While the people around us died with laughter—even Kiera was clutching her stomach, her eyes watering with delight—Griffin shrugged. “Sorry, man. House rules, you play the bottle where it lies.”

It felt like the entire house was suddenly in the dining room, watching us, laughing their asses off at my death sentence. Or Griffin’s. I again shook my head at him. “Griff, we’re not playing—”

The fucker didn’t even let me finish. He grabbed my head and fucking laid one on me. Then the asshole tried to shove his tongue into my startled mouth. Oh my fucking God! Matt better have bleach, because I had an emergent need to gargle with it. I instantly shoved Griffin away from me, but the damage was done. I could still…feel him.

While I warded Griffin off with my hand, I heard a couple people falling from their chairs they were laughing so hard. They wouldn’t think it was so fucking funny if it had happened to them. “Dude! What the fuck?”

Griffin gave me a confused expression as he looked me over. “Huh,” he said. “Yeah, I don’t get what all the fuss is about…I’ve had better.”

Really. He was critiquing me on a kiss I didn’t want? Dick. Crossing my arms over my chest, I gave him my best fuck-you eyes. He just wriggled his finger and said, “Maybe if you did this thing with your tongue…”

Asshole. But now that my moment of horror was over and I noticed the state of the room, of my friends, and of Kiera…my mood shifted to amusement. At least he’d made Kiera laugh…and I didn’t think I’d ever seen her laugh quite so hard before; she had to continuously wipe the tears from her eyes. It was adorable.

I gave Griffin a light backhand across the chest, then shoved his shoulder away from me with a soft laugh. “Get the fuck out of here, Griffin.”

Griffin was—of course—offended that I wasn’t thanking him for his suggestion, then he planted one on Anna and made a crack about saving his skills for those who appreciated them. Please do. My bandmates were busting up laughing, so were their girlfriends, and so was well, everyone else. I could only close my eyes and shake my head. Why me?

Reopening my eyes, I smiled at Kiera, still laughing. Enjoying her joy, I grabbed my beer from the table and motioned to the drinking game we’d actually been playing. “Well, needless to say…I’m done.”

Someone took my spot, the game resuming as the snickering died down. Walking over to Kiera, I extended my hand. “Dance with me, beautiful girl?”