A Million Kisses or More by A.C. Warneke

in town. Ellie is a freshman at the U of M and lives in the dorms,” he said, wondering if she was asking because she was interested in his younger brother who was close to her in age. The thought should make him happy but it kind of pissed him off. But then he realized he was being an idiot – again – and he pushed the traitorous thoughts way, way down. Taking a bite of his sandwich, wondering if it was prudent to make life altering decisions on the basis of how well a sandwich was made, he took a moment before he said, “But Dan sill lives at home. He goes to the local tech college.”
    “Nice,” she said, obviously not interested in talking about his brother, which appeased the green eyed beast in his belly. Fidgeting in her seat, stealing glances at him, she was struggling to keep silent but it was apparently too difficult. After a moment, she spoke. “Dan said you moved back up here after your divorce. What happened?”
    He smiled because she didn’t continue on with the usual mindless and inconsequential small talk; she went right in for the kill. “Well, my senior year of high school, my girlfriend got pregnant so I joined the military. We got married, the marriage didn’t work out, we got divorced. When I got out of the military, I moved back up here because my family was here and I wanted that for my daughter.”
    “I’m sure there’s a lot you’re leaving out,” she said, pulling her foot onto the chair and wrapping her arms around her knee. The simple gesture made her look so damn young and he felt another twinge in his conscience. Just a few more minutes and then he’d leave her alone.
    “I’m sure I am, too,” he grinned. “However, it’s late and I’m not going to give you my entire life story, especially since it’s so much longer than yours.”
    A slight smile played at her lips but she simply nodded, “Fair enough. But I do want to hear the details someday.”
    “Someday,” he agreed, finishing up the food. “Maybe.”
    Her adorable nose crinkled as she thought about his words. “When is Jolie’s birthday?”
    “I know what you’re trying to do, Ana,” he grinned. He knew he should be mad at her for prying but she was so adorable in trying not to ask that he couldn’t help but smile. “And, yes, Jolie is a prom baby.”
    She tilted her head to the side and he found himself mirroring the position. Her tongue swept over her lower lip and he almost lost track of the conversation until she asked, “Was it your first time?”
    “Yes,” he deadpanned, enjoying the way her lips parted in surprise. Smirking wryly, he shook his head, “We were together for a long time before that. So, no, it wasn’t our first time.”
    She snorted, “I bet.”
    Grinning at her, he leaned closer as he said, “It was our first time in a hotel, though.”
    Her brows drew together as she asked, “Who was dumb enough to get a room for you?”
    A snort of laughter escaped before he answered, “Her parents.”
    Sitting here, talking like this, it was easy to forget just how very young she was. There was something about her that just drew him in and he was hesitant to let it go, even though he knew it was the right thing to do. As long as he never forgot who he was while in her presence, he’d be able to keep his hands and lustful thoughts to himself. Later, when he was alone, he’d write out his fantasies and maybe he’d get her out of his system by living vicariously through Justice.
    “And what did her parents think of you spending prom in a hotel?” she asked, bringing him back to the present.
    He shrugged his shoulders and fought the blush he could feel rising up his neck, “They got us two rooms and they trusted me to stay in my room. Which I did.”
    She grinned at him as she waggled her eyebrows, “But your girlfriend didn’t stay in hers.”
    “Nope.”
    She leaned closer and he swore he could smell her strawberry scent even though there was still a table between them. “I don’t