Chapter 4
Adeline stepped out of the hallway, instinctively glancing around for Mac in the kitchen as she inhaled the rich aroma of coffee. Before pouring herself a mug, however, she moved through the house, hoping he hadn’t left.
She didn’t think he would have just dipped out before she’d woken up, but the rain had stopped sometime in the night or early morning, so maybe he had. She strode out to the living room and froze at the sight before her. Mac had his back to her, the drapes were open, and he was shirtless, thank you very much, as he looked out over the pristine, glistening lake.
She must have made a noise because he turned, his eyes going heavy-lidded for a moment, but then just as quickly he gave her a small smile. “Morning,” he rumbled.
He looked sexy in the morning, sounded sexy… Oh, she was in trouble. “Morning,” she rasped out, then cleared her throat. “How long have you been up?”
“Couple hours.”
She blinked. “Seriously?”
He lifted a shoulder and absently rubbed a hand down his six-pack. Was he trying to kill her right now? “Yeah. Couldn’t turn my brain off. I worry about my brothers.”
“I imagine so after what happened with Joe.” He’d been lost for days, knocked unconscious and left to float in a cold lake. He’d rebounded fast once he’d been rescued, but she’d been there that day, had seen him close to death’s door.
Mac nodded as if he wanted to say more, but turned away again, looking back out at the lake. It was like a sheet of glass stretching out in one gorgeous pane.
But her focus wasn’t on nature. Nope, it was on the man in front of her. She tried not to ogle all the ripped muscles of his back. She failed spectacularly. “I can’t believe how much it cleared up overnight.” Adeline moved up to the window, sliding in next to him. She tried to subtly inhale that earthy, rich scent of his without looking like an obvious weirdo.
“We should get a reprieve for about an hour or two but the report says it’s supposed to rain again. I was just going to grab some coffee before heading out.”
Her stomach muscles tightened. She didn’t want him to leave—for multiple reasons. He made her feel safe and…she liked him a lot. “Look, you don’t have to leave. And if you’re insistent on going, do you want to at least do something fun first? Maybe take the canoe out?” She knew he liked water-themed activities and she’d been a little nervous about getting the big canoe down from the boathouse by herself anyway. And, okay, she wanted to hang out with him a little more. It was impossible to deny at this point. Having him under the same roof last night had solidified it.
He paused and she thought for sure he was going to say no, but he nodded. “You’re sure?”
“Yes. This place is big enough for the two of us.”
“I meant about taking the canoe out. I’m still going to head out today. I know it’s been a rough year for you and—”
Oh no, she so didn’t want to talk about her kidnapping. “You’re a frustrating man, Mac Collins,” she murmured as she stepped back. “I’m going to grab some coffee and change. Want to meet me back here in ten minutes?” And dear God, she hoped he put a shirt on. Or maybe she didn’t.
The look he gave her was…heated. Yep, that was the word. “Sure.”
As she hurried back to the bedroom, she had to remind herself that the last man she’d gotten involved with had been an abusive nightmare—and that was the understatement of the century. She still had the scars to prove it.
She liked Mac, and deep down she knew he was nothing like her ex. She wasn’t that stupid, naive girl anymore, and Mac made her feel safe on a fundamental level. But in order to be in a relationship, she would have to make herself vulnerable, open up. Maybe not share all her secrets—like the very big one that had helped shape her—but she’d still have to be honest about who she was. At least if she wanted the relationship to go anywhere.
For some reason the thought of opening up to Mac didn’t completely horrify her, and that alone was a scary thing. Because he was the kind of man she could fall for hard and fast. And that was the kind of fall you didn’t get up from and just dust yourself off when things went south.
No, it was the kind that broke you.
And she wasn’t sure she was ready for that risk. Mac might make her feel safe, but taking a risk with him was anything but that.
* * *
“You plan on helping?” Mac bit back a laugh as Adeline stood on the dock of the boathouse, hands on hips, watching him hoist the canoe down from its hooks.
“You really seem like you have it under control.” In jeans, a formfitting sweater with a sparkly snowman on the front and a sparkly cap, her dark curls bouncing out from underneath, she was…perfection.
He forced his gaze away from her so he wouldn’t stare. “So is this how this morning’s going to go? I’m going to be the only one paddling?” He kept his voice light, playful. Because damn, she just brought out that side of him. He felt younger around her, as if the weight of running his own business, raising his brothers, just…maybe not faded away completely, but she made him feel alive in a way he hadn’t felt in years.
“Well, if you’re going to volunteer.” She laughed lightly and grabbed two oars off the wall rack. “I’m kidding. I just figured I’d get in the way. And it looks awkward and heavy,” she added, giving him a cheeky smile.
He’d noticed the way she’d been eyeing his biceps when he’d hefted the thing down, and he could admit that he liked the way she’d been watching him wayyyy too much. He felt like things had shifted between them last night—or maybe he was just projecting what he wanted. But things felt different somehow. Easier.
She joked around with him, had invited him to stay a couple hours longer—so she wasn’t trying to avoid him. And he’d given her an easy out, telling her that he’d be leaving. This shift gave him hope that he might have a chance with her.
And he’d decided that she was adorable all the time. Hell, sexy and adorable, which seemed at odds, but there it was. It was all the sparkles, he thought. She was always sparkling, and didn’t seem to care what anyone thought of her. Today she had on purple sequined sneakers. She had them in almost every color—and he noticed everything about her. When she’d been coming to tutor his brother he’d sort of kept track, seeing if there was a pattern to which color she wore which day. Because he found everything about her fascinating.
“What’s that look?” She frowned at him as he eased the canoe into the bay. The dock and boathouse were sturdy, with a roof that looked brand-new. Derek and Madison clearly took care to clean this place out regularly, or had a property management company that did.
“Just hoping your shoes don’t get ruined,” he murmured as he straightened.
She shrugged. “Doesn’t matter if they get wet. These are on their last leg anyway. It’s why I brought them on this getaway.”
“You want to climb in first? Then I can push off?”
She nodded and jumped into the front, moving like a nimble cat. The water barely rippled underneath the boat.