Mary Wine Read Online Free PDF Page B

obvious superior physical size, she flipped around and settled for slamming the door of her bedroom in his face.
    arrogant, lust-driven, crimsoned…pig!
    which could conveniently be rolled up into a single word—man. maybe male.
    at the moment, pig just sounded just about perfect.
    loren was going to have bacon with that coffee.
    “mom, is that guy my dad?”
    * * * * *
    loren felt her blood freeze in her veins. she’d always known her son would ask about his father some day. in fact, she was amazed toby had waited this long to ask for some information on his absent father. “yes.” turning her face toward her son, loren picked out the details of chris that were in toby’s face. it just wasn’t fair that biology was dictating that her son look like the man who had abandoned him before he was even born. chris hadn’t wanted his child so it just wasn’t fair that toby was becoming the image of his father.
    “okay.” toby stuck his hands into his pockets and turned back toward the living room. loren watched him go and felt her mouth drop open. it wasn’t supposed to be that simple. she’d expected demands for details and maybe accusations. instead her ears picked up the sounds of her son resuming his programming frenzy.
    “i should break your neck for stealing my son.” chris came around the corner and planted his body in front of her. it was strange the way her eyes moved over him with such calm. the last time she’d seen her husband he’d been in a rage and it had reduced her into a cringing animal that was controlled by fear.
    loren looked at the black spot marking his jaw and felt her confidence grow. she would never give her husband the power of fear over her again.
    sticking her chin out she let her eyes dismiss him. chris’ face flushed in anger and he shifted his weight from side to side as he struggled with his temper.
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    but it was clear that her husband wasn’t about to cross his commanding officer by getting into another fight with her. at least not a physical fight.
    “i’ll get you, loren, the second you think you’re safe.” his boots shuffled and he turned away but stopped and sent her a sickening grin. “then i’m going to watch you bleed.”
    loren wasn’t afraid of her husband. not even as he threatened her. but she was afraid of herself. inside her there was the growing need to avenge herself. she was sort
    of hoping chris would make good on his threats, just so she’d have the chance to vent out all of her inner rage.
    that was a rather stupid idea. maybe she had gotten the jump on him last night but chris was an army ranger, for christ’s sake. the fact was, he knew how to kill in more ways than loren could imagine. add to that, the fact that the man had a grudge to settle, and loren really should adjust her thinking.
    dropping her body into a nearby chair, loren pulled a deep breath into her lungs. chris should never have discovered toby. oh, she knew he’d wanted a son. there had been times she’d stared at her telephone and pictured herself dialing the number that would bring her husband back into her life.
    it hadn’t been easy to be a seventeen-year- old single parent.
    but she’d survived. and now chris knew that the daughter he’d thrown out was in fact the son he’d longed for. oh yeah, chris would enjoy watching her bleed. that was
    for sure.
    “what did your husband say to you?”
    the fear loren couldn’t find for her husband suddenly twisted her stomach, as his commanding officer demanded his question. rourke campbell’s green eyes weren’t moving over her in desire tonight. instead, they cut across her face like emeralds. there was absolute purpose carved into the solid stone of his face as he stood over her.
    “answer the question, loren.” she pushed out of his porch chair and moved away from him. rourke watched her retreat and slowly followed her.
    “nothing important.” loren didn’t exactly lie. chris wasn’t important, neither was anything he