Page 5 of Almost True
Right when I’m looking at his mouth, wondering if it’s going to be hard to stomach kissing him, Chief Rhodes calls out, “Time for the first challenge! Pair up and give each other a kiss!”
My face heats up, and I drag my gaze away from Dex’s mouth. Even though I’m committed to seeing this through no matter how far it goes, I don’t want anyone thinking I’m gay. No one here knows me, so this is going to be their first impression of me. I’d better not fuck this up.
The group slowly pairs up—there are fourteen guys in total, so seven pairs starting out—and Dex raises his cup of whisky to tap it against mine.
We both lean forward, and I expect Dex to shy away, but he doesn’t. We both just keep leaning, until suddenly his lips are on mine.
Then, as quick as it started, he’s pulling back and breaking the kiss.
It was too fleeting for me to react to, but his lips are warm and soft and it reminds me that it’s been fucking ages since I last kissed anyone.
There are whoops from around the group, and I straighten to see other pairs leaning in, a few of the guys screwing up their faces as they get close. Two of the pairs turn their heads aside at the last moment, laughing, so it’s down to five pairs.
Dex gives me a grin, and I realize he has dimples. I’m worried about his enthusiasm. He obviously isn’t going to give up that cabin without a fight.
Chapter 4
Dex
“That was a fucking weak excuse for a kiss!” Uncle Rhodes roars as the last of the couples breaks apart. I realize he’s drunk, just like half of our team.
Scattered laughter rises from the crew, some of whom are wiping their lips off emphatically after the first peck.
“It’ll take you a year to win the cabin at this rate! Put some heart into it.”
“I’m out, then,” Brett says with a smile. “I haven’t had nearly enough whisky for this.”
“You doing this?” I ask Korren, who is shifting uncomfortably.
“You’d better bet I am. I’m fucking winning that cabin.”
I grin. “Same.”
I down the rest of my whisky in a swallow that has my eyes watering and toss aside my cup; after a moment, Korren does the same.
Then I put a hand on Korren’s shoulder and stare into his eyes with all the intensity I can muster, hoping he’ll chicken out before I have to go through with this.
Korren stares right back, and fuck, I’ve got nothing on his intensity. There’s so much hostility and desperation and hurt in his eyes that I feel like he’s just given me a look into his soul even though I don’t know the first thing about him.
I lean closer, holding his eyes, and he does the same. We’re almost close enough for our noses to touch when Korren hesitates, his breath ghosting across my mouth.
“You chicken?” I whisper.
“You wish.”
I close my eyes and slam my mouth against his. I’d been half-expecting him to pull back, but he doesn’t. I’m committed.
With my eyes closed, I can imagine his soft lips belong to my favorite actress, so I deepen the kiss and dart a tongue into his mouth. I had expected to find this disgusting, or at least somewhat unenjoyable, but it’s not. I’m kissing another human, and kissing is nice. That’s all there is to it.
Either Korren’s very good at pretending, or he’s actually getting into this, because his whole body seems to soften as he returns the kiss, our tongues tangling together. And suddenly I discover I’m no longer thinking about the actress, just about this beautiful, scruffy man who tastes of whisky and campfire.
I tighten my grip on his shoulder and kiss him more roughly, which sparks something unexpected inside me.
It’s a moment before I register the cheering and wolf-whistling.
Korren and I break apart at once. He looks as flustered as I feel.
I give a hearty laugh, leaning forward and slapping my knees as I wait for my heart rate to slow down.
