Chapter 20

Mia

Her ass…

"WHOA, HEY, WHAT'S your hurry there, Mia?" Andrew says, as he watches me rushing around doing last-minute finishing touches behind the bar. The last customer of the night didn't want to leave, so now I'm running late getting to Mac's. I've already texted him to let him know.

"I'm late. I'm stopping by Mac's house on my way home. He needs to see me for something," I tell him, and grab my purse from under the bar. I lift the partition and leave it up. "I need you to walk me to my car."

"Oh, I see. He needs to ‘see' you for something. Is that a code name for ‘come give me a fuck'?" I turn to give him the evil eye and see a smirk on his face. I want to go over there and smack the look off his handsome face.

"Get your ass over here and walk me to my car. I'm not going over to fuck Mac."

"Why the hell not?" he asks, walking up to me with a genuinely confused look.

"Just because." I give him the generic answer people use when they want to avoid giving a real answer.

I tell Hoot bye on our way down the hallway toward the back exit. Andrew opens the door, and I walk out into the darkness before him.

"Well, maybe you should. Or… if not, you can always put in a good word for me," he adds, with a big grin.

"What about Jase?"

He lets out a pathetic sigh and says, "He's not here yet."

I laugh at his poor-me expression. The man seriously has it bad, and he hasn't even met the man yet. I really hope Andrew's not disappointed with Jase when he gets here. He really needs to find someone who will appreciate him and his brand of crazy.

I stop at my car and pull out my keys. Normally I don't lock my door, but since I found out someone slashed my tire, I've been locking both my car and my house. I'd prefer not to take chances.

I turn back to Andrew after unlocking my car and pat his shoulder. "You'll survive. I'm sure you can find someone to satisfy you until Jase gets here."

"Yeah, maybe," he says noncommittally.

I reach over and give him a hug and kiss before getting in my car and starting it. I put down my window.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, young lady." He tries to say it in a stern voice, but ruins it when his lips twitch.

"So, that pretty much leaves nothing then."

He gives me an evil laugh before replying with, "Yeah, pretty much."

I shake my head at him and start my car. I drive off to the sound of him still laughing.

It doesn't take long before I'm pulling up to Mac's house. Each minute that brings me closer, the more anxious I become. I'm nervous to discover the information he wanted to tell me. There's no telling what it could be. His attitude on the phone with having someone walk me to my car makes it sound like it's not good news.

I called him a couple minutes ago to let him know I was almost there. I see his silhouette sitting on the porch swing. That swing brings back many memories. As teenagers, we sat on that porch swing many times. I even recall some pretty heated make-out sessions on it. I feel a tingle in my nether regions at the thought.

Knock it off, Mia. That's not why you're here. I banish the thought from my mind.

I get out of my car and lock it. I walk across the yard and feel Mac's eyes on me the entire time. By the time I make it to the steps, he's at the top, waiting on me. I ascend the steps, and he grabs my hand when I'm standing in front of him. The light on the porch isn't that bright, but enough that I can see something in his expression. I just don't know what it means.

He bends his head and brushes his lips lightly across mine. I'm disappointed when he pulls back too quickly after the soft caress.

He leads me over to the porch swing and takes a seat, bringing me down beside him. He places both our hands in his lap.

"How was work?" he asks in the darkness.

"Not bad. The usual for a weeknight."

I feel the swing start to sway.

Getting antsy to know what he wants to tell me, I prompt him with, "What did you want to talk about?"

He's quiet for a minute, before he answers, "As you know from our conversation earlier, I have T here with me."

"Yes," I answer him. I find it a little strange because he wasn't supposed to get him until next week.

"I tried calling Tessa earlier to set up a time to talk to her. I didn't want to cause suspicion so I was going to tell her it was about T. She never answered and never returned any of my calls. A few hours after I first started calling her, T called to tell me that his mother was late picking him up from Taekwondo. He hadn't heard from her either. I picked him up and took him to Tessa's to pick up some of his things. I had decided I was done being nice. She messed up too many times regarding him."

I give his hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry, Mac."

He's quiet for a few more minutes. Just looks out into the darkness. I sit beside him, waiting for him to gather his thoughts.

"When we got to her house there was no sign of her. It was strange that she wasn't returning my calls. And to top it off, she forgot to pick T up. When I went to her room, I discovered clothes thrown all over the place, as if she packed in a hurry. Half her clothes are gone."

My grip tightens in his. The more he says, the more pissed I become. How could a mother just leave her son like that? There's no way she could know that something wouldn't happen to him. What a fucking low-down dirty bitch.

