Page 52 of Alec’s Dream

“Soup will be ready in a minute,” he announced.

“Thanks.”

The silence stretched between us as he stood in my living room staring at me holding Rory. We didn’t speak, but I could swear his gaze was like a physical touch. Just watching him, I knew he wanted to pull me into his arms and hold me. It was in his eyes, the way they roamed my face, over Rory’s tiny body, then back, meeting my stare. It was not hungry or lustful, it was gentle and affectionate.

Supportive.

Comforting.

All things I wasn’t used to.

Things I couldn’t get used to.

16

Alec found himself in dangerous territory, the path before him wrought with landmines and uncertainty. Not only had he never experienced the same draw to a woman as he did with Macy, but he’d never gone about winning a woman with kids—hell, he’d never gone about winning a woman, period. He’d always kept his relationships sexual—no entanglements—it was easier when he left. Which brought him to the bigger issue—he had no clue how to do it.

A war raged inside of him as he fought his natural inclination to swoop in, take over, and demand Macy move in with him. He could keep her safe. His house had an alarm that went directly to Gemini Group and the police. He had security cameras outside and motion lights. No one got near his house without alerting him.

But he couldn’t demand anything. Couldn’t come in and dominate. Not as a security expert and not as Macy’s man. There were three children to think about. Two of which he couldn’t uproot from their home and command they move in with a stranger.

The loss of control pissed off the former SEAL. This was what he did, he protected people. And if he couldn’t protect the woman he cared about, what good was he?

As Alec stood in Macy’s living room helplessly taking in mother and daughter, his gut soured. His earlier anger hadn’t waned. The bruises would only get worse over the next few days before they began to fade and Alec knew every time he looked at them, the fury would build.

On the drive back to the office, Nixon had deployed Chasin and Holden to join the sheriff and state police on the search for Malone. McKenna was already doing background checks and trying to get a lock on Dickless Doug. Alec had no issues finding Macy’s ex and turning him over to Malone if it meant both men left her and her family alone.

“Babe?”

“Huh?”

“I’d feel better if you tried to eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I know you’re not but you still need to eat something.”

“Later.”

Macy was too damn skinny as it was, she couldn’t afford to miss a meal. Yet he didn’t push.

“Did you get ahold of Becky?”

“Yeah. She’s picking up Caleb after school. He’s gonna be bummed he’s missing football practice but I don’t want him at the park without me.”

Alec agreed and made a mental note to get the boy’s schedule and check into his coaches. Depending on how long it took to find Malone and Spencer, he’d rearrange his schedule to make sure he could be at the kid’s practices so he didn’t have to miss out on something he enjoyed. Enough had been stolen from this family, he wouldn’t let anything else be taken if he could help it.

“Good call,” he told her and went back to the kitchen to get Rory’s soup ready.

He shuffled around Macy’s kitchen, noting how well-organized everything was—clean, uncluttered. Macy’s house was warm and inviting—a family lived there. Suddenly, visions of Macy making his big lonely house a home filled his mind. How different would it feel coming home to her, the sound of kids laughing? The solitude of the space filled with something beautiful.

Alec set the bowl of soup down on the coffee table with a spoon and Macy roused Aurora.

“Come on, baby girl, Mister Hall brought your soup.”

“Alec,” he corrected. Macy’s confused gaze came to his and he explained, “Alec. Not Mister Hall.”

He didn’t like the formality. It was Macy’s way of putting space between him and her children. Which was something he needed to stop. He wasn’t mister anything to them. He wasn’t going to be Uncle Alec like he was to Weston’s son either. He wasn’t sure what he would be to them. Except he knew he was going to be in their lives in a way that didn’t include being called mister.