Page 35 of Kiss Collector

“I just talked to Vincent,” I whisper.

“Vincent?!” Her brow wrinkles tighter. “You’re gonna try to kiss him?”

“What? No! You are.”

She thrusts a finger at her chest.“Me?”

We peek over at Vincent, who is pointedly staring straight ahead, as if he has no idea I’m talking to Kenzie about him at this very moment. He totally knows.

“Of courseyou.”

“What did he say?”

“That he wants you to kiss him.”

Her mouth and eyes fly open. “He did not!”

“Did so.”

Her eyes go back to him, and she softens a little. “You’re serious, Zae?”

“I promise,” I say. “He really, really said it. He’s shy, but he’s still a guy. You have to take charge. Come on!” I waggle my eyebrows, and she chews her lip. A smile begins to form.

“Fine, I’ll talk to him and see how it feels. Let me finish my beer first.” She drinks all of it and makes a terrible face.

As she walks away I grab her arm again. “Remember, it’s just a kiss. No big deal.”

“’Kay.”

I let her go and breathe a sigh of relief. All three of my friends are talking to guys, boys they are going to use and not be hurt by, and I have one waiting in the wings. Just having fun. No big deal. This is how it should be.

I pull up a chair at the table and watch. It’s a good time—lots of laughing and making fun of each other. The guys get along like brothers.

When I see Kenzie and Vincent slip out the back door I almost whoop out loud.

“Vin and Kenzie?” Callum asks. “Hopefully he’s gettin’ some so he won’t be so damn uptight.”

I punch Callum in the arm. “He’ll be lucky to get a kiss.”

“True,” Callum concedes.

Once all the beer has been consumed, and couples are drifting away from the group to find privacy around the house, Brent Dodge bumps my shoulder with his. We are the only people at the table now. Only one other couple is still in the kitchen and—oh, whoa. Lin is up on her tiptoes and she and Kyle are going at it against the counter. Just guessing, but I think she might be over John.

“Dude,” Brent says with a laugh.

“Let’s go out front,” I tell him.

We end up on Callum’s porch swing. It’s dark out, and crickets are chirping in the bushes.

“So, Lin and Kyle?” he asks.

I wave off the comment. “Just having fun.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Like you and Rex Morino?”

Oh, for crap’s sake.

“All we did was kiss. Everyone is making a huge deal of it.”