Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92636 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 463(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
This time Cara did glance at Ella, who’d gone pale.
“I know what you mean,” Cara said, determined to keep the conversation away from Ella. “I like catching up with old friends and finding out what’s going on in their lives.”
“Did you find any old boyfriends?” Sam asked her. “Like Adam Stone or Kevin Manning?”
Cara wrinkled her nose and shot him an annoyed look. Why did he need to go there? “Maybe they found me.”
“Did they?” Mike asked, his voice suddenly dark and dangerous.
A shiver raced through her at the sound.
“Well?” he bit out when she didn’t answer right away.
She tried to figure out the emotion behind his tone. Jealousy? Was it possible? If so, she no longer minded Sam’s bringing up her past if it meant Mike showed some interesting emotion.
“Let’s see. Kevin dropped me a private note, and Adam posted on my wall,” Cara said.
A low rumble sounded from Mike’s throat.
“Did either of them ever marry? Or are they still pining over you?” Sam asked, chuckling as if the idea were absurd.
“Hey! I’m pine-worthy.”
Sam grinned. “Didn’t say you weren’t. So did anyone else hear from an old flame?” he continued, clearly in a mood to cause trouble.
“Do we really need all this talk about old flames?” Ella asked, her voice rising in distress.
Oh damn, Cara thought as all of Ella’s children shot her a worried look.
Simon seemed out of it—either lost in his own thoughts or exhausted and not paying attention.
“Mom?” Sam asked, clearly concerned.
“Are you okay?” Mike leaned forward as if he could reach his mother across the table.
Ella rose from her seat. “I’m fine. If everyone’s finished, I’ll start cleaning up. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll get dessert on the table.” She gathered a few plates and rushed out of the room.
“Now that was odd,” Erin said.
“I’ll say,” Mike muttered.
Sam nodded.
“Um, I’ll help clean up,” Cara said, wanting to check on Ella.
“That’s okay. I’ve got it.” Erin rose to her feet. “You’re our guest. I’ll try to talk to Mom and see if she’s okay.”
There was no way Cara could object to Erin’s being alone with her mother without causing more curiosity. “Yell if you need me.”
“Thanks,” Erin said.
Sam turned to his father. “Dad, let’s go watch some television.” He helped his father stand from the chair, and the two men left the room.
Cara turned to Mike, assuming he’d be worried about his mom. Instead, she was surprised to find him staring at her with his usual intensity.
Gone was the lighthearted man who joked with his sister, and the predatory look in his eyes made Cara so hot she squirmed in her seat.
“What?” she asked into the silence.
“Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere we can be alone for a few minutes.” He held out his hand to her.
No way could she refuse.
* * *
Cara placed her palm against Mike’s. He gripped her hand and led her down a short hall to what must be his old bedroom. No sooner had she entered than he shut the door, turned, picked her up, and bounced her onto his bed.
“Now tell me about those old boyfriends.” From his position above her, Mike stared into her wide eyes and waited for an answer, his heart beating too rapidly in his chest.
“Are you going to tell me about old girlfriends?” she shot back.
Spunk. She had it in spades. He liked it even as she created a shitstorm of trouble in his head.
“Adam? Kevin?” The names sounded like sandpaper on his tongue.
Cara evenly met his gaze. “Tiffany?”
He groaned. Turnabout was fair play, and he deserved the pointed question. “Last I heard through the grapevine, meaning my mother, she moved out of state and got married.”
“Regrets?” Cara asked.
He raised his head. “You don’t do anything halfway,” he muttered.
“Neither do you.”
He grinned.
She didn’t.
“Not one damn regret.”
“Now, why the grilling? What’s gotten into you?” she asked. “Seriously.”
Good question. One he’d been asking himself over and over. Unfortunately, he knew the answer. “You’ve gotten into me.” He leaned in close, bracing one knee on the mattress, his arm on the headboard behind her. “You make me crazy.”
A dimple puckered her cheek, and he could tell she’d liked the admission. “Okay, since you came clean, I will too. I heard from two old boyfriends.”
Their bodies were so close, he could only feel and breathe her in. “And?”
“Both married. Neither interested me beyond some memories anyway. Why do you care?”
Damned if he knew. He’d never asked any woman about who else she was seeing. He hadn’t cared. “Because while we’re together, you’re mine.”
Her breath came out in a whoosh of air. “We’re together?”
“We’re not?” he asked, his words a definite dare.
Mike knew he was being unreasonable, making demands without any discussion at all, like an arrogant ass, but she brought out the caveman in him.
She studied him long and hard, making him wonder if she’d just slap him and storm out. He’d deserve it if she did.