"Gonna start by taking your shoes, Bright."

"My shoes?" Malcolm's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He stared down at his sneakers and then at her. "Why do you want to start by taking my shoes?"

"Because taking off things is the point of strip poker."

Malcolm sent her a wry look. "I'm not getting naked here, Sorch."

"Neither am I."

Not in my parents house, anyway, she amended silently. Back at hers and Mandy's apartment was an entirely different deal, though. And just because she couldn't get him naked now didn't mean she couldn't get him reasonably unclothed.

"If we aren't getting naked then what's the point of playing?"

"You were the one who said you didn't want to play for money," she said with a shrug. "This just provides stakes. Establishes a winner."

It also provided her with the perfect opportunity to turn the heat up a little more. She had been doing so since spring break to interesting results. Clueless to the hows of dating Malcolm Bright might be… immune to her charms he most certainly was not.

"We need to agree on what items to take off then."

"Well, I'm thinking shoes, socks, necklaces, watches, bracelets, and rings as fair game." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Unless you want to add pants to the list of things we can take off."

"Absolutely not."

"Party pooper."

His dimples winked. "I keep telling you I'm no fun."

"You keep hanging out with me and you'll be a barrel of fun in no time." Sorcha removed the deck of cards from the box she kept them in. "So, we agree then to play until one of us loses our shirt?"

"You have two shirts on while I only have one," Mal pointed out with a small smirk. "I call that unfair advantage."

"It's to keep things parental friendly."

"Parental friendly?" One eyebrow lifted. "Is this another of those hanky-panky things?"

"Yep." Sorcha shuffled the deck. "See, you can end up shirtless and it won't bother them. I end up shirtless and you and Dad will be having a long talk out on the back porch."

"Ah." Malcolm's head ducked to either hide his smile or his response to her ending up topless. Sorcha hoped more for the latter than the former. "Glad to know you want to avoid me getting a long lecture from your dad."

"Hey." A playful grin rugged at her lips. "What're friends for?"

He peeked at her from between the strands of hair that fell adorably into his face.

"I'm beginning to suspect mine wants to get my clothes off."

"Any sane woman would want to get your clothes off, Mal." Sorcha set the deck of cards in front of him. "Especially if they knew what was beneath them clothes like I do."

"They'd run once they find out I'm broken."

"Only you see you as broken."

"Others see it, too, Sorch."

"They only see what's on the surface. If they took the time to get to know you, they'd see you as I do."

Malcolm picked up the deck but did not cut it. "You've seen me at my worst and are still my friend." He lifted eyes more green than blue to hers. "Why?"

"Because a real friend is the one who stays when the shit hits the fan." She indicated the deck. "Deal."

"I'm surprised these aren't Batman or Star Wars cards."

Her lips twitched. "Be grateful they aren't tarot cards."

"Why?"

"Don't want to cause a rash of unusual deaths because one of us got a full house, do we?"

Malcolm handed her the deck without saying a word.


A/N: Hello, all! Hope this finds you well!

I just want to send a special thank you to Rookblonkorules and Angelic Reaper13 for their lovely reviews!