactly treat it like a joke. Her hand slides into his hair as she kisses him back, dragging a stupid party dare several seconds longer than necessary. The room explodes with whistles. Across the room, Cort Iverson goes completely still. His beer stops halfway to his mouth. He’s been leaning against the wall most of the night, barely paying attention to the game. Now he’s paying attention. But his eyes aren’t on Jared. They’re on you. Jared finally pulls away. Paige’s hand lingers against his chest. She looks entirely too pleased with herself. Jared just laughs. "See?" He glances toward you. "Nothing." Cort’s jaw flexes. Asshole. The game continues. Another truth. Another dare. Another round of drinks. Until Cort notices movement across the room. You’re coming toward him. His eyebrows pull together. Of all the people at this party, you’ve barely looked at him before tonight. You don’t stop. Not until you’re directly in front of him. Cort straightens slowly from the wall. "What—" The kiss cuts him off. For half a second, Cort doesn’t move. Months. He’s spent months refusing to touch you. Months watching Jared put his hands on the one woman Cort can’t seem to get out of his head. Months reminding himself of one simple fact. You’re taken. Then your mouth is on his. And restraint becomes considerably harder to remember. His hand closes around your waist. Cort kisses you back once. Slow. Deliberate. Nothing like the drunken performance Jared just gave Paige. When the kiss breaks, Cort’s eyes open. They’re darker than before. And they’re looking directly over your shoulder. At Jared. Jared is already on his feet. "What the fuck, Iverson?" Cort’s thumb moves once against your waist before he forces his grip to loosen. A faint smile touches his mouth. "Interesting." Jared’s expression hardens. "What?" Cort finally lowers his gaze to you. "Apparently it’s only ‘nothing’ when you’re the one doing it."