Chapter 21

Mac

Her intelligence…

I'M STANDING IN FRONT of the stove frying bacon and eggs when I hear shuffling behind me. I turn to see a sleepy-eyed T, still wearing his sleep shorts and t-shirt, walk into the kitchen.

"Hey, kid, did you sleep well?" I ask, and then turn back around to flip the bacon over. Out the corner of my eye, I see T take a seat at the bar.

"Yeah, Dad, I slept pretty good," he replies in a sleepy voice. "But there was a creaking noise coming from the porch. Was it windy last night?"

I nearly choke on the sip of coffee I have just taken. Obviously, Mia and I weren't as quiet as I thought. We'll have to be more careful next time.

"Yes, the wind picked up about midnight. It was probably the swing."

I turn back to him to see his face, sure that if he actually saw us he wouldn't be able to hide it. He's bent over the counter rubbing his eyes. When he's finished, he looks up, and I see nothing in his eyes that would suggest he saw anything inappropriate.

Thank God for that.

"Mia's coming over in a bit, and we're taking a couple horses out. You want to come along?"

I turn the burner off, reach into the fridge for some orange juice, and pour T a glass before setting it in front of him.

"Can I stay here? There's a new game I want to check out."

"Yeah, but remember what we talked about. I want you to get to know Mia. She's going to be around more often."

I scoop some bacon and eggs on a plate and place it in front of him. He immediately picks up his fork and brings some eggs to his mouth. He's always been a big eater. I sit beside him with my own plate.

"Okay," he says, back to muttering.

I glance sideways at him at his change of attitude. I get that he's not completely comfortable with Mia yet because of what his mother said, but this seems like more. He always looks guilty when she's brought up.

I set my fork down on the counter and turn in my seat to face him.

"Alright, T, you need to tell me what's going on. I understand you don't care for Mia, but is there more I should know about?"

He picks up a slice of bacon and shoves it into his mouth, avoiding my eyes. I get ready to snatch his plate away when he doesn't say anything for a few minutes, but then he speaks.

"There's nothing going on, Dad. You know why I don't like her."

"Yes, I do, but it seems like more than that. You normally don't take an instant dislike to someone. You're one of the easiest-going kids I know. Your attitude lately has been shit. I need you to talk to me if you're having problems."

The aggravation and anger are plain to see on T's face. I just don't know what they're for or why he's closed himself off from me.

He jumps down from his stool and says loudly, "I've already told you, there's nothing else going on, okay? Stop bugging me about it." He stomps to the sink and dumps the dishes in before stomping back toward the door.

"Hey!" I say sternly to get his attention. "Get your butt back here, T, and sit down."

He swivels around and walks back to his stool with his head bent and takes a seat. He knows when I use that tone of voice he's pushed me too far, and he'd be wise not to push any further.

"Look at me." When I have his eyes, I tell him, "First, lose the damn attitude. It's getting old, and it's pissing me off. Second, if there's something you're going through and you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. I've been your age before and know there are some things you'd rather keep to yourself. That's okay, but when you start treating other people like crap because of it, it's not fine. You either need to learn to deal with it or get over it." I reach over and put my hand on his shoulder. "Just remember, T, I'm here for you. You can talk to me about anything, without fear of judgement, no matter what it is."

He bites his lip and looks like he's going to say something, but then changes his mind. He drops his eyes and nods. I sigh, resigned to the realization he's not going to talk to me yet. I just hope he eventually comes to me. We used to have such a close relationship. It's gone downhill lately, and I wish I knew why. I have a gut feeling it has something to do with Tessa.

I take my hand from his shoulder.

"Can I go to my room now?" he asks.

"Yes, just remember what I said. I'm going to pack a lunch for Mia and me to take with us. I'll have my cell phone with me if you need to call me."

He opens his mouth, and I know it's going to be a smart-ass remark. I lift my brow at him, and he wises up and doesn't let it come out. Instead, he mumbles, "See you later," before walking off to his room.

I shake my head at his retreating back. I hate seeing him like this, but if he's unwilling to talk to me, there's nothing I can do to help him except be there when he needs me.

I finish my breakfast, and then get up and clean my mess. I still have a couple hours before Mia is supposed to be here. I walk down to the basement and put in a good workout before jumping in the shower. I go back to the kitchen and fix a quick lunch of sandwiches, fruit, and cheeses for Mia and me.

After the lunch is packed, I walk back to my bedroom and go to the closet. I grab the box off the top shelf and dig through it until I find what I'm looking for. It's something I got for Mia years ago but never gave to her. Of course, it wasn't until recently that she would be willing to accept anything I gave her. What I hold in my hand is something I know she's always wanted but has never gotten before.

