But Logan had been ready for it. Cunningly, with the instinct of an animal, he'd counted on the rush and had taken the body blow for the chance to hook his powerful fist into the side of Thorne's head.
Thorne's knees buckled. He went down on them, looking dazed. Logan bellowed with victory. He reached for his arm and pried Midnight's jaws from it. Blood ran down to his wrist. He flung the dog against Thorne and started from the room, holding his arm against his stomach, still buck naked.
He turned at the doorway and looked at Christine with blazing eyes and a curl to his lip.
"I'll be back, baby," he said. "You'll learn to like it, too. You'll see."
Then he turned and padded weavingly down the hall.
"Dad!" Pete groaned, heaving himself to his feet and getting as far as the door before turning a pale shade of green.
"Let him go, Pete," Thorne said. "He's not going to get very far. Not this time. I talked to Dave Jordan on the phone before we came over. He checked with Miami. The warrant on that land fraud six years ago hasn't expired yet. Dave'll have a squad car at his place to meet him. If he gets that far without his pants on."
Thorne made a face and slumped onto his butt on the floor, leaning against the bed. He puffed his cheeks and let his breath out, fingering the side of his neck gingerly.
"Man, that guy's strong." He looked partway around and winced at the movement. "You okay, Mrs. Eglund?"
"How about you, Mr. Bast?"
They looked at each other, eyes exploring. They both grinned at the same time, then laughed softly.
"Everything considered," Christine said, "this Mr. and Mrs. stuff is a little silly, isn't it?"
"Well, I heard you were a very formal lady," he grinned.
"I don't feel formal at the moment. I feel very naked."
"Yeah," he laughed, wincing again. "You look a little naked, too. Very beautifully so, I might add. I only wish we'd meet sooner so that I could have saved you from Grunwald. Or Gorman, as he calls himself now."
"How did… well, I can't help wondering how you came to show up here."
"Pete," he grinned. "He told me about this guy you were going with some time ago, but of course the name Gorman didn't mean anything to me then. When he mentioned the shrimp-farm idea and whether I would look into it for you – on the sly, of course – the whole scheme rang a bell."
"A bell?"
"It was one of Grunwald's favorites. He tried it with a client of mine five years ago. I nearly caught up with him then, too, but he slipped away. When Pete mentioned the cove where this farm was supposed to be, I checked with a friend of mine. The place is a protected wetland area. There's no way he could put a shrimp farm or any other kind on it. That's when I had Pete describe him to me, and I knew."
Christine came to the edge of the bed. She slid off it and sat on the floor beside him. It made no sense at all to pretend modesty now – even if she'd felt like it.
He looked at the thrust of her firm tits openly.
His eyes traveled down her body to her pussy and along the lines of her thighs. He spent as much time looking at her toes as he did her naked twat, and she realized shortly that his appraisal was that of an artist instead of a lecher.
"I knew you would have to be this lovely," he said honestly. "Robin is. You would have to be."
She looked at his face, her eyes going over it. "I was thinking a similar thought about Pete and you," she said.
As if on unspoken cue, they both looked towards their children. Pete had his arm around Robin. He looked uncomfortable in his role of male protector. He looked as if he could get used to it quickly enough.
"Are you all right, honey?" Christine asked Robin. "You're not – torn or anything?"
"I'm fine, Mom," she said. "My ass itches a little. But I think Pete can fix that all right."
"Robin!" Pete blushed.
"Everything's out in the open now, Pete. Isn't it, Mom?"
Christine laughed softly. "You and I certainly are," she said.
She smiled at Thorne. She got to her feet and went over to Robin and Pete. She could feel the way Thorne's eyes followed the sway of her hips and the movement of her fine, firm ass-cheeks.
She felt no embarrassment at all at the way Pete stared at her naked body and his mouth fell open. He swallowed and looked up at her, trying not to look at her pussy and tits.
Christine bent down and slid her arms around his neck and hugged his head to her firm tits. She kissed him. She looked into his eyes.
"I'm very sorry for the way I've been to you, Pete. I do hope you'll forgive me."
He swallowed again, his lips brushing over one of her nipples. He looked at Robin and then back at her. "It was just a misunderstanding, Mrs. Eglund," he said.
"Chris," she said softly. "If I'm going to be mothering you from now on, we can't have all that formality. Right, Robin?"
"Right, Mom," Robin smiled. She gave a little cry and hugged her mother tightly, their tits pressing together.
"Pete looks as if he wants to check you over to see that you're not damaged, honey," she said boldly, giving Pete a lewd wink that made his prick jerk wildly in his pants.
"With everybody watching, Mom?" Robin laughed.
"Not if I can help it, darling," she said.
She straightened up. She fixed her gaze on Thorne. She made sure he was looking her up and down. Then she walked towards him, watching the expression in his eyes. She smiled.
"I think the children want to be alone, Thorne," she said.
"I think you're right."
"Would you like to come with me?"
There was an open smile in his eyes. "I think I'd like that very much, Chris."
"You wouldn't think badly of me?"
"I couldn't. I know you too well."
"So soon?" she asked, arching her brows.
"From Pete," he said. "He talks about you all the time. He thinks you're great."
"You're pulling my leg, Thorne. I treated him very badly."
"Maybe he saw through it. He's a bright kid."
"I wish we'd met earlier."
Thorne shrugged. "Maybe neither one of us would have been ready. Maybe Grunwald – or Gorman – was a necessary evil. I didn't think much of women in general for a long time."
"I know what you mean," she said. "Thorne, I – God, I feel like a schoolgirl again!" she flushed.
"I know just the feeling."
He took her hand and got to his feet. He looked at the kids. He smiled at her. "Shall we be more conventional and wait?"
Chris looked into his eyes. She shook her head slowly, her lower lip trembling with the prickly emotions she felt inside.
"I've waited too long to wait any longer," she said shakily. "Oh, God – I don't know what it is, Thorne, but I don't think we'll have to work very hard at any of it."
"Let's find out."
"Yes!"
She felt her pussy going loose and fluid. She walked close beside him towards her bedroom. When she led him inside, she couldn't look at him. She felt shaky all over.
She saw the picture of Carl where it had been for three years beside her bed. She felt Thorne watching her look at it. He said nothing. He stood silently, patiently.
After a long moment, she crossed the room to the nightstand. She took the picture in her hands. She pressed her lips against the cool glass with a nearly inaudible sound. Then she opened the drawer and slipped the picture inside, face down. She turned and looked at Thorne. There was a glistening in her eyes.
He came to her and took her gently in his arms. She let him. She huddled against his chest – his broad, strong chest. It was comfortable in his arms. She felt his lips press gently at the side of her cheek.
"We can wait," he whispered.
She lifted her face to his. "I'm all right, Thorne. It just takes a…"