“This kiss,” Titan rumbled. “You’re really something else.”
“I’m not very good at kissing,” Mathlin panted. “If I accidentally bite off the tip of your tongue, I promise to take very good care of it.”
Titan snorted. He laid another light, dragging kiss on Mathlin, a slow thing that left Mathlin’s lips tingling and his heart pounding. It felt like a promise.
Then Titan leaned away, amusement dancing in his eyes.
Mathlin realized that the alpha couldn’t move far—because his own fingers were tangled in Titan’s hair. “How did my hands get there?!”
Titan coughed. “You don’t know?”
“They moved on their own!”
Someone else laughed. When Mathlin jerked his head up, he realized that they had a small audience: Ottis and Gavric typingon their phones, Crush lowering his phone like he had just finished recording a video.
“So... Mr. Benley?” Titan asked.
Oh.
They had been fake kissing for an audience.
“Uh,” Mathlin said, looking around.
“He left,” Vigil said dryly. “About ten seconds in. You went on for five whole minutes.”
“Fiveminutes?!” Mathlin squeaked.
“He left? Just like that?” Titan asked incredulously.
“Well, no. He tried yelling at you a few times, but you completely ignored him,” Vigil said, amused. “In the end, he threw his hands up and stormed off.”
Mathlin hoped like hell that Titan wouldn’t question the kissing. Because that had been a lot of good kissing. And it had made him wet.
He cast around for something to say. “So, uh, should we cut the cake?”
Titan choked. “Math,” he hissed. “We don’t have a cake to cut. We didn’t planthatfar.”
Gavric began coughing, too. “Exactly what are you guys planning?”
“Nothing,” Mathlin said innocently. “Just stay away so you don’t get caught up in it.”
“Cool,” Crush said, wrapping his arm around Killian. “Well, we’re off to enjoy the party. You should do the same.”
“Try the cupcakes!” Mathlin said.
One by one, Titan’s brothers wandered off. Mathlin turned to his alpha, only now noticing Titan’s red lips and pink cheeks. Had the kiss affected him that much?
“So.” Titan cleared his throat, his gaze darting away from Mathlin. “Uh.”
“I didn’t bite off your tongue,” Mathlin blurted. “So I think I didn’t mess up too badly.”
Titan snorted. “That’show you measure how good a kiss was?”
Mathlin glared. “Hey! It’s not like I’ve kissed a million alphas before you.”
Titan seemed to stand taller at that. “Yeah?” He suddenly looked hopeful. “And how did that compare to everyone else?”
For a pretend kiss, he certainly was invested in it.
