After everything but the drinks was consumed, everyone lounged around the couch, sipping from their highball glasses.
"Okay, this is it. The second best part of the evening – truth or dare!" Jett said with a flourish.
"How far does this go? Because at my college everyone does the craziest things." Michelle said to Brook.
"You haven't played truth or dare like this, that's for sure." He said wryly. Paige who was sitting on the floor heard them.
"You afraid, angel face? Thought you'd have more nerve after those sick dance moves you pulled off." She taunted. That was enough to reinforce her daring.
"Let's do this." She said with her chin up.
"Alright! Nothing beats Michelle! Now, who goes first?"
"Oldest to youngest. That way Michelle can see how it's done." Paige said. Jett groaned.
"Aw. That means I have to go first. And everyone knows the best dares go last."
"Just for that, I'm gonna make you wish you went last," Paige said with a wicked smile. Jett gulped.
"Can we start already? Sheesh, you guys talk too much." Payton grumbled.
" I'm up. Jett, truth or dare?" Paige asked.
"Do you even have to ask? Dare!" he practically yelled back in excitement. Reece put a hand on his shoulder to pull him down.
"Someone's had a little too much margaritas." He muttered.
"Okay, Jett. I dare you –" she paused for suspense.
"I dare you to say something to Michelle that'll make her blush. If she doesn't, you have to paint pink flowers on your car." Jett's face fell.
"What? Not my car! my beautiful electric blue car..."
"Then get a move on," Paige said. Brook glanced from Paige to Jett.
"I don't like this. Jett, you'd better not –"
"Relax Brook. I wanna see this." Paige said. Jett got up and came to Michelle's side, covered her ear with his hand, and whispered something for a long moment. Michelle's eyes widened and a rosy blush spread from her cheeks to her neck. Her eyes avoided Brook's.
"That's a good color on you!" Reece said laughing. Jett returned to his seat, Brook's eyes hard on him.
"Jett what did you tell her?!" he asked. Jett grinned goofily.
"Nothing she wasn't already thinking, that's for sure." He said. Paige put her fingers between her lips and whistled.
"Whoo! That's what I'm talking about!" Brook groaned under his breath.
"My turn. Jett, I dare you to do the ice bucket challenge." Michelle looked at him.
"Wait, I thought his turn was over?"
"Each of us dares one person in turn, Michelle. That's why this game can go on for hours." Brook replied. Jett lumbered off to the kitchen and returned with a bucket full of ice.
"Put it inside your shirt," Brook said. Jett looked dismayed.
"Aw, man! I am NEVER picking a dare again."
"Want some help?" Payton asked, eyeing the ice bucket with longing.
"No thanks! You'll probably put ice down my pants!" Jett shuddered. Michelle squeezed her eyes shut.
"That's something I REALLY don't need to see." She said. Brook grinned.
"I agree. But something tells me Payton's gonna do it anyway when his turn comes." Jett took the ice bucket and swallowed.
"My last words – I'm gonna make you guys pay for this!" Jett said. He tipped the bucket into his collar and yelped.
"Oh! AAH! Ooh! Damn, s-so c-c-cold!" Everyone burst out laughing. Reece fell backward clutching his stomach.
"I'm gonna have a hard time beating that!" he choked.
"Next, put them down your pants," Payton said. Brook shook his head in disbelief.
"Told you," he said to Michelle.
"What?! But – but –" Jett stammered.
"You asked for a dare. You got a dare. Now, do you want me to do that for you?" Payton asked. Jett groaned as he lifted the ice bucket again.
"You don't want to see this," Brook said, covering Michelle's eyes with his hand. She heard a series of yelps and horrified yells from Jett.
"And no swearing. You don't want to poison Michelle's ears." Payton said with obvious enjoyment. Jett scowled at him.
"When it's my turn, boy am I gonna get you!"
When it was finally Michelle's turn to give Jett a dare, she halted.
"Come on Michelle. Go easy on me. you see what I have to put up with."
"I dare you... to confess as if you have a crush on someone with your eyes closed! You don't have to say who it is."
"Ugh, so boring," Paige said.
"No, no! that's a great dare! Okay, here I go." He stood up and closed his eyes.
"Mystery woman, I have a crush on you. but I mean it's so much more than a crush. I am crazy about you! I like everything about you – from the color of your hair to the way you dance. You make me want to drive in circles around you!" Michelle clapped when he finished.
"Whoo! That was so sweet."
