Strong, Sleek and Sinful - By Lorie O'Clare Page 0,132
down.” Knowing it would be harder to get away from Denise without her latching her small body to his leg, he escorted her back to the couch. “But I’ll fluff the pillows just like I would for me if I were getting ready to stretch out at my house and watch TV.”
“You’re the best pillow fluffer.” Denise crossed her arms, watching him seriously, but shot Kylie more than one curious glance. “Can I have a blanket, too?”
“May I have a blanket,” Kylie said behind him, and walked to his side with the folded afghan from behind the large corner chair in her hands.
“May I have a blanket?” Denise asked, sounding sleepier when she crawled onto the couch and straightened so Perry could unfold the blanket and cover her with it. “Everyone says Kylie is your new girlfriend,” she asked, whispering although Kylie stood next to him. “Are we going to have to start calling her Aunt Kylie?”
“No,” he told Denise, not hesitating. That was one response he could give without getting a headache thinking of how to answer. “Now get comfortable and I’ll be back down in a few.”
“Okay, Uncle Perry. Mom said Kylie would see right through you and she would lock horns with Dani and all of that would be bad. So I’m glad she isn’t going to be my aunt.” Denise didn’t look at Kylie but snuggled under her blanket and turned to face the back of the couch.
Perry didn’t even want to think about what his sister meant by Kylie seeing right through him. He didn’t have anything to hide. One look at Kylie’s face and he knew she found his niece’s comment rather amusing. She was a smart woman, though, and hid the smile he saw glowing in her bright blue eyes. Instead, she turned toward the stairs and led the way up to the bedrooms. At least he had a hell of a view while climbing the stairs.
Megan approached the top of the stairs at the same time they did. Exhaustion lined her face and she was several shades paler than usual. God, he hated how hard she worked. And the added stress of the evening was the last thing she needed.
“Oh, Perry,” she cried, reaching for him while fresh tears appeared in her eyes. “Thank you so much for bringing her home.”
Perry didn’t make it to the top step before his sister wrapped her arms around him. She seemed thinner than usual, and she almost collapsed against him when he gave her a big hug. Glancing over Megan’s head at Kylie, who’d moved out of the way for the second time since they entered this house to allow his family near him, she stared at the floor, her expression unreadable. Before he looked away, he caught her glancing toward the one open bedroom door and guessed she itched to go talk to Dani.
“Kylie, would you give us a minute?” he asked, hating to admit she would probably be more successful getting information out of Dani than he would right now. In fact, before he calmed down it was probably a good idea if he let his niece alone. “Dani’s bedroom is straight ahead, the open door.”
Kylie didn’t say anything but nodded once, her expression tight when her gaze traveled down Megan’s backside. She left him with his sister and walked silently down the hall, her purse clutched to her side. Kylie disappeared inside Dani’s room, closing the door behind her.
“Dani called Kylie. I really don’t get any credit for finding her. And she kept me from killing your daughter, so she probably should be thanked twice,” he said, still holding Megan tightly in his arms.
“I need to get the girls to bed.” Megan didn’t comment on what he said.
Perry remembered Kylie’s brief story about her sister being killed when Kylie was a teenager and wondered if she wouldn’t do better consoling his sister, too. Emotions were running too high in this house, and he wasn’t the best psychologist on the planet.
“Denise is tucked in on the couch. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already out. I’ve locked the front door.”
“You know, you’re supposed to be a pain in my ass. You’re my baby brother,” Megan said, shifting in his arms but not looking up at him. Instead she made a fist and pressed it over his heart. “I was so scared, Perry. You have no idea—”
“Yes, I do.” He felt her start trembling and knew she held back from a full collapse. “I