Free The Last First Kiss (Harlequin Special Edition) by Marie Ferrarella Page A

“I remember you at eight.”
    She wasn’t expecting that. Surprised, she asked, “You do? Why?”
    That, as he recalled, was the year she really went to town on him. The year that she seemed determined to drive him insane. “Because you made my life a living hell that year.”
    Maybe she had been a little too forceful, but only because he seemed so intent on ignoring her. She’d already felt like an ugly duckling, and his treatment of her—acting as if she were invisible—was the precursor to her exacting revenge on him.
    She’d implemented a lot of pranks that year. And he’d deserved every one of them, she added silently. Out loud, she apologized. But the words lacked heart.
    “Sorry about that.”
    “No, you’re not,” he told her, turning to face her now. “You’re grinning.”
    She did her best to dial it back a little, but she could feel that she was still grinning. And really enjoying herself. Her mind cast about for a good cover—and she found one.
    “Just happy to be here, watching what is actually my core audience getting ecstatic over the games the company’s been producing this last year,” she said. To prove her point, she motioned toward Ryan.
    When Dave turned around to look, he saw that his cousin’s son was surrounded by a flurry of wrapping paper. The expression on the boy’s face could only be described as pure rapture. The object of all this unbound excitement was now in his hands, and, Kara noted with deep satisfaction, it was the game that had initially started this particular complex ball rolling.
    “Looks like our game is a hit,” she murmured more to herself than to Dave.
    But Dave did manage to hear her. Moreover, he looked very pleased, whether with her or himself, it wasn’t clear. But he gave her shoulder a quick, reinforcing squeeze, saying, “Thanks for getting it. The look on his face is absolutely priceless.”
    His cousin was in obvious agreement because she seemed to be in her element, filming her son and his joyous unwrapping frenzy.
    Glancing over toward him and Kara, Melissa mouthed, “Thank you,” to both of them.
    Kara suddenly realized that Dave had misunderstood her use of the word our. She’d said it referring to herself and the team she’d headed up that had done the testing and retesting of the game until they all but hated the mere mention of the title. He, obviously, had taken it on a far more personal level, which was fine for the charade they were undertaking, but not so fine if he began to believe it.
    It was a problem inasmuch as she had no plans of ever being attached to anyone. She’d learned early on that the consequences of using her heart for anything other than pumping blood were daunting and came with a dark promise of being hurtful somewhere down the line. She didn’t need that. Ever.
    So instead, she concentrated strictly on Dave’s cousin and smiled in response to the silent thanks, mouthing back, “Don’t mention it.”
    Melissa’s happiness at her son’s joy was utterly obvious. Kara couldn’t help wondering, just for a second, what that had to feel like. What was it like, having someone you’d given birth to, someone created out of a surge of love, and then nurturing that little being until it was all knees and elbows and someone you would gladly give your life for?
    No point wondering, Kara told herself sternly.
    Sorry, Mom, she thought, glancing in her mother’s direction. No kids for me, no grandkids for you. She felt guilty that her mother, suddenly aware of the eye contact, smiled at her.
    “Thank you, Uncle Dave!” Ryan cried as the last of the wrapping paper fell away. He dashed over and, still clutching the prized video game, threw his arms around Dave’s waist.
    Dave put his arms around the boy, momentarily relishing the hug before saying, “Don’t thank me, Ryan. Kara’s the one who actually got her hands on the video game to bring it to you.”
    The fact that he was actually willing to share the glory