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, is that here?” Tom asked. “Is it the water behind the shiver leader’s house?”


“No,” Sam said. “I think I know where their grounds are. I swam into them that first day I came to Shark Beach. I think the old Magnusi family home is there, but Stefano and Stefani built their own homes elsewhere. It’s kind of touristy now, but freaky tourists if you know what I mean. Don’t worry. I can get us there.”


Tom’s car was in the back, so we piled into it.


“Let’s go to my place,” Sam said, and then he made a quick call to someone named Mr. Woodard, a man that Logan said was a cross between a butler and Derek and Wyn’s manny.


Tom drove like Logan spoke, and we were there in no time. The gates opened before we had time to even buzz in, and Tom drove through. Someone had seen us, and from the looks of the man who walked out of the house and into the driveway, I imagined it was this Mr. Woodard they had mentioned.


Chapter 36