I grab a padded bag from the floor of my closet and put the large jar inside, before taking the bag out to the kitchen to set beside our lunch. I look at the clock above the stove right as the doorbell rings. I smile; she's right on time.

I open the door and, as every time I see Mia, my breath catches. She's always been the most beautiful woman to me, both the old Mia and the new one.

I grab her hand and give her my signature kiss to her wrist, before pulling her to me and planting one on her lips. We're both breathless by the time we break apart.

"You ready to go for a ride?" I ask, as we walk toward the kitchen.

"Yes, I can't wait. It's been years since I've ridden a horse."

"When was the last time?" I ask her, thinking I already know the answer.

"The last time was with you."

I nod.

I grab the bag and our lunch off the counter. I walk by T's room to let him know we're leaving and that he should call if he needs me and keep the door locked and stay inside. I let him know to warm up the leftovers from last night at the diner for lunch. The only reason I know he heard me is the slight nod he gives me. Sighing, I close the door behind me.

I stop by the closet and pull out a blanket. I hand Mia the blanket to carry, and she looks at me with a question in her eyes.

"We're going to have a picnic while we're out," I explain to her.

She graces me with a smile, and I return it with my own. I feel like a little kid about to go on an exciting vacation. It's pathetic, but I don't give a shit. I've waited years for this, and I'm damn well going to enjoy it.

I hold the door open for her, and we walk across the yard to the barn. After saddling the horses, I put everything in the saddlebags.

Mia walks up to Pepper and pets both sides of her face. "Hey, girl, you ready for a ride?" Pepper answers her by butting her head against Mia's, causing her to laugh. It's a sound I'll never get tired of.

I walk up behind Mia and kiss the back of her neck. She leans back against me and lets out a soft moan.

"You need help getting in the saddle?" I murmur against her neck.

Her head rolls to the side so she can look up at me. There's pleasure in her expression, and it takes everything I have not to lay her down in a pile of hay and fuck her senseless.

She smiles at me when she says, "It may have been years since I've ridden, but I think I remember how to climb on a horse."

"Damn," I mutter, stepping away from her, not hiding the fact that I wanted to feel her up when I helped her onto Pepper.

She shakes her head and laughs. We walk both the horses out of the barn. Once outside, she grabs on to the horn of the saddle and places her foot on the stirrup and hoists herself up, as if it hasn't been years since she's done it. She was always a natural. I swing up on Drakar. We both click our tongues and tap our feet on Drakar and Pepper's sides to get them moving. When I look over at Mia, she has a look of pure happiness on her face.

"God, I've missed this so much," she says, leaning forward to rub Pepper's neck.

I promise myself right then and there that we'll take the horses out any time she wants. More and more of the old Mia is slipping through, and I'm determined to bring out the rest.

"Where are we going?" Mia asks after we travel for a few minutes.

"To our tree," I tell her simply.

She smiles her beautiful smile at me again and says, "Race you," then takes off in a fast gallop.

I spur Drakar to go faster, and it doesn't take me long to catch up with her. There's a reason T loves Drakar; he's really fast.

When we're riding side by side, I look over at Mia and hear her laughing. She lets go of the reins, throws her arms out to the side, and tips her head back. The wind blows through her short hair, and she's never looked more beautiful than she does in that moment.

We slow Drakar and Pepper when we come up on our spot. We both hop down and unload the stuff from the saddlebags. The horses are left to graze in the field. I lay the blanket down on the ground underneath our weeping willow tree that we claimed when we were younger. Mia turns in circles, looking around.

"It looks just the same," she says, walking up and taking a seat on the blanket beside me.

Our spot is in a big field. The only tree close by is the weeping willow. The branches hang so low they almost covers us, giving us a sense of privacy. The land is flat, and all you can see are the lavender flowers that fill the field. Mia fell in love with the spot on sight and declared it ours.

"That's because it is."

I start pulling out our sandwiches, fruit, cheese, and water bottles. Mia gets on her knees and crawls to the base of the tree. I know what she's looking for, and I know she's found it when she reaches out to run her fingers across the inscription on the tree.

Mac + Mia = Per sempre e sempre. Forever and Always.

I see a whole slew of emotions cross Mia's face. The one that gets to me the most is the pain.

"Do you ever come out here anymore?" she asks me quietly.

"Once a week for the past ten years," I tell her, speaking the truth.

Her eyes jump to me in surprise at my confession. "Really? Why?"

I scoot over to her and lay my hand over hers that are still on the tree. "Because I never stopped thinking about you. You may not have wanted the forever anymore, but I did. You never stopped being my forever, Pix, even when you hated me. Even when I thought I never had a chance with you again."

