"Joanna Wylde - Serendipity" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wylde Joanna)

Seth," Able whispered back. Mali's face crumpled, tears welling up in her eyes.
"You mean mommy might leave us?" she whispered despairingly, her small face
pinched in pain. "What will we do without mommy?"
"Oh no," Able said, pulling her small body on to his lap. He held her close, rubbing her
hair with one hand. It was so hard sometimes, trying to explain things to her. "Mom would
never leave us, Mali. You don't have to worry about that. But Jax might want to stay, and
that's not good."
"You mean stay and be with mommy?" Mali asked. "Like a daddy?"
"Yes, although we don't need him," Able said fiercely. "You remember what dad was
like. He was horrible. We don't want another one of those, do we?"
"I suppose not," Mali whispered back. Daddy had been mean. He used to hurt her, and
hurt mommy. But stillтАж
Jax didn't seem like daddy. He seemed different. Nicer. She had even seen him in the
garden earlier that morning, and he'd waved at her. She'd been too afraid to go near him,
but she remembered how nice he looked. And he'd been tall enough to get her flying disk
out of the tree in the garden. It had been stuck up there for two days. Not even mommy had
been tall enough to do that.
"You know," she whispered. "Kally likes her daddy. He plays with her all the time.
Kally's mommy seems to really like him, too. Maybe not all daddies are like ours was."
"We don't need a father," Able replied fiercely. "You and mom have me. I'll take care
of you."
"I know you will," Mali replied softly. "You've always taken care of me, Able. But
sometimes I wish I had a daddy, like Kally."
Able sat up, spilling her on to the floor.
"That's a stupid wish, Mali," he said. "We have to get rid of him. It's just you, mom,
and me. That's all we need."
"I don't think it's a stupid wish," Mali said, grabbing the shelf to steady herself. She
stood up and looked down on her brother, small fists on her hips. "And besides, I can wish
for anything I want, and I want a daddy. There's nothing you can do to stop me."
Able just stared at her in disgust. Sometimes there just wasn't any point trying to
reason with a little sister. They just didn't understand.
 Chapter One

He was out there. Watching her.
He'd been watching her for days. Seven days, to be exact.
That's how long it had been since Calla left with her new man, Seth. Unfortunately,
Seth had forgotten to take his big, stupid friend Jax with him.
Sarai rolled over in her bed, punching the pillow to soften it up. Her room was too hot.
She knew how much more cool and comfortable the air would be if she could open the
sliding door to the garden, but if she did he might take it as an invitation.
He'd been trouble from the minute he'd set foot in their small hostel. Usually they
catered to students. After all, Hector Prime was one of the best places in the quadrant to
study biology. From desert to jungle, the planet-wide nature preserve had something to
offer everyone. But the only thing Jax wanted was right in her bedroom.
Sarai rolled again, settling on her back. What was it about him? She hadn't been able to
sleep that first night, so she'd gone out into the garden, her private refuge. He had been
waiting for her then, too. A twist of desire coiled through her at the memory. He'd touched
her in the darkness, and she had lost control.
His hands, tugging at her gown, had been rough and calloused. She could still feel the
way they caught against the smooth skin of her belly, before dropping lowerтАж