Page 46 of Anchor Point

Mac was looking at Rosie, pride etched on his rugged features. Rosie had her arms extended and was intensely concentrating. The whole scene was idyllic and sweet, and it made my heart ache just a little.

The sun was just beginning to set when they docked the boat and made the trek to the house, Rosie hopping along to his steady gait.

Really. The man had no business being so attractive. But from this distance, it was safe for me to notice the way his long legs ate up the ground, the muscles of his thighs playing peekaboo with every step he took. He was steady and sturdy, and I understood the pull my daughter felt to him.

I stood to catch Rosie as she ran up to hug me, face the slightest bit pink from being in the sun. “Hey, Mom! Mac is teaching me to fish.”

“Looked like you were having a good time.” I gave her a peck on the cheek, smoothing a hand over her unruly hair. Times like this, she let her little girl shine. I’d take it over the surly teenager she could sometimes be.

She ruffled Buster’s fur and bounced inside. “I’m going to wash up and finish dinner. Did you see that I cooked, Mom?” The door closed behind her before I could respond.

A deep, masculine chuckle sounded behind me, the effect sending a shiver down my spine and straight to my lady parts. I looked over my shoulder to see him lean a shoulder against the post, his eyes cast down near my ass. Was he checking me out?

I turned to face him, and his gaze tracked up my body like a visceral touch.

“Hey, Chief. How’re things at the firehouse?”

He said it like he needed reminding of our situation. Like he was establishing the boundaries between us.

But the heat in his eyes as they met mine told a different story. For a moment, I wished I could bounce into his arms like Rosie had to me. I licked my lips in anticipation of what it would be like to feel that body against mine.

His gaze grew darker, and he pushed off the rail, stalking toward me. I was frozen to the spot, my breath shallow.

Like he’d read my mind, he got closer, close enough I could feel the summer heat coming off him.

“I’m gonna go grab a beer.” His arm brushed mine as he reached for the door, and then he was gone. That… was not what I was expecting.

I blew out a breath. Whew. He still had whatever it was that made me want him. And I absolutely could not think like that.

Taking a moment to gather my wits, I sank into my rocking chair and picked up the wine glass, draining the last few drops. I sat back with a sigh.

Twilight was one of my favorite times, right after sunset, when the world felt almost suspended. I nudged the rocker in motion with a toe and let the peacefulness of Mac’s place sink into me. Of course he’d have two houses on water, two houses situated to enjoy both the sunrise and sunset.

And if I could get past this feeling of want, this little forced vacation could be relaxing.

Suddenly, it hit me. I was feeling things, sexual things. I wanted him. My lips turned up at the realization that maybe I wasn’t broken after all like my ex had made me feel. I let the what-ifs run through my mind.

What if I’d leaned forward when he’d drawn close?

What if I’d pressed my lips to his and explored that delicious-looking mouth?

What if I’d brushed his chest as he passed by, or reached out to trail my fingertips across his waist?

The door creaked open, and the man himself stepped through.

What if I wasn’t his boss?

It was this last thought that sobered me as he settled into the chair next to me.

He passed me a cold beer and said, “Rosie says supper will be ready in seven minutes.”

“That’s a very specific time frame,” I noted.

The corner of his mouth turned up, his lips full and inviting, and I should not notice his mouth at all.

“She might be preparing you a surprise.” The twinkle in his eye did it for me.

“Mac…”

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