Kissing Trouble Read Online Free Page A

came up so she had a view of his throat. Julie had a harder time twisting her head around to see what had caught her attacker’s attention.
    It was Dustin. He stood on the bottom step in his Tony Hawk pajamas. His glasses were slightly cocked on his nose and his eyes were enormous behind the silver frames.
    Julie’s heart missed a full beat before she found her voice.
    “Dustin!” She struggled against the hold still pinning her to the icy ground. “Get back upstairs!”
    The boy looked from her to the guy on top of her, then at the two shuffling gingerly to their feet, but didn’t move. He seemed to be frozen in place.
    Cursing inwardly, Julie acted.
    With her companion’s attention fixed on the boy, Julie thrust up sharply with her hips, sending him teetering forward in surprise. He had no choice but to release her arms in order to catch his balance.
    Julie rolled, twisting her torso and dislodging her hands free. He didn’t stand a chance once she was loose. He certainly wasn’t fast enough to stop her when she slammed her fist into his jaw, following it up with a knee straight up into his groin.
    “Motherfaaa...”
    He dropped sideways off her, holding himself and expelling a series of very creative curse words that Julie hoped to God Dustin didn’t memorize. She scrambled to her feet and threw herself at Dustin and grabbed him.
    “Run!” she shouted even as she shoved him up the stairs. “Dustin, get the others. Lock yourself in my room and call the police. Go!”
    But the boy was fighting her, craning his neck, and trying to look around her at the figure hunched over on his hands and knees, still swearing vividly. Then he narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and spoke the last name Julie ever expected to hear.
    “Mason?”
    It was as though someone had torn the very ground out from under her. Her stomach lurched and dropped somewhere around her ankles as a whole new surge of dread coiled up through her body. A wave of dizziness had her swaying into the banister. She clutched at it as her insides trembled with pain and horror.
    Julie turned with a slowness that made her wonder if someone had put her entire life on slow motion. Her limbs creaked, protesting the action. She had to will her legs to remain firmly beneath her while she fought to face one of her greatest nightmares.
    Mason heaved unsteadily to his feet, using the wall as leverage, and turned furious blue eyes on her. “Are you out of your damn mind, lady?”
    He stumbled awkwardly to the light switches next to the alarm panel and smacked them on with a frustrated sweep of his hand. Light flared on overhead, drenching everyone in its sharp glow.
    Julie winced, but it had nothing to do with being blinded.
    He’d gotten wider around the shoulders and the width of his chest, and his dark hair was longer, more unruly, but he was still six feet of rugged beauty. Even with the scowl knotting his brows together, his features were perfect, clean cut and chiseled. His eyes were an impossible blue and his lips looked like they would feel like velvet. Julie had spent far too many nights dreaming of feeling that mouth on hers, until that mouth had broken her heart.
    Memories of that night four years ago were what jarred her back to the present and the very big problem looming before her.
    Julie fingers tightened around Dustin. “Get back upstairs. Now, Dustin!” she snapped when he remained defiant.
    Shooting her a look of loathing, Dustin stomped back upstairs—literally. He slammed his feet on every step all the way to the top. There was a pause, followed by the resounding bang of his door slamming shut. Julie would have groaned if she hadn’t been caught in the resonating pulse of power that always washed off Mason. He was like a magnet, imposing and compelling. Even when they had been kids, he had a way of making people listen and do what he wanted just by walking into a room. And, as much as she hated to admit it, she had been one of them.
    Mason