Chapter Two
Zach couldn’t stop thinking about Marit Phillips. He’d met many women like her while he’d been in the Navy. Women who’d worked in male-dominated fields and flourished. Fighter pilots, mechanics, shooters, aircraft-handling officers.
But there was something a bit more . . . vulnerable about Marit.
Her eyes spoke to him. Drew him in. Made him want to get to know all her secrets and slay all her dragons.
It was more than obvious she could slay her own dragons, but that didn’t mean Zach wanted her to have to.
It was a confusing thought, but he couldn’t shake the belief that there was much more to Marit than most people bothered to get to know.
She was a tiny thing, but a dynamo. Clearly strong as hell. Tough. She had to be, in order to work on a lobster boat.
His mom would love her.
Zach blinked at the thought. From what he’d gleaned at first glance, Marit was a lot like his mom.
And that idea should turn him off . . . but he was a mama’s boy.
He was the youngest of four brothers, the baby, and he’d been spoiled throughout his childhood.
It didn’t mean his brothers didn’t pick on him mercilessly, but it did mean his mom went out of her way to cook his favorite meals more often, send him letters every week when he was deployed, and generally treat him like her favorite son.
That wasn’t true; Zach knew that. She loved each of her sons equally.
But he and his mom had a special bond. Once his brothers were out of the house, and it was just him and his parents, Zach and his mom grew even closer than they’d been before.
He wouldn’t trade that time for anything.
He missed his brothers, but he’d reveled in the one-on-one attention.
He’d learned a lot about Evelyn Young during that time, and even more since. She was stubborn, hardheaded, hardworking, and she had a huge heart.
It was crazy that after knowing Marit Phillips for such a short time, he already suspected that she and his mom were cut from the same cloth. He couldn’t wait to find out for sure.
He also couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date.
It had been way too long. But there was no denying he hadn’t wanted to say goodbye to Marit that afternoon.
He probably would’ve seen her the next day when he went to the dock to get more fresh lobsters for the shack, but in the moment, tomorrow had seemed like too far away.
He was very curious about her. Zach met a lot of people working in the food industry, and most of the time he made small talk and forgot about them a second later.
Marit was different. She intrigued him, and that was part of the reason why he’d asked if she wanted to go out for dinner.
He wanted to get to know her better. A woman working on a lobster boat was unique, and he wanted to hear all about how she’d gotten into the profession and how she’d made her way to Rockville.
But more than that . . . he hadn’t been as physically attracted to anyone as he was to Marit in a very long time.
It wasn’t as if he didn’t enjoy a woman’s company. He did. With the ladies, he prided himself on being considerate, kind, and respectful . . . exactly as his parents raised him to be.
And as the youngest, he’d also gotten a lot of advice from his brothers on how to be a good lover. Zach hadn’t had any complaints in that department.
But since moving home, he hadn’t had time to think about sex at all. He’d been too busy helping around Lobster Cove and getting The Lobster Buoy up and running . . . and profitable.
The second he spotted Marit, however, something clicked inside him. It was a weird feeling, being almost desperate to talk to a woman. To experience those tingles he’d had when he’d first touched her.
For a moment, he thought she was going to turn him down when he’d asked her out. The immense relief he’d felt when she’d agreed made him realize something about this woman was different.
She was sexy in a subtle way. He wasn’t sure many people would agree with him, especially considering how she was dressed that afternoon, in her fishing attire.
But her strength was intriguing. If the way she hefted that crate of lobsters was any indication, she was most likely very muscular under those layers of protective clothing.
And even though she was tiny, Zach bet she could hold her own against anyone who dared take her for an easy mark . . . physically or otherwise.
Her white-blonde hair was also unique in itself. Her sky blue eyes shone with intelligence, and her lips . . .
As Zach drove toward the parking area near his lobster shack, he squirmed in his seat, thinking of how those plump lips might look wrapped around his cock.