I see her eyes water over and she looks down, saying, "Sorry."

I lift her face back to mine. "Why are you sorry? You have nothing to apologize for."

"I'm sorry that I never let you talk and tell me what happened. You went through that by yourself when I should have been there. I should have given you the chance."

I grab the sides of her face and rub her cheeks with my thumbs. "Oh, Mia, I don't blame you for that. You were hurt. I knew that. Yes, I wish you had let me explain, but I understand why you didn't."

"I wish I had as well. We lost so much time."

We're both still on our knees, and I scoot over to her and pull her into my arms. She wraps her arms around me tightly. I rest my head on top of hers. We did lose time, but not anymore. No way am I letting Mia get away from me now.

I kiss the top of her head before pulling away. "Let's eat."

She wipes a tear from her cheek and sits back on her legs. "Okay."

We both get comfortable and start eating our food in silence, just watching the wind rustle the flowers. We've always been able to come out here and just sit. The peace and tranquility are enough, no words necessary.

Mia breaks the silence when she asks, "I haven't gotten the opportunity to ask. How do you like being sheriff?"

"Hmm… depends on the day. Some days, I love it. Other days, when I have to get up at two in the morning to get a cat out of tree, not so much. All in all, I wouldn't change anything though. As you know, Jaded Hollow isn't very big and not much happens here, but I like knowing that people come to me to keep them safe."

"I know you've always wanted to become sheriff. I'm glad your dream came true for you."

Mia puts down the container holding the fruit and leans back against the tree. I slide over until I'm next to her. I lie back, resting on my elbow. I reach up and play with the frayed edges of her jean shorts. Mia reaches over with her bare feet and touches the bag still sitting on the blanket.

"What's that?"

I reach over and grab the bag. "I got you this a few years ago when I went to South Carolina." I pull out the jar and hand it to her. She takes it from my hand and sucks in a sharp breath.

"Oh, my God, Mac."

She holds the jar filled with sand and shells up to her face. She squeals with delight, and I can't help but laugh at her excitement. A few years ago, I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for a vacation. I knew Mia had never been to the beach before. It was one of her dreams to see the ocean and gather seashells. I thought of her the whole time I was there.

Mia opens the jar and pulls out one of the shells sitting on top of the sand.

"That's a sand dollar. I bleached it for you. You can paint designs on it," I tell her.

Her eyes light up at the thought of putting her own design on it. She reaches in and pulls out another shell.

"And that's a clam shell."

She puts down the shell and reaches in past the few other shells inside until she gets to the sand. She grabs a small handful, pulls it out, and puts it on the blanket. The way she's entranced with the stuff reminds me of a kid. It's amazing to watch the fascination on her face.

"It's so soft," she says in awe.

She replaces the lid and carefully sets the jar beside her on the blanket. She turns and launches herself onto my lap, causing me to lie back. I laugh as she places kisses all over my face.

"Thank you!" My cheek. "Thank you!" My chin. "Thank you!" She finally makes it to my lips. When she goes to pull away, I put my hand on the back of her head to keep her there. She goes soft in my arms.

I twist my head to get to her mouth better. She tastes of strawberries, and they quickly become my favorite fruit. Her legs are on either side of my hips, and I grab her ass to pull her more firmly against me. My hard cock meets her center, and she moans into my mouth, rocking herself on me. The feel of her warm sex flays my control.

I bring my hands up to her shirt, and we break apart just long enough to pull it over her head. Our lips immediately meet again. I run my hands along her back, and I feel goose bumps pop up on her flesh. I snag the back of her bra and pop it loose. The cups fall away from her tits. She pulls back and takes it the rest of the way off. Her hands go to the bottom of my shirt. I sit up and reach back between my shoulder blades to grab the material and pull it off.

Her hands run over my pecs, grazing my nipples, and I let out a hiss. Her eyes flare at my response to her touch. I lean forward and take a nipple between my teeth and give a tug. She squirms on my dick and grips my hair.

"Again, Mac," she pants out.

I release the one I was playing with and move on to the other one. She releases my hair and her hands move down my back, where she digs her nails into my skin. The movement is harsh, but damn, I love it. I love that I can bring her this much pleasure.

"I need more, Mac."

"Stand up," I grit out.

She scrambles off my lap and stands in front of me. I get on my knees and quickly undo her shorts. I pull them and her skimpy yellow panties off.

"Shit, Pix. We're going back to those panties later."

I bring my hands up her smooth legs until I reach the apex of her thighs. I can see the glistening moisture there, and move forward and run my tongue through her lips.

"Fuck, you're drenched and taste so fucking good." I growl against her. I feel her legs give out at my tongue swipe, and I bring my arms around her to hold her up.

