Read Last Chance for Free Online Page A

voluptuous women my father married."
    "Oh."
    He smiled then, and McKenna caught her breath before she could
    sigh. His smile was like sunshine. Not only was it beautiful, it created a
    warmth that permeated her entire body. Only a deeper, more intense warmth
    went to certain areas and heated them even more. Something fluttered deep
    inside her. Oh, my .
    33
    Christy Reece
    "Are you okay?"
    She shook herself, suddenly becoming aware not only of his
    concerned gaze but that she was almost lying on the couch. Maybe she was
    hungry. Her croissant and coffee had been hours ago.
    "I'm hungry. Can we have lunch?"
    He laughed, but McKenna cringed. Blurting out her thoughts was a
    side effect of being alone too much. Social skills eroded quickly.
    He stood and walked over to a table that held a phone. "What would
    you like to eat? Any preferences or things you dislike?"
    "Anything is fine."
    Lucas picked up the phone and gave an order that sounded large
    enough to feed ten people. Either he was very hungry or he was under the
    impression that she could eat like a linebacker. And that bothered her again,
    because she did indeed have an extraordinarily large appetite.
    Lucas returned to his chair. "It'll be here in about fifteen minutes.
    While we wait, tell me all of your favorite things."
    "Why?"
    "Because you won't tell me anything personal about yourself, but I
    still want to know you. Just tell me the things you don't mind me knowing."
    She didn't know why the question made her uncomfortable. He was
    asking for innocuous things that meant nothing to her, yet somehow she felt
    that if she told him anything at all, he could see everything.
    "Okay, let's see..." Her mind searched for something that was
    insignificant but didn't sound completely lame.
    Apparently understanding her difficulty, he asked, "What's your
    favorite food?"
    "Cheeseburgers."
    "Good, since that's one of the meals I ordered."
    He seemed so approving, McKenna suddenly felt stupid for not
    wanting to tell him trivial things. What would it hurt? So, one by one, she
    began to name her favorites, from flowers to movies, from songs to books.
    Lucas settled against the cushions of the sofa and watched a wonder
    unfold before him. McKenna's eyes gleamed and her face became animated,
    beyond beautiful. She looked like an angel...as he'd often thought of her. He
    felt as if he were being given a gift. There was no trickery involved; she
    didn't seem to realize that naming these favorites of hers gave him a
    tremendous amount of information.
    His mind formed a profile of McKenna, and while he enjoyed learning
    these things about her, he acknowledged it also made him want to know
    more. Such as why would someone so young seem to have no family, no one
    34
    Christy Reece
    to care for them? She was clearly American. Her mannerisms and speech
    pattern gave that away. When he'd first met her, he'd thought midwestern,
    and he hadn't changed his mind.
    She had an artful innocence about her. If he hadn't witnessed it
    himself, he would never have believed that she could swat a fly, much less
    take out a psychopath like Victor Lymes. How had this McKenna come to
    be?
    The things she liked were very American. From food to movies and
    books, all reflected her American heritage. How long she'd been in Europe
    he didn't know, but her core desires and heart were still with her native
    country. So why was she here in Paris, seemingly all alone?
    A chime at the door indicated their lunch had arrived. And with it, her
    wariness returned. Lucas felt a punch that went straight through to his gut. In
    that instant he realized something deeply disturbing. The captivating and
    enchanting McKenna was not only wary, she was absolutely terrified.
    Question was, What was she terrified of?
    Palm Beach, Florida
    Damon Hughes stared at the glittering water of his Olympic-sized
    swimming pool. Loneliness and rage made an odd combination, but it had
    been part of his life for so long, he had become used