The thought was as arousing as it was startling. He just wasn’t the kind of man who walked around thinking about sex all the time. Especially not lately. He was almost uncomfortable with how desperately he wanted to get to know her . . . in bed and out of it.
He parked in a space that was thankfully relatively close to The Lobster Buoy and turned off his engine.
Closing his eyes, Zach took a deep breath.
He couldn’t rush this. Couldn’t fuck it up.
Marit seemed a bit skittish, and so he needed to go easy.
They might have dinner tonight and find out they weren’t compatible at all.
Physical attraction was one thing, but Zach was done with one-night stands.
True, he wasn’t old at thirty, but he wanted what his parents had.
What his older brother had found with Britt.
Love. Respect. A relationship that could stand the test of time.
Could he have that with Marit? It was way too soon to tell. But he hadn’t been this interested in a woman in . . . ever? It was crazy, as he knew nothing about her except that Eliot respected her and she worked on a lobster boat and enjoyed eating the beasts she caught every day.
A relationship with her wouldn’t be easy, as they both worked long, irregular hours. Her on the water and him in the food industry. But they did have lobsters in common . . . maybe they could work with that?
Zach opened his eyes and blew out his breath. He was reaching and he knew it. Just because she caught the lobsters he loved to cook didn’t mean a relationship between them could work.
Baby steps. Dinner tonight. Get to know her better. Bring her home to meet Mom.
So much for baby steps.
That last thought hit Zach hard. He was pretty sure his mom would love Marit, but what if she didn’t? What if the women didn’t get along? That was a hard line for him. Whoever he ended up with had to love Lobster Cove as much as he did. Had to enjoy spending evenings hanging out with his family.
Knowing he was thinking too hard about a simple date, Zach opened his door and slammed it behind him as he strode to the back of the SUV.
He had risotto to make. He needed to think about that.
Not about a future relationship he may or may not have with a woman he’d just met.
And he had to make sure not to rush things either way.
Taking Marit home to meet his family was a big deal, and not something that should happen on a first date.
Definitely not.
“You want to visit Lobster Cove? We could have dinner there. I’m sure my mom would love to meet you, and she loves my risotto.”
Zach wanted to take the words back the second they left his lips. What had he just been thinking earlier today? To be cool. To take things slow. And here he was, inviting Marit back to his family property three seconds after seeing her for the second time in his life. He was an idiot.
He was running a little late by the time he’d gotten to Rock Harbor Pub and Brewery.
Marit was waiting for him outside the bar and grill with a frown on her face.
The restaurant was closed for a private party.
He’d blurted out the suggestion about going home with him without even thinking about what he was saying.
“Um . . .” Marit said, biting her lip in indecision.
Zach wanted to say all kinds of things to convince her.
Wanted to promise that his mom was awesome, and admit that she’d already said she’d love to meet her .
. . because of course he’d already told his mom about the woman he’d met this afternoon.
Explain how beautiful Lobster Cove was and promise it wasn’t that far away—even if it would take twenty or so minutes to drive there.
Instead, all he could do was stare at her in awe . . . and lust.
He’d been attracted to this woman when she was wearing several layers of lobstering gear.
But in jeans and a T-shirt? She was perfection.
He was right, she was plenty muscular; he could see her defined biceps thanks to the short sleeves of her shirt.
Her thighs and ass filled out her jeans perfectly, making his mouth water, and her tits looked like a nice handful.
His handful. Which was bigger than average because of his size.
She’d also put on a bit of makeup, just a little, to highlight her long lashes and make her plump lips even more desirable. All in all, this woman hit all the right buttons for Zach, and it was taking a large amount of control on his part not to blurt out how fucking beautiful she was.
“How far away is it? I’m meeting Eliot and Jonah at five tomorrow morning.”
“About twenty minutes. Not that far.”
“Your mom’s not expecting us though, right?”
“No. But I can call her on the way and tell her we’re coming. Trust me, she won’t have an issue with us coming over. I’m the baby of the family, she always wants to see me.” Zach smiled, letting Marit know he was kidding . . . kind of.