Free The Maverick's Red Hot Reunion (Entangled Indulgence) by Christine Glover Page B

“And it’s the same engagement ring. How romantic.”
    Not really. Still, she’d heard a skeptical tone in her friend’s voice, so she snuggled a little closer to Zach. “He’s kept it all these years in the hope of winning my heart again,” she said.
    “As long as you’re happy.”
    “We are,” Zach said. “Where’s Michael?”
    “He’s at the Overlook restaurant,” Hannah said. “Come on. I’ll take you there and we’ll celebrate. God knows we could use something happy to think about.”
    And Kennedy hoped like hell that she could keep up the charade. Still, as they walked beside Hannah, she couldn’t stop checking out the way Zach’s dress slacks showcased his powerfully muscular legs. Nor could she avoid admiring the exquisite fit of his charcoal suit jacket, which hugged his broad shoulders to perfection.
    Her heart hip-hopped and skipped a beat. A heaviness filled her breasts, and they swelled. Heat scorched her flesh, pooled in all her feminine zones. Zach was devastatingly handsome. She easily recalled his physical prowess in the bedroom. Pretending that she was physically attracted to Zach would be as easy as threading an oversized needle with a fine skein of silk.
    But pretending that she trusted him after he’d manipulated her into accepting this ridiculous situation? Not so much. That would be as impossible as building a house with a staple gun.
    “How is he?” Zach asked as they crossed the lobby floor and moved toward the hotel’s premiere restaurant.
    “He’s good, all things considered,” Hannah said. “His spirits are high and he’s handling all the changes well so far. It’s just that we never know what’s going to happen next.”
    “Bad enough it’s affected his speech center,” Zach said.
    “He’s still the same guy, but a little raspier when he talks.” Hannah paused before they reached the restaurant. “Listen. He’s losing his ability to walk.”
    Beside him, Kennedy gasped and Zach tightened his hold on her waist, anchoring her to him instinctively. “This is happening too fast,” he said. “What can I do to help?” When they’d Skyped a week ago, Michael had only talked about his fantasy football league beating Zach’s.
    “Don’t be all freaked out when you see him in the wheelchair.” Hannah tucked her long blond hair behind her ear. “Just follow his lead, and don’t let him see how much this is scaring you.”
    “Why the hell not?” Zach asked.
    “Because it’s scaring him a whole lot more. And the last thing Michael needs is to worry about making everyone else feel better. That’s our job.” She looked at Kennedy’s left hand, then back at their faces. “So go in there and give Michael your good news.”
    ”Will do.” Kennedy nodded. Then they stepped inside the restaurant and spotted Michael sitting at a cloth-covered table for four that had an expansive view of the hotel’s grounds.
    Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows that gave a perfect view of the resort’s golf greens. He waved and Michael lifted his hand in return, but the welcome in his wave didn’t reach Michael’s narrowed gaze until he realized Kennedy was glued to Zach’s side.
    Then Michael’s mouth dropped and his brows lifted.
    “You’ve definitely got his attention now,” Hannah said.
    “Let’s do this,” Zach said.
    His palm itched to caress the length of Kennedy’s curves from the tiny indent of her waist all the way down to cup the fullness of her excellent backside. Her feminine scent, a seductive floral mix reminding him of a clear spring day, made his mouth water far more than the restaurant’s succulent aromas of roasting meat and baked breads. Fooling Michael would not be an issue.
    “I want to tell him first,” Kennedy said, moving inside the restaurant, forcing Zach to lose his hold on her waist.
    She rushed to Michael’s side and pulled out a chair to sit close to him. Zach reached them just as Kennedy held out her hand