I coax my palm into his lapel in search of my wish, returning his feverish kiss. "Checkmate, you son of a bug," I say against his mouth two seconds before my fingers find an empty pocket.

"Sleight of hand, blossom," he says right back. "'Tis in fact in my pants pocket, if you'd like to search there."

I shove him off and drop to the floor, wiping my mouth. "It's mine!"

"And you'll receive it when the time is right." His lips, all I can look at, tilt into that smug smile that I've come to detest. He motions toward the chair. "Sit. You've just been soundly kissed. No doubt you're short of breath."

"Don't flatter yourself." I huff in an effort to hide the gulp of air and hold the teddy bear against my chest. "That kiss meant nothing. It had underlying motivation."

"Oh, to be sure. That kiss was nothing if not motivational.

A.G. Howard