SERENA

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I WAITED UP UNTIL LONG after I heard him go to bed. I felt my way along the wall of the bedroom instead of turning on the light. When my legs met the bed I quickly climbed in. Once settled, I tried not to move around and rustle the sheets and make it obvious that I couldn’t sleep just in case Mac was still awake. I was pretty sure he’d knocked himself out with alcohol, though. The recycling bin had been jammed with empty beer bottles, more than just a six packs’ worth, and the shards of a broken whiskey bottle.

I heard a noise, something metallic and grating. I tried to tell myself it was just a house-settling noise. When the sound came again, I stiffened in fright. Of course, the one night that Mac was dead drunk. I heard the shifting of his mattress and held my breath, was he rousing or was he just turning over. I nearly jumped out of my skin when his hand clamped over my mouth. For such a big man, he could sure move with stealth.

“Don’t make a sound,” he whispered in my ear. I could smell the whiskey on him. “Grab your phone and do exactly what you rehearsed.”

He scooped me out of the bed and carried me to the glass door. He opened it silently and deposited me on the other side. When I didn’t move, he gave me a nudge.

I managed to find his arm in the dark and started tugging on it. “Mac, come with me,” I whispered.

He peeled my fingers from his arm and gave my bottom a hard smack.

I ran then, across the polished gym floor toward the door which led to the area near the stilts that supported the front of the house. I jumped into the small hatchback parked in the carport along the side of the house. The keys were already in the ignition. My feet were bare and I was still in my nightie, but I’d done as Tom had insisted when he’d drilled me about the plan, and stashed some emergency clothes. Jeans, a sweatshirt, and running shoes were in a plastic grocery bag on the floor. My heart was beating frantically as I drove up the narrow dirt ramp. I remembered the drill. I was to drive with the lights off until I passed the giant oak. After the oak the road became curvier and it would be easy to go over a cliff without lights.

I heard a bang behind me and my heart leapt into my throat. I pulled off onto the shoulder and took my phone out of the cup holder and held it for a moment, my fingers itched to call for help, but Tom had been particularly adamant about this point. He’d made me swear that I wouldn’t call anyone. I was to wait until I heard from Mac. And if he didn’t phone within two hours I was to drive to a safe house he’d arranged for in another city.

I dropped the phone back into the cup holder and scrambled into my jeans and sweatshirt. When I got to the bottom of the hill, I took the main street until I found an open fast food restaurant. I pulled the car through the drive-through and bought some coffee and then parked. I sipped slowly and waited and waited. I finished the cup and drove through for a second.

Something wasn’t right. A home invasion wouldn’t go on this long, would it?

Had I imagined that because Mac was such a hard son-of-a-bitch that he was indestructible? I checked the time again. Only ten minutes until the doomsday two hour mark. I popped open the glove compartment to search for the envelope with the key and address to the safe house.

I found the envelope, but decided I’d give it another half hour.

When the half hour was up, I stretched it to a full hour.

My phone chimed. “Thank God,” I whispered.

“Pull off the freeway and turn back around,” Mac said.

“I’m parked.”

“Dammit, Serena, you were supposed to be on the move.”

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine.”

I couldn’t believe how good those words sounded. A sob escaped my lips.

“Jesus, are you crying?”

“I was worried about you.”

There was sudden silence on his end as if I’d stunned him.

“Are you okay to drive?” he asked.

“Yes. In fact, I’m going to drive to that safe house now.”

“The fuck you are,” he said.

“You shouldn’t have to risk your life for me.”

“Get your ass home,” he thundered.

I pulled the phone away from my ear. I had never heard him lose his cool quite like that before.

“Serena, don’t make me fucking come after you.”

He wouldn’t hang up until I’d given my solemn vow to return.

I realized it had been a big mistake to drink coffee so late at night, especially since I’d over-caffeinated during the day. The extreme spikes in my adrenaline I’d just experienced weren’t helping either. My hands felt clammy as I gripped the steering wheel. Light-headed, I took a curve so sloppily that I veered off onto the shoulder area. I opened the window for fresh air.

