Page 60 of Rules of Engagement
He stroked his thumb over her bottom lip, distracting her even more.
"Um. I don't know."
"Eliza."
She forced herself to look up, and the moment she stared into those dark eyes of his, she knew she'd lost the battle.
"Come with me. Please."
She inhaled and nodded and knew there was no turning back. "Okay."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
No one commentedon Eliza's presence the following morning other than to greet her with smiles and hellos as they loaded up the boats and headed out.
A day spent on the water or sand was a day well spent, and Carter loved taking Eliza to the spot on the uninhabited island where he and Lincoln and Linc's twins had dug out a fire pit a few weeks ago to celebrate the twins' graduating high school.
Piper went, too, along with Breanne, who'd decided to stay a little longer to be able to spend the day on the water.
They anchored the boats and played in the shallows, baked in the sun, and rode on a Sea-Doo Mac had picked up sometime that week to add to their adventures since he didn't have a boat. By late afternoon, they had fresh-caught fish and roasted corn—which Eliza ate with gusto while avoiding his amused gaze—and sat in their beach chairs, sun-weary but content.
Lincoln and Amelia left first with Breanne in tow, heading back to work in the morning after their time away and so Breanne could get on the road back to her dorm. Mac and Carter took care of the fire and cleanup while Marsali and Eliza packed up what was left, leaving nothing behind but their footprints and some ash.
Now Carter looked out over the bow and spotted his towel-wrapped daughter curled up on Eliza's lap, and his heart twisted at the sight. He'd always heard that kids and pets had instincts about people, and Piper's read that Eliza was trustworthy. He thought so, too. But as Carter steered the group home, he couldn't help but think it had been as near a perfect day as possible, but if that was the case, why was there a knot in his gut because of the way Marsali looked at him? Watched him?
He realized the women were friends, but he'd done nothing shady or questionable.
Carter still pondered the question when they docked and unloaded. Piper asked Eliza to walk her home before she left, and the two now went hand in hand up the planks toward the yard. Mac walked behind him, loaded down with beach chairs to store beneath his house.
Marsali lingered, which should've been his first clue that he wasn't going to like whatever was going on in that head of hers. "Something wrong?" he finally asked, bracing himself. "You've been giving me the evil eye today."
"I'd say I'm sorry for that but… yeah. There is."
Her tone of voice left him even more wary, and he straightened slowly, facing her. "What's up?"
"I did something. Something you probably aren't going to like but… I do it on all my clients."
His gaze narrowed. "I'm not your client."
"Even more reason for you not to like it," she said softly.
He crossed his arms over his chest and waited her out.
"When it was obvious you and Eliza were getting close, I did what I always do when it comes to protecting someone I love."
He bit back the curse that sprang to his lips, wondering if there would ever come a time when his past wouldn't haunt him. "You did a background check. Without my permission," he all but growled. "Do I want to know how you got my info to perform the check?"
Marsali tucked her hands into the back pockets of her shorts and lifted her chin. "It's surprisingly easy. The point is, it's obvious that you haven't told Eliza, and sinceI knowthatyou knowhonesty in a relationship—especiallywith her— iseverything, I want to know why."
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Chapter 24
The following Thursday evening, Eliza stood in the newly organized spare bedroom and basked in the thrill being organized gave her. The shelving was complete in this room and now layered with carefully labeled clear plastic bins.
She took a photo on her phone and sent it to Carter along with yet another thank-you and kissy face emoji. The second room was a work in progress, but since they'd used up all of the free shelving in this room, Carter had come up with an inexpensive plan for the second storage room she couldn't wait to get into place.
