Reece turned a questioning look on Marie. And she could tell he was asking if she was okay if he took it a step further.
She gave him a nod and a what-else-can-we-do sweep of her hands.
Quick as a blink, Reece picked Alyssa up, set her on her feet, and squatted down to look directly into her face. “When you are told to do something, you do it, young lady. Get your coat on. I’m watching you on Monday, and there will be no TV when you’re at my house that day because you didn’t listen to your mom right away.”
Alyssa’s mouth fell open and big tears filled her eyes, but to Marie’s surprise, she turned and buried her face against Reece’s neck, blubbering into his shoulder.
Giving Marie a sardonic smile, Reece scooped Alyssa into his arms. “I’m sorry I’ll have to do that. But it’s important for you to learn to obey. Otherwise one day when your mom asks you to do something, if you don’t do it right away, you could get hurt.” He rubbed Alyssa’s back and cupped the back of her dark little head, then winked at Marie over her shoulder.
“I’m sorry!” Alyssa sniffled into his shoulder. “Can I watch TV at your house, please?”
Reece wore such a look of compassion Marie felt tears prick her eyes. “Not on Monday, I’m sorry. But next time I hope that will be a reminder to you to listen.”
“I will!” Alyssa wailed.
“That’s my girl.” Reece set her on her feet and squatted before her. Carefully he wiped away her tears, then chucked her under her chin. “Let’s get your coat on, huh?”
Alyssa nodded and moved immediately to do so.
Marie held her pink Cinderella coat open and swung it around Alyssa’s shoulders when she slipped her chubby arms into the sleeves.
Coat on, Alyssa turned and flung her arms around Marie’s neck. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
Marie closed her eyes and pressed a kiss to one soft cheek. “Thank you, baby. I love you. Let’s go meet Taysia, shall we?”
“Yes!” Alyssa was back to her bouncy, boisterous personality in the blink of an eye, and she bounded out the door ahead of them.
Marie reached out and squeezed Reece’s hand when she passed him as he held the door for her. “Thanks for stepping in. She’s been a bit of a bear for the past few days.”
Reece’s cheeks puffed out, and he leaned forward to whisper. “Let’s just hope I can resist those big brown eyes when they beg me for a movie on Monday. This is going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
Marie chuckled and gave him a wink. “I totally know the feeling. One look from her and I’m a saucer of melted butter. Which is probably why things have gotten as bad as they did this week.”
“Well, next time hopefully she’ll remember the lesson.”
Marie nodded. But what her mind fixated on was the fact that he planned to be around for a while.
Taysia was waiting for them in the Fisherman’s Wharf parking lot and hustled Alyssa into her car with the promise of the latest Disney princess movie from Redbox.
Alyssa leapt for joy and clambered into the backseat to secure her seat belt around her booster. Taysia waggled her fingers and her eyebrows at Marie when Reece wasn’t looking.
Marie wrinkled her nose and made a face, only to glance over and discover Reece’s attention had returned to her and a huge grin had sprung up like a crooked sign.
She felt the heat that crashed over her.
His grin softened to a smile of appreciation. He leaned close. “I’ll have to make it a point to catch you doing things that embarrass you more often.”
The heat burned hotter. “Why?”
One callused finger skimmed over the curve of her cheek. “Because this pink is absolutely enchanting.”
The breeze picked up and whipped a strand of hair across her eyes. She glanced down, feeling the joy of being with this man puddle just under her heart. Her gaze couldn’t stray from his for long. She sought him once more. “Being around you could be really good for a girl’s ego. I better keep you close.”
His eyebrows pumped twice, and he bent forward to whisper in her ear. “If that’s all it takes, I promise to tell you how beautiful you are every day for the rest of your life.”
With that he placed a hand to the small of her back and ushered her into the glass foyer of Fisherman’s Wharf.
The maître d’ led them to a table in a curtained alcove on the deck, and Reece held her chair while she sat. He slipped his hat off and hung it on the back of his chair.
