Chapter 25

Mia

Her kindness…

LOADED UP WITH the grill, a cooler full of drinks, and lunch supplies in the back of the truck, we head toward the lake at the back of Jaxon's property. It's been a couple years since we've all gotten together like this, just us adults. At least for me anyway. In the past, I would always bow out if I knew Mac was going to be there. Being around him more than I needed to be was something I was not willing to do. It would bring back the bittersweet memories of our past and would either piss me off or make me want to cry all over again. I avoided him like the plague, if at all possible. Now though, I'm looking forward to this get-together.

Trent and Amari are at my mom's house. I felt bad for leaving him behind but knew that this was not a family get-together type of barbeque. Mac promised him we would take him swimming this weekend. He was fine with staying with my mom.

Mac reaches across the cab, unbuckles my belt, and slides his arm around me to tug me over so I'm in the middle of the bench seat. Once I'm situated with my seat belt back on, he puts his hand on my thigh. I lean over to him and kiss his neck. Just a peck, but enough to have Mac squeeze my thigh in warning.

"I heard from my mom. I meant to tell you last night. They're making a trip up next weekend," Mac tells me.

I'm still a little undecided on how I feel about seeing his parents again after all these years. Mac says they understand my neglect of them and that everything will be okay and they'll welcome me back with open arms, but I'm still doubtful. What I did to them was shitty. They aren't the ones who hurt me, but I treated them as such. It was just too painful to see them. That, and I feared running into Mac if I did go over to his house. I also think about how I treated Mac when he needed me the most. Will they blame me for not being there for him? I just hope Mac's right and they forgive me.

"That's great! I can't wait to see them again," I say to him, trying to sound enthusiastic and not as nervous as I actually do feel.

Mac must have sensed my trepidation, because he grabs my hand and brings my wrist to his mouth. I shiver in response. It gets to me every time he does that.

"Stop worrying. I told you, everything is going to be fine. They love you, Pix."

"Do they know we're back together?" I ask, unsure if I want them to know yet.

"Yes, they know, and they're ecstatic. You should have heard my mom when I told her. I thought she was going to burst my eardrums. Then she started sobbing over the phone. My dad had to take it from her until she calmed down. Believe me, Mia, they are both very happy that we're together again."

I smile over at him and feel a little better. Only time will tell if what he says is true. I've missed his parents so much and am genuinely looking forward to seeing them again, even if they are worried about Mac and me being together again.

"Do they know I'm staying with you, and the situation with Tessa?"

He sighs and releases my hand, but places it back on my thigh. His thumb moves slowly back and forth.

"They know that T's staying with me because of his mother and that you're staying with me for safety reasons, but they don't know the details. I'll probably sit down with them while they're here and let them know what's going on."

That's good. They have a right to know what's going on with their son and grandson.

We pull up to the clearing by the lake a few minutes later. Jaxon, Bailey, Chris, and Andrew are already here. Nick said he may stop by sometime today. Ethan and Karyn are supposed to come by after Karyn gets off work from the diner after the lunch rush.

Instead of sliding over to my side of the truck to get out, Mac pulls me out with him on his side. As soon as my feet hit the ground, he grabs my hair and pulls my head back for a short but scorching kiss. I'm breathless by the time he pulls back. I give him the evil eye, because he knows he gets to me, even when it's just a kiss. The little shit just smiles at me and taps the end of my nose, before walking off to the back of the truck. Just for that, he can unload the damn truck by himself.

I stand there watching with satisfaction as he takes everything out of the truck, until Jaxon ruins it for me by helping. I scowl at them both and turn around right as Bailey and Chris walk up.

"It's so strange seeing the two of you getting along. For the past two years, I've watched you both giving each other shit or sending each other longing glances when one thought the other wasn't looking. It's a nice change."

I look back over to Mac and Jaxon and see them laugh at something. I've missed him so much over the years. I never realized how much until we started talking again.

I turn back to Bailey and Chris and give them a small portion of the truth. "When we dated years ago, something happened to break us apart. What I thought happened wasn't the complete truth. There was more to the story than what I saw."