I sighed with relief when the house came into view. Instead of risking hitting one of the stilts and knocking down the house, I decided to park in front of the garage. I took the steep drive to the rear of the house and nearly ran into the mattress which lay across the cement. Mac had dragged out every piece of the bed I’d ordered, including the metal frame.

He stepped out of the back door just as I switched off the ignition. He looked whole and unharmed. At some point in the evening, he’d pulled on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and some scuffed work boots. I climbed shakily out of the car and my knees buckled. I grabbed for the car door. I continued to hold onto it, taking some deep breaths, trying to steady myself. Mac approached and whisked me up into his arms then shut the car door. Instinctually, I wrapped myself around him, clinging to his neck, hugging my legs around his waist. God it felt good to be held by him. He gazed into my eyes and it made me feel all shivery inside.

He slid me down his hard body as he set me down. At first glance, the house looked undisturbed as though nothing eventful had happened.

“I thought I heard gunfire. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

“Someone broke in.”

“I managed to figure that much out on my own.”

He didn’t respond to my sarcasm with additional details.

“Did you kill the person?” He was so close-mouthed I didn’t even know the gender of the criminal.

“Not dead,” he said, calm as you please. “The proper authorities have him.”

“Then you did call the cops.”

“Sure.”

Why did his ‘sure’ sound like an evasion?

“Fine, don’t trust me,” I said. “It’s not like I trust you either.”

I stalked off to the kitchen and pulled a water bottle out of the fridge.

He followed me. “As much as you may wish it, my hands aren’t dirty. I was hired after the damage had been done.”

“What damage?” I was nearly shouting. “What damage could a respectable company that makes trusted safety gear for the military do?”

“They cut corners. For nearly two fucking years they produced an inferior product.”

I shook my head hard. “No! You’re lying. The government would have ended their contract.”

“Not if someone in the government was protecting them for a lucrative kickback.”

I set the water bottle down on the counter. “Where’s the proof?”

“Serena, believe me, you don’t want to see the proof.”

The blood dropped to my feet. “If my father was part of this whole conspiracy why did they kill him?”

“He had a change of heart, which made him dangerous to the asshole working the government end of the scheme. That’s why he was worried for your safety. People often share their secrets with family.”

“You are calling my father a traitor.” I pushed past him and ran for the bathroom. I slammed and locked the door behind me then sat on the edge of the tub and put my head between my knees.

Mac knocked heavily on the door.

I got up on wobbly legs and moved to the sink. “I’m fine.”

I glanced at myself in the mirror. I was deathly pale. I looked like the ghost of my mother. My hair was straight where hers had been wavy, and my eyes were more round than almond-shaped, but I was her spitting image in every other way. I remembered seeing the adoration in my father’s eyes when he’d gaze at my mother. Had losing her warped his moral compass?

I splashed cold water on my face. Why should I even believe a word Mac said? He was a mercenary for God’s sake. Yet I couldn’t reconcile his history with the man I’d come to know. Everything about Mac said hard-nosed, tough-minded. He just didn’t give off any snaky vibes, at all.

As much as I tried to fight the idea, my mind kept returning to the way he’d told me. It had been done in typical Mac style, bluntly and concisely.

If it was true, there had to be far more to the story. Mac’s hands might not have been dirty to start with, but I was pretty certain they hadn’t stayed clean. Why else had my father insisted Mac owed him? Had he been hired to clean up the mess before the Department of Defense discovered it? Or had some of that blood money fattened his bank account, too? With his unsavory past it wasn’t a stretch.

One thing I was sure of, I didn’t want to face him right now. I put a knot in my hair and clipped it to the top of my head then filled the tub with hot water.

I’d only just stepped into the steamy water when Mac banged on the door again.

“I’m taking a bath.”

I heard his footsteps retreat.

I soaked until my fingertips were wrinkled. I kept adding hot water until the hot water ran out.

Soon I was sitting in rapidly cooling water, my skin goose-bumping, and still I couldn’t bring myself to leave the tub.

Mac was rattling the knob now.

“Mac, leave me alone.”

His boot thundered against the door, and I jolted into a sitting position. In the split second it took for him to break down the door, I realized he knew how my mother had killed herself.

Despite finding me alive and well, he walked straight to the tub, leaned over and scooped me out of the chilly water.