The sun hung low on the horizon, splashing bright slashes of crimson across the smooth, rippling, inky surface of the Pacific. The breeze touched the torches at each corner of the deck and toyed with the orange flames. Marie watched the smoke dissipate into the gray-blue sky, feeling Reece studying her. She allowed her attention to fall on the man across the table, still hardly able to believe she was here across from him. She reassessed her decision to agree to this and found she was thankful for the curtained alcove, and it wasn’t for the intimacy their little enclave afforded them, but because it was less likely Reece would be seen with her. They could leave with his reputation still intact. A little stone of dread nestled deep inside her. Was this the way it would always be for her? Always wondering how his association with her might hurt him?
She forced her mind from the dark worries and sipped her ice water. “Thank you for bringing me here. It’s beautiful.”
He tipped a nod but assessed her thoughtfully. “Something is bothering you; what is it?”
She brushed away his question and flipped open her menu. “I’m fine. What are you ordering?”
She was thankful to see Reece slowly reach for his menu. At least he’d decided to drop the probing. He probably wouldn’t like the direction her thoughts had wandered.
The numbers on the menu came into focus, and her eyebrows rose. She’d known from hearsay and from what she’d seen of the restaurant so far that this place was nice, but not how nice, apparently.
“Order anything you like.”
He seemed attuned to her every thought. She swallowed and forced herself to skim the menu. She was going to quit worrying over every little thing and try to just enjoy this evening.
When the server returned and set a small loaf of sourdough bread with a portion cup of butter in the middle of the table, Marie’s stomach rumbled in anticipation. Reece ordered a New York strip steak, medium well, a baked potato, and a Caesar salad. Marie chose the herb-roasted salmon with mashed potatoes and selected the salmon chowder soup for her first course. She closed her menu and refused to think about the fact that their meal tonight would have cost her a week of painting for Mr. Meyer, if she were responsible for paying.
Reece made small talk about his week as he sliced the bread and handed her a piece. She smoothed a little of the butter on the warm, soft interior, and her interest perked when he mentioned Dakota meeting his friend Justus.
Reece chuckled. “The tension was so thick we could almost have made a curtain out of it. And by the way, Dakota told me she wasn’t interested in me, just so you know. But not before I told her I was interested in you.” He watched her, apparently wanting to ascertain her reaction.
Marie wondered if Dakota had stated her lack of interest just to make him feel better after his declaration. Guilt once again reared its head.
Reece bit off a chunk and tipped her a look. “She wasn’t just saying that because I told her I was interested in you.”
Marie pressed her lips together and allowed herself to really look deep into his eyes for the first time that evening. How was it he could read her so well?
He dusted his fingers and swept his attention over the horizon. “So tell me what you’ve been up to for the past four years?”
Marie drew patterns in the moisture droplets on her water glass. “At work Taysia has trained me to teach several of the classes now. I really love that. Especially after…Alyssa. I don’t know what I would have done without Taysia and the ladies at Mom’s Gym during that whole time. God rea
lly used all of that in bringing me to Him.” She shrugged. “Other than work, I’m just a mom.”
The corner of his mouth twitched. “I don’t think anyone is just a mom. And you’ve done an amazing job with Alyssa.”
“Thank you. And what about you? Did you enjoy your time at Deschutes Rejuvenation?”
He nodded. “Very rewarding. Very draining. Very thrilling. And very discouraging. There were a lot of peaks and valleys to working there. I worry about my friend Justus because he puts everything into those boys, and I’m afraid he needs a break and isn’t seeing it. I was really glad to see him even taking a couple weeks off. Surprised, really. Been praying for him a lot, lately.”
That statement filled her with warmth. She loved how he cared for those around him. “And your dad? How is he?”
A weariness settled over his features, and she was sorry she’d brought it up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No. No. He’s just…not doing so well. But we’re thankful for every extra day we have.”
Without thinking, Marie reached across the table and clasped his hand. “Your dad is a wonderful man. He has always made me feel special.”
