Read Online Falling for Mr. Wrong by Inara Scott - Free Book Online

chance to talk to you in private.”
    Kelsey’s heart skipped. Even the touch of his hand on her elbow felt like a brand, burning into her skin. She’d deliberately worn a shapeless, high-necked T-shirt from the last Bolder Boulder race she’d run and long khaki shorts so she didn’t feel like she was dressing inappropriately around the kids—and so he couldn’t see the large white bandage on her butt. Yet the thick cotton material of her clothing did little to protect her from the fear that Ross could somehow see right through to her naked skin below.
    He was looking even more heart-meltingly gorgeous than usual this morning, with his dark hair slightly tousled and a shadow on his chin, as if he hadn’t had a chance yet to shave. His thick biceps were outlined by the short sleeves of his T-shirt, and Kelsey’s fingers itched to trace the flat line of his stomach, where the shirt had been tucked haphazardly into a pair of low, faded jeans.
    “Okay.” She forced an even tone to her voice. “Go ahead.”
    “I realize none of this is your fault,” he said, as they walked down the sidewalk away from the house. “And I’m sure it was just as surprising for you as it was for me.”
    “You can say that again,” she muttered.
    He nodded, his voice careful when he spoke, his face an unreadable mask. “I just wanted to say that I think we should try to forget that night ever happened. It was a long time ago, and we were both in a slightly emotional state. I hope you’ll agree that it’s best for everyone—especially the kids—if we put it behind us.”
    Even though she expected it—he’d basically said as much yesterday—his casual dismissal caught her breath in her throat. They’d said a lot of things to each other three years ago. She’d confessed fears that she’d never confessed to anyone before—even Marie. He’d told her how devastating it had been when his wife came to him with her wedding ring in her hand and told him she wanted a divorce. Not because he wasn’t a good husband or a good father, but because he didn’t love her the way she needed to be loved.
    “How could I have fixed that?” he’d asked helplessly, so sad it had broken Kelsey’s heart. “How could I have made that better?”
    “You couldn’t have,” she’d replied. And then she’d kissed him, and the world had narrowed to the feeling of his lips covering hers. His tongue ravaged her mouth, leaving her prisoner to the sensual onslaught. He’d tickled his way from her lips to her throat, even as his hands brought her nipples to hard, aching peaks.
    He’d been gentle and unrelenting. He’d brought her to a climax she’d never experienced.
    And now she was supposed to pretend it had never happened?
    She kept her thoughts behind a blank face. “Of course. I barely recognized you. It was a long time ago, as you say.”
    When his jaw tensed, she could tell her words rankled, just a little. Which she enjoyed.
    “Good. We’re agreed.” He kept walking and she matched his pace, noticing from the corner of her eye as one of those strong, competent hands—the ones she’d noticed right from the start—tensed briefly in a fist before relaxing at his side. “Jenna e-mailed this morning. She said she got Marie’s calls and messages after she landed and trusts her to find someone qualified. As long as the kids are happy, she said I should let you stay.”
    “And do you agree?”
    He blew out a breath. “You’ve got to understand how it feels from my point of view. You aren’t exactly the kind of person I’d look for to babysit my kids.”
    A frisson of anger bubbled in her stomach. “What makes you say that, exactly?”
    He gestured toward her. “Come on, let’s be honest. I got to know you a little that night, Kelsey. You’re a mountain climber—a risk taker. Not a kindergarten teacher. I wouldn’t dream of judging you for it, but I’m not sure you’re babysitting material.”
    The bubble turned into a low boil.