Page 42 of Inferno

“The…? Oh!Right.My necklace.Yes, it’s right here.” She reached inside her thick sweater and pulled out a delicate gold chain with a charm. “See? It’s a violin.”

Manning leaned over to get a better look. “Oh, yeah, itisa violin.” He touched the small gold pendant, which was warm from Taylor’s skin. “It’s pretty.”

“Thank you, Manning.”

Hearing the breathless catch in her voice, Manning lifted his eyes to hers.

She was staring at him.

He staredback,suddenly feeling like a colony of butterflies was flapping around in his stomach.

“Manning…I…” Taylor trailed off as a pretty flush spread over her cheeks.

Unable to resist, Manning leaned closer to her.

She met him halfway.

As their lips touched, he closed his eyes and felt a delicious shock. As if a thousand volts of electricity were charging through his body, but in a good way.

“OOOH!”

Manning and Taylor sprang apart, whipping their heads around to find Mason gawking at them from the doorway.

Manning inwardly groaned.

“Oooh,” Mason breathed, scandalized. “You were kissing agirl!”

“Mas—”

“I’m tellin’!”

As Mason spun on his heel, Manning shot from his chair and chased him down—no easy feat considering that Mason was the fastest runner in his citywide football division’s age group. But Manning was bigger, stronger and much more determined.

Catching Mason around the waist, Manning hefted him under his arm like a sack of potatoes and carried him back into the kitchen.

“Put me down!” Mason howled, kicking and squirming against Manning. “I’m gonna tell on you. Da—”

Manning clapped a hand over his baby brother’s mouth, then set him on the floor and crouched down to bringhimselfto eye level with the little runt.

“Be quiet,” he warned, “or I’m gonna tell Santa Claus that you’re the one who killed your class’s pet hamster by overfeeding him.”

As Mason’s eyes widened with dismay, Taylor let out a shocked gasp.“Manning!”

He grinned diabolically at Mason. “So what’s it gonna be, pipsqueak? Are you gonna keep your mouth shut about what you just saw here? Or am Irattingyou out to Santa?”

Mason eyed him anxiously.

Removing his hand from his brother’s mouth, Manning arched an expectant brow at him. “Well?”

Mason hung his head and mumbled, “I won’t tell on you.”

“Atta boy.”Manning kissed his brother’s forehead and swatted his backside. “Now go on. Get outta here.”

As the boy turned and trudged from the kitchen with slumped shoulders, Manning took pity on him.

“Mason.”

He glanced back.