It’s a hungry kiss that leaves me breathless, and he feels it when I moan in his mouth.
The taste of him floods my head, then spills down my spine in a slow shiver.
God. I could kiss him all day, every day.
How the hell did I even survive without kissing him before?
How could I bear to stay away from him when I’m so in love with him?
That will never happen again. I also promised him that from now on, he’ll be the first to know when the voices in my head get too loud.
“What the fuck is going on here?”
My eyes flash open as Marcus is ripped away from me by none other than Jude.
Fuck me sideways.
Marcus doesn’t resist. He seems really, trulyannoyedthat he was interrupted mid-kiss.
Kane stands to the side, his hands in his pockets, his gaze sharp and calculating, but at least he’s not being a raging bull like Jude.
“Preston, step back from this asshole,” he says. “He forced you, didn’t he?”
“No.” With a sigh, I stand beside Marcus. “He kissed me, and I kissed him back. That’s how kissing works, big man.”
His lips part, and he looks to be on the verge of having an aneurysm. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Yes, diagnosed. Any other obvious questions?”
“This asshole—” Jude’s about to hit Marcus, but Kane pulls him back.
“Enough, Jude. It’s not what you think it is,” Kane says.
“You…” Jude stares at him. “You knew?”
“I had an idea since Dahlia told me Marcus was skating with Miley and Preston.”
Fucking Dorothy and her big mouth.
“Wait…” I say. “You knew?”
“Not entirely.” He holds Jude by the nape. “Just bits and pieces here and there. Nothing too concrete. I mostly confirmed it after Osborn went on a revenge spree for you.”
“I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Marcus tells me with that small smile that makes me melt.
“I would do the same.” I interlace my fingers with his and face my best friends. “Jude, Kane. Meet the love of my life, and you better fucking like him.”
“No. No, he’snotthe love of your life,” Jude says. “Find a different love.”
“How about I tell you to find someone other than Vee, asshole?”
He purses his lips but says nothing. There’s a sort of tension in the air as Jude’s frown deepens, and even Kane looks a bit tense.
Marcus slides his fingers from mine. “I’ll give you a moment.”
He’s aware I’m apprehensive about telling them since I’ve yapped about it for weeks, so he knows this is a big moment for me and he’s giving me the chance to face my best friends on my own terms.
God, what have I done to deserve this man?
