Page 14 of Last First Kiss

Their practice kiss fades into the background.

Except it doesn’t stray far from the front of Jordan’s mind. The soft pressure of Jamie’s mouth. His thumb drawing lazy circles on the back of Jordan’s neck. The noise Jamie made before he took things a step further. How Jordan just… went with it.

Willingly. Feverishly?

He could do the same for Yazzie, right? Kiss her with that much smoothness? Leave her confused and excited and dizzy?

Does he want her to feel that way?

Why doeshefeel that way?

It’s just Jamie. His cousin’s best friend.Hisfriend.

“Wow.”

Jordan startles at Jamie’s voice.

“You must really be high,” Jamie barely gets out, grinning too hard.

Jordan tilts his head, confused.

Jamie points at the flat screen. “I justbeat youand you didn’t even react.”

Huh. He’s right. The game’s over.

Jordan lost.

He traces his tongue over his swollen lower lip. The aftertaste of chocolate still lingers. The heat of his first kiss.

Jordan tries really,reallyhard not to react.

-2-?Hire the Wedding Planner

At 6AM, the alarm on Jordan’s phone goes off.

It’s set for the same time every day. Weekends are the exception. That’s when he allows himself until 7:15AMto sleep in.

He never forgets to set his alarm. Never hits Snooze when thechirp-chirpof “Morning Bliss” fills his bedroom. He’s a man of routine and schedules. It’s comforting to him. Nothing changes.

Until this morning.

When Jordan’s alarm goes off, he politely taps it quiet. Well, more like slams his open palm against the screen until it shuts up.

Instead of instantly hopping out of bed, he stares at the ceiling. A minute goes by. Then two. Three turns to five.

He knows what his next steps are. Go to the bathroom, brush his teeth, drink a glass of water, pull on his workout clothes, head downstairs to the gym. But his brain and body aren’t on the same page.

The last moments of his date with Jess keep replaying in his head.

The spilled wine. Almost knocking Asa flat on their ass. Tequila splashed on his blazer. His instinctive head turn when Jess went to kiss him. That scruffy bartender—who certainly wasn’t who Jordanthoughthe was—watching it all.

Jordan throws a hand over his eyes. “Fuck!”

This spiraling isn’t good for his mental state.

Especially not today.

Six minutes later than he’s supposed to, Jordan crawls out ofbed. He stumbles through his usual routine.Mostof it goes without incident. He’s only halfway through brushing his teeth when he remembers to add the toothpaste. And he manages to catch himself before walking out of his apartment with his shirt inside out.