The Best Mistake - Cookie O'Gorman Page 0,52

seem nearly as dazed as I felt. Archer looked just as good as he had before the kiss, totally unaffected. Well, except for his hair. It was a lot messier—which had to be from my fingers running through it, I realized belatedly.

“Is something wrong?” I asked as he continued to stare. “Do I look okay?”

“Your lips are swollen,” he said voice low. “I did that.”

Cheeks flushed, I said, “Yeah well…I should probably take a second to get myself back together. You can go on ahead.”

Archer nodded. I think he knew I needed some time alone. “I’ll see you on the bus.”

With one last look, he left, and I grabbed my bag from the ground with shaky hands. I must’ve dropped it sometime during the kiss. My fingers went to my lips which were indeed swollen.

Archer had done that.

And I was in so much trouble.

Honor.

Her mouth.

That kiss.

The way her fingers felt in my hair.

The sound of my name falling from her lips…

I had to force myself to turn and walk away, and even then, all I wanted to do was go back and kiss her some more. Not going to lie, I hadn’t known that was going to happen. When I’d seen her go between the buses, I’d followed, just wanting to make sure she was alright. Never, not in my wildest dreams, had I thought it would lead to the hottest, most sensational kiss of my life.

My lips were still tingling for God’s sake. I could still feel her legs wrapped around me—and I needed to calm down. I was about to have to sit through a six-hour drive with my team, and I didn’t need everyone knowing how hung up I was.

Plus, Honor had said no strings.

Everything in me revolted at the thought. Honor had been right. I was definitely not that type of guy. But I’d try to be. For her.

My head was in a fog as I made the short trek to the bus. The scene replayed on a loop in my mind. As I made my way up the bus steps and into the aisle, I was still preoccupied with thoughts of Honor, distracted as I greeted my teammates, hoping no one would notice.

But of course, I wasn’t that lucky.

“Damn, Arch,” Baylor said and stopped me with a hand on my arm. His eyes were sparkling as his gaze went to my hair. “Looks like you’ve been having fun.”

I shrugged. “Don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure you don’t.”

“Give it a rest,” Chase said from a couple rows back, but of course, his twin didn’t listen.

With his lips tilted up in a grin, Baylor said, “Like hell I will. When was the last time I got to tease Archer about anything? Especially for looking like he just finished hooking up with someone?”

Instead of blushing at his too-accurate description, I frowned harder.

“Ah, I can tell by your constipated expression that I’m right.”

Parker Graves spoke up then. “Ten bucks says the captain punches him before this little convo is over. Any takers?”

“You’re on,” Dex said. “No way Archer would do that. Even if Bay is asking for it.”

I wasn’t so sure. On the typical, I would’ve never considered punching him—okay, I might have considered it, but the better angels in my mind would’ve stayed my hand. This time Baylor’s smug expression was making me more and more pissed—especially when he mentioned Honor by name.

“I bet it was Emmy’s new roommate. Honor, right?”

My hands curled into fists.

“Bay, I would shut up now,” Chase cautioned.

“Or maybe you took my advice and moved on,” Baylor said, sitting in a seat and pulling me down next to him. “So, who was it? And where can I get her number? She’d have to be something to make you look this out of it. Sharing is caring, Arch.”

I distantly heard T.J. say, “I’ve got ten on Captain decking him.”

Dex groaned as my frown only grew. “Baylor, geez man. Why do you got to be such an indiscriminate manwhore?”

Baylor pointed at him. “I take issue with that statement. I am very discriminant. There is no one more discriminating than me.”

“Do you even know what that word means?” Chase asked.

“I do,” Baylor said emphatically. “And even if I didn’t, I’d know it was insult by the way Dex said it.”

Dex groaned again, but I was done with this.

“You need to stop,” I said, voice pitched low so only Baylor could hear. He looked back to me in confusion. “Even if I was out there ‘hooking