"So, she just left Trent at Taekwondo and took off? How in the fuck could someone do that?" I ask Mac, my voice angry.

"Someone that's scared her game has been found out," he says quietly.

"That may be so, but it also sounds like a selfish bitch out just for herself."

"That's not all I found out. When I got back here, I accessed her financial records. She withdrew the same amount of money the guy received for slipping you the Rohypnol. She also took out five thousand dollars yesterday."

"Well, fuck me. Guess we know who tried to have me raped then." My tone is bitter.

The swing shifts as Mac turns my way. I can feel him lean toward me.

"Look at me, Pix." When I turn my head his way, he continues. "As much as I hate to say this, all we have is circumstantial. None of this proves that she paid the guy to rape you. I can put out an APB on her to bring her in for questioning, but that's all. From the look of things, she's not going to just willingly show up."

I know all this, and it sucks. I may not be in law enforcement or a lawyer, but I know Mac doesn't have enough to prove she's to blame.

"I know, Sheriff."

He cups the side of my face and brings his closer to me. "I need you to be careful and watch your back. She obviously has help, because it was a man who paid the guy and gave him the roofie. All we have is a description of the guy, and a vague one at that."

"I'll be careful, but I reserve the right to beat the bitch's ass the next time I see her. She's already fucked up my life enough, and I did nothing about it. I'm not the same innocent and scared girl I was before. To top it off, she's fucking with an innocent child as well. She needs to be brought down a peg or two, and I'm just the person to do it."

An expression that looks a lot like pride comes across Mac's face before he clears it.

"You need to let me take care of it. As much as I love that you're upset on my and T's behalf, we need to do this the right way to make sure she receives the punishment she deserves."

"Yeah, well, I can't promise I can hold back if I see her. She's fucked me over one too many times. She's already stolen too many precious things from me."

I turn my head away from Mac and stare out into the darkness. The hatred I feel for Tessa is all-consuming. That woman has ruined so much for me. So much hurt has been caused by her obsession with Mac. Never have I wanted to hurt someone so much.

Mac puts his hand on my chin and turns my face back to him. "Baby, I know the pain she's caused you. I carried the same pain. I lost something precious as well. You have no idea how much I want to handle Tessa a certain way, but I can't. If it's not handled the right way, she could get off scot-free. I've already bent the rules getting her bank statement. I can't bend anymore."

He's right and I know it, but it doesn't make it any less difficult. Tessa deserves to suffer just as much as Mac and I have. No, she deserves to suffer more.

I nod at Mac because I can't verbalize my consent. My anger is too raw to say whether I can hold my temper or not the next time I see her, but I'll try.

"Come here," Mac murmurs, and I scoot closer to him. He puts his arm around my shoulders and I place one of my hands on his thigh. I lean my head against him, and we just sit in silence for a few minutes, both in deep thought.

"I missed this," Mac says into the silence.

My heart hurts at the tone of his voice. I know he's thinking about all the times we would sit out here, sometimes quietly. We would discuss what we wanted our futures to be like and we always agreed that our future would include each other. In those times, I couldn't imagine my life without Mac beside me. I would imagine an older version of us sitting on our own porch swing watching our kids play in the yard.

Sadness hits, and I have to clear my throat before I can talk.

"I have, too," I tell him quietly.

Mac starts running his fingers softly against my shoulder. His other hand reaches over and grabs mine from my lap. He starts playing with my fingers. It's relaxing, and I lean even more against him. In the light of the porch, I look down and watch as he runs a finger between mine. The feeling is erotic, and my heart rate kicks up.

I take my hand from Mac and get up off the swing. Being so close to him in light of everything that's going on is too much. I'm unsure of my feelings toward him. I'm still trying to determine if what we did the other night on his couch was a mistake. Obviously, my body wants to be with him, and even some of my heart does as well. I'm still scared though. Scared that something will cause it to fall apart again. Realistically, I know it's stupid to think that way because it was Tessa that caused our breakup, and she has no say in our relationship if we choose to have one. However, a small part of me fears that there would be no recovering this time.

I hear the creak of the swing behind me, and I know Mac has stood up. A couple seconds later, I feel his warmth at my back right before he slides his arms around me and places his hands beside mine on the railing in front of me. He runs his nose along the back of my neck, which causes goose bumps to appear on my arms.

"What's wrong?" he asks at my ear.

"Nothing. Just thinking if starting a relationship with you would be smart."

"Why wouldn't it be? You've got to know I would never hurt you."

He brings his body closer to mine, and I feel his erection come into contact with my ass. With him so close, it's making it difficult to think straight.

"I know you would never hurt me on purpose, but we both know shit happens sometimes that we have no control over."

