Chapter 16

Eli

I woke up when I heard Mav's phone ring, but I didn't move from my position when I felt his arms release me so he could answer it.

"Hello?"

I couldn't hear what the other person was saying, but whoever it was spoke for a long time before Mav finally said, "Where?"

I felt the bed shift and finally turned over to see Mav sitting on the edge of the mattress. The blanket had fallen away to reveal his lower back and ass and I resisted the urge to reach out and run my fingers over the snakes that I was perversely coming to think of as mine.

"Yeah, okay," Mav murmured and then he hung up the phone. But he didn't put it down and he didn't move from his position. His shoulders were hunched and his hair was a tangled mess.

Probably from the several times we'd made love again throughout the night.

I could tell from the light filtering through the curtains that it was morning and a quick glance at the nightstand clock showed it was almost eight. Baby was lying quietly along the foot of the bed. Since I hadn't let him in, I could only assume Mav had. After I'd destroyed the perfect moment we'd had last night after I'd told Mav I loved him, there'd been a subtle shift in Mav. He'd kissed me and continued to hold me until our bodies had settled, but there'd been a strange distance that had grown between us – but it wasn't something I could clearly put my finger on.

We'd ended up showering after that and then I'd cooked Mav the enchiladas I'd promised him while he'd taken Baby for a walk. We hadn't spoken much as we'd eaten. Mav had suggested watching a movie on TV and I'd been thrilled when he'd pulled me in his arms so that I was pressed against him as we'd sat on the couch and watched. But still, there'd been something missing. He'd started kissing me during a slow part of the movie and when he'd finally turned it off and pulled me to my feet, I'd been more than ready for what was to come next. He'd made love to me slow and deep the first time and he'd actually made me come twice before he'd come himself. In the pre-dawn hours, he'd woken me up by slipping inside my body from behind. He'd brought me to another intense orgasm before taking his own, then we'd showered again. But as soon as he'd gotten done washing me, he'd lifted me into his arms and shoved into me with little warning or preparation. I'd wrapped my legs around him as he'd held my ass open with his big hands, his body pinning mine against the wall and I'd just held on as best I could for the brutally rough ride. My ass had felt like it was on fire from all the fucking we'd done, but I'd still come just as hard as I had all the other times we'd come together.

And still I wanted more.

When Mav didn't lay back down, I sat up and pressed myself against his back. I wrapped an arm around his waist and skimmed my lips over his cheek.

"Everything okay?" I asked.

Mav was quiet for a long time and I felt a chill go through me when he didn't respond to my touch in any way. He almost always touched me back in some kind of way, whether it was with a kiss or just to close his hand over mine. But his back was stiff and unyielding and he actually shifted a little as if trying to escape me even though he didn't get up .

"Um, yeah…I have to leave town for a few days to take care of something. I'll have Ronan take you home."

Mav tried to stand, but I quickly shifted so I was sitting next to him and held on to his hand. "Wait, what is it? What happened? Who was that on the phone?"

Mav wouldn't look at me as he studied his phone. But his expression was completely blank. "The ME's office in Newark. They need me to come ID and claim my mother's body."

I sucked in a breath and covered my mouth with my free hand. "Mav…"

Mav stood before I could hug him like I had planned. He tugged his hand free of mine. "Get dressed. I'll call Ronan," he said as he went around the bed and began scooping up his clothes. I scrambled off the bed and stopped him before he could escape into the bathroom like he intended.

"Mav, please, talk to me," I said as I rubbed my hands up and down his arms. His skin was tight and cold.

"Nothing to talk about."

"I'll come with you," I said as I released him and began gathering my clothes. I started making plans in my head as I yanked on my pants.

"Eli-"

I shook my head and said, "No, it's fine. I'll have Brennan watch Baby and I'm sure I can find someone to take my shift at the hospital. If not, they'll be okay without me for a few days…"

"Eli."

I kept talking since I knew what the tone in Mav's voice meant. "Do you think Ronan would mind taking Baby home for me so Brennan can pick him up?"

"Damn it, Eli! I don't want you to come!"

I froze at that because I hadn't expected him to come right out and say it. His voice was cold and dead. I turned around and saw that he'd managed to pull his pants on, but nothing else.

"Mav, you shouldn't do this alone."

"I've been doing this shit alone my entire fucking life! You really think I'm going to change all that for you? Because you're a good fuck?"

Pain ripped through my insides at the words and even though I tried to tell myself he was just lashing out and didn't mean them, I felt tears sting my eyes.

"Just go home," Mav bit out, more quietly this time and then he disappeared into the bathroom. I flinched when I heard the lock engage. I hadn't noticed Baby moving back and forth between us, but when I sat down on the edge of the bed, the dog shoved his nose against my lax fingers. I managed to get dressed despite the sudden physical ache in my body and when Mav didn't come out of the bathroom, I went to the living room to get my car keys and the small overnight bag I'd packed the day before when we'd picked up Baby. I sat down on the couch in the hopes that Mav might come out, which he eventually did a few minutes later, but as soon as he saw me through the double doors leading to the bedroom, he slid them closed. The fact that he didn't lock them meant nothing. Hell, it was probably because they didn't lock. Either way, he'd already locked me out of his heart.

I felt tears gathering in my eyes as I stood and went to the door. "Baby," I called. My dog was standing in front of the bedroom door whining incessantly and I felt tears slide down my cheeks.

He doesn't want us , I said silently to the dog.

"Baby, come," I said quietly and the big dog instantly came to me. I snapped on his leash and pulled open the front door, but nearly had a heart attack when I almost ran right into Ronan. He grabbed me before our bodies could collide and then gently released me. His eyes shifted from me to the bedroom and then back to me. He looked angry and I tried to discreetly step around him so I could make my escape. But he grabbed my arm and gently forced me back into the room.

"Sit," he said as he pointed to the couch. I wanted to both laugh and cry when Baby instantly sat down at Ronan's firm command.

"He asked me to leave," I started to say, but stopped when Ronan's features grew even tighter. I wiped at my face and went to sit on the couch. Baby came with me and jumped up onto the plush piece of furniture. I was glad to have something to hold on to when he lay down across my lap. I snuck glances at Ronan as he strode to the bedroom doors, but he didn't bother knocking. He just slid them open and walked right in before closing them behind him. I considered sneaking out while Ronan was preoccupied with Mav, but thought better of it. Ronan didn't seem like the best guy to piss off.

But that wasn't the only reason.

No, I stayed because some perverse part of me kept hoping that Mav would walk through those doors, take me in his arms and tell me he was sorry and ask me to stay.

"Not likely," I whispered to myself as I remembered Mav's cruel words about just being a good fuck. More tears welled in my eyes and I didn't even bother to try and stop them as I buried my face in Baby's soft fur.