Bound to be Dirty Read Free Page A

should get married?” Lily asked.
    â€œHinting?” Kim rolled her eyes. “Does a steamroller hint? Ty and I ignore them. We’re enjoying being truly, madly, deeply in love, for the first time in our lives.” A bright smile split her face. “Isn’t that cool, that it’s a first for both of us?”
    â€œIt’s pretty cool when it’s the second time, too,” George said. The redhead was a widow and hadn’t believed she’d ever find another soul mate—until Canada’s Mr. Hockey, Woody Hanrahan, entered her life earlier this year and turned it topsy-turvy.
    â€œChee-sy.” Drawing out the word, Marielle rolled her eyes. “The hearts and flowers and throbbing violin strings are making me nauseous.”
    They all laughed, and then Lily said, “George and Kim, love looks very good on both of you. And Marielle, variety suits you.” She reached for her martini glass again, finding it almost empty. No one said that ten years of marriage looked good on her. If they had, it would be a lie.
    Once, she’d been positive Dax Xavier was the love of her life. Over the years she’d met loads of men: cultured, intelligent ones; sexy athletes; physicians who volunteered in third-world countries. Amazing, appealing men. She’d been attracted to a few, but never with the same magnetic force as she was to Dax. But did she still love him? She was too confused and conflicted to be sure. If he was cheating on her, if he no longer loved her . . . then she had to protect her heart.
    Last year, when she’d first suspected he might be having an affair, she had protected her body. She’d lied and told him she’d gone off the pill for health reasons so he had to wear a condom.
    How bitterly ironic, to be using both condoms and the pill when the thing she most wanted in the world was children. Since she was a little girl, she’d known she wanted to be a mom. Now that want had become a soul-deep craving. Every time she held her baby niece, her biological clock ticked faster.
    Though she and Dax hadn’t discussed having kids in years, she’d assumed they’d have a family when the time was right. His genes should make wonderful babies; he was smart, courageous, strong, fit, and handsome. What he wasn’t was
there
for her. She had to find out how he felt, how she felt, what they were going to do about their faltering marriage.
    Stop thinking about Dax!
    She’d been listening with half an ear as Marielle talked about family plans and holiday parties. Now Marielle said, “How about you, George? It’s your first Christmas with Woody. He’ll be in town, right?” The redhead’s fiancé was captain of the Beavers, the Vancouver hockey team.
    â€œYes, thank heavens, what with home games and days off. We’re hosting Christmas at our place.” George had moved into Woody’s penthouse condo in Yaletown this fall.
    â€œIs his mom coming?” Lily asked. Woody’s mother had almost died of cancer, but was now in remission. He’d bought her a house in Florida and paid for a live-in caregiver companion.
    â€œNo, her health is still too fragile for a trip north, but we’ll Skype with her. My mom and her guy Fabio will come over. We’re being hopelessly old-fashioned—the girls cooking dinner; the boys watching football. A few of Woody’s teammates will be there. And a couple of special guests from Manitoba. Sam was Woody’s best friend and hockey buddy as kids, and his father, Martin, was Woody’s mentor and coach. They had some issues for a while, but they’ve reconciled.”
    â€œNice,” Kim said. “That’s the Christmas spirit.”
    George turned to Lily. “How about you? Do you and your husband have any Christmas traditions?”
    Arguing over whether they really had to go to her parents’ house, which they always ended up doing, which