A thorough search had found no secret passage in Rae’s pink bedroom, but Max and Kellen moved her into a smaller room—pale yellow, closer to them—amid reassurances Rae was welcome in their bedroom anytime.

That wasn’t strictly true, but like all parents they were very careful when and where they celebrated their union, and the need to be vigilant and discreet made them all the more frantic when they came together.

A locked bathroom door and a shared steamy shower proved to be a good solution.

Max did express frustration about the constant need for speed, and promised that when this was over and they left Isla Paraíso, they would go on their long-delayed honeymoon and spend long, slow, heated hours in bed…

The same day Max made his promise, Kellen began a regular program of running and kickboxing. Not only did she need a way to redirect her sudden thirsty desire for leisurely sex, but as she worked out, she rediscovered the pure pleasure of movement. She jogged, sprinted, punched and kicked. Something nagged in the back of her mind, some instinct burned in her gut. She needed to prepare, to train. The five weeks had been paradise in so many ways. Yet if Mara continued to slip past Kellen’s Army friend and all the law enforcement agencies…

Impossible! Yet Mara’s threat cast a long shadow, and being fit gave Kellen confidence in her ability to handle…anything.

Also, it beat practicing the piano—which Rae insisted she do every day. The dog still howled, but Kellen was getting better, more in control of her dexterity.

Rae romped with Luna in the house and on the lawn, devoured every book in the library—the encyclopedia had been a special pleasure—and with her dad, she worked on the truck. For the most part, she was the wonderful child she had always been.

But once she had thrown a tantrum about missing her grandmother—totally justified, for in her life, they’d never been separated before for more than two weeks—and once because someone had stolen her favorite drinking glass…which she’d left on a table in the library.

Puberty was difficult, Kellen told Max.

Patience, Kellen told Max.

And, with a grin, Kellen told Max, “She reminds me of my cousin Kellen Rae. My cousin was smart, confident, impatient and brave. Celebrate the fact Rae takes after her. She’s always going to be a leader.”