“Truth or Dare II”

The Outlaw’s Back Story Part 4

Elise, through her fit of embarrassed giggles groaned, “OMG you heard that?” 

Oh, yeah. He’d heard it. 

Jesse had heard it loud and clear. 

And it served him right too. Standing in the woods, eavesdropping on the Senior Girls’ campout because he realized it was Elise Thompson’s turn at Truth or Dare. 

Far be it for him to be a true gentleman when it came to eavesdropping on Elise. He was gentleman enough when it came to Elise. And apparently any remnants of being a gentleman had just flown the coop since he’d readily admitted to hearing her say he was on her list of people she’d allow to feel her up. 

Oh, hell yes. 

Jesse wanted to feel her up. 

He’d been wanting to feel her up for a good year now. 

And wouldn’t you know it, here the two of them were, standing in the dark, in the woods, after midnight. Alone. 

Well, alone was a relative term since there were a couple dozen of her closest friends less than twenty-five feet away who had also heard her declaration. So their minds were probably working overtime imagining him feeling her up. Like now. 

Of course all Jesse could do was grin. Because if a sweaty, fresh off the volleyball court Elise could grab his attention on a Monday afternoon, this Friday-night, deep-in-the-woods, embarrassed-yet-laughing Elise made his nuts swell. 

Shit. This was bad. 

Still, it was good, too. Like, really good. 

“Yeah, I heard it. Don’t tell them I heard it.” He motioned his head back toward the fire circle. “Deny, deny, deny. But”—he stepped closer—“you need to be aware that I heard it.” 

She visibly gulped. 

“And trust me. The last thing you want is for either Holtzman or Doub to feel you up. You need feeling up, you come to me.” 

She burst out laughing and shoved at his chest. “Stop. I’m so embarrassed.” 

“You oughta be. Holtzman? The kid’s a weasel. Lazy as hell. And don’t get me started on Doub and the trouble he gives me. I mean it. You want the job done and done right? I’m your guy.” 

Elise’s face was buried in her hands. “Ugh,” she groaned. “This is far worse than you stumbling upon my stash of White Claws. We were playing Truth or Dare,” she explained. “I had to give them an answer.” 

“And I heard your answer, loud and clear.” He grinned hard. Then, as his eyes adjusted to the light of the moon, he noticed her eyes were a little glossy. Worried she was passing the point of embarrassment and heading toward upset, he took a step back. “I’m just giving you a hard time,” he teased. “Your list is safe with me.” 

“It’s not my list,” she declared. “I don’t have a list. I was playing the game.” 

He stepped back in, lowered his voice and took a chance. “I like the way you play the game.” Then he scooped up a White Claw and held it out to her. “You ever wanna play your game with me, just let me know.” He picked up the soft-sided cooler and slung it over his shoulder. “And if you want your cooler back, you know where I live.” 

“Are you seriously taking all those?” 

“I just gave you one. Stick it in the back of your jeans and pull your top over it. If Sanny finds out I left that for you, I’m a dead man, you hear?” 

“I hear.” 

He started to back away. “Now, get on back before they all think I’m letting you have your way with me. Tell Sanny to call me if y’all need anything else. Otherwise, I’m going to bed.” He shot her a wink and an affectionate smile as he uttered his parting words. “Don’t do anything stupid.” He turned and headed back up the trail toward the dog kennels where he’d parked his car. 

“Neil Holtzman and John Doub,” he muttered. “Those two are swimming extra laps come Monday.”