Page 3 of Blame it on the Kiss
“No. She didn’t trust me to be there for her.”
The darkness, combined with the hurt in Bryce’s voice pressed down on Honor, making their cramped area feel ten times smaller.
“I’m sorry.” Truthfully, Honor had no idea how Payton really felt. Her friend had refused to talk about Bryce after the break-up.
“You have no reason to be.”
“Don’t I?”
Several seconds passed before he said, “If we’d kept things anonymous, would you have gone through with it?”
She wanted to believe she would have. “I’m not sure. I’m not really wired for sex with a stranger.” She flirted and had fun with guys all the time, but it rarely went beyond a hand on the arm or peck on the cheek. She’d dated plenty of guys over the years, sure, most of them jerks, a few of them decent, none of them like Bryce.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but by the time we went to my room I didn’t feel like we were strangers. I don’t confide to just any girl that I wore pull-ups until I was five.”
“That’s right.” She couldn’t help herself and let out a small giggle-sigh kind of sound, glad he’d broken some of the tension. They had gotten to know each other like it was the most natural thing in the world. Which made her wonder again… “What about you? You didn’t know what had happened to Payton, and claim you’d never had a one night stand before. Was I just a rebound?”
He didn’t say anything, but she felt his eyes bore into hers.
“That’s one way of putting it,” he finally confessed.
“What’s the other way?” His admission stung. It was bad enough they’d had their hands all over each other, but to find out he’d used her to get over Payton made her feel dirty as well as guilty.
“So what else is on Payton’s list?” he asked instead of answering her.
The question, along with his unresponsiveness, raised the hairs on the back of her neck. “None of your business.”
His posture changed, the air between them rippling with uncomfortable waves. “Should’ve guessed that. What’s on yours?”
“I don’t have a list.” How could she when she never saw anything through to the end? She didn’t need any more pressure than Payton’s five wishes. A tiny part of her was pretty damn angry with her best friend for thrusting such a responsibility on her. Payton knew she didn’t focus on anything for very long. A free spirit, everyone said.
Yeah, their whole small Southern California town of White Strand Cove knew all about Honor’s lack of commitment.
Her high school boyfriend had made sure of it.
“We should head back to the party now.” She pushed off from the wall and bumped right into his chest. When had he inched closer?
“Can’t.” His warm, peppermint breath fanned her face.
She took a step back—one measly step and her butt hit the wall. “When can you?”
“Are we good?”
“Yes, we’re good.” Sort of. She did feel better for having talked things out. She’d just ignore the way a simple look at him made her think things she absolutely should not. Could not.
“Then we’re halfway there.” He lifted his arms and flattened his hands on the wall on either side of her head, trapping her.
Her heart did a three-sixty. Slippery didn’t begin to describe her palms. And he smelled so yummy that she wiggled her nose to stop from breathing him in. “What are you doing and what does halfway mean?”
“It means as soon as you tell me about the game we’re supposed to play, we can leave the closet.” His tone had taken an edge she hadn’t heard from him before. Part bad boy, part bitter, like he’d detached himself from their past and their history with Payton.
“I think game time’s over.”
“I think the only game that comes to my mind that’s played in a closet with a beautiful girl has got to do with kissing.Seven Minutes in Heavenor something like that. And since we are in the wedding party, it’s our duty to follow through, right?”
He thought she was beautiful?
Tingles swept over her lips and down the backs of her arms.
