Susan Mallery - Tempting

"You're right." While Katherine's charity work filled much of her days, she loved knowing the money raised would make a difference.

The sound of someone running caused her to turn. Anticipating the greeting, Katherine set her glass on the counter, crouched down and held out her arms.

Seconds later Sasha burst into the room and flew across the hardwood floors.

"Mommy, Mommy, you're back. I missed you so much. Yvette read to me and Bailey and I watched princess videos and I had mac and cheese for lunch, then Ian read us a story and did the voices."

Katherine straightened, hugging the little girl close. "You had a good day."

"I did." Sasha smiled.

She was just five, with café au lait skin and dark eyes. Her hair hung in a tangle of curls. Katherine suspected her mixed heritage and classic bone structure meant the little girl was going to grow into a real beauty. She and Mark were going to have trouble with boys far sooner than they wanted. But for the next few years, they only had to worry about their baby growing up strong.

"Do you want to say hello to Fiona?" Katherine asked.

Sasha wrinkled her nose slightly, then dutifully said, "Hello, Fiona. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Fiona smiled at the girl. "You're getting so big."

Sasha didn't answer. For some reason, she'd never gotten along with Alex's ex-wife, which was odd. The child was exceptionally loving.

Yvette walked into the kitchen. "I knew your mama had to be home, the way you went tearing off. Tell me I did not hear you running down the stairs."

Sasha grinned. "You did not."

"Good. How was the presentation?" Yvette asked Katherine.

"Exhausting, but successful. And here?"

"Wild, crazy, loud."

"So normal?"

"You know how your children are," Yvette told her with a grin. “They're going to make me old before my time."

"You're younger than me," Katherine teased. "I get to be old first."

"We'll have to see.”

Yvette held out her arms and Sasha went willingly. The petite dark-haired woman carried her out of the kitchen.

"She's so good with the children" Fiona said. "You were lucky to find her."

"I know. She's the reason Mark and I could adopt so many children.”

Without help, they would have been forced to stop at three or four children. Katherine didn't even want to think about that. She loved all eight of her children and couldn't imagine her world without even one of them.

"You have a perfect life," Fiona murmured.

Katherine thought about her aching feet and the hot flash that had kept her awake for two hours the previous night. "Not perfect, but it makes me happy."

"Your children are such a blessing."

Katherine glanced at Fiona and saw the pain flash in her eyes. Her chest tightened in sympathy. By now Fiona should have a child of her own. Maybe two. If all had gone well… But it hadn't. Everything had changed when Alex had announced he wanted a divorce. He'd never told Katherine why and Fiona claimed to be equally confused by his unexpected change of heart.

Katherine knew there had to be a reason. Alex was her oldest and the child of her heart. They had been through so much together. He wasn't the sort of man to simply walk away without a reason. He was far from heartless or cruel. So why had he left his wife?

Katherine wanted to say something to comfort her friend, but she couldn't think of what that would be. Fiona smiled bravely.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to get emotional. I know you're already in an awkward position and I don't want to make things worse. I just want you to know that I so appreciate you allowing me to help out with the charity work. It means everything to me. You could have easily cut me out of your life."

"Never," Katherine told her. "Whatever happens between you and Alex has nothing to do with our friendship." She continued to hold out hope that her son would realize what he'd done and go back to Fiona.

Fiona drew in a breath. "I'm going to slip into your office for an hour or so, if that's all right. I want to download fashion show menus for the past ten years. The last thing we want to worry about is a repeat entrée.”

“Thanks for doing that. I'll go up and check on the kids. Come find me before you leave."

"I will."

Fiona left. Katherine turned toward the staircase, but before she took a step, she heard the garage door. That could only mean one thing- Mark was home.

She knew it was completely foolish, but even after twenty-seven years, her heart still beat faster whenever she thought about seeing her husband. So many of her friends talked about the spark going out of their marriage-how nothing was ever exciting or fresh. It wasn't like that for Katherine- it never had been. Her love for Mark had only grown. In the cliché of movies and TV, he was her handsome prince. While she loved her children, he was the one who truly claimed her heart.

She ran a hand over her hair, then smoothed the front of her jacket. There wasn't time to freshen her makeup, so she bit her lips to make them redder and drew in a breath. Being pretty for Mark mattered. Seconds later the utility room door opened and he stepped into the kitchen.

He looked exactly as he had the first time she'd seen him. Tall and handsome with dark blond hair and deep blue eyes. Those eyes always crinkled slightly, as if he knew a really funny secret. He still took her breath away every time she saw him.

"Hi, sweetheart" he said as he moved toward her. "How are you?"

"Good. You're home early."

"I wanted to see you."

Her heart quickened at his words.

He leaned in and kissed her. The second his mouth touched hers, the familiar wanting flared to life. She hid her reaction to the casual kiss-a trick she'd learned in the first few months of her marriage. But that didn't make the need go away.

Years ago she'd read an article about relationships. The author claimed that in most marriages there was the one who adored and the one who was adored. She knew that was true for them. Mark loved her, but he didn't worship her. He didn't understand how deeply her feelings ran. She'd learned to control the wild, romantic and sexual feelings swirling inside of her whenever he was close, but she'd never been able to make them go away. He was the only man for her. At least she'd been lucky enough to marry him.

He took her hand in his and smiled. "Come on. Let's go talk."

"Don't you want to say hi to the kids?"

"Later. I want to talk to you first."

Mark was a typical guy. Despite his ability to chat with contributors for hours and never break a sweat, anytime she suggested they talk, he had a thousand other things he needed to be doing. So why the sudden change? What was there to talk about? She shivered slightly.

They went into his book-lined study. He shut the door behind them, then led her to the leather sofa. His expression was unfamiliar. Was he upset? No, that wasn't right. More resigned. About what? Cold, hard fear knotted in her belly.

Was he leaving her?

Her brain pointed out that even if he was desperate to get away, leaving his wife while exploring the possibility of running for president wasn't a good idea. Her heart whispered that of course he loved her. He'd been busier than usual lately, but that was to be expected. She should stop worrying about nothing. Still, her hands trembled slightly as she folded them in her lap and looked at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

She would guess that from the outside, she appeared totally calm and in control. That's what Mark would see. What she wanted him to see.

"A young woman came to meet me today," Mark told her. "Or maybe not so young. She's twenty-eight. I guess that means I'm getting old. Are you still interested in being married to an old guy? After all, you're the hot one in our relationship."