Reece’s thumb stroked over her knuckles. “That’s because we Cahill men know a good woman when we see one.” He winked.
Marie laughed and was thankful for the arrival of the waiter with their food, which allowed her to extract her hand without awkwardness. Every moment with this man pushed her concerns for his reputation further from her mind. The level of her feelings for him scared her a little. She needed to keep things slow. Keep a level head on her shoulders.
The food was amazing. And after they’d finished their chocolate raspberry mousse and coffee, and Reece had paid, he stood and slanted her a question. “Want to take a walk on the beach?” He stretched a hand toward her, brows raised in question.
The sun had dipped below the horizon during the meal, and everything lay in the dusky gloam of the half-light between day and night.
“I would love to.” She gave in to the temptation and took his hand, savoring the roughness of his palm against hers and the thickness of his fingers laced between her own. At the top of the stairs down to the beach, she pulled him to a stop to slip her high heels off.
“Reece Cahill?”
Marie felt a nervous quiver at the tone with which the feminine voice had said Reece’s name. She glanced up. Capri and Paris Blackburn stood at the bottom of the steps in skimpy evening dresses. Their ever-in-the-sun tans glowed even in the twilight gloom.
“Ladies.” Reece tipped his hat, but kept his hold on her hand. “How are you two this evening?”
The twins exchanged a glance. One of them shook out her long blonde hair and dropped her focus to their intertwined fingers as she replied, “Good. Not doing much. Just hanging out.”
Marie had never been able to tell the twenty-year-old twins from the church apart. But she could certainly feel the malevolence being leveled her way from two very annoyed females.
“Well, we won’t keep you. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Reece nudged Marie past them, and they strolled through the soft, loose sand to the firmer-packed damp area nearer the water. A few yards down the beach, Reece sat on a driftwood log and pulled off his dress shoes and socks and rolled his slacks up a couple turns. His hairy ankles stood at odds with the linen of his suit.
Marie chuckled and couldn’t resist teasing him. “Such a fashion statement, Mr. Cahill. I think it will be all the rage in the very near future.”
He grinned and focused on her own bare feet peeking out from beneath the hem of her long sheath dress. “I guess we’ll be starting this fashion together, then.”
“Maybe.” She was suddenly so full of emotion for this man it made her mouth dry, and she could literally feel her heart pounding against her sternum.
He swept off his hat and plopped it on her head, then tugged on the brim to pull her closer. While a twinkle still lingered in his gaze, the huskiness of his next words revealed a far more serious bent. “I’ve always wanted to start something with you, but it wasn’t a fashion.”
Desire to set aside her reservations whispered through her. Instead she forced herself to keep it light. “A business, maybe? Decorating! You build, I’ll decorate.”
The only reply he offered was a low rumble of acknowledgment in his chest as he stepped even closer and slipped one hand behind her back. He perused her face like the answers to all life’s questions might be found there. His free hand tucked an errant curl behind her ear and fell to rest on her shoulder. His thumb stroked along the line of her jaw.
Marie felt a tremor rush through her. She needed to keep talking. This had become far too intimate far too quickly.
Her eyes darted to the fire pit just to their right. It was getting a bit chilly. Maybe she could distract him. “A fire, maybe?”
Humor returned to crinkle his crow’s feet. “Oh yeah, starting a fire sounds good.” But he didn’t turn toward the fire pit.
The bottom dropped out of her stomach even as anticipation zipped up her spine. She licked her lips and then pressed them together. The strength of her desire for him terrified her. She’d given in to men she didn’t feel a fraction of this emotion for, so what could these desires she was feeling entice her into doing?
He leaned closer, a request for permission lingering in his expression.
“Reece.” She stopped him with a finger to his lips, which hovered just a breath from hers.
His nose brushed hers, and he pressed their foreheads together. “What?” No impatience touched his tone. Only a desire to hear her out.
She took a breath. “It terrifies me a little how much I feel for you. I’m afraid—I don’t want—” She gave up and dropped her gaze to the gold eagle tie tack in the middle of his chest.