“Jesus, you’re like ice.”

I might be ice on the outside, but I was still simmering inside from our argument.

He set me on my feet, yanked a towel off the rack, and started rubbing me dry. His t-shirt was soaked through and clung to his broad chest. I watched the muscles in his arms bunch as he thoroughly dried every inch of me. I realized then what trouble I was in. I was falling for a man I barely knew. A man whom I owed my life to. A man who confided in me only when he’d been pushed too far.

I pulled the clip from my hair and shook the knot free. “I’m not my mother,” I said. “I do not want passion in my life. It’s poison. I want a nice companionable relationship. That’s why Ryan was so perfect for me.”

He chucked the towel aside, dug his hands into my hair and tugged my head back. “Shut up,” he said and kissed me hard.

I clutched at his shoulders and kissed him back. A light clicked on. I instinctively knew how to kiss him. It was a revelation. I’d never kissed anybody like this. In fact, I’d never experienced anything remotely like this during my entire dating life. The instant, startling, absolute need for a man. My blood was singing. It was more potent than anything I’d imagined. Passion was not a poison, it was a drug.

I pushed up his wet shirt and he peeled it off over his head and dropped it to the floor.

He kissed his way down my neck and along my shoulder. A sweep of hot tongue and smooth lips.

His hands cupped my breasts, his thumbs drawing erotic circles that had my pussy tightening with pleasure. I leaned back against the mirror thrusting my breasts out wantonly. He bent over and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth and I clutched at his head, my hands digging into his hair.

He lifted his head then moved to the other nipple and sucked with an intensity that had me moaning.

“Are you on the pill?”

“No. I told you I’m a virgin.”

“Yeah, but you don’t fucking kiss like one.”

So I hadn’t imagined it. All my past awkward encounters with guys in high-school and college, my half-hearted kisses with Ryan flitted through my mind.

He nudged my thighs apart and stroked my pink folds. He brought his other hand to my mouth, running his thumb along the seam of my lips, his intent obvious. I sucked on his thumb as he played with my pussy with his other hand.

His hands left my body and I actually made a whimpering sound. He scooped me off the sink. It felt as if he’d been carrying me nearly half the night. I clung to his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist as he cradled my naked bottom in one of his big hands. My parted pussy pressed provocatively against his six-pack and my taut nipples rubbed against his chest as I bounced lightly in his arms as he strode through the house. I leaned forward and kissed his throat, letting my tongue rub against the stubble.

He deposited me on the bed and then rummaged in the nightstand drawer and pulled out a box of condoms that had never been opened. He cursed under his breath, as he tried to pry up the flap. He ended up ripping the box. He tossed a couple of condoms atop the nightstand. I thought suddenly of the tall blonde. Had he sacrificed that relationship to uphold the promise he’d made my father?

“We should stop here,” I said, gathering the sheet and covering myself. “She might understand why you had to go through with this marriage, but actually sleeping with your temporary wife would be harder to forgive.”

“Who the hell is she?”

“The blonde woman you were dating.”

“I was not in a relationship.” His eyes narrowed. “You had better not be lying in my bed and worrying about another man. You’re finished with Jarvis.”

“I know.”

“You want something to worry about, baby? Worry about making me happy.”

He took off his boots, dropping them heavily to the floor, then he popped the buttons of his jeans. He shoved them along with his boxer briefs off his hips. I inhaled a sharp breath at the sight of his cock springing free.

I’d never a seen a naked man in person, but I’d seen enough on the Internet to know he was incredibly well-endowed.

He yanked the sheet, pulling it off me.

“Wait,” I said.

“Why?” he asked, managing to convey his impatience in that short word.

I crawled over to him and then got on my knees. I reached out and wrapped my hand around him. The contrast between the smooth skin and the underlying hardness was amazing. He was both very thick and very long. I slid my hand all the way down to the crisp hair at the base and then bent my head. His body jolted as I swept my tongue over the fleshy head.

He grabbed my hair and tugged upward. 

I sat back on my heels and he rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip. “First things first, baby,” he said.