"I assume you know the whole truth now?" Chris asks.

"Yeah, Mac pretty much left me no choice but to listen to him. I just wish I had listened sooner. We lost so much time." I finish with a sad smile.

Bailey leans over and hugs me before pulling back and looking me right in the eye. "Don't dwell on the past. There's nothing you can do to change it. You finally did listen. Think about the future now. I've never seen you so happy, Mia. Before, you tried to play it off, but I always saw sadness in your eyes. The sadness is gone now. Now, all I see is pleasure."

Her words bring tears to my eyes. I pull her into my arms again for a fierce hug. Bailey is one of the sweetest women I know. She's right. I tried so hard to make people believe I was truly happy in my life, but deep down, I always felt like I was drowning. Finally, after years of suffocating, I can breathe again without it hurting.

Chris gives me a small smile over Bailey's shoulder, and then hugs me once Bailey and I break apart. In my ear she whispers, "I'm really happy for you, Mia. You deserve to be happy."

I pull back and give her a watery smile. She smiles in return.

We make our way over to the blanket that is set out, while Mac and Jaxon start setting up the grill. Andrew's sprawled out in all his hot and tattooed glory. He's on his stomach so we all get a glimpse of the huge tree tattooed on his back. The base of the tree starts right above his butt. The trunk travels up his spine until it gets to his shoulder blades, where the leafless branches expand and start wrapping up and around his shoulders. Every so often, you see black birds sitting on the dead branches. It's a beautiful piece.

"Get your lazy ass up and come help, Andrew," Jaxon says, carrying the cooler of drinks.

"Hey, hey, now, no need to get snippy, hotness. I was just relaxing. If you wanted me to get up so you can check out my amazing chest, all you had to do is ask. You know I'm always prepared to please you." Andrew gets up and puffs out his chest, running his hand down his pecs and abs. He has both of his nipples pierced. All three of us girls stare in appreciation. Andrew really is a sight to see.

"No thanks, fucker," Jaxon says. "If I want to see an amazing chest, I'll just look at mine. Now, go grab the other cooler out of the truck." He turns to Bailey, who still has her eyes on Andrew's magnificent chest. "Bailey, if you don't stop looking at him, I'll be forced to take you in those woods over there and show you exactly whose chest you should be drooling over."

Bailey's eyes snap to Jaxon and a cute blush covers her cheeks. Jaxon smirks at her, which makes her narrow her eyes at him. He had better watch it. Bailey isn't the sweet, innocent girl she used to be. It's not very often, but when pushed, Bailey can be a force to be reckoned with.

I turn to look at Mac and see a calculated look in his eyes. I know he's thinking the same thing as Jaxon. My silent stare back at him dares him to even try. Chris's next comment interrupts our silent battle of wills and causes both Bailey and me to laugh.

"Well, I'm not attached to anyone, so I can look my fill."

"At least someone appreciates my beauty," Andrew mutters, walking toward the truck.

Mac and Jaxon both just shake their heads and continue to get things ready for the cookout.

Bailey, Chris, and I get settled on the blanket. Chris and I remove our tops. We're both wearing bikinis. Mine is a dark gray, while hers is pure white. I look over at Bailey and see the indecision written all over her face. Her body is marked from her time with Steven, and she's still self-conscious about it.

I watch as she finally comes to a decision, and I couldn't be more proud of her. With shaky fingers, she lifts the hem of her shirt and pulls it over her head. She has on a modest forest-green bikini top, but it still reveals the lines and dips of the scars she carries. She looks at me when she's done, and I smile at her in encouragement.

All three of us lie back and soak up the sun and listen to the guys rumble about. The sun feels nice on my skin. I'm naturally darker-skinned so I don't need to sunbathe to get a tan, but I like to do it every once in a while just for the relaxation it gives me.

"Did Jaxon tell you he heard from your dad the other day?" Bailey turns her head to ask me.

