Page 35 of Doesn't Count

I quickly move the bandana from her face to mine before her eyes flutter open.

“How’s that for a kiss?” I smile beneath my mask, untying her hands.

She rubs her wrists, which are red from tugging, then slides back into her leggings and fixes her bra.

Shrugging, she walks ahead of me. “Don’t go thinking that onecounts.”

I snort. “Real clever, but if I had to guess I’m betting it was the best kiss you’ve ever had.”

“There is only one problem.” She says.

“And what’s that?”

“It wasn’t a kiss.” She states simply.

I roll my eyes. “Semantics.”

“Well, it doesn’t count.” She repeats, remaining firm.

“It counts for something.” I argue. I didn’t lose this battle for nothing.

“Sure. We’ll call it a mistake.” The words slip easily from her.

I scoff. “You were practically begging for it.”

“A total lapse in judgement but thank you.” She spins around to face me, patting my chest. “It was... nice.”

“I see what this is.” I taunt her as she continues back toward the bus.

“Hmm?” She hums, carelessly.

“You’re trying to get back at me for that kiss a couple weeks ago. Did I hurt your feelings?” I tease.

“Not at all. I’ve just decided that any kiss you ever give me will never count.” She states with a finality that stirs up a challenge.

“And why is that?” I press her.

“Because... I’m saving my kiss for someone worth kissing.”

“You're delusional.” I growl, stalking past her until I make it to the bus.

I shut myself inside my room, ready to go the fuck back to bed.

Chapter Eleven

Ashton

Khaos is a battlefield of warring emotions, kissing me one minute, mad at me the next. I can’t keep up with him, but it did feel good to give him a taste of his own medicine. It also felt good to have his mouth devouring me. It was maddening and beautiful all at once. I couldn’t take the impending pressure, but I never wanted it to end. I saw stars in the daylight, so many of them, it was like I was in a whole different world. I left my body and saw heaven the second his tongue came down on me. Only to come crashing back to this subpar reality.

Quietly, I slip into the shared shower, just outside Khaos’ private room, and clean him off of me. Part of me wishes I could have watched his head bob between my thighs, but the other part feels like if I didn’t see it, it wasn’t real. I fight the drop in my stomach, willing the feeling of the dreaded dip on a roller coaster to go away. Only it doesn’t. It courses through me ever so slowly, even making sure that the finale ends in that subtle rush of breath as if I had been holding it in the whole time.

The last thing I want is to let Khaos affect me in such a way, but my body taunts me, replaying every coarse lick of his tongue as if it were still happening.

I force myself to hurry, knowing if I linger any longer, I’ll be cursing his name and hating myself.

Finally, dressed and still embarrassingly flushed, I fix myself a bowl of fruit before plopping myself down in a camping chair outside and shoving at the coals in the fire pit. At least with my run and the rising temperatures, I have something to blame on the deepening red in my face.

The guys’ trickle outside one by one, joining me. Kokytos starts the fire again despite the sun’s heat while I start a pot of coffee. He’s adding logs to the pit when Khaos finally joins us. Without a word, he falls back into an empty chair, eyes dark like hardened amber.

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