Page 37 of The Kissing Challenge

"Me?"

Captain nodded. "Of course, who else could it be?"

I gave a shrug. "I don't know. Rachel, maybe? A secret pen pal from overseas who I don't even know about?"

"Nope," he said and tilted his head. "Are you really that surprised? The guys all thought it was obvious."

My eyes widened. "Captain! You told them? I can't believe you."

I tried to give his shoulder a shove, but he laughed and captured my hand. I couldn't say I was mad about that.

"I didn't tell them anything," he said. "They'd already guessed."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah." Cap looked down as he ran his fingers along my own. "They kept putting these thoughts in my head about you and Jackson, taunting me, saying how stupid I was to have let you go. Though I told them you're an independent woman who makes up her own mind."

"Good, that's true." I shook my head in astonishment. "But how could they know when we didn't?"

"I'm not sure." He grinned. "But Liam was definitely the worst. Kept on about how my lonely heart would suffer until I manned up and told you how I felt."

Something he said set off alarm bells in my brain, and suddenly, in the space of a few heartbeats, all of the pieces fell together.

"LonelyHeart1!" I said, looking to Captain. "Ooh, and we're the horses! Ah thank goodness, I thought he was going crazy. That meddling jerk."

"Anne?" Cap said. " Want to clue me in? Because I have no idea what's going on."

"It was him."

"What was?"

"Liam's the one who left the challenge for me to kiss my best friend," I said and watched Captain's eyes grow wide.

"No way." He shook his head. "He's such a moody bastard. I can't believe he'd do something like that."

But he had, I thought.

I knew it as surely as I knew that the man in front of me had my heart and always would. Liam, the lead singer of Hero Complex, had decided to get me and his friend together. He'd apparently taken a break from his moodiness to play matchmaker. It was as surprising as it was wonderful.

"I have to thank him," I said.

"Really? For what?" Captain asked.

Doing what I'd wanted to since the moment I saw him pull up to my house, I looped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Captain grinned, locking his hands together behind my waist. He didn't look like he was going anywhere anytime soon.

"I don't think I would've found the courage to kiss you," I said. "Liam and that challenge made me do it. We might not even be here now if it wasn't for him."

"Nah," Captain said. "You're giving him way too much credit. We would've ended up here eventually."

"You think so?" I said.

"Yeah, I mean there's still a ton more looks for you to try. Your bedroom is like my second home."

I rolled my eyes but stopped when he kissed my nose.

"You know what I meant," I said and gave his chin a peck in return.

"Yeah, but I still think we would've happened with or without Liam's help," he said.

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