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When the screen door banged shut behind her, the dogs raced across the grass to bark and bounce around her

"Look at you two Were you helping your huether As she dispensed scratches and ear tugs, her heart felt so full it was tender

Jake said they’d probably been raised in one-dog families, and now they’d found the

Jake was on his cell as she approached He’d shoved his hair back off his forehead, and the sun glinted in the thick brown strands When he saw her, he winked and kept talking "Yes, I’ll tell the housekeeper to have the fridge stocked No, Mom, I won’t check on Jennifer’s kitchen If she left stuff in there, she can clean it out herself"

His family was due to return from Europe next week, Rainie remembered She handed hih to melt every ice cube in the bottle and her bones as well Tilting his head back, he drank, and his Adam’s apple moved in his hard, corded neck as he sed

As she watched--and perved--herin the iron poles had pumped up his muscles until his tanned skin stretched taut over his rock-hard biceps, delts, and pecs He glea of chest hair hadflat brown nipples to show On the back of his forear her to trace the her a es of his abdorowing

She jerked her gaze up

Lowering his phone, he said in an intensely ry eyes on me, I’ll show you all about sex in the sun"

"Ohto your one beet red How could he have said such a thing with his ? At a loss, Rainie held out a cookie "Eat this, and stop whatever you’re thinking!"

His deep laugh reverberated through her, filling her heart with happiness Then he glanced at his phone and…turned thefor aIt’s a shame you won’t return in ti arainst his front, he rocked his hips, teasing her with his thick erection One big hand kneaded her ass

He said into the phone, "Nadia’s actually working? With William Renard? Well,flow of indecipherable words cah the phone before he responded, "I love you, too, Mom Put him on"

I love you, too Trapped within the curve of Jake’s arm, unable to flee, Rainie stared up at him as his sentiment resonated down into her center The very sa to be released

No No Absolutely not No, she didn’t love hi

She tried to take a step back, and he drew her closer Even as he answered his father about a business matter, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head

The affectionate gesture hit her resolve with the weight of a sledgehammer And as the broken pieces of her future fell around her, she ondering…ould it be like to stay?

But what about her past? Her jaw firmed The cruel people from her past--as well as the memories--would find her, over and over She’d never escape

Yet, she’d had experience in dealing with the jerks who judged her, and she’d survived so far

She leaned into Jake and breathed in his scent If the assholes’ verbal abuse was the cost of staying with Jake--and God, she wanted to be with hiods had s therew denser near the horizon, softened the sun, and kept the tes away and ruffled the vivid blue-and-white blooed a caterer, stepped around a woift, and hurried toward the bridal suite

Behind her at the entrance to the cere over last h both woowned in the rich blue of the bridal party, they’d -down-the-aisle portion

It hadn’t been easy Linda had tactfully refused, then refused again, and finally told the brides that Master Sam would handle the next refusal Neither Gabi nor Sally were about to annoy the Shadowlands’ notorious sadist

Faced with the sanant Jessica had inforo into labor or--even worse--inform Master Z of every trick the two brats had pulled in the club

Awesoh the main entrance of the bridal suite Decorated in quiet colors of cream and khaki, the suite held a s roo room and a beauty parlor, counters, sinks, and ht now, chaos ruled At the counters, three hairdressers were finishing Ki the last touches on Gabi’s face

Doing a mental count, Rainie nodded Gabi and bridesmaids were accounted for

In the center of the rooe suede chairs They, along with Rainie, were Sally’s bridesmaids Rainie cleared her throat "Where’s the second bride?"