Page 35 of Shallow Remains

“Working twenty-four-seven isn’t much of a life.”

Lachlan cocked an eyebrow at him. He was one to talk.

“Yeah, all right, I heard it as soon as I said it,” Grey muttered. “But trust me, I don’t plan on making moves on anyone anytime soon.”

SEVENTEEN

Maddy hurried down the dock as fast as she could go without risking sloshing any coffee out of the lid. A warm glow spread through her when she saw Lachlan bent over in the front of the zodiac.

He wore a black V-neck sweater under his bright orange flotation suit pants with suspenders, and a navy knit cap. The day was bright and crisp and there was a certain magic in the air, as if anything were possible.

“Ahoy there.”

He looked over at her, and it felt like something sank through her ribcage and clamped around her heart. The smile he gave her made her insides turn gooey. “Hi there.” He eyed the cup in her hand. “Is that for me again?”

“Maybe.”

He hopped out onto the dock to meet her, stared down into her eyes, and all she could think about was the way he’d hugged her last night. How she’d wanted to burrow in closer and stay in the circle of his strong arms for hours.

And how she’d wanted more than a hug when he’d let go.

“You’re spoiling me,” he murmured, green eyes twinkling as he accepted the cup.

“It’s the least I could do after you manhandled that desk to my new place.” She eyed the breadth of his shoulders, the swells of muscles under the sweater across his chest and upper arms.

No wonder that hug had felt so amazing. Or that she wanted to see him without a shirt on and run her hands over him.

“You sore today?”

“Little bit,” he said with a wry twitch of his lips. “I’m not in the kind of shape I used to be in, but I had a soak in the hot tub last night and that helped.”

He looked like he was in plenty good shape to her. She couldn’t imagine the punishing fitness and training level he’d had to sustain during his time in the military. “You have a hot tub?”

“You don’t remember? It’s out on the back deck overlooking the water.”

No, she didn’t remember. She didn’t remember much at all from that night, thanks to all the chocolate martinis she’d consumed. “It was dark. I never looked outside.”

“I gave you a tour. Because you asked for one.” Humor glinted in his eyes.

“Oh.” Of course her drunk ass had.

His gaze strayed to her left, down toward the edge of the dock, and a smile tugged at his mouth. It had been a long time since she’d fantasized about kissing anyone, but it had been all she’d been able to think about when she’d been lying in bed. And now.

“Come see this,” he said.

Curious, she followed him to a ninety-degree angle in the dock where a short jetty stuck out. Lachlan knelt down and pointed a little way out. “There. See it?”

Maddy followed his finger, saw something small moving through the water toward them. “What is it?”

“Oscar.”

Who? Maddy moved to the edge of the dock to peer into the clear green water, gave a little gasp of delight when she saw the little creature more clearly. “Oh, a sea otter?”

“Yep. He’s been showing up here almost every day for the past few weeks. Come crouch down here next to me, and we’ll see if he wants to visit.”

She did, captivated as the animal swam right up to them. His little brown head popped through the surface, dark eyes fixed on them and his long whiskers full of water droplets.

Somehow she held back her squeal of delight, her fingers itching to reach out and rub his damp fur. That level of cuteness should be illegal.