At the mention of the man who likes to claim he's my father, my body stiffens. No, Jaxon hasn't told me. Probably because he knows I don't want to know. That man is a piece of shit who cares about nothing but himself. When he left us, there was a huge weight lifted from the house and everyone left in it. Yes, he was my father and I should have been sad, but he hadn't acted like a father in years. He was constantly putting us all down and had cheated on Mama with several different women. The kicker was that he didn't even try to hide it. He eventually moved to hitting my mom, but that didn't last long. Jaxon made sure of that.

The most fucked-up part about it all is that he wasn't always like that. When I was a kid, I remember him being the best father there was. He always had time for us kids. When he would come home from work, he would walk up to mom and give her a big kiss, and then turn to us kids and play with us until it was supper time. He treated my mom like precious gold, always catering to her every whim. My mom wasn't a demanding woman, but he would find little ways to do things for her. I remember waking up each morning to my mom and dad sitting at the table beside each other talking quietly and laughing over a cup of coffee. I remembered always wanting a love like my parents had.

When I reached high school, everything changed. To this day, my mom has no idea what made him change. She likes to think it was a midlife crisis, but who knows.

I turn my head in Bailey's direction and curl my lip. "He knows better than to bring him up to me. He's tried in the past, but I always shut him down. I have no desire to ever know what's up with that man."

She nods in understanding. She knows the subject is a sore one for both Jaxon and me. Probably more so Jaxon since it was his fiancé that our dear ol' dad ran off with, right after she aborted Jaxon's baby. Yes, it's majorly fucked, but that's our father for you.

"How did Jaxon do?" I ask her, because normally after Jaxon talks to our father he's not in the best of moods. Who can really blame him though?

"He was okay. Mostly quiet." She looks at me and starts chewing on her lip, like she's trying to decide on whether or not to tell me something. I save her the trouble.

"Just spit it out, Bailey," I tell her as gently as I can, but I know it still comes out harsh.

"He called to tell Jaxon that he and Cara are having another baby," she rushes out.

This doesn't surprise me, but it still pisses me off because my father knows how much it must hurt Jaxon. It's like he's gloating to Jaxon. It makes me want to hunt him down and rip his damn dick off and shove it down his throat so he can't have any more babies with that hoe bag Cara.

"He was fine after a while, but I know it still bothers him," Bailey says, after a few minutes. "I also know that having Amari helps as well."

"I still hate that he does that to Jaxon. He knows damn good and well what it must do to him. He just doesn't care. He's a selfish prick."

Bailey and Chris both nod in agreement. We lapse into silence. I'm almost asleep when a huge shadow blocks the sun. I open my eyes and see an upside down, shirtless Mac looming over me with a big grin on his face. The only thing he has on are his navy-blue board shorts. My mouth immediately becomes dry, and my heart does a pitter-patter at seeing his beautifully built chest. He squats down and lowers his mouth to give me an upside down kiss. His tongue and lips linger, sending a warm shiver racing through me, before leaning back on his heels.

"Come swim with me," he says quietly.

I look over and see Chris lounging on her stomach. Bailey is with Jaxon with her arms wrapped around him from behind while he mans the grill. Andrew is nowhere to be seen.

"Okay." Mac helps me up from the blanket, and I slip off my shorts. I hear Mac groan behind me once my shorts are lowered, and I glance over at him. What I see in his eyes brings moisture between my legs. His eyes are running up and down my body with such intense sexual desire.

I clear my throat to get his attention. When he looks at me, there is no regret for being caught ogling me. He sends me a cocky smile.

Men.

He turns his back to me and says over his shoulder, "Hop on."

I walk up behind him, wrap my arms around his neck, and give myself a little jump to bring my legs around his waist. He puts his hands underneath my upper thighs to help keep me on his back and starts walking forward.

An evil little grin forms on my face. I lean forward start licking and kissing the back of his neck. His skin is salty from sweating, but I've never tasted anything so good.

I feel his hands tighten on my thighs before he says in a warning voice, "Mia…"

"What?" I murmur innocently, after sucking and leaving a very impressive hickey on his shoulder.

"You know payback's a bitch, right?" he asks, as he continues to walk.

