“No," interrupted Marcia emphatically. "And you're a sweet boy. Come here and kiss me."Horace stopped quickly in front of her."Why do you want me to kiss you?" he asked intently. "Do you just go round kissing people?""Why, yes," admitted Marcia, unruffled. "'At's all life is. Just going around kissing people.”

“Maybe you should just admit that you're crazy about me," he said, leaning in to kiss her again."And why would you want me to do that?" she asked, still smiling."Because I'm playing for keeps, my little grasshopper.”

“Oh, so it was a lifesaving kiss.""Well, if you want to put it that way..."Arrogant jackass. "Do me a favor: next time you think my life needs saving, just let me die. I'd really prefer it."He laughed.She shook her head. "I'm going to the front with the boys. Don't follow me. You and your paramedic kisses need time to cool off.”

“I just want to kiss you." He slid his hand up her neck, cupping the side of her face. "Do you want to kiss me?”

“[Parker] ”We know why I kissed you last night, Maris.”“To frighten me off.”He frowned. “That doesn’t even merit an argument. I kissed you because you braved Terry’s and showed up everybody in the place, including me. I kissed you because just looking at you made me ache. I kissed you because I’m a rotten son of a bitch and your mouth looked so goddamn kissable. Simply put, I kissed you because I wanted to. It’s something I admit and you damn well know. But there is one question that’s driving me fucking crazy.”His eyes focused harder on hers and, by doing so, penetrated. “Why did you kiss me back?”

“Kiss me,” she said urgently.Sam’s eyes flickered with mild surprise. “Right now?”“Yes.”“What kind of kiss?”“What do you mean, what kind of kiss? Just a regular kiss.”“A friendly kiss, or a romantic kiss? Are we supposed to be going out together, or—““Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she exclaimed, and pulled his head down to hers.”