Mark Dauphin loves his nephews, Sam and Logan, and he'll do anything his brother-in-law Cole asks, but when Cole wants Mark to play nice with Stefano Magnussi, Mark isn't sure he can comply. Stefano is hotter than fire, but Mark can't see past the fact that Stefano is one of those guys, the type of men who date guys half their age, the type of guys who made Mark give up on dating.<br><br>Of course, a little wine and several cocktails later, Mark finds himself dropping more than his defenses with Stefano. But when Logan and the rest of Mark's family surprise them in the morning, Mark and Stefano are suddenly at odds.<br><br>When Logan's ego is wounded, not only does Mark find himself desperate to fix his relationship with his nephew, but he also questions whether his night with this beautiful man meant anything to either of them. Mark isn't given much time to reflect though, as the war that's been brewing between the shivers comes to a violent head, and he soon learns that sometimes you just have to trust in those around you.

Mark's Midlife

“So Grand-père just went into the ocean and called for help?” I asked, somewhat amazed at the way things had turned around so quickly.


“Oui,” Margaux replied. “Oncle Maurice swam out to the deep water, and I heard him. In the water, we dolphins can hear seven to ten times better than regular humans, depending on the dolphin, but realize that sometimes a crowded beach can be like rush hour in a big city. The boats and swimmers make a lot of noise. That can make it harder to hear. That is why your grand-père went out so late. It’s much quieter then.”


“You swam out late? By yourself?” I asked, turning to Grand-père. “That’s when sharks feed.”


“I am not as old as you think. I can still protect myself from a shark,” Grand-père said with a bit of indignation in his voice.


“Yes, but from a whole shiver?” I asked.


Chapter 15