Unmasking Kelsey Read Online Free Page B

audience. He heard the sound of footsteps, a jerky feminine exclamation, and a startled giggle from Ami. He also heard a vicious, suppressed sound from a man.
    Slowly, he lifted his head, staring down into Beth’s vivid eyes and wondering distantly if helooked as dazed as she did. Probably. He didn’t give a damn about it, though. And then he heard Ami’s innocent voice.
    “That’s Kelsey, Blaine. He came to see Beth.”
    And Kelsey heard a deep growling sound, along with the visitor’s voice, distracted but still vicious.
    “Somebody call off this damned—”
    “Lobo,” Kelsey murmured, allowing one hand to leave Elizabeth and fall to his side. Almost immediately, he felt the thick ruff of the dog beneath his hand. And he didn’t know if it was sheer, primitive male instinct that had made him show his mastery over the dog to the other man. Probably.
    Elizabeth was drawing slowly away from him, a wave of faint color sweeping up her throat. She looked shocked, confused, and he touched her cheek with gentle fingers before he allowed her to leave his arms. It was up to her now.
    In a soft voice she said, “I didn’t expect you, Blaine.” She was still gazing at Kelsey.
    “Obviously!” Blaine snapped.
    She blinked, but seemed unconcerned by hisanger. “Blaine, this is—Kelsey. Kelsey, Blaine Mallory.”
    Kelsey turned slowly to face the other man. He saw a man about his own height but a good twenty pounds lighter. A strikingly handsome man somewhere in his thirties with jet black hair, a lean face, and an obvious habit of dressing well. A man with chilly blue eyes and a face whose muscles were tightly held in anger. Still absently petting Lobo, Kelsey said casually, “Hello. A friend of the family?”
    Blaine’s nostrils flared slightly, then he seemed to dismiss Kelsey as if he were less than human. “Beth, I want to talk to you,” he said sharply.
    In a polite tone, Kelsey said, “We’re about to sit down to supper, you know. Much better if you come back later. And call first next time, will you?”
    “I’ll show you out, Blaine,” Ami said brightly, sending Kelsey a quick look brimming with satisfaction.
    Blaine opened his mouth to speak, but when Kelsey put an arm around Elizabeth and she cameto him as if she belonged at his side, his mouth closed with a snap and he turned on his heel to stalk back through the house with Ami helpfully following.
    Kelsey looked at the other sister, who was staring at him with her mouth open. She was a typical teenager, her clothes too tight and her makeup lavishly applied with a less than expert hand. She was also a pretty girl with a discontented expression and sulky blue-green eyes, and Kelsey guessed shrewdly that she was less surprised at his presence than displeased to find her sister in the arms of
any
man.
    “Hello. You must be Meg,” he said casually. “Why don’t you and Ami wait for us in the dining room, okay?”
    “I—” Meg turned abruptly and left the room.
    Elizabeth pulled away from him again. “I—I don’t understand.” Her voice was shaking.
    Kelsey knew only too well that she was fighting to resurrect her barriers, shocked by him and by herself, quite literally knocked out of kilter by what had happened. And no wonder, consideringall she must have been through before today. He took her hand gently, pulling her around to face him again, and his free hand lifted to touch her hot cheek.
    “I know. I also know,” he added with intentional dryness, “that you probably would have slapped my face under ordinary circumstances. But the circumstances aren’t normal for you, are they? You’re tired and tense, and undoubtedly scared—and I took advantage of that. I’m sorry, Elizabeth. Not for kissing you. I could never be sorry about that. Just for the timing, that’s all.”
    She was looking up at him, baffled and uncertain. Not yet balanced enough to be embarrassed. “You … you acted like you wanted Blaine to think—”
    “Yes, I