Married By Midnight. Mollie Molay
insist on a honeymoon now. Max has to go back to work.”
Behind her, Max stirred. “Let me handle this, Kelly.”
“No!” Kelly glared at Max. “I’m tired of being told what to do. It’s my life! I say we’re going on a honeymoon. Starting tomorrow morning.”
“Now see here, Kelly,” her father growled. He shook a finger at her. “You’re putting the cart before the horse. You have to get married properly before you go off on a honeymoon. After all, there might be consequences.” His eyes blazed beneath his bushy eyebrows.
Consequences? No way, Max reassured himself. When he’d changed out of his tuxedo back at the hotel, he remembered checking his wallet for the protection he usually carried. To his relief, he’d come up empty.
On the other hand, maybe he’d jumped to the wrong conclusion too fast.
There had been a deep, satisfied feeling of peace when he’d awakened this afternoon with Kelly’s creamy shoulder up against his bare chest. Judging from the contented smile on her face and the condition of the bed they had been in, the night must have been filled with more than pleasant erotic dreams.
Definitely, once hadn’t been enough.
Max felt his stomach begin to churn.
Maybe it was a good thing he was so sure he and Kelly were married.
At the rate the argument between Kelly and her father was going, and at the accusing looks Patrick and Damon were sending him, Max realized the redheaded O’Rourkes were too stubborn to compromise easily. He was a stranger, a civilian, definitely not Irish and, according to Kelly, therefore suspect. Still it was up to him to do something before things got out of hand. Before he jumped into the fray, he tightened his arms around Kelly in warning.
Kelly’s father glanced at Sean’s grinning face. “This isn’t the time nor the place for this discussion. We’ll talk about this later.”
Kelly mentally crossed her fingers and backed into Max’s arms. “I think you’re wrong, Dad, but that’s okay, too. One wedding is good enough for me.”
“Well, it’s not good enough for me,” her father replied. He regarded Max with deep suspicion before he gave in. “However, since I’m sure no reputable minister or priest around here will marry you if the word gets out about Joe turning me down, I’m willing to compromise. I’ll rent you a houseboat for the honeymoon. That way, you’ll be close enough to come back and meet the family. If you agree, I’ll go along with a short delay. What do you say?”
Max thought about it. “How long are you talking about?”
“A week.”
Kelly gasped. “No way!”
Max held her closer. She might be feisty, a stubborn redhead like her father, but he still felt her tremble in his arms. His respect for her grew, and so did his determination to protect her. But he could see there was no way he could sway her father without creating a hell for all concerned.
He eyed his father-in-law. “You’re right. We accept. As long as we can leave tomorrow morning.”
Chapter Four
“Max Taylor, is there something wrong with you?” Kelly erupted when the last of the O’Rourke men disappeared. “Why did you agree to this houseboat honeymoon? There’s just so much of this nonsense I can take.” She pulled out of Max’s arms and headed back to her bedroom.
Max stopped long enough to shake off Honey’s firm grip on his trouser leg before he followed her. “I’m afraid there might be a problem.”
Kelly pulled to a stop and Max ran into her. Momentum carried them onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs. Instinctively, Max bent to take her lips in his.
Kelly’s lips tasted as sweet as honey and stirred hazy memories. Memories of last night when Kelly had been warm and willing. A night when he had believed she was his wife.
Lost in her instinctive response tonight, Max ignored the voice at the back of his consciousness that whispered caution. In spite of that voice, tonight Kelly was his wife.
Caught unawares, Kelly found herself returning his embrace. If this was going to be their last night together, she wanted to share every moment of it with him before the time came for them to part.
“Another problem?” Kelly asked breathlessly when she managed to catch her breath. She lay gazing up at Max. “What new problem are you talking about?”
Max sat up and took a deep breath. Controlling himself wasn’t easy, but he owed it to Kelly to be truthful. “I’ll tell you in a minute. But first I want you to take it easy. Try to remember I’m on your side, okay?” Kelly nodded. “To be honest,” he went on with a wary eye on her, “there is a chance your father could be right.”
“Right about what?”
“About possible consequences—a baby.” At the dark look that came into Kelly’s eyes, Max stood up and cautiously took a step backward.
“Which baby are we talking about?” The tone of her voice boded no good.
Max knew he had to be up-front with Kelly—there was no use beating around the bush. After all, he’d been raised to believe telling the truth could never hurt him. From the ominous tone in Kelly’s voice, he wasn’t too sure the adage applied to the present case. Still, her father had raised a question that needed addressing. “Ours.”
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