Page 9 of Stolen Hearts

Crew grinned and did it all over again, building towers for Navy to knock down, talking all the while. When Navy lost interest, crawling a few feet away to get her ball, he glanced at his phone.

“I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

“You don’t have to go if you’re not ready. Navy still has plenty of playtime left.”

He smiled and pushed to his feet, limbs unfolding with grace despite his muscled bulk. She’d passed by the big, modern, indoor gym on occasion and had seen him in there working out. It showed. A lot.

He said his goodbyes to her and Navy and then slipped out of the office, leaving only the squeaky noise of her daughter cutting teeth.

Seeing that Navy was fine for a bit longer, Rhae pulled out her phone. Her daughter was nine months old, but her one-year checkup would be here before she knew it. That meant she had to plan.

She didn’t keep a regular pediatrician. Even though the few doctors in the surrounding area were good, and she liked them, she didn’t dare go to the same one twice.

“Hello.”

The voice yanked her attention from the list of area wellness clinics, and she looked up to see Oaks Malone.

She blinked at him, lost in the rugged lines of his face, his body. Those gray eyes all the Malones shared.

Her gaze slid to her daughter, who was crawling toward the scattered blocks.

“Hi, Oaks. What’s up?” She infused her voice with a casual note even though her heart was pattering faster at the interruption.

“I stopped by to update the security on your PC.”

“Oh.”

“Do you mind?”

She shook her head and got out of her seat to follow him to the desk. “Is there a problem with security?”

He plunked down in her desk chair and drew the laptop toward him. “I’m going to hook you up with a VPN. In case you ever decide to go paperless.”

She filled her lungs with air. “I prefer having paper files.”

He nodded. “So you’ve said. I just want to give you options so you feel secure.”

“I like to make sure everyone’s privacy is safe.”

He didn’t shift his attention from the screen. “This will make sure everyone is safe.”

She stared at his profile. His features looked like some master had chiseled them from the very granite of the mountains that surrounded the Black Heart Ranch. All of the brothers were so good-looking. And Willow could be a model for her beauty. She had the height for it too.

Oaks didn’t stop in her office often, but the therapy program was his brainchild, and he liked to keep tabs on how everything was run.

He tapped at the keys. “Everything else okay?”

She took a few breaths to calm her heart, which began thumping faster. “With work? All good. Your family has been so easy to work with.”

Over the top of the laptop, their gazes met. “Nobody is bothering you?”

Her heart skipped. “What do you mean by bothering?”

“You’re pretty and single.”

Heat climbed her throat and she felt her cheeks burn.

“All the guys come in a lot. Anybody would enjoy spending time here,” he continued.

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