She leaned back, her attention riveted on him. “That makes sense.”
“Anyway, he was tasked with keeping an eye on Dalton and me, but we were all three daredevils. Dalton, two years younger, always felt like he had to do what Frazier did. And I was two years behind him and pretty much stayed right with them. What they did, I tried. Riding a bike before I could balance. Driving before I had my license. Trying to kiss a girl before I knew what the hell I was doing. Going into the military.”
“It sounds competitive, but in a good way.”
“Hell, we were all competitive, but we had each other’s backs. If anyone messed with one of the Dolby boys, they had the others to watch out for.” He was still grinning as he watched her smile. He was close to his brothers, and in truth, he missed them. He harbored a secret desire that one or both would get out of the military and want to work for LSI. Shaking his head, he looked over to find her attention riveted on him and smiled. “Best brothers anyone could ask for.”
She blinked, her smile faltering slightly then appeared to settle right back in place so quickly he wasn’t sure if he’d imagined the change or not. He wanted to ask about her family but halted, still afraid of stepping on an emotional landmine.
“So you were the youngest. Was that always good?” she asked, her voice soft.
The easy “of course” reply that was ready to fall from his lips hesitated as her gaze seemed to penetrate deep inside him. Instead, honesty prevailed. “Most of the time, yeah. But… well, you can imagine that the competition I mentioned before wasn’t always so great.” Unsure why he was willing to bare his thoughts, he continued. “Everyone thinks the youngest child gets away with everything. Is always easygoing and sometimes doesn’t care. But I found sometimes it was really hard not to be able to do what they were doing. I put a lot of pressure on myself trying to follow in their footsteps.”
“It was hard to live up to, I would suppose,” she said, squeezing his hand.
“My family is great. My parents always wanted each of us to forge our own destinies. And Frazier and Dalton were always supportive and never placed expectations on my shoulders. I guess I’m just driven to match up to what they’ve become.”
“I think you’ve succeeded, but mostly, I think you’re wonderful just being you,” she admitted, her smile curving, turning her beautiful face into gorgeous.
His heart stuttered, both at the gentle touch of her hand in his and the smile on her face. He wanted to kiss her more than any other woman he’d ever met but didn’t want to do anything that might be more than she was ready to handle. But he had no doubt… I will be kissing her when the time is right. Kissing and a whole helluva lot more when she’s ready.
“Your parents must have enjoyed having such a big family.”
He blinked, returning his attention to the conversation and off her luscious mouth. As her comment sank in, he was surprised. Most people responded with comments like, “Your poor mother,” “Did they keep trying for a girl?” or “Your parents’ grocery bill must have been huge!” But Marcia’s smile indicated she thought having a large family of all boys was all good.
“Mom and Dad probably wondered what the hell they were doing with all the testosterone in the house, but they survived and so did we.”
Another flash of something dark moved through her eyes but was once again gone so quickly. Her smile was still in place but now appeared more practiced. She glanced out the window, her body held a little more stiffly for a moment, then sighed.
Turning, she surprised him when she spoke again. “My friend told me that she’d heard of your company. She said your boss was known for only employing the best.”
Pride glowed from within whenever he thought about his fellow Keepers. “Carson Dyer is our boss. He hires mostly from former military special forces. Honestly, I’ve never worked with a better group of people in my career. I know it sounds like I’m bragging, but the Keepers are truly the best.”
Her head cocked to the side, interest flaring in her eyes. “Keepers?”
“For Lighthouse Keepers. Those whose duty it is to guide others to safety.” He smiled softly. “Kind of reminds me of the quote you left me.”
Her eyes widened, and she twisted around to face him fully, leaning closer so he could see the gold flecks in her eyes as the bright sunlight beamed through the window. “I have always loved that quote.” Her gentle smile threatened to steal his heart. “And I have to admit the idea of a company named for lighthouses is intriguing.”
“The original Lighthouse Security Investigations company started in Maine. Their leader had been raised near lighthouses and was fascinated with their history. He ran a successful business and then partnered with my boss to open a West Coast branch.”
“You mentioned the security on this house. Do you set up systems?”
“No. We design sophisticated systems that go much deeper than what most systems do. We contract out to expert companies who do the installations based on our specifications.”
“Oh.” She held his gaze, then smiled softly. “You really like your job.”
Her statement was true, but he was already able to read her. She was interested in him, but unlike a few other women he’d gone out with, she didn’t try to find out everything he did. He sometimes wondered if they were more interested in how much money he made than who he really was. “I’m a lucky bastard. Love my job, boss, and coworkers. Can’t ask for more.”
Once again, Marcia had managed to get him to talk about himself while he still knew so little about her. He hesitated as the desire to question her in a friendly interrogation just to know more overwhelmed him. Yet he had no doubt she'd lock down if he pushed too hard.
All he knew was that she worked from home and rented a house that offered no insight into her personality. She only had one friend she mentioned she could rely on to tell that she was spending the night in the lighthouse with him and didn’t have family in the area. Not much information, considering he’d discussed his work and family in detail. He had no problem sharing but didn’t consider himself indiscreet. But everything he shared had come from her questioning. Who’s the master interrogator? I think more her than me!
He glanced around the room, searching for clues to her. She worked from home, yet the kitchen, dining area, and living room gave no proof that anyone did anything in these rooms other than eat and relax. Taking a risk, he asked, “Can I ask what you do?”
Uncertainty replaced the smile on her face, and he winced, hating that the simple question did exactly what he didn’t want to have happen. The silence was no longer comfortable, and he shifted on the sofa. Her gaze dropped to her hands in her lap, and he noted how tightly she clasped her fingers. He opened his mouth to assure her that she didn’t have to share anything she wasn’t ready to when she stood suddenly. Holding his breath, he waited.