Read Online His-And-Hers Family by Bonnie K. Winn - Free Book Online Page A

Deliberately, she lifted her eyes away.
    He yanked gently on her foot. “You’re about a million miles away. Something on your mind?”
    She shook her head, then let her gaze drift back toward him. “It’s just been a long day.”
    Blake studied her face for a moment, then pulled himself up and out of the pool. Cassie stared at the ripple of muscles, the deeply tanned skin, then the intriguing vee of dark hair that led to his brief trunks. She’d only seen men in swimwear like that in the movies or in magazines. And those men hadn’t been beaded with water, as Blake was, making his every move beneath the moonlight that much more sensual. Cassie averted her gaze, drawing on her inner strength to recover her equilibrium.
    Blake reached up to slick back his hair, then looked again at Cassie, his eyes darkening in the diminished light. She wished there was something other than the pool to disappear into. She didn’t especially want to drown, rather than face him.
    “Probably feeling a bit overwhelmed,” he guessed accurately. “And wondering why you ever agreed to come here.”
    Cassie managed to look at him. “How did you know?”
    “It’s not so difficult. I plucked you out of one world and dropped you into another. I’m guessing you feel like you’ve landed on another planet and there’s no shuttle to take you back home.”
    Cassie smiled reluctantly. “Pretty much. Things are different here. And it’s only our first day. I’m kind of dreading tomorrow.”
    “L.A.’s no town for beginners. Albert will drive you.”
    “But—”
    “You have two schools to find, along with the shopping center. I can drive myself, and I’ll tell Albert to show you the basics of the city. You won’t learn all of L.A. in one day, but you’ll know enough to get where you have to go. The rest will come later.”
    Relieved, she dared a glance at him, trying to ignore the wealth of bare skin. “Los Angeles is bigger than Twin Corners, I’ll admit that. I wasn’t looking forward to getting lost.”
    He glanced at her quizzically. “Then why didn’t you ask for help?”
    She folded her hands, staring again at the water. “Asking doesn’t come easy to me.”
    “I should have remembered. Pride’s important, Cassie, but needing other people is important, too.”
    He reached over to tip up her chin, and Cassie nearly bolted. An unexpected trembling attacked her vulnerable insides, and she wondered if it was visible.
    “You’re no quitter, Cassie.” He dropped his hand, but the imprint still burned her skin. “I know my boys didn’t make it any easier, but they’ll come around. You’ve got the touch.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And now I’ve got to finish my laps.”
    Standing, he dived cleanly into the water.
    He was wrong, Cassie thought distractedly, lifting her fingers to the jaw he had bracketed. She didn’t have the touch. He did.

Chapter Five
    T he following days flew by. Cassie learned her route to the schools and the shopping center. White-knuckled at first. then with more ease each day.
    To her amazement, Blake left the country on her tenth day in L.A., briefly explaining that the two-week business trip couldn’t be avoided or postponed. She had expected him to be around during this transition time, knowing it wouldn’t be easy for the two families to meld. The Matthews boys, who’d been settling down—a little—resumed their obnoxious behavior, escalating their antics, since they knew she had no one to turn to for support.
    Still, she insisted they sit down to eat dinner each evening, refusing to relinquish the family hour. Although they kept up their sarcastic comments, she noticed they were eating more of her cooking.
    Mark and Todd were easier to deal with than Kevin, especially when their older brother wasn’t around. It wasn’t difficult to uncover the twins’ likes and dislikes. And although they tried repeatedly to fool her about who was Mark and who was Todd, she had been able to tell