“You want to take my virginity?” Wow, that sounded strange and old-fashioned. I guessed I was more nervous than I realized. Of course he wanted to take my virginity. He’d just mauled a box of condoms.

“Yeah, darlin’, I really do.”

I lay back down and he joined me, stretching his long frame out beside me. He reached up and pressed on the headboard light. The room lighting wasn’t illumination enough for him, it seemed. He propped himself up on his forearm to get a better look.

His hand smoothed over my belly and he toyed with the diamond in my navel.

“Bring your knees up,” he said.

I did as he asked and he put slight pressure on the inside of one of my knees. Again, I obeyed and let them fall open. I pulled in a shivery breath as he rubbed his fingers along my slit.

I bit my lip as he inserted a finger inside me. He lifted his head and stared into my eyes. Unbending steel could melt after all, I thought. His gray eyes were smoldering. “So hot and wet. Is this all for me, darlin’?”

That Texas accent of his was just plain sinful.

“Yes,” I said, my voice quivering.

A second finger joined the first. He plunged them deep. My old self told me to bring my knees together, my newly discovered sensual self had different ideas. I pressed my knees into the mattress, giving him greater access. He pumped his fingers inside me until I was clutching at the bed covers.

He pulled his fingers out and tasted them, his eyes half-lidded. “The silkiest, sweetest cunt.”

He twisted his torso and grabbed a condom off the nightstand, he slipped it on then settled himself between my legs. In my dreams, he wasn’t this heavy. His big body pressed me into the mattress, making me feel small and vulnerable.

I clutched hard at his shoulders as he pushed into me. I had a moment of resistance where my body fought his entrance. He kissed me hard, his warm tongue pushing into my mouth. I sucked on it greedily and he inched his cock forward. He was picking up on my signals, moving at my pace. He was sweating from the effort. 

I decided I didn’t want him to be this cautious. I wanted the full measure of sensations; the pain, the intensity, the pleasure. I grabbed his arms, digging my fingers into his biceps and bucked against him.

He stopped kissing me and lifted his head. “Slow down, darlin’.” His deep voice resonated through my body. “I’m getting there.”

I was panting by the time he was fully seated inside me. He’d been right to let me adjust to him in increments. The ache was pretty dramatic and I lay perfectly still, not wanting to make it worse. I shut my eyes.

“Babe, focus on me.”

I opened my eyes to find him staring down at me. He rocked into me and I mouthed a silent “Oh.” He continued to move, barely pulling out before thrusting forward. I could feel my pussy getting slicker as he worked himself in and out. I could hear the sound of my wetness as he pumped into me. His mouth crushed against mine again. His kiss was fevered and hungry. His control was giving way. He started driving into me harder and faster. There was still pain, but it was being overwhelmed by need.

He let out a primal groan when I wrapped my legs around him. God yes, Mac, was a challenge. Despite his gentlemanly, cautious start, his true personality was asserting itself. Mac was used to both controlling the situation, and getting what he wanted.

The intensity of his fucking had me surrendering completely. I unwrapped my legs and spread them wide open. He wedged his hand between our bodies and rubbed my clit. The feeling was indescribably delicious. I arched my back and closed my eyes as I came. He shoved hard and thick into my spasming pussy, his cock seeming to plumb new depths, and then he found release.

I held him and stroked his back until his body stopped shuddering. I felt him lift his head and I opened my eyes. He was staring down at me again. It was clear that I’d surprised him, and most importantly that I’d satisfied him. It was a heady feeling.

He rolled off of me and I draped my leg over his and stroked his chest. Wiccans celebrated sensuality, but I’d only courted the idea in the most superficial of ways. I’d had my body hair lasered off to feel a little naughty, I’d splurged on sexy clothes and stiletto heels, and I’d dyed my hair wild colors hoping somehow that it would unleash my wild side. Nothing had worked. I felt as if deep down, despite my outward appearance, I was a Puritan at heart. Probably the true reason I’d rejected passion. It turned out I only ever needed Mac Sutton.

He cupped my bottom and tucked me in tighter to his side. I wasn’t going to remind him that he didn’t like cuddling. “Baby, for the record, I wouldn’t find cheating just hard to forgive, I would find it fucking impossible to forgive.”