Page 99 of Lucky Mother Pucker

“That’s how Blake and I got together. I was living with him at the house—in his bedroom. We both had feelings for each other, but we were scared to do anything about it because we didn’t want to ruin our friendship. He was my best friend since high school. Losing him would have wrecked me. But our feelings were really strong, and eventually it was impossible to deny the chemistry between us. We started hooking up. And sure, it was a little awkward at first, but we pushed through it. Now we’re a couple. And I think the fact that we had the foundation of our friendship really helped us get to this point.”

A hopeful feeling sprouts up inside of me. Maybe she’s right.

But then that nagging doubt creeps in once again.

“That’s awesome you and Blake worked out,” I say with a small smile. “But you guys were best friends for years. Leo and I have only known each other for just over a month. Everything is still kind of new.”

“Yeah, but you two have gotten so close in that time,” Briar says. “You’ve shared a lot with each other. That makes things deeper and more meaningful, right?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just really skittish when I think about what’s at stake,” I admit. “I was caught up in the moment at the gala, but now I’m kind of glad that we didn’t take it further than kissing. His friendship means a lot to me. It’s not worth ruining just for a hot hookup.”

They all quietly agree.

Poppy offers a sympathetic smile. “It’s good that you’re making the right choice for yourself. Sorry if it came off like we were pressuring you.”

“You weren’t at all. I’m so grateful to you guys. Thanks for being so supportive and cool about everything.”

We all go back to snacking and sipping our wine.

“Okay, but can you tell us if the kiss was good?” Anna asks.

I laugh, then let out a soft groan. “It was so good. The best kiss of my life. He pushed me up against the wall.”

They all look at me with big eyes.

“That guy kisses with his whole body. His entire soul.” Goosebumps flash across my skin, and I bite my lip. “And his hands? The way he grabbed me and held me? Oh my god.” I close my eyes and groan softly.

Briar smiles. “Leo comes off like he has this intensity inside of him. Like an undercurrent of passion.”

“Oh, he does.” I sip more wine, wishing more than anything I could see him unleash more of that passion on me…except this time, we’re naked and in bed together…

I push the thought out of my head. No more thinking about him like that.

When I look up, they’re all staring at me.

“What?” I ask.

“That look on your face. You really like Leo, don’t you?” Anna says.

I sigh. “Yeah. But it’s fine that we’re just friends. It’s for the best.”

Maybe if I say it enough times, I’ll actually believe it.

“We need to take you out for a girls’ night,” Anna says.

“But isn’t that what we’re doing now?” I ask.

Anna shakes her head. “No, a proper girls’ night. We get dressed up and go barhopping. It’ll help take your mind off of Leo.”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun for all of us to go out together,” Briar says.

I almost tell them that I’d rather stay in, but I stop myself. Maybe they’re right. Maybe a distraction is exactly what I need to forget about my crush on Leo.

“Okay, yeah. That sounds fun,” I say.

We make plans to go out on Halloween night. The guys are having a big Halloween party at the house, so we agree to dress up in costumes, go barhopping for a bit, then head to the party.

I smile, feeling excited. I haven’t dressed up for Halloween in years. It’ll be fun to do it again.