If her smirk weren’t sexy enough, she leaned in and brushed her lips against mine—a featherlight kiss, gone before I could process it, let alone capture it.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “You’ve given me some hope.”
“I did?” I wanted to give her more so she would kiss me again.
“Yes,” she said, breathless.
Something in her eyes shifted—a flicker of the real Demi broke through the lock around her heart.
It undid me.
I reached for her, slowly but deliberately, my hand finding the curve of her waist. She didn’t pull away. Her breathhitched. And before I could talk myself out of it, before I could remind myself that I was supposed to help her find her true love, I leaned in. This time, I kissed her.
Not a brush.
Not a tease.
This kiss lingered.
Her lips were soft, warm, and parted just enough to welcome me. She tasted like ambrosia and something sweeter I couldn’t name. I took my time with her, my fingers trailing up her back to get lost in her hair as my lips moved over hers repeatedly.
She melted into me, her fingers curling into my shirt, anchoring us both. She smiled against my mouth, and it wrecked me.
“You want to be my number one kiss, don’t you?”
“Damn it,” I groaned, lips still grazing hers. “You shouldn’t know that.”
“I think it’s cute.”
“We shouldn’t be kissing,” I said, trying to sound like the responsible one, like I hadn’t been the one to initiate the kiss. “It’s against the rules. And you have to find your true love.”
“Who says we can’t have fun along the way?”
Hell.She was going to be the death of me.
“Demi, I’m the host and the executive producer.”
“All right,” she sang, all faux innocence. “I guess I better go, then. I need to talk to Cassie anyway—see if she can help me figure this out. Thanks again.”
She waved and jogged off, her messy bun bouncing, her legs unfairly impossible to ignore. But then she turned, flashing a smile so brilliant it knocked thebreath out of me.
“Oh, and by the way,” she called out, voice light and lethal, “the kiss was amazing . . . but not number one. Just in case you’re wondering.”
I had been. Of course I had. But I didn’t need her to kick my ego to the curb like that. Or maybe . . . just maybe . . . she was inviting me to try again.
It would be fun, like she’d said, but we would be playing with fire. And I didn’t want either of us to get burned. Especially now that she might have an inkling of who her true love was.
I knew I had to find him. And for his sake and mine, I needed to keep my hands and lips off Demi. But, Titans, it was the last thing I wanted to do.
Chapter XXVIII
Demi
“Cassie!”
I burst into the cabin, heart racing, thoughts scattered. Okay, I was freaking out a little. Fine. A lot.
Cassie strolled out of her room like she hadn’t shattered curfew—and possibly the show’s PG rating—on her unsanctioned date with Carter last night. She wore a bright-purple robe with a giant skull on the back—her version of cozy. Even half asleep, she looked gorgeous. Hair tousled, lips swollen, skin glowing in that unmistakable post-date way that practically whispered,Viewer discretion advised.
