Riveted (Art of Eros #1) (8 page)

He did want a future with someone. Flying solo had its perks, but not when he wanted more of a life for himself. At thirty-four, time nipped at his heels to take the next steps. He couldn’t help but think what that life would be like with Mara. Able to peek out over the wall of his fortress he viewed the pasture of honeysuckle on the other side. One day, he would break the block wall down to the last stone. If only he could be honest with her, he could be himself. She seemed to need him for more than a quick roll in the hay. He never imagined sharing intimate details with a woman or having someone breaking through his defenses so effortlessly. His armor didn’t seem to have a purpose anymore. She gradually peeled it away layer by layer. He shed some light on an otherwise soul-altering experience. He had been conflicted about telling Mara, but somehow it felt good to talk about her after all these years. It allowed him to let go of some of the pain, sharing it with someone who would understand, having gone through a similar experience.

“Tell me more about the happier times with Kendall.” Mara couldn’t seem to get enough of this man and what made him tick. She wanted to know more about the woman who affected Mac so deeply.

He let out a breath. “Kendall was the baby of the family. She was the apple of everyone’s eye. Her energy and spirit seemed to have no bounds. My brothers and I protected her fiercely. Sometimes, when she was younger, I would see her out in the fields. She looked like one of those forest nymphs with her strawberry blonde hair flying in the wind. I’m the youngest boy, so she and I were very close.”

He distracted himself by tapping his fingertips together to steady his bearings. “As children, we played together a lot. Hide and seek was always a fun game on a farm with lots of places to hide. She would hide and I would always find her, mostly because I could hear her delirious giggle. No one can take those memories from me. That’s how I will always remember her.” Mac’s face lit up with the fond memories of his sister and his childhood. Those memories seemed to be the bright light in a dark and turbulent topic for him. Secretly in awe of Mara for her insight, she got him to talk about his happy memories of Kendall.

Mara imagined what he must have looked like as a little boy, with his ruffled brown hair and big, bright green eyes, following the sound of the giggles. There was a soft side underneath all the male dominance, but it was obvious where his protectiveness came from as well.

“My parents have never been the same since her death. My mother became more distant. I needed to leave again for a job. I couldn’t take the emptiness of not having Kendall in the world anymore. I would often catch myself picking up the phone to call her or suddenly wake up realizing, again, that she was gone forever. When I would come home to the farm, she would always be there. It’s been hard for me to go back.” His breath caught talking about home. When he looked at Mara he saw eyes that understood the pain of loss so close to the surface for him. She didn’t judge him for being closed-off.

The hurt in his eyes shown through as he went back to a place he didn’t visit often. His eyes appeared glassy, but he turned away before any tears could fall.

Guilt clutched her for asking about something so personal in his life, but it seemed to be the one common denominator between them, the death of a loved one and a distant parent. She squeezed his hand in a gesture of comfort, and he squeezed back. Sometimes the silent moments spoke as loudly as words.

“I am glad you shared a little piece of your sister with me. She sounds like a very special woman who was very loved and protected.”

Two things I sure wouldn’t know anything about.

She gave him a small but warm smile of appreciation for sharing a little piece of his grief. His eyes never left hers as he interlaced their fingers and held her hand without saying a word.

Mara gave him a moment then asked, “Your mother became more distant? Were you not close with her?” She needed to change tactics to save Mac any more pain.

“No. I could never connect with her. When I was younger, there were moments when she was fun and happy. But as I got older, she became more sad, distant, and unpredictable. I never understood why. When Kendall was sick, my father confided in us that our mother suffered from bipolar disorder and had trouble regulating her meds. It explained her highs and lows. She’s better now with new medications, but it was an abandonment of sorts. It was one of the reasons Kendall and I were so close. Kendall grounded me.” Mac’s lips tightened as he realized how much he let come to the surface. Talking about his turbulent childhood out loud gave it all so much more meaning. Mac stopped talking to move a French fry around on his plate as if contemplating this information.

Mara’s words wrapped up his thoughts. “When Kendall died, you lost your connection, the bond that kept you grounded.” Her eyes never left his face. She lived as an abandoned child as well. “It must have been hard growing up with a part-time mother. Thank God for putting Kendall in your life.”

Mac smiled warmly, a smile that said, ‘yeah, you get it and you get me.’ If they only had a short time together, she already secured herself in his heart. Suddenly, he needed some relief from the heaviness.

“Whadda ya say we walk out to the pier and wait there for our boat? We have some time yet.” Being so emotionally overwhelmed wasn’t a good place for him to be. Feelings about Kendall made him want to drink to forget it all, but with Mara there, he didn’t want to anesthetize the pain anymore.

As they held hands walking down to the pier with the warm sand between their toes, she viewed him with a new understanding and a huge smile plastered across her face. She sensed there was even more to this man than met the eye and that excited her, but he was definitely still holding something back. She hoped whatever it was wouldn’t come back to bite them both in the ass. The peacefulness between them seemed to be accentuated by the ocean breeze, settling her down to her soul. These were the moments she wanted to capture in a bottle and open on a rainy day. She relished this little piece of heaven but wanted to add a little bit of fun.

Turning in front of him and walking backward, she proclaimed, “Mara says, first one in the water gets to pick what we have for dinner.”

She needed to be playful with Mac after such a serious moment. Besides, this had become her favorite part about him, his willingness to play with her. Turning away, she sprinted toward the water, whipping off her soft velour towel, as it fluttered to the sand. She wore a black and red high-cut designer suit that showed off her legs and tied behind her neck, showing some serious cleavage.

~

Mac reveled in her laughter that surrounded him. This girl loved to be chased, and it seemed that’s all he had been doing.

So, kitten wants to be chased and caught. When I catch her, I’ll teach her who’s boss in this game!

