“If I didn’t make out with you at least a little bit,” Madison whispered, “the guys would see right through it.”

“A warning would have been nice,” Sherry hissed. Where had the Madison she’d been getting to know over the past few days gone? That Madison wouldn’t have done this.

Madison nipped on Sherry’s earlobe. “Okay, so here’s your warning. I’m gonna kiss you now,” she breathed. “Just relax and enjoy.”

Enjoy? Before Sherry could protest, Madison’s lips were on hers. Rooted to the spot, she forced her eyes closed. Her heart was rapidly hammering within her chest. Calm down! It’s like the kiss in front of Mrs. Fielding’s house. It’ll be over any moment. But then Madison’s lips opened and her tongue demanded entry. At the same time, Madison pushed her against the wall.

Oh God. Her stomach seemed to do flip-flops and her pulse thumped in her throat.

The wall pressed into her back, keeping her trapped within Madison’s embrace. With both hands, she held on to Madison’s shoulders, fighting the urge to push her away. Her legs trembled, and she needed to hold on to Madison to avoid sliding to the ground. It was so confusing. She didn’t want to be kissed by Madison. Yet the passion and tenderness wrapped in this one kiss made her head buzz. Never in her life had she been kissed like that. Madison’s woody perfume surrounded her like a warm blanket. She tasted of the strong alcohol she’d drunk and a hint of mint.

Ignoring the taste of alcohol, Sherry focused on relaxing into the kiss. She dug through Madison’s hair and pulled her head closer.

Someone moaned loudly, and for a second, she thought it had been her, but then the moaning came again, and she realized it had been Madison.

Her heart was beating so wildly it felt as if it were trying to burst out of her chest. Was her body in a state of alarm? Or perhaps fear? No. It wasn’t disgusting or even unpleasant to kiss Madison, nor was she afraid.

This kiss was so different from the one in front of Mrs. Fielding’s house. It was—

“Hey,” Phil shouted from somewhere behind them. “You’ve got guests. Could you keep your fingers to yourself for a sec and tell me where the vodka is? It’s not in the freezer.”

As though in slow motion, Madison stopped the kiss. Looking deeply into Sherry’s eyes, her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Her blue eyes darkened, and she blinked a few times as if confused.