Page 2 of Kissing My Brother's Best Friend

"It's your choice, Brody's sister. That's the fun in it."

If my brother were here, he'd never let such a dare fly, but the only person I can look to for help is Liam. Instead of being amused like everyone else, he's equal parts curious and tense. I wonder if he's worried I'm going to kiss him.

I wonder if he's worried I'm going to kiss someone else.

My eyes roam around the circle, from the hot jock to the stoner to the gamer. If I kiss any of them, it'll probably ruin their chances with the other girls who are watching this game with bated breath, but it's not like I have much of a choice. If I chicken out, everyone will think I'm a prude.

I glance at Liam again. I wonder if he'd actually be mad if I kissed someone else—as if I'd want to, with him here. Really, he’s the only safe option. Or maybe I’m only telling myself that because he’s who I really want.

Before I can stop myself, I lean over and press my lips against his.

I know it's stupid. I know it's dangerous. I know it's something I'll never be able to take back. But the second I feel his mouth on mine, I know I'll never regret it.

All those years of wanting him come rushing back, and it's almost too much for me to handle.

His lips are soft, and after the initial shock of what I've done, his hands come up to rest on my hips as he pulls me closer. The sound of whooping and cheering fades away into nothing, and I lose myself in the moment. I've been wanting this for so long.

As the kiss deepens, I shift my weight and get onto my knees to better position myself, but as soon as my movement catches up with me, I realize that I'm now straddling his lap. My cheeks burn. I don't pull away, though. I can't bring myself to break away from him.

Someone whistles, and then someone else shouts, "Damn, Anna, you don't fuck around!"

I know I need to get off him, but he doesn't let go of my hips. He breaks away for a second, looking up at me with half-lidded eyes, and then pulls me down into another kiss. His tongue runs along the seam of my lips, and when I part them, he deepens the kiss. I've never been kissed like this before.

"Wooo!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Get some, girl!"

It's not until Liam finally pulls away that reality starts to filter in again, and my cheeks instantly flush red. I'm so embarrassed by what I've done that I can't even look at him, so I slide off his lap and take a seat.

He clears his throat, and there's a brief pause where I think he's about to say something, but instead, he just asks the next person ‘truth or dare’ while my pulse is pounding in my ears.

That's my cue to get out of there. I excuse myself, citing a need to check on my brother, and make a beeline for the bathroom.

Once inside, I close the door and take a few deep breaths. What have I done? I kissed him! And I didn't even have the courage to look him in the eye afterward!

What was I thinking?

"Get yourself together," I whisper to myself, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks are flushed red, but everything else is still in place, despite how chaotic I feel. I favor my brother only in the fact that we’re both dark-haired. Brody is tan while I’m pale, and I inherited my mother’s green eyes while he took our father’s brown.

"You have to go back out there,” I continue the pep talk. “If you don't go back out there, people will talk. If you act like it was nothing, you'll be fine?—"

There’s a soft knock at the door. "Anna?"

Shit. It's Liam. I take another deep breath. "Yeah?"

"Can we talk?"

"About what?"

"You know about what."

I close my eyes. "I'm coming out in a second, okay? Just give me a minute."

"Just let me come in instead."

I know I should say no, but I don't have it in me. "Okay," I whisper, unlocking the door and stepping aside.

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