Free Victim of Deception by Lynn LaFleur Page A

“Sorry, Karessa. I’ll do the rest of the house, but I won’t do that room.”
    She frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense.”
    “I know it doesn’t, but…” He stopped again. “Sorry.”
    He turned and quickly walked back down the hall toward the stairs.
    Max looked at Karessa. “What the hell was that about?”
    “I don’t know. Eddy wouldn’t come in here either. He took the hinges off so I could open the door, but wouldn’t come in here with me.”
    She didn’t understand why Max would enter this room when no one else would. Something was stopping everyone else from crossing the threshold.
    “If you really want this room renovated, I’ll do it.”
    Karessa bit her bottom lip. She hated to ask Max for anything. Perhaps some of Kevin’s other employees would do the work for her. “You can’t do it by yourself.”
    “Sure I can.” He flashed her a crooked grin. “I’m good.”
    His teasing made her chuckle. She’d always loved his quick wit and sense of humor.
    She’d loved so many things about him…until he’d betrayed her.
    “I’ll think about it. The downstairs is the most important. This can wait.”
    Max nodded. “Let me know when you decide.”
    “So you plan to be in Fort Worth awhile?”
    “At least until your house is done.”
    She stared at him, unable to drag her gaze away. He was just so… male . He filled the room with his presence, his very essence. His height, the breadth of his shoulders, his huskybody, that sexy mustache…everything about him oozed testosterone.
    Damn hormones.
    Another jab of pain in her head made her wince. Max took a step closer to her. “Karessa, let me help you. I remember when you had those headaches. A massage always helped you feel better.”
    Yes, it had, because a massage had always led to sex. An orgasm had been the best pain fighter she’d ever discovered. “I just need to lie down.”
    “The guys will start working again soon. You won’t get much rest with all the noise.”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    Max frowned. “You always were stubborn.”
    The pain kept her from responding to him. Instead, she turned toward the door. “I have to lie down.”
    Two feet from the doorway, a cold gust of air washed over her…colder than anything she’d felt so far in the house. Karessa gasped and stopped in her tracks. She didn’t realize that Max was right behind her. He bumped into her back and grabbed her upper arms.
    “What’s wrong, Karessa?”
    She drew in a sharp breath, but not from the cold. Max’s hands on her quickly brought forth yearnings she’d tried to forget. How she’d love to lean back against him, have his arms slide around her waist, his hands glide up to cradle her breasts. She’d gained weight in the last five years. She wondered if Max would like her fuller breasts.
    His warm breath ruffled the hair over her ear. “Karessa,” he whispered as he squeezed her arms.
    The feel of his cock brushing her buttocks gave her the strength to pull away from him. “Excuse me.”
    She hurried down the hall to her bedroom, eager to be away from Max as quickly as possible.
     
     
     
    Mary crossed her arms beneath her breasts. “I told you she still loves him.”
    “Yeah, you did.” The satisfaction in her eyes made Aaron frown. “You don’t have to be so smug about it.”
    “After a century, you should know when I’m right.” She flopped down on the bed, resting on one elbow. “Unfortunately, being right isn’t getting them back together.”
    “Don’t you think Karessa’s dreams are helping?” Aaron asked. He sat on the bed next to his wife, as close as he could get.
    “They’re helping her to remember, but they aren’t helping her to forgive him.”
    “Maybe whatever he did to her is too much to forgive.”
    Mary tapped one fingernail against her teeth. “There has to be a way to find out why she’s so angry at him. I’d have a better chance of helping her get over it if I knew exactly what he did. I tried to