Read Online Unexpected Chances by Carly Phillips - Free Book Online

wasn’t sure what he meant, he nuzzled his lips against her neck and whispered what the two of them could do in that shower before she collapsed from exhaustion in her bed. With him by her side.
    She laughed with him, her sexy way of agreeing to his idea. But she still seemed wary.
    He guessed she was waiting for him to bring up his comment in her kitchen earlier. He didn’t plan on doing so. In fact, while alone here waiting, he’d decided to continue on as if nothing unusual had happened between them. He had little time before he had to return to L.A. for a meeting with his agent and a movie producer, which had nothing to do with superhero roles and everything to do with a part he was dying to tackle.
    He wished he had the luxury of time to lay things out for Holly a little more slowly and with more care than he’d shown by blurting out his feelings in her kitchen. But what he didn’t have in time, they more than made up for in emotional connection. Beyond that, Dylan had no choice but to let fate play itself out.
    *     *     *
    After their eventful night, Dylan and Holly slept late. They woke, made love and fell asleep again. The day passed in a delicious way and then they arrived at Dylan’s mother’s house. Dinner at the Northwood house was just like being back in high school, when life was simple and everything seemed rosy and good, Holly thought. She’d called her mother and aunt to say hi before going over to Dylan’s. She missed her mother, but understood her aunt Rose had broken her hip and needed help and so Holly tried not to dwell on the emptiness of being without her own family during the holiday season. And once she arrived at Dylan’s house, that emptiness began to be filled.
    Dylan’s mother had cooked dinner, and the house smelled delicious, warm and inviting. His sister, Amy, and her husband, Tom, and their young son, a precocious three-year-old named Matt, sat in the family room in front of the big-screen television Dylan had purchased for his mother’s birthday. Typical males, Dylan and Tom talked football and took turns keeping the fire stoked and the room warm, while Amy and Matt provided the sounds of laughter and squabbling. Amy kept busy diving to keep Matt out of trouble near the hearth and away from an old black Lab that dozed in the corner and whose tail Matt liked to pull.
    Holly, after being thrown out of the kitchen for attempting to help, finally settled in beside Dylan, trying desperately not to like the feeling of being part of this family too much. But how could she not enjoy and feel welcome when every so often Dylan would reach out and massage her shoulders or idly twist her hair around his finger as he talked. His family all treated her as if she belonged here, as if she and Dylan had never broken up or been apart.
    But most defining for Holly was that here, in his old home, Dylan’s stardom and fame didn’t exist, making it too easy for her to believe in a future. So much so that throughout dinner and dessert, she had to keep reminding herself that she’d succumbed to these fantasies once before and suffered nothing but heartache as a result.
    By the time Dylan drove her home, she was stuffed from the good food and overwhelmed by memories and desire. When he turned and asked if he could come in, saying yes came as naturally to her as breathing.
    Coming on top of the heavy-duty family scene, Dylan wanted to tread carefully now. Holly had relaxed in a way he hadn’t seen since his return, and he didn’t want to lose that mellow, comfortable mood.
    “That was so nice.” She dropped the keys onto the shelf in her front hall. “I love your family.”
    “Well, that’s good, because they love you, too.” His gaze darted to hers, wondering if any version of the word love would put her on edge.
    “Can I get you coffee or something to drink?”
    He accepted the subject change with a nod. “A cup of coffee sounds great.”
    “Then make yourself at home.” She