Her Summer with the Marine: A Donovan Brothers Novel (Entangled Bliss) by Susan Meier Page B

“Really?”
    He caught her gaze. Her eyes were round and curious. As if their attraction puzzled her. It didn’t puzzle him; they were kind of the same. Always had been. She’d had troubles that drove her to be the best so she could get into a good school and leave town. He’d had troubles that drove him to want to be the best so he could get a scholarship and leave town. Add her cute little smile and sexy little body to that, and, well…it was a wonder they didn’t spontaneously combust.
    “We had such a good laugh this morning over the way I sneaked into your funeral that I wasn’t prepared when I went back to work and found my dad.”
    She sat up a little farther. “Your dad?”
    “He was there with my mom, trying to pretend everything was peachy.”
    “Everything wasn’t peachy?”
    Okay. He understood that she might not get it about the little lust thing they had going on. But why did she have such a confused look on her face now? He’d told her about his dad nine years ago.
    “No. Everything wasn’t peachy. I told you before, he beats her. He used to beat me, Cade, and Devon, too, but we got out. It took us this long to get our lives settled enough that we could help her, but I’m here now and I got her to move in with me.”
    Realizing he was shouting, he reined in his temper. He was mad at his dad, not Ellie. He liked Ellie. Maybe a little too much for a competitor. “She’s been at my house for weeks. I guess he must have thought eventually she’d come home. But she didn’t, so he came to the funeral home today.”
    Ellie cleared her throat. “Why the funeral home?”
    “Because she also works for me.”
    “Oh.”
    The room grew quiet, but Finn felt okay. Just as he had after they’d made love the first time. Telling her didn’t change anything, but it always made him feel better.
    And he suddenly remembered he’d left Margaret sitting at Donovan’s.
    He rolled over and pinned Ellie to the bed again. “I really hate to kiss and run, but I got a funeral.”
    “Margaret Wojak.”
    With their chests touching and their legs tangled, her warmth filled him. He slid his hand down the curve of her side, longing to run his fingers through the hair that curled around her ears. He would have paid good money to be able to stay.
    Regret filled his voice. “I’ve gotta go.”
    “I know.”
    He wanted to say, “I’ll be back,” but he couldn’t. For as much as his hormones and her hormones seemed to mesh, they were fighting for the business of a small town that only had enough work to support one funeral home.
    He had to win.
    She had to win.
    And that’s why they were both suddenly so awkward, so quiet.
    He glanced around. His clothes were all over the place. Her bra had landed on a chair. Her sexy black panties were by the door. He didn’t even remember taking them off.
    Wow.
    He knew he’d do this again if she as much as crooked her finger in his direction. Not that he was weak, but they were that good together. And he could separate business from pleasure. But her life was a mess. And maybe her silence meant she couldn’t.
    He rolled off her and out of bed. He gathered his clothes and slipped into them before he sat on a convenient chair to put on his shoes.
    Rising, he caught her gaze. She didn’t smile. He supposed he didn’t expect her to.
    They were competitors and now they were going to have to deal with the consequences of falling victim to their hormones. Or she was. He’d quite happily separate their business and their pleasure.
    But the silence that followed him out the door told him she wasn’t quite so forward-thinking.
    …
    Ellie heard the front door open and close, and listened to his footfalls on all thirteen steps to the porch. When they finally stopped, she collapsed onto her pillow.
    She stared at the ceiling, trying to put it all together in her head and failing. She got the part about their lust. No problem understanding that. But the part about his dad? The same