FALLING FOR MY BEST FRIEND'S FATHER
Marcus dropped Emma's wrist as if scalded, stepping back just as his daughter appeared over the dune with Jake and his friends, carrying bags of food.
"We got tacos!" Lily announced happily. "Emma, I got you the fish ones you like!"
Emma's face was flushed, her breathing uneven. "Thanks," she managed, her voice strained.
Marcus couldn't meet anyone's eyes. His hand still tingled where he'd touched her, his heart racing with the knowledge of how close he'd come to crossing a line he could never uncross.
But as Lily distributed lunch and chattered about their afternoon plans, Emma looked at him one last time. And in her eyes, Marcus saw a truth that terrified him: