“Today.”
“Where are you from?”
“Now who’s the one asking questions?”He quirked one eyebrow.
Touché.“I find myself curious about a man who could talk to anyone at this bar but chose me.And don’t say it’s because of the way I looked at that man.”
The man smirked in humor.“Are you trying to get me to admit I found you attractive, and I was looking for an excuse to talk to you?”
“Were you?”she countered, propping her elbows on the tabletop and placing her chin in her palms, resting her face on them.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I do find you appealing.”His eyes travelled down her body.
Mac felt a fluttering in her belly.The man was hot, and she was in need of a distraction before she confronted Miles in front of the whole island.“I’m Mackenzie Grant, but everyone calls me Mac,” she introduced herself and held out her hand.
“Barry Campbell.”He clasped his much larger hand around hers.She felt the rough calluses much like her own.He was a man used to manual labor.Not a man who sat idly behind a desk.She was starting to like him more and more.Maybe she should take Burt’s advice and forget about her troubles for a little while.
“Tell me something, Barry.”
“What’s that?”
“Did you come to island alone?”She didn’t see a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean anything anymore.Or he could be on the island with friends.
“Planning on shifting your murderous thoughts from the hotel guy to me?I promise, I’m not an easy kill.”
“No.”She found herself chuckling at his off-brand of humor.She had never met someone who could joke about death so easily.“I was going to suggest getting out of here but didn’t know if someone would miss you.”
“Now you really do sound like a killer.”
“Are you scared of little old me?”She batted her eyes in a flirtatious manner.
“I’m not scared, and your neither little nor old.”
“How old do you think I am?”
“Now I am wise enough not to answer that question,” Barry replied, barking in laughter.
Points for him.“Well, if you aren’t afraid, come on then.”She stood up and held out her left hand to take his right.Mac wanted to assure him that his arm didn’t bother her.
Mac waited, her heart pounding.She had never propositioned a man like this before.A total stranger.She didn’t know what his reaction would be.He could agree or tell her to get lost.
“Yes, ma’am.”Barry grinned, standing up and taking her hand.
Chapter 3
Barry was calling himself ten kinds of stupid as he let Mac lead him away from the bar.She very well could be leading him to his demise; however, by the way she had looked him over, he didn’t think murder was on her mind, only something far more pleasurable.
Which hadn’t been his intention when he’d volunteered to come here.Dr.Shane probably wouldn’t appreciate him seducing her younger sister.Mac had to be several years younger than her.She wasn’t in her twenties; she didn’t have that level of youthful face but one of maturity.He’d guess early thirties, still younger than him but not by much.
That wasn’t to say he wasn’t a willing participant.Mac was a beautiful woman.Nothing at all what he imagined Dr.Shane’s sister to look like even though the doc had shown him a picture of her before he’d left.The picture hadn’t done her justice.Where the doc had dark brown hair, Mac’s was lighter, more golden as if it had streaks of blonde in it.
Their eye color was the same.A dark chocolate brown he could drown in.They were of similar height, but that was where their similarities ended.Mac’s coloring was darker, probably due to being in the sun all the time.Her face was more angular and her nose smaller.She was slightly taller and more athletically built.Working on a boat, it made sense.
Barry wasn’t exactly sure what a shark biologist did, but he was sure it was physically demanding.He’d ask her more about it later.
Mac led them to a small house just a half a mile from the bar.He could no longer hear the ocean, but he could smell it and taste it in the air.There were several rows of houses with giant palm trees in between them.
Mac unlocked the door but didn’t open it.She turned around to face him with a coy smile.“Scared yet?”
