Queen of Diamonds Read Online Free PDF Page B

I blame him.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “By the way you climbed all over me the other day, I take it you haven’t seen him in a while.”
    She gasped. “That’s a disgusting thing to say.”
    “Yes, I suppose it is. But I’ll be damned if I apologize. You’re a fount of misinformation. Is there anything, no make that anyone, else you’d care to tell me about?”  His glance remained cool.
    Heat flared behind her eyes. She clenched her fists. She was really tempted to wipe that sarcastic smile right off those, unfortunately, kissable lips. Instead she stepped into his space, put her face next to his and lowered her voice. “It’s none of your business if I screw one man or a hundred. Just be assured you’re not going to be one of them.”
    “Is that a dare?”
    “What’s screw, Mommy?”
    Kendall closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stepped back. Caroline and her dad stood in the doorway. Her dad carried a tray with four glasses of iced tea and a platter loaded with her daughter’s favorite treats.  Thank God, his hearing wasn’t as acute as her daughter’s.
    Before she could frame a reply, Logan squatted down to Caroline’s level and held out his hand. “I’m Logan Hunter.”
    Caroline took it. His hand swallowed hers.
    “I’m Caroline Theron.”
    “Nice to meet you, Ms. Caroline.”
    “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hunter.”
    He pointed at the tray. “Those look like mighty tasty. Are you going to eat them all yourself?”
    “No we brought them in ’cause you’re company. I’m not allowed sweets between meals.” She spoke primly fooling no one.
    “I’d sure like to try one.”
    “Would you? They’re haystacks, my favorite.”
    He continued to hold her hand as they walked to the couch and sat down. “Really? I’ve never had one.”
    Kendall hastily moved the cards and chips, and her dad placed the tray on the coffee table.
    Logan helped himself to one of the irregular-shaped treats and took a bite. “These are the best cookies I’ve ever ate.” He studied what was left of his sweet. “Is it a cookie or candy?”
    “It’s a haystack.”
    He laughed. “Of course. Did you make them, Caroline?”
    “Gramps and I did. Would you like to know how? They’re really easy.”
    “Of course, I may have to make some of these myself.” He finished off the one in his hand and reached for another.
    Kendall snorted. Right. If he had any kitchen skills she was unaware of it.
    “You just mix chocolate chips and butterscotch chips on the stove, and add a can of Chow Mein noodles and a package of cashews, stir it up and plop it on paper.”
    “I am impressed. You do all that yourself and even remember the recipe.”
    “It’s easy. And Grandpa helps.”
    She reached for one and looked at her mom. “We’ve got company. It would be impolite to not to eat one. He might think they aren’t any good.”
    Kendall bit back a smile and nodded.  Her daughter was going to be a force to be reckoned with in another twenty years. “We certainly wouldn’t want that.”
    “My mom got bit on the neck by a bug with two arms and three legs. Or at least that’s what she says. I told her bugs don’t have arms but she insisted this one did.”
    Logan’s eyebrows shot up.
    Her face grew warm and she shifted in her seat.
    “That must have been some bug.” His lips twitched.
    The muscles in her jaws tightened. “It was.”
    Her father looked at them in confusion.
    Logan swiftly changed the subject and began to chat with her dad. She glanced at her employer as he conversed with her father on fishing and the weather. His ease with her family, especially her daughter, stunned her. 
    Logan looked at her and smiled. She smiled back. For one moment, she let a foolish fantasy surface, before she firmly squelched it and turned her head. A moment later she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He still stared at her, this time his expression puzzled.
    It amazed her that the man was completely