He starts placing small kisses along my neck. Of its own accord, my head shifts forward, allowing him better access.

His voice is husky when he replies, "That's true, Pix. But with everything I am and everything I have, I'll make sure that never happens. Wouldn't we be worth the chance? What we had, what I know we can have again, would be worth anything. Take a chance on us, baby. Take a chance, and I promise you won't regret it."

I stand there and take in his words, wondering if I should give in and hope for the best. Such a big part of me wants to give in, turn around, and throw myself at him. I know if we could get back what we had, it would be worth it. Can I be courageous enough to give us another chance?

Yes! My mind and heart scream simultaneously.

I lean my head back against Mac's shoulder and tell him softly, "Okay."

I can feel his lips against my neck form a smile, which causes my own to tip up. I reach one of my arms back and twine my fingers in his hair to hug him closer. He releases one of his hands from the rail and brings it around my stomach right below my breasts. He squeezes me to him and continues to trail his lips up and down my neck, nipping away at the tender skin there.

I let out a moan and bring my other hand up and into his hair as well. What he's doing to my body is unbelievable, and he hasn't even really started yet. I've imagined so many times over the years what it would be like to be with Mac fully. I'm beginning to think it's going to be so much more than I imagined.

He releases the railing all together and places both hands at my waist, where he gives it a squeeze before slowly bringing them up my sides. With his upward movement, my shirt rides up as well, exposing my stomach. I push my ass back against his cock, and he lets out a little growl.

"Shit, Mia. I want you so fucking much. It's all I've thought about for as long as I can remember. You have no idea how many times I've jacked my dick to the thought of your tight, wet pussy wrapped around my cock."

His words elicit another moan from me, turning me on even more. Shivers race throughout my body, and my stomach flutters. Up until recently, I would have never admitted this, but he's not the only one who's imagined the two of us fucking.

"Then take me, Mac. God, please, just take me," I practically beg him.

"Oh, I plan on it, baby, but I want to play for a bit first."

I want to tell him no. That I need him to take me now, but what he's doing with his hands on my breasts feels too damn good.

My shirt is all the way up now, and he has the cups of my bra torn down, letting my breasts take in the night air. He takes both my nipples with his thumbs and forefingers and pinches and tweaks them. Moisture has already started coating my panties, and I squeeze my legs together to try to relieve some of the exquisite pressure. It does nothing to lessen the ache.

I release his hair from one of my hands and reach back to his ass. I try pulling him closer to me but it does no good either. Frustration starts to take hold, and I want nothing more than to push down my jeans, reach back and release his cock from his pants, bend over the railing, and demand he to fuck me. Hard.

I try to turn in his arms to get better access to his body, but he holds me in place.

"I need you to fuck me, Mac," I tell him on a moan.

"In a minute, Pix, I promise." I feel the coolness at my back as Mac steps away from me. I turn to watch over my shoulder as Mac walks to the door and opens it. He reaches just his arm inside, and a second later, the light goes off.

He smiles at me when he says, "As much as I want to see your gorgeous body, I don't want T to wake up and catch us on the porch naked. I'll explore that beautiful body of yours later."

When I make a move to turn around, he stops me. "No, keep facing the yard."

I comply with his demand and face forward again. A second later, I feel his hands tugging my shirt up farther and I lift my arms so he can remove it. Next, he unsnaps my bra and throws both on the swing. My breath hitches when I feel Mac's firm naked chest against my bare back. The light dusting of hairs on his chest rubbing me has me clenching my thighs together even tighter.

Mac presses his hips forward, which causes mine to move forward as well. Because of his forward motion, I have to put my hands back on the railing to catch my balance. My hips end up pressed against the railing.

Mac runs one of his hands up my stomach, between my breasts, until he reaches my neck. Once there, he wraps his hand around it and tilts my head back and to the side so he can claim my lips with his own. His other hand travels down, pops the button on my pants, and pulls down the zipper. His hand slips inside, and I suck in a breath when his finger runs along the damp material of my panties.

A deep groan comes from the back of Mac's throat when he feels how wet I am for him. He pulls his hand back just enough to slip it inside my panties. My knees nearly buckle when he slips the first finger inside.

I pull my head back from his kiss, not able to concentrate on what both his lips and fingers are doing. My breath comes in pants, and I grind down on his hand, silently begging for more. He slips in another finger, and I swear I see the northern lights behind my eyes. When he adds his thumb into the mix and presses it against my clit with a hard flick, I cry out.

"Shh…," Mac says at my ear, reminding me I have to be quiet because Trent is in the house. I have no idea how I'm going to pull off not making any noise, but I know I have to. What I really want to do, what my body is demanding I do, is scream to the skies in pleasure.

