Earth Bound by Christine Feehan

and Max nearly fell to the porch floor laughing. Thomas actually held his sides. Levi couldn’t help laughing either. It was rare for Rikki to tease him. He definitely hadn’t bought the picnic basket. Judith had given it to Rikki, thinking she might use it on her boat when she went diving. Rikki used a cooler, but she treasured the basket because it had been a gift.
    â€œHe’s on the roof,” Max said suddenly, his head snapping around. He glared up at the rooftop. “Benito, get down from there right this minute.”
    â€œThat’s awesome,” Levi said. “He made it all the way across the open yard and didn’t tip any of us off to his presence. He’s getting good, Max.”
    â€œBenito, I’m warning you. Get your butt down from that roof right this minute,” Max said. “Airiana’s about to have a heart attack.”
    Airiana raised her eyebrow. Clearly Max was the one worried about Benito’s safety, but she didn’t contradict him. “Do come down, Benito,” she encouraged.
    â€œDid you come in from the other side of the house?” Levi asked, as the boy shimmied down from the top of the roof to the overhang of the porch.
    Before he could answer, Max reached up and caught theboy around the waist, pulling him down and setting him down beside him none too gently. “Stop scaring Airiana.”
    â€œSorry, Airiana,” Benito murmured, his eyes bright with his accomplishment. He couldn’t stop smiling. “I did it, Max. All three of you and the women. I snuck up on you, and no one even noticed me.”
    â€œYou used your sisters as bait, keeping our eyes on them, didn’t you?” Thomas asked.
    Benito nodded. “Max said to use any distraction that might seem natural. I knew it would tip you off that I was close, but if you weren’t looking at them, you might have felt me getting close to the house.”
    Max dropped his hand on top of the boy’s head and carelessly ruffled his hair. “That was good thinking. What did you use to get up on the roof? There’s nothing to climb on to make that kind of height.”
    He knew Levi wouldn’t keep a ladder that close to the house and there were no trees to use the branches.
    Benito looked smug. “Rikki always sleeps with the window open. I’ve never seen it closed, not once when I’ve come around. I just used the windowsill.”
    Max narrowed his eyes at the boy. “You’re not that tall.”
    Benito shrugged, but he looked a little apprehensive. “I jumped and caught the beam and swung my legs up.”
    Airiana gasped. “Benito, you could have missed and broken something.”
    â€œI know. I realized it wasn’t the smartest idea,” he hastily admitted. “I won’t do it again. I was going to ask Max what would have been a better way to do it, but I was going to wait until you weren’t around.”
    Max groaned and looked away from Airiana’s darkening frown.
    â€œWait until I wasn’t around? What exactly do you two discuss when I’m not around?”
    â€œMan things,” Benito said, puffing out his chest. “Not for women’s ears.”
    Max clapped his hand over Benito’s mouth and pulled the boy into him, pretending to strangle him. “You can’t saythings like that. How many times do I have to have this conversation with you?”
    Airiana made a face at Max. “I see, Benito. How often do you and Max have these little manly talks?”
    â€œLucia!” Max raised his voice and signaled to the three children still hiding in the brush. “Now would be a really good time for you girls to join us.”
    â€œCoward,” Airiana hissed, and winked at her sisters.
    â€œI’d better go check on Lexi,” Blythe said, tucking her arm through the handle of the picnic basket. “I’ll call as soon as I’ve spoken with her and know what’s