"When I reached his branch, he was sitting there, legs dangling. "Will that branch hold two?" I said, looking at it. "Maybe. The question is whether you're willing to risk it." I swung onto the branch and started sidling out. He grinned. " question, wasn't it?" "It was." "You can't resist me." "No, I can't resist a dare." I stopped. He looked at the distance between us and lifted his brows. "This seems close enough," I said. "For safety's sake." "Safe from the branch breaking? Or from me?" He swung his leg over and reached for me, pulling me into a kiss. He started slow, shifting, checking my balance. I backed up a little and swung my leg over, so we were both straddling. "Better?" I said. "Much." He gave me a real kiss then, deep and hungry, and I think the branch could have snapped and I wouldn't have noticed until I hit the ground. Maybe not even then. We kissed, barely coming up for air, until a giggle sounded below us. Then a singsong voice. "Rafe and Maya sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g." "Annie..." Rafe peered down at his sister, beaming up at us. "I thought I asked you to stay inside today." "I was careful." She grabbed the lowest branch and swung up. "I wanted to see Maya. I wanted to make sure she was coming over for dinner." "I haven't invited her yet." Annie grabbed our branch. "Whoa, no!" Rafe said as it dipped. "She can't come over if she falls and breaks both her legs." "She won't do that, silly. She'll land on her feet. Just like me." "Rather not test that theory," he said and leaned over me to unwrap her fingers from the branch."