Read Online Kissing Trouble by Airicka Phoenix, Morgana Phoenix - Free Book Online

wanted to die. It had been the first time he’d crushed her heart to powder, but not the last.
    As they always did, memories of that night picked at the crude stitches over her heart, agitating the never healing wound. The physical pang had her rubbing at the soreness with the heel of one hand while the other toyed with her pendent.
    “Julie? What’s wrong?”
    Caught in a moment of temporary vulnerability, Julie quickly straightened and checked her watch.
    “We should head back for lunch.”
    Not waiting to see what Mason was thinking, Julie ushered the kids away from the lake and propelled them back towards the cabin.
    Shaun and Luis were both in the kitchen when the group returned. They sat over bowls of soggy cornflakes as something like Machine Wars played on the flat screen in the next room.
    In the bright light of the afternoon sun, Shaun looked even worse than he had the night before. The swelling around his nose and eyes was vividly visible where the butt of the bat had struck him square between the eyes. The skin, already dark with stubble, looked agitated, tender, and angry. Julie almost felt horrible.
    “We were beginning to wonder where you’d gone off to,” Luis said when they walked in. “We thought maybe she killed you in your sleep and was off burying your body.”
    Scooping Wendy off his shoulders and setting her down, Mason scoffed. “Unlike you two, she didn’t get the jump on me.”
    “No.” Shaun shoveled a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. “She just kicked your balls up into your—”
    “Okay!” Julie quickly intervened. “There are children in the room.”
    Shaun had the decency to wince and mutter, “Sorry.”
    She turned to the two wide pairs of eyes watching the interaction with mute curiosity.
    “Why don’t you guys get your swimsuits? I’ll pack us a lunch and we’ll go for a swim.”
    Rick and Wendy practically trampled over each other trying to get out of the room. Dustin was nowhere to be seen, but Julie had a suspicion he was the one parked in front of the TV.
    Julie exhaled and turned to find three sets of eyes studying her every move. Unlike the night before, they shared a unified expression—confusion mixed with a touch of suspicion.
    “We were never introduced properly.” Luis broke the silence. “I’m Luis. This is Shaun—”
    “She knows, dumbass,” Shaun muttered, returning to his breakfast ... brunch.
    Some of Luis’s smile faded and was replaced by a splash of coloring that darkened his otherwise pale complexion. “Right...”
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Julie said, ignoring Shaun and no longer feeling half as bad about giving him two black eyes. “I’m Julie.”
    Luis broke into a charming smile that revealed slightly crooked teeth. “So that was seriously some impressive tactical maneuvering last night.”
    Julie chuckled. “That was eight years of my father insisting his daughter would never be anyone’s victim. But thank you, and I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
    “Whoa!” Mason, no longer entertained by the interaction, stepped forward, hands up. “Whoa, whoa, wait.” He jerked a thumb towards Luis. “How come he gets an apology?”
    Julie snorted at the ridiculous question. “Because I like him.” She shot Luis a wink.
    Luis beamed. “Well, it was seriously hot...” Luis flushed. “I mean...”
    Stifling her laugh, Julie inclined her head. “Thank you.”
    “Back off, Romeo,” Shaun mumbled. “Stop slobbering all over her.”
    “I wasn’t slobbering!” Luis looked to Julie. “I wasn’t.”
    Biting the inside of her cheek to contain her laughter, Julie started around the counter towards the fridge.
    No one said anything as she pulled items out for the picnic and set them on the counter. Mason and Luis parked themselves on a stool on either side of Shaun and began a very detailed discussion on making a trip into town for supplies.
    Julie fought desperately to ignore Mason’s dominating presence, but it was like ignoring a