Page 11 of Oar Than Friends

I definitely didn’t breathe when he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, running his thumb over my cheek as his fingers curled around the nape of my neck. The gold of the ring on his pinky cooled a tiny patch of my burning skin.

‘I thought my night was good before you came along but now I realize that it was simply average, bordering on mundane.’ If it was possible, his voice had dropped an octave; deep and rumbly and hitting me straight in my core.

I could barely manage a whisper.

‘And now?’

‘Now it’s the best fucking night of my life, or it will be when I kiss you.’

‘You’re going to kiss me?’

‘Yes, I am. So if you don’t want me to, I’d say you have about a second and a half to get going.’

I didn’t move a muscle. Not a single one.

He was so close to me I could almost breathe in the carbon dioxide he was expelling, and my heart was banging so hard I wondered if my ribs were still intact. Then his lips, his soft, perfect lips, the ones I’d found myself staring at for the past hour, pressed against mine.

‘There you fucking are!’ a voice boomed to our left. ‘I’ve been calling you!’

The groan Oz let out was not the good type of groan, and he muttered something I didn’t catch. I was so caught up in the haze of lust and the feel of Oz’s lips against mine that it took me a second to realize there was someone standing over us.

I’d have scooched back further if Oz didn’t still have an iron-tight grip on my hand.

‘Impeccable timing as always, Oliver.’

‘Sorry, am I interrupting?’

Oz got to his feet, offering me his other hand, and pulled me to standing. ‘Yes.’

I looked up at our interruption. Not as tall as Oz, nor as broad; with light brown hair and a round face, but with the same, almost lazily carefree expression as he peered over at me.

‘Oliver Greenwood, this is Kate Astley, my new American friend. Say hello, Oliver.’

‘Hello, Oliver,’ he replied with the type of grin I’d imagine got him out of a lot of trouble, or into it.

‘Kate, this is Oliver. Please don’t fall in love with him.’

My head snapped up to Oz, and I was about to startlaughing except he was looking at me with utmost seriousness, ‘What?’

‘All girls fall in love with him. I’m asking you not to.’

My brow furrowed as I glanced at this other man standing in front of me, wondering how anyone would or could possibly notice anything else when Oz was in the vicinity.

Oliver’s grin widened as he looked between the two of us. ‘Clearly not all girls, Osbourne.’

‘I’m just saying, you interrupted our first kiss; I’d like to at least have a chance for Kate to fall in love with me before you swoop in. Though if you do, I’m afraid I’d have to break your face.’

I pointed behind me. ‘Okay, while you boys make decisions for me, I’m going to bed.’

‘Alone?’ snorted Oliver, earning himself a punch in the shoulder.

‘No, you don’t have to leave.’ Oz squeezed my hand, which was still in his.

‘I should. I’m tired.’

‘Let me walk you to your dorm.’

I shook my head, firmly. ‘I’m fine, honestly. Go with your friend. You’ve been waiting all night for him.’

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