Mac ran after her, snapping the towel off from around his neck. Her body arc up before diving into the water over a small wave. He dove in after her, knowing when he caught her she would be in big trouble. This time he wouldn’t let go. He wanted to hear her sigh of satisfaction from the tenderness he could give her.

Mara swam out to where the water met her shoulders. The water surrounded her in warmth, comfort and freedom. She waited for Mac to catch up but when she turned around, she couldn’t see him.

Mac came up from the bottom, skimming his hands along the back of her legs and over her ass. She shrieked and her body quivered as he came face to face with her, resting his hands on her waist.

“So, I take it you like to be chased? This is the second time I’ve chased you through the water. Mac says you’re in big trouble for running away. I want you to run to me, Mara, not away.” He gave her a serious yet sexy lopsided grin that made her heat up in all the right places.

“I always loved to be chased, from the time I was a little girl. My sisters and I would chase each other around the house. Mama would yell at us to stop and act like young ladies, but it didn’t stop us from laughing and screaming in our game of tag.” Mara wrapped her arms around Mac’s neck and they laughed at her story.

She wondered what it would be like to run to him for anything and everything. “I get to pick what we have for dinner. I say, Italian.”

He leaned in only inches from her lips. “Lucky for you, I love Italian food and women. Will you be doing the cooking tonight? I always wanted to date an Italian girl who knows how to cook.” He squeezed her hips closer to his and pulled her into deeper water where she couldn’t stand. She had no choice but to cling to him. He continued his story about his love of everything Italian. “When I was younger, I had a friend who was Italian and lived down the street from me. They used to have the traditional Sunday dinner, and I went every week. I stuffed myself full of fresh, authentic Italian foods. I fell in love...” Her eyes grew bigger, waiting to hear about the Italian woman who captured his young heart. “...with the food.” He loved playing with her. She smiled at the fact that he had her right where he wanted her.

Mara moved back a bit to listen as he reminisced on his days as a young man. She cleared her throat, “First of all, it’s Italian woman, as in one. I won’t share. And now you assume we’re dating and I’m cooking for you? You’re moving awfully fast, Mr. Creighton. Before you know it, I’ll be barefoot and pregnant, too. You should know I’m a modern woman.” Her smirk said ‘take that, caveman.’

He spoke in a low rasp as he moved his hand behind her neck, pulling her face close to his. He wouldn’t kiss her unless she wanted it. She needed to make the next move. “The thought has crossed my mind. You’ll be rosy barefoot...and pregnant.” He waited for her reaction, saying the words without even thinking. As strange as it sounded, he could picture it. He never took the time to even think about a wife let alone kids, but right then, inside of a couple of days, he pictured this woman full with his child. He would take her with all her imagined flaws, but she needed to believe in her beauty, inside and out. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He wanted to be the only one to behold her, needing her to understand she would only belong to him. He was already hers for the taking.

Her eyes widened at his proclamation. “Mara says, kiss me, Mac.” This wasn’t a request; she wanted this. He saw the lust in her eyes. She needed to erase the abuser with someone who cared about her.

Mac leaned in and gingerly kissed her soft, full lips. This kiss sent warmth to her belly, and she wanted him to know it, humming with satisfaction. He urged her lips open as he flicked his tongue across her lower one. She opened just enough to let him in, encouraging him to continue. He tugged gently at the back of her hair, tilting her head back a little farther, giving him more access to that luscious mouth of hers. He pushed his way in and their tongues tangoed, twisted, and swirled around each other, playing and teasing, reflecting their emotions. He sucked on her lower lip, urging her on. She replied by nipping and licking his upper one. Her lips opened again, inviting Mac in. She wanted to deepen the kiss, demanding he feel their connection.

This time, she took a chance and sucked on his tongue, making it clear the things she could do with his cock. Mac retreated, but not before giving her a nip on her lower lip, a warning about who had control. All that sexual tension found an outlet in one kiss. Hungry, hot, it could easily lead to other things, like him burying himself in her for the rest of the day. His body craved for her and only her. He wanted to make love to her, but stopping this was necessary before he lost total control of the situation. He prided himself on staying in control, but Mara tested all his limits. He breathed rapidly and leaned back to search Mara’s face.

“Damn, woman, what you do to me.” His eyes were wild and passionate.

She always wondered what it would be like to be seen through those eyes and she recognized the passion. She didn’t need a response. His look shot straight to her toes, awakening the forgotten area between her legs. She lost her ability to breathe, his lips devouring hers. The intensity of their passion was something she never knew before. She needed bravery to see this through, but her head knew it was too soon. She had to be sure he understood what he was getting into when it came to sex with her. During that amazing first kiss, she started moaning in protest when Mac broke away to look at her.

The passion was in her eyes but he also took notice as her body recoiled from his. A guarded look flashed across her face and she seemed a little distant as her body tightened.

“You play ‘Mara says’ very well, Mr. Creighton.” Mara needed to distract Mac to hold on to some control of her own.

“Oh, so now it’s ‘Mara says’? Where did you learn how to kiss like that,
leannan
?” He continued to play with her, not letting her answer him. She needed to understand what she was in for when it came to being with him.

He leaned in closer and flicked his tongue over her lower lip before savoring her mouth. This time, the kiss was needy for both of them as electricity crackling between them. She grabbed the back of his hair and held on. That pull went straight to his cock. He connected with her emotionally, but he wanted her physically.

God, I need to be in this woman but not here, not now.

He moved his hands down to grip her voluptuous ass, pulling her closer as he lifted her. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as she lined up with his rigid cock. Her bravery led to an involuntary moan, the moan he had been waiting for. He had become an expert at reading women’s bodies, and he wanted to hear how he affected her.