Read Meet Me Under The Mistletoe (O'Rourke Family 5) for Free Online Page B

Shannon’s business, but it sounded awful. Families belonged together. Her mother had picked up the family and moved with Keenan O’Rourke whenever necessary. They’d lived all over the Seattle region when Shannon was a kid, though mostly in small towns, rather than the city.
    “Maybe you should consider working with graduate students,” she murmured instead of speaking her mind the way she wanted. Alex’s wife had made her decisions; there wasn’t any point in criticizing them. “You might enjoy it more.”
    “They’re assigning me a group of graduates after the first of the year. And I guess it isn’t that bad,” he said thoughtfully. “I miss the work more than the travel, but it’s an interesting challenge to mold future engineers.”
    “How about doing consulting on the side?”
    “I’ve thought about that, but it’s taken longer than I expected to get settled.”
    Shannon made a mental note to talk to Kane. Herbrother hired the brightest and best for his company, and she didn’t doubt that Alex McKenzie fell into that category. Of course, if she said anything to Kane about Alex, he’d ask questions she didn’t want to answer.
    Jeremy sat watching them and she noticed a frown growing on his small face. She hadn’t said anything more about him eating some of the Thai food, not wanting him to dig his heels in and refuse. She’d simply put the hamburger and fries in front of him, and waited.
    “You said I could try some,” he announced abruptly.
    “That’s right. What do you want to try first?”
    He pointed to her plate.
    “Mmm, yummy choice. That’s the peanut chicken I told you about. It’s sweet, with ground peanuts and coconut milk.” Shannon served some onto his plate, holding back on the fresh spinach that came with the chicken—there was no sense in pushing her luck. “There you go.”
    Jeremy regarded the food with the expression of a mouse confronting a lion, but he slowly picked up a fork. His smile brightened as he chewed, then quickly finished the sample she’d given him. “Can I have some more?”
    On the other side of the table Alex stared in wonder. “ May I have some more,” he automatically corrected.
    “Okay. Can Daddy have more, too?” Jeremy asked.
    Shannon choked and Alex spotted the smile she was trying to hide. “Yes,” she said, “your daddy may have more, too. You both can have anything you want.”
    Alex doubted that.
    What he wanted, and what he should have, were two entirely different things. His attraction to Shannon was inappropriate, ill-timed and utterly impossible. For Jeremy’s sake, as well as his own, he had to keep it hidden.
    Just then she flicked a small amount of sauce from her lip with her tongue and his body hardened.
    Keeping his response to Shannon hidden might not be easy, he thought with resignation.
    Much later, after tucking Jeremy into bed, Alex stared into his own dark fireplace and brooded.
    He liked sex.
    Always had.
    After getting married, he’d had opportunities to go to bed with other women, but the idea of being unfaithful to his wife was repugnant. Lack of fidelity, among other things, had cursed his parents’ relationship.
    What would Kim say if she knew he was having sensual thoughts about Shannon O’Rourke? He shook his head at the question. Kim would probably say something reasonable and measured like…those feelings are normal…don’t beat yourself up over it…it’s all right. Her Zenlike calm had irritated him sometimes, but he reminded himself it was what he’d wanted. His wife had rarely raised her voice, much less become angry.
    He was back to square one, not knowing what to do about Shannon. She might be able to help Jeremy, but what if his son got more ideas about her becoming his new mommy?
    And what if he got more ideas about taking her to bed?
    Alex couldn’t have a no-strings affair with his next-door neighbor. Besides, for all of Shannon’s modern sophistication, he didn’t think she was a