I don't feast on her long, too impatient to slide my cock inside. I pull back and unbutton and unzip my pants. I tug them down my legs, while Mia watches with lust-filled eyes.

As soon as I'm done, I lie back on the blanket, grab my cock with one hand, and crook my finger at Mia with the other. "Come here, baby."

She eagerly steps over my hips and lowers herself. I stop her when just the tip is inside, knowing that if she sinks on me all the way I'm going to lose it.

"What the fuck are you doing, Mac? I need you inside me," she says, and tries to push down.

"I know, baby. Just give me a minute here," I grit out between clenched teeth. "You slide down my dick right this second, and it's over."

Mia drops her head in the crook of my shoulder. Both our breaths are coming out in pants. I try my best to get control of my body. Mia sits back up and becomes impatient. She reaches down between us with one of her hands and starts rubbing her clit. I look down, watching as she pleasures herself, and lose it.

"Son of a bitch!" I snarl and slam Mia down on me at the same time I bring my hips up. She cries out, and at first, I think I hurt her, but when I look up into her eyes, I see nothing but pure, unadulterated bliss. I grip her hips tight and start lifting her up and down my shaft, knowing this is not going to last long.

Her tits jiggle in front of me, tempting my mouth. I lift my head and catch one peak in my mouth. Her hips bear down on mine, grinding her clit against me. I pull my mouth back and flip Mia to her back. Her hands go to my back and score the skin there.

Fuck! She's feisty!

I grab her hands and pull them from my back before she rips off all the skin and bring them above her head. I transfer her hands to one of mine and bring my other hand down and under her ass. I lift her hips and pound the ever-loving hell out of her pussy. I really need her to go over the edge first. No way am I leaving her behind.

"Yes!" she shouts, when I switch my angle. Her pussy grips my cock so tight it's almost painful. I have no idea how I'm going to last long enough for her to reach her peak.

"Goddamnit, Pix, your pussy's so fucking tight. I need you to come, baby."

Her legs tighten around my hips, and I feel her pussy squeeze my cock even tighter. She's close. A minute later, she shouts, and I slam my mouth down on hers to take her screams into mine.

Once her screams are down to whimpers, I release her mouth and sit back on my legs. I grip her hips and pull her so her ass is sitting on my thighs. Each forward movement I pull her hips to me. She arches her back, thrusting her tits in the air. Her arms are thrown back above her head. She watches me through half-closed eyes as I fuck her. I pick up my speed, and I'm soon finding myself emptying every last bit of cum I have in me, causing her to milk my cock again with another release and prolonging my own. My thrusts slow down, but don't stop completely, wanting to drag out her climax.

Both of our chests are heaving, and we're out of breath. I settle Mia's hips back down and then fall to my elbows and hover over her. Our sweat-covered chests come together. I rest my forehead on hers, and we gaze into each other's eyes.

"Wow, that was intense," Mia says after a few minutes and our breathing is halfway back to normal.

I smile at her. "That's putting it mildly. I may need you to put antiseptic on my back from all the scratches you left on me."

If I hadn't witnessed it myself, I wouldn't have believed it, but a cute little blush forms on Mia's face. She looks down and mutters, "Sorry."

I chuckle at her discomfort and nudge her head back up with my nose. Once she's looking at me, I kiss the tip of her nose and tell her, "It's okay. I like that I can make you lose yourself like that."

As much as I don't want to, I know we need to pack up and get back to T. I don't like leaving him alone for long periods of time, especially with what's going on with his mother.

"We need to head back to T."

She nods, and I get up off Mia and turn to grab our clothes. I hear a strangled sound come from behind me and turn back to her. Mia has her hand up at her mouth and a look of horror on her face.

"Oh, my God, Mac. I am so sorry." She scrambles up and comes over to me, trying to turn me to face the other way so she can better see the welts I'm sure are popping up on my back. I stop her movements by grabbing her arms.

"I told you Mia, it's okay. I bear these marks gladly. Do you have any idea how it makes me feel to know I bring you to the point of losing control?"

"But, Mac, you're bleeding!" Her voice is loud, and I can tell this really upsets her.

I grab the side of her face. "I love those marks, Pix. I wouldn't trade them for anything."

She's still unsure, but I can tell she's trying to accept my words for what they are.

"Come on, let's get dressed. I want you to ride with me back to the house. I missed having you in front of me on a horse."

Some of the uncertainly leaves her face when she says, "I would love that. I've missed it too."

We get dressed in silence and gather everything up and put them back in the saddlebags. I grab Pepper's reins and tie them to the back of Drakar's saddle. I hop up on the saddle behind Mia, and we slowly make our way back to the house.