"Put your hands on the rail and keep them there. Don't remove them," Mac tells me. I'm so desperate for him to continue that I'm willing to do anything he asks.

I place my hands on the rail, but remove them again when he pulls his hand out of my pants.

"Mac, don't you dare fucking stop," I give him a glare over my shoulder.

He gives me a grin, and I barely stop myself from reaching over and smacking the grin right off his smug face. "Don't worry, Pix, I'm going to take good care of you. Now, hands back on the rail."

I shoot him another scathing look, which causes him to laugh, before turning back around and placing my hands on the railing. A minute later, Mac is behind me again and starts pushing down my pants and panties. I feel his lips on my lower back as he slowly lowers my clothes. His lips move down until he reaches my butt, where he bites and licks the globes. I arch my back to push my ass closer to him.

After the last of my clothes are removed, he runs his hands up the back of my legs, and I feel them start to tremble. He's not moving fast enough, and my body is demanding he do more and do it faster. When he reaches my butt, again he gives it a caress before he stands back up.

I hear rustling behind me, and a second later, I groan when I feel his cock meet my ass. His bare chest plasters itself against my back as well. He moves his erection until it's nestled between my thighs. I instinctually squeeze my legs together to keep him there, loving the feel of his smooth hard, cock rubbing against my sex. Because I'm so wet, his cock is able to easily slide between my legs and rub against my pussy. Each forward motion has him gliding against my clit, and I have to force myself to keep quiet. He feels so hard and warm against me. I want to lean forward and push my ass back so he can pound into me. Mac has other plans though.

He grabs a handful of my short hair and yanks my head back until he has access to my mouth. His tongue slips inside and I taste a hint of beer and Mac; pure bliss. He's always had a distinct taste to him, even when we were younger.

The kiss becomes more aggressive and his movements behind me pick up speed. I'm nearly on the edge, but I want Mac with me. I need to feel him inside me when I come. Mac must sense my closeness because he slows to a stop.

He releases his lips from mine and groans, "Fuck, Pix, please tell me you're on the pill."

"Yes," I whimper back at him.

"Thank fuck."

My voice comes out stronger when I tell him, "If you don't fuck me now, I'm going to kill you."

He nips my ear and whispers, "Whatever my Pix wants."

"If that was the case, you would have taken me ten minutes ago," I tell him, sexual frustration evident in my voice.

"I've waited ten years for this, Mia. I didn't want to rush it, but, like you, I don't think I can wait any longer."

He spins me around to face him and puts his hands on my hips.

"Hop on."

I know exactly what he wants, and I put my arms around his neck and lift my legs to wrap around his waist. He puts his hands on my ass and lifts me slightly until the tip of him is at my entrance. I hold my breath; I'm finally going to know the feeling of Mac inside me.

Only, he doesn't push into me right away. Instead, he looks deep into my eyes and asks, "Are you ready?"

I lean forward, put my lips against his, and give him a soft kiss before murmuring, "I've never been more ready. Take me, Mac. Finally make me yours."

With that, he slowly lowers me down his shaft, and it's the single most precious and delicious feeling I've ever felt. Nothing could have ever prepared me for this moment. Tears prick my eyes when I realize that since my eighteenth birthday, I've only ever been half of myself and now, now that Mac has claimed my body, I finally feel whole again.

We start out slow. Me using the strength in my legs to lift myself up and down on his cock. Him using his hands to help lift me. Our lips lock and our tongues dance in tune to our slow thrusts. Our moans and groans mingle, and the thump of our hearts matches. We breathe in each other's breaths. We are, essentially, one. Our bodies and souls are so in harmony with each other that there is no way anyone would be able to tell where one starts and the other begins. It feels so natural to be with Mac, as if we've been doing this for years, like we were made specifically for each other and all the others before were merely stand-ins until we were brought together again.

"Do you feel it, Mia?" Mac asks, after breaking away from our kiss.

"Yes," I tell him, knowing he's feeling the same strong response I am to us finally coming together.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

I lay my forehead against his and stare into intense green eyes.

"It's perfect."

Mac thrusts start to pick up speed, and the climb I felt inside me a few minutes ago is getting higher and higher. I clamp my legs tighter around him and grind my pussy down on him. We both let out a groan.

"Fuck, Pix, I knew it would be good, but I never imagined this."

His movements stop for a minute as he walks us over to the swing. With my legs still wrapped around his hips, he takes a seat, causing him to go even deeper in me. I nearly cry out but bite my lip at the last second.

