Page 10 of A Father's Bliss

“You have a boat?” It’s a self explanatory question, but it’s all I can manage.

He nods toward the window, placing his water back on the table. “That one right there.”

My eyes follow his to the long black yacht I was admiring earlier. “Oh, it’s beautiful.”

“Thank you. It was a gift to myself after I graduated and decided to take my own path.”

I’d heard the story before. A doctor in the making turned literary agent. “That must have been hard. Straying away from what your parents wanted, and doing what you chose instead.”

Marcus lifts a single shoulder. “It was difficult knowing I would disappoint them, but I also knew it would be temporary. I figured they would come around when they saw how happy my career choice made me.”

“And did they?” I ask, my hands finally releasing their grip on the menu.

“Eventually, yes.” He glances out the window, his thoughts somewhere else entirely before he turns back to me. “Do you like trout?”

A surprised laugh slips past my lips. “Will you judge me if I tell you I don’t know?”

Living in a city known for its massive lake and plentiful rivers, there are more than enough seafood restaurants around. Knowing the difference between trout, bass, tilapia, perch and so on, is not my forte as much as if it’s glazed in garlic, lemon and butter. If it’s got that, I’ll eat it.

“I won’t judge you, but I’ll insist you allow me to remedy that.”

My smile spreads. “Oh yeah? And how would you do that?”

Marcus stands, quickly slipping his wallet from his pocket and pulling out a fifty to toss on the table. Then he stretches out a hand toward me which I take without a second thought. Grabbing my purse from beside me, I stand, stifling a giggle as I let him lead us out.

It isn’t until we’re pushing through the front door and walking toward the docks that I finally speak. “Oh, you mean like right now?”

Though I’m slightly behind him, I catch the whisper of his smile. “What better time?”

“I mean, true, but do you already have trout to cook?”

He shakes his head, his fingers flexing around mine, reminding me we’re still attached. I should have some other thought besides how natural it feels, but I don’t. “No, but why not use this moment to teach you how to fish as well? Two stones.”

My mouth opens twice before I close it as I follow him toward the yacht. This moment, this act of spontaneity, is already such a rare sight, I don’t even consider wasting it with dumb questions.

The dock lights flicker to life the second we reach it, and continue past, getting to the boat in the next few steps.

Up close, it’s even longer and more elegant than I observed from the restaurant. Swaying in the water about a foot away, parallel to the platform, Marcus leads us to a part where the side drops and the rails stop. My eyes widen when I realize what he wants me to do.

“Fun fact,” I start, pushing my hair over my shoulder. “I’m actually kind of clumsy, and I can almost guarantee, I’ll manage to slip and end up in the water.”

Marcus grants me one of those rare smiles that changes his entire face. My heart flutters. “We can’t have that. Would you like me to help you?”

“Please.”

He drops my hand, but before I have time to register the strange feeling of loss, his open palms hover next to my waist. “May I?”

My eyes drop to where his hands are and a million alarms blare in my head for me to scream fuck yes, but I manage a squeaky, “Yes, please.”

His gaze darkens, whether it be from the shadows cast over his face from stepping closer, or some other reason, and arousal floods my system. It burns out every other thought except about how good his firm hold feels curled around my waist.

A small, hopefully indecipherable, whimper escapes my lips as he lifts, and effortlessly hoists me up on the deck. I grab onto the railing as I take a step further onto the boat. When I whirl around, I can still feel the burn of his fingers through my clothes.

“Thank you.”

He nods once before taking a step back, his eyes sweeping over me as if to ensure I’m steady. He doesn’t look entirely convinced. “I’m going to untie her and I’ll join you in a moment. Make yourself at home, but maybe, not so close to the railing.”

Lifting a hand, I tip an invisible hat, and take another step away from the edge. “Yes, sir.”

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