Skinny Dipping (The Au Pairs 2)

"No," he replied sharply. "Now please leave and take the brats with you, or I'll have to call security."

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"Sorry, Garrett, but that's not going to work," Mara said. "William?"

"Uh-huh?" The little boy asked.

"You know that move they taught you in kickboxing class?" she asked, bending down to his level. "That would come in handy right about now, don't you think?"

Once William realized what Mara was asking him to do, an evil grin spread across his face.

"Hiii-ya!!" he said, running straight for Garrett and kicking him--hard--in the stomach, making the older boy double over. "Go, go, go!" William yelled.

Before leaving, Mara spied another something sparkly that had been missing. Her Blahnik sandals. She picked them up from behind the bathroom door triumphantly. Mitzi had already written them off, so they were hers to keep.

"'Bye, Garrett!" Mara laughed.

As they ran out the door, supplies in hand, an older couple who lived up the hill were getting out of their car. They noticed the supplies Mara and the kids were carrying.

"Where did you get that? They're all out of supplies at Home Depot!"

"Here, have some--there's much more!" Mara said gaily, passing over a couple of paper bags filled with batteries and bottled water.

They ran back into the Perry house, flushed with success and triumphant over their loot.

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"We found water!" Mara said, marching victoriously into the kitchen and depositing two one-gallon bottles on the table. "Oh." Her face fell.

On the kitchen counter was a huge stack of water bottles, towels, batteries, and firewood. There were candles and heating oil and hurricane lamps and several loaves of bread, canned tuna and baked beans, and towels and rope and flashlights, al

l in cheerful white plastic bags with the Target logo. The kids began to cheer, tearing into the Cheetos and Pringles.

Ryan stood in the middle of the kitchen, putting away the dried pasta. "Eliza and I found a Target that was open," he explained, without looking at her.

"Oh . . . oh, great." She was about to back out the door, when he called her.

"Wait, I want to--we need to talk," Ryan said. He turned around, and for the first time, Mara could see just how upset he was.

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knight in yellow

rain slicker

"merda!" jacqui cursed as she turned the ignition and the engine of the little gas-electric hybrid sputtered to life, then went dead. Everyone in the Perry household had taken the Prius's fifty miles per gallon for granted, and Jacqui couldn't remember anyone filling up the tank all summer. Now it was empty, and she was screwed. She was stuck out on Route 27, and the storm was only getting worse.

She tried the Perry house, but the line just kept ringing, which meant the phone lines were probably down. She tried Eliza's cell, but it went straight to voice mail. Even though she was still angry with Philippe, she didn't know who else to call. She hated having to depend on him, especially since he'd never even explained about the other evening at the motel and acted like nothing had ever happened when he bumped into her at the house.

She dialed his cell phone.

"Hello? Hello, Philippe? Listen, it's Jacqui, I really need you right now."

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"Hello? Who is this?" a female voice demanded.

"Um, it's Jacqui?" Jacqui replied. What was going on? Why wasn't Philippe answering his phone?