Page 24 of Suzanna's Surrender

He had to grin. “Buckets.”

“Wow. Did you shoot lots of bad guys?”

“Dozens of them.”

“Okay! Wait a minute.” He raced off.

“I’m sorry,” Suzanna began. “He’s going through a murder-and-mayhem stage.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get shot in the head.”

She laughed. “Oh, that’s all right, you made up for it by telling him you shot lots of bad guys.” She wondered, but didn’t ask, if he’d been telling the truth.

“Suzanna, would—”

“Hey.” Alex skidded to a halt, with two other children in tow. “I told them how you got shot in the leg.”

“Did it hurt?” Jenny wanted to know.

“Some.”

“It bled and bled,” Alex said with relish. “This is Jenny, she’s my sister. And this is my brother, Kevin.”

Suzanna wanted to kiss him. She wanted to pull Alex up in her arms and smother him with kisses for accepting so easily what adults had made so complicated. Instead, she brushed a hand over his hair.

The three of them bombarded Holt with questions until Suzanna called a halt. “I think that’s enough gore for now.”

“But, Mom—”

“But, Alex,” she mimicked. “Why don’t you go get some punch?”

Since it seemed like a pretty good idea, they trooped off.

“Quite a brood,” Holt murmured, then looked back at Suzanna. “I thought you had two kids.”

“I do.”

“Seems to me I just saw three.”

“Kevin is my ex-husband’s son,” she said coolly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

He put a hand on her arm. Another secret, he thought, and decided he would dig up that answer as well. Not now. Now he was going to do something he’d thought about doing since he’d seen her walk down the white satin runner in the floaty blue dress.

“Would you like to dance?”

Chapter Five

She couldn’t quite relax in his arms. She told herself it was foolish, that the dance was just a casual social gesture. But his body was so close, so firm, the hand at her back so possessive. It reminded her too clearly of the moment he had pulled her against him to send her soaring into a kiss.

“It’s quite a house,” he said, and gave himself the pleasure of feeling her hair against his cheek. “I always wondered what it was like inside.”

“I’ll have to give you a tour sometime.”

He could feel her heart thud against his. Experimenting, he skimmed his hand up her spine. The rhythm quickened. “I’m surprised you haven’t been back to nag me.”

There was annoyance in her eyes as she drew her head back. “I have no intention of nagging you.”

“Good.” He brushed his thumb over her knuckles and felt her tremble. “But you will come back.”