Her eyes widened, then fluttered closed. The hand holding her phone fell to her side as she soaked it all in. It wasn’t brief. He stayed there with his mouth pressed to hers for what felt like forever. He pulled away slightly, his breaths coming out in short, soft pants on her lips. She remained frozen, staring at him, too lost in the what-the-fuckness of it all to do anything more.
They were nose to nose, his eyes flicking between her eyes and her lips. And just when she thought it was over, he drew her lower lip into his mouth, teasing it between his teeth and tongue. Her heart hammered in her chest and despite herself, a small gasp escaped her. She had never kissed a boy before and she had no idea what to do. But the softness of his lips, the warmth of his mouth, the velvety feel of his tongue—it made her want more.
This kiss was also not brief. It felt like he would never stop…and she didn’t want him to stop. He was a few inches taller than her and she found herself lifting onto her toes to keep their lips locked.
He finally pulled away, putting enough distance between them to let her know that it had indeed come to an end. For along time, he said nothing and she said nothing, but his hands were still on her face, his fingers lightly caressing the back of her neck. His eyes were on her lips again and he slowly brushed his thumb over them. At that point, she wished she had known other guys, she wished she had some insight to how the male mind worked, because she could’ve sworn he wanted to kiss her again. But he didn’t.
He dropped his hands and took a step back. “There.” And his voice sounded as unsteady as she felt. “That should shut you up for a while.”
It did.
*****
Jasmin pulled off her jacket and slung it over the back of her chair. The restaurant was crowded and extremely hot. They had checked into a hotel. It cost a small fortune, but she didn’t care. She wanted to indulge for once. Her father was going to freak when he got the credit card bill, not because of the money, but because of the places she was spending it. By the time he found out, she’d be back at the South Star in Montana and she’d deal with consequences when they came.
There was going to be a raucous party at the hotel tonight. Strippers and can-can dancers. There was a slim chance she could get in, but that didn’t stop her from thinking of ways to convince the security guards. Kevin probably wouldn’t join her and she didn’t know if she wanted him to. She was still very confused about what happened earlier. They hadn’t said much to each other since then, because she was still trying to figure out why he’d kissed her. He didn’t like her, so why did he kiss her? Was it a joke? It didn’t feel like a joke.
She found herself constantly touching her lips because she could still feel him, taste him. It was warping her mind. Shecouldn’t understand it. Was he attracted to her? He couldn’t be. Hot guys like him generally didn’t give girls like her a second look. He didn’t like it when she touched him. He didn’t like it when she complimented him. He didn’t likeher. Period. He’d told her so a dozen times.
It was just a joke, she told herself. He only did it to shut her up. She knew that, yet every time she relived that moment in her head, those reasons made less and less sense.
If it was a joke, it would have been quick. If it was a joke, it wouldn’t have felt so intimate. But what did she know? It was all new to her. Maybe that’s what a joke-kiss felt like. And it wasn’t even arealkiss. Real kisses involved a lot more tongue and she was pretty sure saliva was exchanged. That hadn’t happened so she didn’t know why she was getting so worked up over it when it wasn’t even real.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the waiter placed her meal in front of her. She’d ordered a seafood platter, Kevin ordered the ribs, and both portions were massive. She was hungry, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to eat all that.
“You’re so quiet, Jasmin,” Kevin said once the waiter left their table. “Thinking about something?”
Their eyes locked and he smiled, a little playful and little smug, and it confirmed that the kiss had been a joke.
“No. I…don’t really have much to say.”
“That’s new.”
He shifted his plate forward, giving her permission to pick off it if she wanted. She took a few onion rings, then offered her plate to him. He took mussels and calamari. The whole exchange was done in silence and they remained quiet as they ate.
It was still bothering her and she was about to ask him about it when she noticed three women approaching their table. Tall, leggy, beautiful women—two blondes, one brunette. Jasmin stopped eating when they reached their table.
“You!” one of the blondes said.
Jasmin looked around even though it was obvious the woman was talking to her.
“Yes, you. The one in thesweatpants.” She said the word in such a derogatory way Jasmin actually felt offended. She tried not to take it personally because they looked a little drunk, even though it was only two in the afternoon. “You’re coming with us,” the blonde said.
Jasmin looked around again, this time looking for a camera, because this had to be some kind of prank. “Um…I don’t…know you. And we’re eating so…”
The blonde cut her off by snapping her finger like a queen bee and the other two swarmed around her. “Then let’s introduce ourselves.” She smiled and she didn’t look half as bitchy anymore. “I’m Mandy. This is Candy and Sandy.”
Her eyebrows wrinkled. That was very strange. “Are those your real names?”
“No. It’s our alter egos. We’re in Vegas!”
Jasmin beamed, finally happy that there were others sharing the same kind of enthusiasm she was. “Me too!”
“Oh, God,” Kevin whispered from the other side of the table and he sounded a little scared. “There are more of you.”
“Now, I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing in Vegas wearingsweatpants,” Mandy said, still saying the word with utter disgust. “But we’re gonna fix it. We’re gonna save you from yourself. Get up!”
Jasmin wasn’t quite sure of their motives and remained seated. The whole situation was surreal. She didn’t know people could be so bossy and forward. She looked over at Kevin, suddenly feeling very unsure of what to do.
