they were allowed to set traps was in the kitchen.
"Remember how I distracted you?" Maverick asked in a sultry voice.
Leave it to a man to mention sex. Or to hint at it, anyway. She refused to give him the satisfaction of a reply.
"You remember," he said, his amusement obvious.
"I most certainly do not." She hugged herself even tighter.
He laughed at her stubborn refusal to admit the passion they'd shared. "How long has it been, Elise?"
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Longer for me than for you, no doubt."
"Don't be so sure."
She turned around to glance at him. "You can't fool me, Maverick. I was married to you, remember? I know you. You had an extremely healthy sexual appetite."
"After we split up, you used to let me come to your bed."
Her face went instantly crimson. "That was a mistake." The year following their separation and divorce, he'd showed up at the apartment every few nights and talked his way into her bedroom. Then he'd abruptly stopped and Elise knew why. He'd found some other woman who welcomed him. One who was happy to overlook his flaws and take what he offered without questions or recriminations.
"It wasn't a mistake on my part," he said.
"Do you mind if we talk about something else?" she asked in a bored voice.
"You used to be such a prude - until I got you between the sheets." He shook his head. "I guess you still are a prude."
"Stop it right this minute! Or I swear I'll...I'll open this door and jump out of the car."
"Well, that got a reaction, didn't it?" He chuckled softly.
"I'm sixty-five years old and I find this discussion embarrassing."
"I'm not dead yet, and I doubt you are, either," Maverick said smoothly.
Elise was determined not to answer.
They drove in silence after that and then, for no apparent reason, Maverick started laughing. Despite everything, Elise grinned. Then Maverick reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
The rest of the afternoon was delightful. They drove through Rainier National Park and dined on steak and baked potatoes in the lodge.
The house was dark and quiet when they finally returned. Worn out from an entire day at the zoo, Luke and John were sound asleep. Aurora and David must have been tired, too, because not a sound came from their part of the house.
Maverick escorted Elise to her bedroom door. "Thank you for a wonderful afternoon and evening," he whispered.
Elise kept her gaze averted. "Dinner was lovely." Everything about the day had been lovely. "Just...thank you." About to turn away, she didn't expect him to kiss her. But he did. He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers. His lips were warm and moist and his arms slid around her waist, pulling her close. When he ended the kiss and released her, Elise's knees nearly buckled.
"Good night, Elise," he whispered, touching her face as if memorizing the feel of her skin.
She mumbled a reply that was completely unintelligible and nearly fell into her room. Her hands shook as she undressed and carefully hung up her clothes.
The tap on her bedroom door came just as she'd finished brushing her teeth.
She closed her eyes, swaying, not sure what to do. She could ignore him and go to bed - or she could open her door. Deciding quickly, she walked to the door.
As she'd expected, Maverick stood in the hallway. His eyes met hers in the light from her room. "Are you going to let me in," he asked, "or turn me away?"
CHAPTER 27
BETHANNE HAMLIN
"I don't mind helping you, Mom, but I've got a life too," Annie muttered as Bethanne carried party supplies out to the car. The trunk was nearly full.
Annie followed her with a china tea set for an Alice in Wonderland party. The birthday girl was turning nine and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was one of her favorite books. Bethanne had designed an entire birthday party around that theme, including games, prizes and finger foods. Since her first dinosaur party for Elise's grandson, she'd come up with dozens of new party ideas.
"What are you going to do once school starts?" Annie asked, unwilling to drop the subject.
That was a good question. Bethanne had come to rely on her children and on Courtney for help with these events. Following football camp, practices had begun a few weeks earlier, and Andrew was busy most days. Annie was busy a lot of the time, too. To date, Courtney had been her most reliable helper. Thankfully her children didn't