Mischief after Midnight

Lost Harbor, Alaska ~ Book 9

For a moment they stood motionless, wrapped up together, Bash’s arm around Toni’s shoulders, her hands against his chest.

His eyes lifted away from hers. “Uh oh. I think we missed our shot. Everyone’s gone.”

She pulled away from him and saw that he was right; all the cars had left the church lot. The food bank had closed for the day.

“Well, dang it.” Feeling like an idiot, she pulled out her phone, already composing an apology for Katerina.

Before she could write it up, a text came in from the girl. Perfect. Thank you. Several heart emojis followed.

“Oh.” She glanced back at Bash, who seemed to have a little extra color in his cheeks. “I guess we didn’t screw it up after all. She said that was perfect.”

“Perfect? We didn’t even cuddle, let alone nuzzle.”

Toni shrugged and pocketed her phone. “I guess you’re off the hook. Thanks for being such a good sport.”

She took a step away from him, ready to get back in her truck and get the hell out of there before she did something stupid like actually kiss him.

“Hang on, now.” He took her by the hand and spun her against him. “I came here to fake a movie kiss.”

Bending over her, he hovered his face just above hers. The wicked laughter in his eyes snatched her breath entirely out of her body. She grabbed onto his upper arms, with their solid muscular bulk. His lips lowered to within millimeters of hers. “I’ve been thinking about how to sell it.”

“How?” she asked breathlessly.

“By admitting that I’m no actor.”

She still didn’t understand, or maybe her brain was too hazy with hormones to sort it out. “You mean...”

“I mean, make it real.” He hesitated for a moment, giving her a chance to object.

She should. She should put a stop to this right now. Kissing Bash while they saw each other every day—while she worked for him—was just asking for complications. Especially a real kiss. You couldn’t undo a kiss once it happened.

Instead, she tilted her head to make it easier for him to claim her mouth.

Which he did. Firmly, deeply. Her entire body went loose and hot. Strength, that was what she felt in his kiss. The core strength of a man who’d climbed his way out of a mess of a childhood. Who’d used the only tools he had to make his mark. Who’d returned so he could be here for the people who needed him.

That strength left her liquid and boneless. She surrendered to the delicious pressure of his lips on hers and the wild pleasure of his tongue sweeping along the inside of her mouth. It was a tease, that kiss, as if it held glimpses of some dazzling future world.

She stood gasping as he gently separated his mouth from hers. What had just happened? Had he kissed her, or had he completely turned her world upside down? Or both?

She scrambled to get ahold of herself. One thing was for sure, she couldn’t let him know how much that kiss had affected her. That would make things at the Olde Salt even more awkward.

After clearing her throat, she said, “Just confirming. Was that the real kiss or the fake one?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. They were dark and also bright, smoldering, really. Deep embers of heat still alive in his gaze. “Looks like you need another demonstration to know for sure.” He lowered his head again, but she dodged backwards.

“No.”

He stopped instantly, watching her closely.

“I get the gist,” she said lightly. “You’re much better at kissing than you were in sixth grade.”

He shifted his stance uncomfortably. She wondered if he was as turned on by that kiss as she’d been, but didn’t dare take a look-see at his trousers. That might give away the game. 


Desperately, she looked at her phone. “Uh oh. I gotta go. Emergency with the…” she scrambled for something, anything, that would get her out of here. “Chrissie needs me at the lighthouse. I’ll see you at work later.”


“Toni.” She knew that serious tone of voice. It meant he wanted to make it clear that their kiss hadn’t meant anything, and that they should never mention it at the Olde Salt or anywhere else. Obviously she knew that, but she didn’t need it spelled out in Bash’s deep, sexy voice.


“Can’t we just agree that this never happened?” She jingled her keys as she backed toward her truck. “It was supposed to be pretend anyway.” 


“You want to pretend that it was pretend?” 


When he put it that way, it sounded pretty funny.

“Catch you later, Bash. Don’t forget the Guinness delivery at four-ish. Around here, that means anytime between two and six. Or maybe ten and eight.” She reached her truck and grabbed onto it as if it was a rock in a raging river. “See ya! Thanks for the lip-loan!” 


The lip-loan? Oh yeah, she was losing it, for sure.

Amazon | Apple | Nook | Kobo | GooglePlay

Amazon UK | Amazon Australia | Amazon Canada