Free Merry & Seduced by Shelley Munro Page A

right this time. Marcus turned to Amme and started to move toward her. A big blur passed between them, and before he could blink, hard hands seized him and a mouth marauded his. Shock held him in place. There were cheers. Whistles. Someone laughed so hard they were having trouble breathing.
    “Hey,” Nanu said, drawing back with a scowl. “You’re meant to kiss me back.”
    Camryn gasped a hoarse breath and started laughing again. Tears streamed from her eyes.
    “Why didn’t you kiss me back?” Nanu demanded. “Those are the mistletoe rules.”
    Camryn drew a noisy breath. Her mouth twitched, and she let out another big howl of laughter.
    “I…ah…I don’t swing that way,” Marcus finally managed.
    “Why is she laughing?” Jannike demanded.
    Everyone was looking puzzled apart from Camryn, and she was no help because she couldn’t stop hooting.
    “Traditionally, kissing under the mistletoe occurs between men and women,” Marcus said, edging away from Nanu. He wrapped his arm around Amme’s waist then moved her in front of her so Nanu couldn’t pounce on him again. “A young woman would stand under the mistletoe on purpose in order to get a man she liked to kiss her. These days, with same sex marriages, I presume women kiss each other each too. And men kiss each other. You’re not meant to kiss just anyone,” Marcus said. “Normally you’re showing you like them.”
    “I do like you,” Nanu said, his broad forehead a mass of wrinkles.
    Camryn who’d eased off her laughing started chortling again.
    “But you don’t want to have sex with me, right?” Marcus steeled himself for the answer.
    “No, I don’t want to fukk you,” Nanu said. “I wouldn’t try to steal you from Amme. Friends don’t do that.”
    “Nanu!” Camryn shrieked and burst into giggles.
    Kaya glowered at Camryn. “You lied to us.”
    “D-didn’t.”
    “But you didn’t explain properly,” Amme said, the corners of her eyes crinkling.
    “Payback!” Camryn shouted in triumph. “Marcus, is Nanu a good kisser?”
    “I was too shocked to notice,” he said.
    “I’m an excellent kisser,” Nanu said. “I could kiss you again.”
    “No,” Marcus said and drew Amme against his chest. “We’re good.”
    Camryn showed signs of succumbing again. Nanu snorted. “More music.”
    “No, Marcus is tired,” Amme said. “All the physical work today has tired him out. You need to go home now. I don’t want him exhausted.”
    “He needs to recover from Nanu’s kiss,” Camryn said.
    Marcus spluttered, especially when Camryn winked at him. He willed the heat from his cheeks and only partially succeeded.
    “We’ll go,” Ry said. “You’ll probably see a lot of us because Amme and the others are here. Feel free to tell us to leave.”
    “I’m tired too,” Camryn said. “We have a full day planned tomorrow. I might ask Max if Luke can come to the beach with us. He’ll be company for Autumn.”
    “Satisfactory plan,” Amme said. “See you tomorrow.”
    Marcus stood at Amme’s side and waved goodbye to her friends.
    “Thank you for letting us use your cottage,” Amme said.
    “You’re doing me a favor. I think I’m getting the best deal.”
    “You are paying me,” Amme reminded him, and just like that, some of his feel-good mood dissipated.
    Doubt demons lunged, their clawed hands grabbing him by the neck. Him—the man who radiated confidence. He hesitated to voice them, then decided to follow Amme’s example and forget the filters. “Is that why you’re propositioning me? Because I’m paying you?”
    “My employment looking after Autumn is separate. I am a child minder. Sex is not my job.”
    “Oh.” The way she expressed herself seemed strange. “So if I was to try to kiss you now, you’d let me because you want a kiss, not because I’m your employer.”
    “I wanted your kiss from the first sec I saw you.” Her whiskey eyes simmered with truth and sincerity, and he believed every word.