"Pft. That's not a dare." Payton said.
"Okay, mister sour pants. Your turn." Brook said to Payton. "Truth or Dare?"
"I don't want the rest of the night to pass by talking about deep personal issues. So dare."
"I dare you to lend your black biker jacket to someone for a week." Michelle looked confused at Brook's dare for Payton. It seemed so tame.
"What?! Urgh!" Payton groaned.
"I don't get it. What's the big deal?" Michelle asked.
"That jacket costs like a thousand dollars! It's a limited edition! I don't want any of you getting your hands on it!" Payton yelled irritably. Brook smirked.
"That's the big deal." He said to Michelle. He looked at Payton.
"Well? Go on. Unless you forfeit your dare like a coward." Brook teased. Payton got up and went to get his jacket.
"Ooh! Can I have it? I've always wanted to try something black." Jett said.
"I call dibs! Just seeing his face for a week without his jacket should be priceless." Reece said. Payton came back with his jacket. He walked straight up to Michelle and dropped it on her lap.
"Hey! What -?"
"I don't trust anybody else with it. Guard that with your life." Payton said and sat down. Jett slapped his hand on his knee.
"Ho! That I did not see coming." Jett said.
After several crazier than the last dares, including Paige's dare for Reece to rap in Korean, it was Paige's turn. From the look in her eyes, nobody ventured to give her embarrassing dares. When it was Brook's turn though, he gave her a long smug stare.
"Just ask already!" she snapped, feeling the pressure. Brook tilted his head to one side.
"I dare you to compliment Jett about something." Again, Michelle felt that was rather tame – until she saw Paige's face.
"Noooo! Anything but that!" she protested.
"Would you rather kiss him?" Brook asked slyly. Paige gave him her dirtiest scowl and turned to Jett.
"Jett. I think you're... er..." Jett looked offended.
" Oh come on Paige! There must be something you like about me." Paige looked like she swallowed a slug.
"You – make the best gadgets!" she said. Brook shook his head.
"That's a fact, not a compliment. Try again." Paige ran her hands through her hair. She took a shot of her drink and cleared her throat.
"Okay, this is the alcohol speaking. I think you're really funny. Like funny enough to make any girl laugh." Jett blinked for a moment before enveloping her in a hug.
"Oh thank you thank you thank you! I never thought I'd see the day you complimented me!"
"Argh! Get off! Ew!" she pushed him back but he was still laughing.
"Thanks, bro," he said to Brook. Michelle smiled. Brook is really perceptive, she thought.
"Moving on! I wanna see Michelle's turn." Paige said. After her, it was Reece's turn, then Brook's. Michelle was surprised to find that before her, Brook was the youngest. He definitely didn't act like it.
"Been waiting all night for this," Payton said with a smirk. Brook had chosen a dare saying he can dish it out as well as take it in.
"I dare you to give up all ownership of your car for a week. You can't touch it, drive it, or work on it." Payton said resting his head in his palms behind. Brook gritted his teeth but agreed.
"Fine."
"Is that that bad?" Michelle asked.
"Oh yeah. When I'm done with his car, it won't even look like a Bugatti anymore." Payton said smugly.
"That's kind of mean," Michelle said, frowning. Payton laughed.
"Sweetheart, you haven't met me."
"While that was crazy and all, it lacked the thrill of the moment. My turn." Paige said, staring at Brook.
"I dare you to kiss someone in this room like you mean it in front of the rest of us. You gotta get sensual enough to pass the dare." Paige said with a twisted smirk.
"Here? in front of everyone?" Brook asked.
"Hey, Paige knows how to make it fun for all of us," Reece said gleefully.
"Fine," Brook said curtly. Without a second's hesitation, he grabbed Michelle by the waist and pressed his lips between hers. Jett whooped and Reece made monkey sounds.
"Show her some love dude!" Paige said. Michelle wondered how much she had had to drink. Brook pulled away for a second to whisper something against her lips.
"Can you handle the heat?" he asked. Michelle nodded.
"Try me," she said. Brook pulled her legs over his lap and leaned her backward onto the couch without breaking the kiss. He let his tongue open her mouth wider and tasted her lips with wild passion. His hands fervently clutched her waist and neck eventually sliding down to her hips. Michelle reciprocated the fervor by wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer. Paige whooped, startling the guys.
"That's more like it!" she said. Payton turned away, scowling.
