All Fired Up by Lori Foster

Author:Lori Foster
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2019-09-26T19:40:49+00:00

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STUNNED SURPRISE RENDERED Charlotte mute. The last thing they needed tonight was a visit from Elliott, yet here he was. Big, good-looking—and if she read Ros’s mood right, about to get his butt kicked.

Jack rushed forward with a muttered curse. Brodie heaved a sigh and followed.

Mitch wore an expression so enigmatic, Charlotte couldn’t guess at his thoughts. It was as if he’d gone perfectly still, every inch of his face carefully devoid of expression. No frown. No curiosity.

No welcome.

It had to be painful for him to see Elliott again, given their background and the way Elliott had walked away, leaving Mitch to an unthinkable fate.

Easing closer to him, wanting to offer comfort whether he wanted it or not, Charlotte nudged him and whispered, “Oops.”

He didn’t look down at her, but for the briefest second or two she detected a slight smile.

Everything seemed to happen at once. Brodie and Jack caught Ros in mid jump and managed to interrupt her attack on their dad. The fist that Ros swung—not an open palm, but an actual fist—missed Elliott by only a few inches.

“Rosalyn,” Elliott said in alarm, reaching out to her. “Honey, what is it?”

For a second, Ros struggled against her sons. Anger seemed to have stolen her voice, but her glare was enough to make Elliott take a quick step back.

Flat, irate, Jack asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I’m visiting.” But the way Elliott said it, everyone saw the lie, especially when his gaze skipped past them to Mitch. After a three-second stare and a slow blink, Elliott released a long breath. “Mitch. You’re all grown up.”

Charlotte felt compelled to scoot even closer to him, close enough that her hand brushed his.

Rather than take it, Mitch reached around and opened his hot palm to the small of her back, moving forward and taking her with him. “Elliott,” he said with the same enthusiasm he might use to order a coffee. It was respectful but nothing more.

For her part, Charlotte was pleased that Mitch wanted her by his side.

Or was he just not thinking?

Whatever the reason, she was oh-so-keenly aware of the iron strength in his arm, the warmth emanating from his big body and the frantic pumping of her own heart.

“You look good,” Elliott said, infusing some pride into his tone. “Big, strong.”

“I look like you.”

Elliott actually grinned. “Indeed, you do.”

Ros shrugged away from Brodie and Jack, then hiked her purse strap up over her shoulder and smoothed back the long strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

Better composed but no less furious, she looked up at the man she’d once loved enough to marry, the man who had given her two wonderful sons. Charlotte knew that’s how Ros thought about Elliott, because she’d told her so. Ros was aware of his faults but, according to her, divorcing him did not negate his paternity.

Most times Ros treated him kindly without tolerating his nonsense.

Not today.

“You, Elliott Crews, are the most reprehensible, irredeemable, irresponsible and selfish person I’ve ever had the misfortune to know.

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