Some people may think our first time should be in a bed with roses and shit like that. But I think making love on the swing where we've spent so much time fooling around and making plans for our future is perfect.

"Ride my cock, baby," Mac says in a strangled voice.

The swing starts swaying with my up-and-down motion, which adds to the movements. Mac leans forward and lifts one of my breasts to his waiting mouth. He takes in a nipple and sucks it into his mouth. I grab a handful of hair and crush him to me. I lift myself up and drop back down, hearing the strain in the chains. It doesn't concern me though. I wouldn't care if the damn swing broke right now.

When Mac bites down on my nipple, I throw my head back and cry out before I can stop myself. Mac takes my head and brings my mouth back to his to absorb my cries, knowing I can't hold them back anymore.

I start moving faster and Mac puts his hands on my ass to help. He lifts me up and down in frantic movements. Each time I'm lowered, my clit hits the base of his cock.

I feel the sparks start in my fingers before they flow through the rest of my body. My fingers dig into his shoulders when my body racks with uncontrollable tremors. Mac catches the cries of my release with his own mouth. His hands on my ass tighten, and I know he's finding his own pleasure. I feel the warm gush of his release inside me, and it sends me over the edge again.

Never in my life has anything felt so good, right, and perfect. Anger tries to take hold at all the time that was wasted, but I push it back. It has no place here right now. This is just Mac and me, and I won't let what Tessa did ruin it.

I lay my forehead on Mac's shoulder and try to steady my breath. Mac runs his hands up and down my back. I hear and feel his breathing isn't much better than mine.

After a few minutes, our breathing has become more normal. I lift my head and look down at Mac. I can't see his face that well, but from the light of the window, I can see a look of pure pleasure and contentment is written all over it. I know mine reflects the same emotions.

"Hey," I tell him quietly.

"Hey," he returns, and then picks up my wrist to kiss the inside. I sigh in pleasure at the sweet gesture.

We simply stare at each other for a bit before Mac leans forward and gives me a gentle kiss. He lifts me from his lap, and we both stand up. He puts his pants back on, telling me to stay where I am. He walks inside and comes back out a minute later carrying a washcloth. He squats in front of me and wipes the mixture of his and my cum from my thighs and pussy. The intimate act should embarrass me, but it doesn't. It's been years since I've been the type to get embarrassed with sexual acts.

When he's done, he reaches over, picks up my clothes, and helps me dress. We do all this in silence. There is no need to form words. We both know what we just experienced was something that has no words.

Once we're both dressed, we move back to the swing, where Mac rocks us gently. He has his arm around my shoulder and is once again playing with my fingers.

"Come back tomorrow, and we'll take Pepper and Drakar out for a ride. I'll see if T wants to go as well."

I don't have to think about my reply. I would love nothing more than to spend more time with Mac and Trent and to ride a horse again.

I glance at him and smile when I say, "Okay."

He smiles back at me and leans down to kiss my temple. I look down at my watch on my wrist and see it's late. I know he has to get up early in the morning with T. I really don't want to leave, but I know I have to.

"I should go."

His arm around my shoulder pulls me closer. "In a minute."

I snuggle closer to him and rest my head on his shoulder. I could stay here forever, and I would be completely happy. Yes, in the back of my mind, there is still worry, but I'm trying really hard to push it away and not let it scare me.

We sit for a few more minutes, just listening to the crickets chirp. Mac pulls away and stands, pulling me up beside him. He walks me to my car and then pulls me into his arms once we're at my door. I wrap my arms around him. When we pull apart, he leans down for a kiss.

"T is leery of you because of what Tessa's told him and the arguments he overheard us having when he was younger. I tried to shield him from it, but Tessa didn't care. He now thinks you are the reason his mother and I are no longer together. Even though you are indirectly, you're not the main reason. I want him to get to know you. Once he does, I know he'll change his opinion."

I figured as much. Tessa's obsession with Mac is so strong that she's willing to hurt her own son. What kind of mother does that? Damn sure not a good one.

"I'd love to get to know your son better, Sheriff. I just hope he gives me a chance."

"He will, Pix. I've explained some things to him already. He's agreed to keep an open mind."

"Okay," I tell him and reach up to give him one last kiss before getting in my car and starting it. I put down my window and Mac leans in to steal another. I laugh against his lips.

"See you tomorrow," he murmurs, and then steps back.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Be careful. Call me when you get home, okay?"

I raise my hand and salute him. "Yes sir, Sheriff."

I see him laugh at my playfulness when I crank my car. Waving, I pull out of his yard. Right before I pull out of his driveway, I look in my rearview mirror and see him from my brakes lights, still standing there watching me drive away.