First Kiss:

Uh-oh. While Hillary appreciated the woman so willingly sharing this information, she needed to get Marco out of this office, pronto. His fury was like a living, breathing thing, and she could practically picture him as a dragon, shooting flames out of his mouth and burning this whole place to the ground.

Stepping more firmly in front of him, she said, “It was so nice to meet you, Mrs. Morgan. We so appreciate you and the rest of the faculty and staff here taking Julia under your wings. Here”—she grabbed a scrap piece of paper from the counter and wrote down her name and cell number—“Give me a call or text if you feel Julia needs something or if Patricia or any other family member happens to stop by. We just want to make sure we are aware of her entire environment. You understand, of course.” 

Mrs. Morgan accepted the paper while Hillary steadily moved backward, forcing Marco to go with her.

“Absolutely,” Mrs. Morgan said, pressing the note to her chest. “Thank you for entrusting her to us.” 

Hillary waved and then turned around and pushed Marco out the door. “Go, go, go,” she said when he didn’t move fast enough. 

They practically speed walked to his truck. He stepped up to the passenger side door, but then he clutched the keys in his hand and swore viciously before whirling around to face Hillary.

“She came here to Julia’s school.”

Seemingly benign words, but Hillary understood. “I know.”

He began pacing the length of the truck, clearly trying to burn off his fury. “Actually told them she was going to take custody.” 

“Well, to be fair, Mrs. Morgan said ‘if’ she takes custody.” 

He continued pacing, clenching and unclenching his fists. The anger radiating off him was not diffusing. They needed to get out of this parking lot before someone noticed him, yet Hillary wasn’t sure she trusted him to drive at the moment.

“Do you want me to—?”

He stopped in front of her. “Yes.” And then he cupped her cheeks and without warning, pressed his lips to hers. He dove his hands into her hair, tangling his fingers, tugging on the strands while canting her head before his tongue brushed against her lips. She gasped, and he thrust his tongue into her mouth. 

She wrapped her arms around his back and clutched at his T-shirt as if her legs might collapse if she let go. Which, frankly, was entirely possible. 

She’d never been kissed like this before. It was aggressive, feral, no holds barred…and so damn hot, she was half afraid she was going to burst into flames. 

She didn’t stop it, didn’t try to pull away. She pressed against him, taking it all in, reveling in every stroke of his tongue, every tingle between her legs, the hardness she could feel brushing against her belly. 

Gradually, the kiss shifted from hard and fast to slow and easy. He nibbled at her bottom lip and then trailed kisses along her cheek to her ear. “Thank you,” he whispered, his breath fluttering her hair. “I think I’m okay now.” 

He pulled away, and without looking her in the eye, opened the door and motioned for her to climb into the truck. He still didn’t look at her when he slid in next to her and cranked the engine. The atmosphere no longer vibrated with fury. 

“Did you just kiss me to alleviate your frustrations with this situation?” she blurted. 

He kept his gaze straight ahead, although she saw the slight lift of his lips. “I kissed you to diffuse the anger so I wouldn’t do something stupid. So now, instead of angry, I’m just frustrated.” 

“I understand.”

“No, I don’t think you do. I’m not frustrated over the situation with Julia. I’m frustrated because I want a hell of a lot more than just a kiss from you.” 

FREEBIE

ABOUT TAMI 

Tami Lund—author, wine drinker, award winner. Lover of romance. Writing happily ever afters, one book at a time.

Those happy endings come in contemporary and paranormal, so pick your poison. Or try them all. You’re bound to find something that curls your toes and makes you smile.

Psst: There’s a FREE READ, available for download only through her website: http://tamilund.com/

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