Page 22 of Blame it on the Kiss
“Holy heavens! Chocolate cake is in my mouth,” Sophie trumpeted when finished.
“What’s in your mouth?” Zane said, his voice echoing off the walls. He, Bryce, Danny, Mark, and two other surf friends of Zane’s entered the kitchen.
Bryce locked eyes with hers.
Sophie spun around and wrapped her arms around Zane’s neck. “Taste.” And he did, with a kiss that lasted until Danny cleared his throat. At least she thought it was Danny since Bryce had her caught with his dangerous, dark eyes.
Aiden angled his head down so his mouth almost grazed her ear. “I’m all for taste tests in case you were wondering.”
Honor blinked free of Bryce and turned to look at Aiden. “I wasn’t, but I might be now,” she whispered. Aiden had one night stand written all over him.
“We need another round,” Sophie declared, spurring Honor back into action.
Grateful for the task, she kept her focus on drink making, all too aware that not only were Aiden’s eyes on her, but Bryce’s, too.
“Antiques, special events, bartender, you’re a woman of many talents,” Bryce said a few minutes later, his voice slipping over her warmer than the shot that had slid down her throat.
“I owe this one to my friend Cambria. She works as a bartender for a party planning company and taught me how to make it. Did you like it?”
“I did.” He stood near enough that his minty, spicy, pure male scent surrounded her.
“Want another?”
“I’m good. Listen, about last night—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she rushed out under her breath. She didn’t want to talk about Payton’s list in a kitchen full of people. It infuriated her that he’d seen it. But really, it was her own stupid fault for keeping the list in the book. She’d worried she’d lose it otherwise, just like she lost every other note or reminder. Of course she had the list memorized, but having that piece of paper was like having a piece of her best friend and she’d wanted to keep it. Maybe Bryce didn’t deserve her anger, but she suffered it all the same.
“Okay, how many shots do I need to catch up?” Emma said at the top of her voice. She and Julia strode into the kitchen with pizza boxes and brown bags Honor knew held salad, garlic bread, and spaghetti and meatballs inside them.
For the next hour everyone ate and talked, sitting and standing wherever comfortable in the large kitchen. Bryce made no attempt to talk to her again, or get close enough for her to smell him, but their eyes did meet a few times across the room.
And each time she felt an uninvited flutter in the pit of her stomach.
Once everyone had finished and the kitchen was cleaned, the guys headed to the White Strand Inn. The girls were sleeping over with Sophie.
“I don’t think I’m going to get a wink of sleep tonight,” Sophie said, curled up on the couch in the living room. She wore herBeach Bridepajama set.
Honor, Julia and Emma wore their matchingBeach Bridesmaidjammies. “Warm milk,” Emma said. “Isn’t that what they say?”
“With cookies,” Julia added.
“Oh no!” Sophie leaned forward. “I forgot to give Bryce the note I wrote to Zane.”
“What note?” Emma asked.
“Julia gave me the idea. I wrote Zane a love note and I need one of the guys to slip it to him right before the ceremony.”
“That is so sweet.” Emma sighed.
Sophie stood. “I hate to ask this, but would one of you mind running it over to the hotel? I’m afraid I’ll forget tomorrow.”
“If I go I might not come back,” Julia said. “This is the first night I’m away from my new hubby and I miss him.”
“I may not return either,” Emma said, her voice taking on a coquettish tone. “Bryce is totally hot and I might—”
“I’ll do it,” Honor interrupted, hoping she sounded like she was doing everyone a favor and not at all bothered by Emma’s admission. Because she wasn’t.
Not at all.