“Marie.” He touched her chin and waited for her to meet his eyes. His words were barely a breath. “This feeling terrifies me a little too. But the very fact that you are questioning before you proceed is a sign your heart is changed. Feelings like this are a blessing from God. We just have to keep them in check until the right time.” His thumb caressed the dip just below her lip. “This is different, isn’t it? You feel something different—stronger than you’ve ever felt before?”
She swallowed. Oh yeah. He could say that again. She nodded, her eyes going a bit wide.
His fingers still lingered at her chin. “You don’t have to kiss me if you don’t want to.”
“I want to.” The whispered words popped out before she could think better of them.
Pleasure tipped up the edges of his lips just before they claimed hers, soft and slow and sure. Gentle. Controlled. And so tender a sigh of total contentment escaped her. She allowed her hands to slide up his tie and around his neck, her fingers forking into the curls at the back of his head. His hat tumbled off behind her and landed with a squishy thud near their feet, but neither of them broke free.
Reece’s fingers curled into her hair as his lips continued to claim hers. But he kept the kiss under rein.
A tremor of sheer desire coursed through her, and she wanted to step closer to him. To press herself into him so far he never got away from her. But that wasn’t the kind of woman she wanted to be anymore. Not the kind of woman God wanted her to be. Not the kind of woman she needed to be anymore. God was her supply now. And He’d blessed her with this man who she felt so much for.
To keep herself from taking the step, she pulled her hands from behind him and gripped his wrists instead.
Reece pulled back a fraction, stroked one thumb over her mouth, and then leaned in again for one final kiss. After that he tucked her head to his chest. She felt a shuddery breath shake him. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to be able to do that.”
Reveling in the sanctuary of his arms, and having no words to express her current feelings, Marie only rose on tiptoe and placed a quick kiss against his neck.
For a long moment they both stood watching th
e dark gray of the water lapping at the shore until a wave with more energy and reach than the others washed in and sloshed over their feet.
“Oh.” Marie gasped at the unexpected chill and darted a few steps further from the water. The way she was feeling, it was probably good to put a little space between them, anyhow.
Reece bent to pick something out of the waves. “Now you’ve done it!” he teased, and turned to face her. “You dropped my hat in the water!”
She shrugged unrepentantly and gave him an innocent bat of her lashes. “I believe you knocked it off my head. So it’s your own fault.”
His eyebrows pumped. “Definitely. And I’d do it all again too.”
At the hopeful note he’d purposely injected into the words, desire to be back in his arms lured her. But recognizing the danger of letting themselves get too caught up in this moment, she let a trickle of laughter loose instead, and took a purposeful step back. “In the olden days, cowboys used to let their horses drink out of their hats, so I think yours is going to be just fine. At least it doesn’t have horse slobber on it.” She grinned cheekily. “But maybe the slobber sort of worked in and acted as a softening agent.” She scanned both directions of the beach. “I don’t see a horse, but we might be able to find a sea lion.”
He shook water from the hat and grinned at her with a retaliatory gleam in his gaze. “I’m lamenting the demise of my Stetson, and you are making fun of me? I do believe some retaliation is in order, ma’am.” He drawled the words out long and slow.
She couldn’t suppress a giggle of anticipation. Flirting unabashedly, she batted her eyelashes innocently. “Me? Make fun of you? Would I do something like that?”
Laughing, he strode toward her with a glint of promise in his eyes.
Marie snatched up her pumps from where she’d dropped them earlier, lifted the skirt of her dress, and turned and ran.
His bark of laughter preceded the crunch of his feet in the sand behind her.
Even though she exercised for a living and a glance tossed over her shoulder revealed Reece had paused to grab his boots and socks, it only took him fifty yards to catch her. Laughing, he swung her in a wide circle and then settled her into the crook of one arm. His breaths puffed hard as he grinned down into her face. “You are fast.”
Caught in the Current (Pacific Shores Book 2) Page 12