Page 4 of The Kissing Challenge

Like right now.

Captain had just gotten through with practice—band practice, of course, not any kind of organized team sport. He was firmly against those. Said football was for guys who liked to roll around on the ground with other guys. He liked basketball well enough, but thought baseball and soccer were boring. Sports just weren't his thing. Though, I guess, his band was kind of like one. He and the other members of Hero Complex certainly sweat enough. Who knew playing the guitar could make you so hot?

In more than one sense of the word, my mind added as he made his way over to me.

Sure, his forearms were glistening with perspiration. His guitar was slung across his back like it was an extension of his body. And yeah, his gray eyes, dark hair and tall frame, made him kind of hard to miss. But it was that secret smile, the one he saved just for me, that made him too beautiful for words. Captain gave me that smile now as he stopped in front of me.

"Anne," he said. "How's it going?"

I swallowed. "Going okay, Cap. You guys sounded really great today."

"Oh yeah? Did you like that last solo? It was inspired by you."

Oh my heart.

"Yeah, right," I said, thinking it was a joke.

"I'm serious." He shrugged. "All of my best stuff is."

And did I mention, he also wrote most of the lyrics, too? Captain's good looks were just an extension of his inner-beauty. When I really thought about it, taking away his external gorgeousness wouldn't do any good. He'd still have that amazing heart and mind. It was why we were best friends in the first place.

"I feel like you just say these things to get on my good side."

His smile grew, drawing my attention to his lips. "Is it working?"

"Maybe," I said and forced myself to look away. What was I doing? Best friends did not ogle their friend's lips like that. Even when said friend had really wonderful ones. "It was a pretty sick solo."

"I knew you'd like it," was his response.

I probably could've sat there talking to him all day. But then I might've stared too long without realizing it, and Captain might catch on to the fact that I was head over heels for him. And then…he might start feeling uncomfortable around me thus killing our friendship. That would be the worst thing ever.

"Cap, are you coming?" It was the lead singer of Hero Complex. Liam joined us a second later. "Knight was talking about this party he wants to hit up. We're about to head out."

I looked up at Liam. Girls fell at his feet, and I could see the appeal. Like Captain, his handsome features were definitely ones that didn't need any cosmetic help. He was pretty enough as it was. And he knew it, too.

Captain shook his head. "I've got other plans."

"Oh hey, Anne," Liam said a second later. "You're so quiet and little. I almost didn't see you there."

I shrugged. "That's okay."

The lead singer gave me a once over. "What are you guys doing? Anything special?"

"Not really," I lied.

My best friend spoke up. "I agreed to let her use my face again."

"Oh God," Liam groaned. "Not again. What are you planning to do to him this time?"

Kiss him, I thought but didn't say. That was what I hoped to do anyhow. One kiss to cure my staring problem. One kiss to get him out of my system for good. One kiss to hold as a keepsake in my heart even as I knew it could be nothing more than that.

"I have a lot of ideas," I hedged. "Mischievous faerie, steampunk chic, bloody vampire."

"Vampire sounds cool," Captain said. "Remember when you turned me into a werewolf? That was awesome."

"It was, and we'll definitely have to do vamp next time," I said. "But the one I really wanted to try was alien. Sci-Fi fantasy is big, and there are a lot of hot aliens running around. I haven't tried that before."

Liam shook his head at Captain. "Man, I don't know why you let her do it. First, the guyliner. Now, this. Don't you think it's weird?"

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