Free Kiss Across Time (Kiss Across Time Series) by Tracy Cooper-Posey Page B

“Will this do?” she asked.
    Both Veris and Brody got to their feet.
    “You look like a million dollars,” Brody said, picking up her arm and licking her shoulder.
    “All except for my neck. I don’t have any cover-up for the teeth marks you guys left there.” She could feel her face flushing hotly at the reminder.
    Veris smiled. “There’s a reason we picked that style of dress. Don’t cover up our markings.”
    Brody’s tongue slid up her neck to her ear and probed inside, hot and wet, making her clit bloom and swell. “We want everyone there to know you’re ours,” he whispered in her ear. “Especially the queen.”
    While she had been transferring a few of her essential pieces of ID from her old handbag into the handsome leather clutch that had come in one of the boxes, she had quickly checked her phone and been amazed to see nearly a dozen text messages from Jeoffery.
    She scrolled through them, absorbing their increasingly more alarmed and concerned tenor.
    the courier returned with your stuff…where are you?
    are you that pissed with me you can’t return a simple text message?
    where ARE you?
    14 hours.   Officially concerned.   Call me.   I mean it.
    She bit her lip.   She had dived off the face of the planet.   The only person who knew where she was wouldn’t think to tell anyone else, and Jeoff wouldn’t dream that she knew Andy well enough to even know his name.
    “Problems?” Veris had murmured, standing next to her shoulder.   “Do you need to reach out and call people?”
    “He doesn’t deserve that much courtesy,” Taylor told Veris truthfully.   She started thumbing out a reply text.   “You don’t fire someone then expect to be treated like a decent human being the next day.”
    Veris’ eyes narrowed.   It was the sum total of shock he allowed to show.   “Because of me,” he said flatly.   “They fired you over me.   The timing is too perfect for it to be anything else.”
    She shook her head.   “You were the perfect excuse they needed, that’s all.   If you hadn’t shown up, they would have found another way.   I was an embarrassment.”   She hit ‘send’ on her text message, shut the phone down and shoved it in the clutch and smiled at him.   “And now I’m done with that part of my life for another day or so.”   She touched Veris’ arm.   “I’m fine,” she assured him.
    He nodded.   “Very well,” he said reluctantly as Brody came into the room carrying coats.
    Taylor blinked as the limousine came to a halt, dispelling the memory. They were somewhere in the financial district. San Pedro? She had been so busy with her own thoughts and nervousness, she’d failed to pay attention. She wrapped the faux fur coat around her. “I wish I had sunglasses,” she groused.
    “We need them. You don’t.” Veris picked up her hand. “I’d rather see your eyes.” He helped her out of the limousine.
    As they crossed the busy plaza, she saw from the corner of her eye that they were garnering startled looks and many people were tapping each other on the shoulder, digging their friends in the side with their elbows and pointing. Whispering to each other. Brody was drawing huge amounts of attention.
    Then she heard a whisper as they passed a pair of women close by.
    “Who do you think she is?”
    “Gotta be a movie star,” the other said.
    “And look at the two men she’s with…lucky bitch.” A deep sigh followed.
    Startled, Taylor nearly tripped as she lost track of her footing. Brody’s hand was suddenly under her elbow. “I heard,” he murmured in her ear. “Keep walking like you didn’t hear it. Look straight ahead and don’t react.”
    She was shaking. Veris’ hand slid under her other arm, strong and supportive. “Your old world can nag all it must, but you belong with us,” he said quietly.   “Even strangers can see it.”
    Fresh shock slithered through her as the meaning of his low words sunk home.   “Appearances mean