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Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

“Yes. I suppose so.” Rae didn’t sound so much sulky as uncertain. “But if their love wasn’t forever, will yours be?”

7

Manlike, Max got a panicked expression, so Kellen answered, “I think so. I served in the military, a tough environment, for six years. I learned what I want from life. Your father’s been in charge of two different Di Luca wineries and our Yearning Sands Resort. He’s seen a lot, he’s got experience in lots of human relationships. Plus, he raised you by himself, with Grandma’s help, for six years, and being a single parent is no easy deal. We’re both smart and competent. Plus, we have that special bond that drew us together in the first place.”

“What’s that?” Rae asked.

“I don’t know what it is for him, but for me, it was knowing from the first moment that he’s a strong man who would lay down his life for love and family. He’s the kind of guy a woman would be a fool not to love.”

Max hooted and started for the house again, towing Kellen with his arm around her shoulder. “Then there have been a lot of foolish women.”

“Daddy, that’s not true. I think you’re so involved with Mommy, you don’t notice how the women watch you.”

Kellen smirked at Rae, at her smart, observant kid.

Max, being Max, didn’t believe them, and chuckled.

For an intelligent man with a great deal of understanding about himself, he was an idiot. Which was fine with Kellen. She didn’t need him to know how many women were willing to fling themselves at his feet.

“You don’t touch each other very often,” Rae muttered.

Kellen and Max froze midstep.

It was true. They didn’t touch often. At the time of their wedding, they had been groping (ha) toward sexual familiarity. Then Kellen fell into a coma and went into surgery, and all their needs had been brushed aside. Touching each other had become something forbidden, a torture of desire, a thing to be avoided.

Max turned them to face Rae, and Kellen figured he was going to hand Rae some acceptable excuse the child could swallow about obvious affection being ill-mannered.

But he said, “That’s true. I don’t touch Mommy nearly enough. Why don’t I fix that right now?” Before Kellen could react, he bent her over his arm like a silent movie star and, while her head was whirling, he kissed her.

Um, with their mouths open. His was open because he was making all the moves. Hers was open because she was gaping like a fish.

Rae screamed with laughter and delight.

Max lifted his head and stared into Kellen’s face. “Close your eyes,” he said, and moved in again.