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Her heart took off again, and she ground her teeth together, trying to remain calm as he continued.
“Because I’m thinking the real question is…” He paused, and she stopped breathing, shivering, as his eyes bored into hers. “The real question is who are you going home with.”
“It won’t be you,” she said in a clipped tone.
Mackenzie laughed, a soft, throaty kind of thing, and moved back, though his hand caught her chin, forcing her eyes upward.
Wrong thing to do.
His eyes were dark, filled with heat and something else…a promise of things to come.
“Is that a challenge, Boston?”
“No,” she said. “It’s a fact.” She was all bravado on the outside, but inside, Lily was a mess.
Get it together, Lily.
His hand dropped from her face, and with a rakish grin, Mackenzie gave her a cocky salute. “We’ll see.”
Lily had no comeback. Hell, all she could think about were the zigs and zags running through her—hot, cold, and intense. All that just from the touch of his hand.
Holy. Hell.
Lily St. Clare was in trouble, and she had no idea what she was going to do about it.
Chapter 5
“So, you made a decision yet?”
Mac glanced up and shifted a bit as Jake eased into the sand beside him. The sun was setting, the music was thumping, and there were still at least a hundred boats surrounding the small island.
It had been a hot one, and considering it was only the end of May, Mac figured it was going to be the kind of summer he missed the most. He loved the heat, and he loved the water. He loved boating and fishing. If he could take all of this and transplant it somewhere in New York City, he’d be one happy guy.
Ignoring Jake’s question, Mac tossed his buddy a cold beer and settled back on his elbows. “What’s her story?”
Jake followed his gaze. “Lily?”
Mac nodded. “Yeah. Lily.” He was curious. Hell, he was more than curious but didn’t see the need to share that info with Edwards.
Jake took a swig of beer before answering.
“She’s…she’s like family, Mac.”
There was that warning note in Jake’s voice again, but instead of getting Mac’s hackles up, it made him more curious. What was it about this woman that made Jake so protective? She wasn’t some simpering female and seemed to be in control of her shit from what he’d seen.
“Family, huh?” he prodded. “You never mentioned her when I was in Texas, so I know you haven’t known her that long.”
The shadows across Jake’s face made him look fierce, and for a second Mac was pissed that he’d eve
r brought up Texas. Texas equated Fort Hood, and those wounds were still fresh. Hell, Mac felt them cutting into his heart and soul—he couldn’t imagine what Jake felt. To lose Jesse, his twin, wasn’t something that anyone should have to deal with.
“Her brother, Blake, served with us,” Jake said quietly. “He was hurt in the attack that killed Jess.”
Shit. Mac let that settle a bit. “How’s her brother doing?”
Jake shook his head, his lips tight, and words weren’t necessary.
“Wow,” Mac said quietly, his gaze on Lily. “Were they close?”