"Enough already! You're sickening to look at!" he said. Finally, Brook pulled away, leaning on the couch. Their breathing was ragged and their faces flushed. Michelle felt weak at the knees and was glad she was sitting on the couch.
"That was hot," Paige said grinning. Michelle leaned over the table and took the drinking glass from her hand.
"I think you've had enough Paige."
"Hey, just because you're not high doesn't mean you can stop the fun for me," Paige said, grabbing the glass back.
"Come guys, it's Michelle's turn. Michelle, truth or dare?" Jett asked. She bit her lip trying to decide.
"I wouldn't choose dare if I were you," Brook said. "You've seen what these guys can do." Michelle shook her head.
"Everyone here picked a dare. I'm not gonna break the streak."
"Yeah, baby! This'll be the big finale." Jett said.
"It's your funeral, Michelle," Reece said.
"If you chose dare, I go first. You owe me a favor which I get to call anywhere, anytime!" Payton said. He got up and stormed off.
"What's bitten him?" Jett asked.
"Looks like you're bound indefinitely. I hope I'm around to see what favor Payton's gonna call in." Reece said.
"Who cares... he has the most pathetic dares today. I'll give you something mind-blowing." Paige said. "Okay angel face, here's an easy one. Take off Brook's shirt." Michelle's jaw dropped.
"W-what?" Brook hid a smile.
"Careful Paige or she'll think we're just a bunch of perverts."
"Oh come on, you can see it in her face that she wants to," Paige said. Michelle blushed and stuttered out a protest.
"That's not – I don't – It's not –" Paige laughed.
"Adorable. Now get to work." Michelle turned to Brook nervously.
"It's just the shirt right?" she asked. She hoped he was wearing a vest inside. It would be weird to wear a checked cotton shirt without a vest, Michelle thought.
"You want to forfeit?" Brook asked. She met his eyes.
"No, I'm not gonna chicken out. I've never turned down a dare and I'm not gonna start now." Her fingers slowly made their way up to the top button and she began to undo it.
"Pick up the pace angel, we haven't got all night!" Paige said. Michelle's fingers shook slightly as she worked faster. When she reached the middle button she knew he wasn't wearing any vest; her fingers brushed against the bare skin of his chest. He smiled at her.
"Want some help?" he asked.
"No, I got this." She quickly undid the rest of the buttons focusing on them instead of his skin. Finally, she got the shirt off.
"Did I pass?" Michelle asked. Paige scrunched her nose.
"Barely. A little alcohol would've made that a lot more interesting to watch." Paige said. She yawned.
"Okay, Paige. Time for bed. Michelle's right. You've had too much to drink." Jett said.
"But she does give the best dares," Reece argued. He covered a yawn and went to bed. Only Brook and Michelle were left on the couch. Michelle got up intending to go to bed but Brook stood up and caught her hand.
"Am I that bad to look at?" Brook asked Michelle on seeing her avoiding looking at him.
"N-no, not at all. It's just that I don't want to make you uncomfortable and – I'm sorry you had to do that and – I – I –" She ran out of excuses. Brook stepped closer.
"I'm not sorry." He said. He leaned close, his forehead brushing against a few loose strands of her hair. He pushed them aside and let his forehead rest on hers. She closed her eyes feeling nervous to be so close to his bare skin.
"Michelle... look at me." her eyes slowly opened and she focused them on his.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered. He took her hands and placed them on his chest.
"Your fingers are ice cold." He said. She tried to pull them away but he held her hands firmly. Despite trying not to think, she couldn't help liking how soft the skin of his chest felt – and how warm. She could faintly feel his heartbeat. He let go of her hands when he knew she wouldn't pull away and wrapped one around her, pulling her close. She gasped when she felt herself pressed against his torso. Her eyes automatically slid to his chest and she guiltily admired how toned his muscles were. His other hand came up to her chin and tilted her head up.
"Still nervous?" he asked.
"I – I'm not sure." She said. He leaned forward and kissed the edge of her jaw.
"Now?" Michelle felt herself relax in his arms.
"Yes..." she lied. His lips trailed a wet kiss down her neck. She let out a silent moan.
"What about now?" Brook asked, his lips still pressed to her neck.
"N-No." she forgot what they were even talking about. Brook pulled back with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Good." He said. He put on his shirt. Michelle watched him blankly.
"Huh?"
"I want you to be comfortable around me. Looks like I achieved that." Michelle's jaw dropped.
"You were – testing me?"
"Oh no. I meant everything I did. Night, Michelle." He said with a wink before going to bed.