Free Backdraft - The Secret Life of Trystan Scott #2 by H.M. Ward

within me, I made
sure it was just a peck. I made sure I didn’t take his gorgeous
face in my palms and pull his lips to mine. Breathing steadily, I
looked up at him when I stepped away, trying to ignore the jitters
that were making me giddy.
    Trystan’s voice was airy and filled with
shock, “What was that for?”
    The perplexed look on his face made me say
it. “What?” I asked, looking at him from the corner of my eyes. I
could feel the smile spreading across my lips and I couldn’t hide
it. “You’re the only one who can steal a kiss?”
    Trystan blinked like he didn’t hear me right.
It was a moment that I’d play over in my mind again and again.
Everything about it was perfect. That look, that baffled look on
his face, made me want to dance. Unable to hide my giddiness, I
swallowed a giggle, but it sounded like a sultry laugh instead.
    Trystan tilted his head to the side, eyes
wide, like he didn’t know what came over me. Before I could say
anything, he stepped behind me and wrapped his arms around my
waist. The vixen, that seemed to possess me moments ago, fled when
Trystan’s fingers started tickling my sides.
    His lips were next to my ear. I could feel
his breath wash over my neck as he teased, “Kiss stealer.”
    I laughed hysterically, my knees buckling
from under me. Trystan scooped me up in his arms and tossed me in
the air. I shrieked as I fell straight down onto the couch. Before
I could breath, Trystan pinned me by sitting on my legs and
continued to tickle me.
    “Kiss ninja,” I laughed, trying to get my
fingers to wiggle in a ticklish spot on Trystan’s lean body.
    “Kiss ninja?” he laughed, moving his hands
over my sides, applying the perfect amount of pressure to make me
laugh the hardest.
    Between hysterical giggles I managed, “Yeah,
because you sneak up all stealthy like a ninja.”
    “Kiss thief,” he said smiling, his fingers
moving between my belly and my underarms. Laughter made me shake so
hard I couldn’t stop. The glimpses I got of Trystan were filled
with pure joy. His eyes sparkled, brilliant blue as he laughed.
    “Kiss cowboy,” I blurted out. That one made
him chuckle really hard.
    “Kiss bandit.”
    Right then his hands were on both sides of my
waist, applying enough pressure to make me squealing with laughter.
“Kiss assassin! You’re killing me! Stop!” I laughed, certain I was
going to explode in a ball of giggles. As we wrestled on the couch,
Trystan leaned into me. From trying to pull away my hair was
covering my face, several curls stuck to my lips.
    Panting hard, he stilled and brushed the hair
out of my face. “A kiss assassin sounds kind of sexy. I’d like to
see one of those.”
    “Grab a mirror, because I’m totally looking
at one. He has bright blue eyes, a killer smile, and he’s a closet
musician.” A wicked grin spread across my lips. “All the kiss
assassins are—”
    Before I could say anything else, his fingers
tickled me again. This time when I stopped laughing, something
changed. I was more aware that here he was, how he was laying with
half of his body on top of mine, on the couch—the nearness of his
mouth and his breath on my face.
    Trystan looked down at me, still smiling
softly. My heart hammered in my chest, but this time it wasn’t from
tickles or silly words. His gaze pinned me in place, those sapphire
eyes stole my breath and my brains in one look. They swept over my
face, moving slowly from my eyes to my lips, and back again.
Trystan’s mouth parted like he was going to say something, but he
didn’t. He froze like that, watching me beneath him with an
unreadable expression on his face. Just when I thought my heart
couldn’t take another shock, the door above us banged open.
    Tucker’s voice bellowed down the stairs,
“Scott, get up here. Now!”
    As soon as we heard the door open, we shot
apart. Trystan pushed himself upright, and stood as I rolled to my
side and patted my hair, trying to make it look normal and not