Page 28 of Strangers She Knows

His mouth dropped open. He flushed from T-shirt to hairline. His eyes turned a brilliant brownish-gold. He took a long, hard breath, leaned down, put his shoulder to her belly, picked her up and ran up the stairs.

His shoulder slammed into her midriff.

She moaned and laughed at his eagerness.

At the top of the stairs, he skidded to a halt.

Kellen craned her neck, trying to see around him.

Rae’s forceful, scornful voice said, “Daddy,put her down.We’re going to the beach!”

Max slid Kellen off his shoulder, stood her on her feet, and balanced her with a hand on her arm. “Of course, I’m just helping Mommy up the stairs.”

Holding a plastic bucket and wearing a pink-and-blue bathing suit, Rae swept them the kind of knowing glance Professor McGonagall would give a Hogwarts student. She stomped down the stairs.

Kellen cupped Max’s jaw in her hand. “We’ll take up this matter tonight. In the meantime… I’d better put on my own bathing suit.” She sauntered toward their bedroom, and before she entered, she turned back toward Max.

He stood, rooted to the spot.

It was gratifying to wonder which of them was the hungriest.

She whispered, “Tonight.”

10

Kellen wore her modest one-piece bathing suit and an ankle-length, long-sleeved dress as a cover-up, and as they walked across the green lawn toward the cliffs, she could feel Max scrutinizing her. “Stop it,” she said out of the corner of her mouth.

“I can’t help it. That bathing suit fits you like—”

“You can’t see my bathing suit.”

“I know what it looks like.”

“It’s new. You’ve never seen this bathing suit.”

“Describe it to me.”

Kellen glanced at Rae and Luna, running ahead and shrieking. “Imagine I’m wearing a suit from 1900, with a black knee-length skirt, a black ruffly shirt and long white underwear down to my ankles.”

“Sexy.” His voice contained a low, prowling growl.

“How could that be sexy?”

“Because you’re naked underneath.”

He was incorrigible. “I’ll tell you a secret. I’m always naked beneath my clothes.” She guessed he wasn’t the only one who was incorrigible.

“I know.” He sighed loudly. “I never forget it.”

If not for Mara, Kellen would be thoroughly enjoying this retreat.

I’ll take everything from her, the way she took everything from me. I’ll make her sorry she betrayed me.

Max put his arm around Kellen and stopped. “What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking.”

“If it’s going to put that look on your face—stop.” He leaned closer and said softly, “You know what Diana said. She’s closing in on Mara, and when she does, she’ll call in Interpol and that will be the end of our wicked villain.”

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