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.He certainly hadn’t been taken with anything about Nathaniel.She’d never seen a man so uncomfortable around a child.She swallowed a giggle as a mental vision unfolded in her mind…Nathaniel strangling Jack with a hug around the neck, and the resulting stark panic that had swept over Jack’s face.He intrigued her.He was cantankerous, impatient and downright rude, but beneath it all she sensed a vulnerability, an unwillingness to share anything of himself for fear of…fear of what?She scoffed inwardly.She was obviously allowing her imagination to get the better of her.She knew absolutely nothing about Jack Coffey, and had no desire to get to know him further.Shaking her head, she tried to clear her mind of his image, but it didn’t work.Those blue eyes, so cold when irritated but so warm when amused, were difficult to dismiss.And that smile…it had an edge of wickedness to it that made her body temperature rise in response.Still, he wasn’t anything like the type of man she envisioned as her Mr.Right.She closed her eyes and fought to summon the image that had been her dream man since the day Bill had walked out on her.She had no real mental image of how her dream man would look, but she knew he’d have a shy smile and gentle eyes.He’d be a soft-spoken man who would have all the ideals she did.They would be two halves of a whole, completely in tune with each other on all issues.The man she would eventually marry would also adore Nathaniel.He wouldn’t call him “the kid” or “the monster” and his features wouldn’t radiate panic each time Nathaniel came near.She had a feeling Jack was rarely in tune with anyone on anything.He’d obviously been born to be a bachelor and she pitied any woman who might try to change his mind on that particular issue.It was nearly three in the afternoon when Nathaniel awakened Marissa by attempting to wiggle out of her embrace.She caught him just as he was about to plunge headfirst off the end of the bed.“Hey, partner, where are you going?” She tickled his tummy, sending gales of childish laughter into the air.“You want to go bye-bye?” she asked as she scooped him up and placed him on the floor.“Bye-bye,” Nathaniel agreed, going to the motel-room door and reaching for the doorknob.Marissa laughed.“Wait a minute, munchkin.I need to clean up a little before we go.” Her plan was to go back to Jack’s and grab the diaper bag, then she and Nathaniel would take a little drive and find an interesting-looking restaurant for dinner.It was nearly four by the time she pulled up in front of Jack’s house.The beach scene was idyllic.For a moment she stood outside the car, enjoying the peaceful beauty.The waves rolled to the sandy shore, the rhythmic slap audible from where she stood.Jack must have paid a fortune for the glass-fronted house with its own private beach, she thought.The private investigation business must be a lucrative one.As she climbed the stairs to the door with Nathaniel in her arms, she hoped Jack had managed to get a nap.He’d looked so tired during breakfast, and there had been moments when dark shadows had stolen the light from his incredibly blue eyes.In and out, she told herself as she knocked on the door.There was no reason to linger.She’d grab the diaper bag, then be on her way.“Come in,” his voice barked from somewhere in the house.She opened the door and stepped inside, instantly spying him at the computer workstation.He was clad in a pair of navy cotton shorts and a gray T-shirt and when he turned to look at her, she realized that at some point during the afternoon he’d shaved.“I figured it was you,” he said.“Yes, it’s me,” she said inanely, unable to stop staring at his face.Without the cover of the whiskers, he was far more handsome than she’d even imagined.The scruffy facial hair had detracted from his high cheekbones and sensual mouth and had completely hidden a small cleft in his chin.“What are you staring at?” he asked gruffly.“Nothing…you…” She flushed.“You shaved.”He raked a hand across his jaw.“Yeah.I took a bath, too.If you want to call it that.I discovered a cast definitely presents a challenge in that particular department.”“You look very nice.”His eyes widened in surprise.“Thanks.” Again his voice was gruff and he turned back around to the computer.“Your bag is in the kitchen,” he said.Nathaniel wiggled in Marissa’s arms, wanting to be released.“Down,” he demanded.“No, Nathaniel.” Marissa held tighter to the little boy
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