"Suck it up, baby." I use my tongue and leave a wet trail from the crook of his neck up to his ear, where I whisper to him, "That's what this is. Payback from earlier." I suck his earlobe into my mouth.

"Fuck," he hisses, and falters a step. "You don't stop and we'll be arrested for indecent exposure, because I sure as shit will take you right here."

I chuckle in his ear and start running my hand up and down his chest and flicking his nipple with my nail.

"Arrest me, Mac. I'd love for you to use your handcuffs on me," I whisper in his ear.

"Shit, Pix," he groans. "You've got to stop, or we're never going to make it to where we're going."

"Where are we going?" I ask against his neck.

"You'll see," he says evasively.

Intrigued by his answer, I glance up to see we're just beyond the clearing and have entered the woods. I know exactly where he's going when he takes an immediate right, heading back toward the lake. I squeal and bounce on his back when he stops us at a short cliff that drops off to the water.

I kiss the back of his neck before jumping down and walking to the edge. The water is deeper here. I turn to Mac, who is watching me with a smile on his face. He's leaning against the tree with the swing attached to it. We used to come here all the time and swing from that rope and free fall into the water. I would get on his back and he would swing us out as far as he could, and we'd plunge into the warm water.

"Can we?" I ask excitedly. I feel like a kid again. The feeling is unusual for me, but I love it. I haven't felt this carefree in years. Mac always has a way to bring out the silly and goofy in me.

"You know it." He sends me a wink and unwraps the board attached to the long rope and turns his back to me once again.

"Climb aboard, my lady."

I walk up to him, and for the second time that day, hop onto his back. I'm surprised my face hasn't split in two from the huge grin on it. This is so exciting. I've always loved jumping with Mac.

"You ready?" he asks, looking over his shoulder at me.

I give him a hard peck on his lips, pull back, and nod. Mac walks us back a couple of steps and lifts one foot to put it on the board. He steps up on the board with his other foot, which releases our hold on the ground, and off we go. I squeal and yell as we glide over the water. The wind whips my hair and my grip on Mac tightens. Right as we reach the highest point over the lake, I let go of Mac and scream as I fly through the air and land feet first in the water.

I bob to the surface just as Mac hits the water. I sputter and laugh, having the time of my life. When Mac makes it to my side, I yell, "Let's do it again!"

We get out and jump three more times before I finally get my fill. When Mac reaches me this time, he pulls me into his arms for a kiss. It's hard to stay steady and upright in the water, since neither of us can touch the bottom. We both kick to keep afloat as we kiss.

After a few minutes, we break apart and make our way over to the little hidden alcove directly below the swing. It recedes into the cliff, giving us plenty of privacy. It's more shallow so we're both able to touch the bottom. I bring my body flush against Mac's and bring my lips to his.

"Thank you," I say against his lips.

"Anything to make my Pix happy."

I feel his warm chest against mine, and my nipples harden. His hard cock is against my stomach when I desperately need it against my pussy. With my arms wrapped around his neck, I lift up and wrap my legs around his waist, the water making me weightless. I let out a low moan when his hardness meets my soft and achy core.

I pull my lips from his and rest my forehead in the crook of his neck. Mac has his hands on my ass, grinding my pussy against him. I know I need to be quiet because the others could hear us, but damn, he makes it hard.

"Mac," I whimper against his neck.

"I know, Pix."

Mac reaches behind my neck and pulls the string that holds my bikini up. My breasts fall free, and he lifts me slightly so he can pull a beaded nipple into his mouth. I lean back and laze in the water to give him better access. His mouth is warm against my cool skin, and I suck in a sharp breath at the sensations coursing through me. He switches to my other breast and applies the same treatment.

I bring my hand down between us and untie the string on his shorts. I reach inside and pull out his cock and start sliding it up and down. He's hard as fucking steel. When I rub my thumb against the tip of him, he releases a hiss.

"Goddamn, Mia, I need to be in you, baby."

His lips leave my nipples, and I bring my body back up so it's plastered to his chest. The little bit of hair on his chest scratches against me, and the feeling has me bucking my hips. I let go of his cock just long enough for me to move my bikini bottoms aside. I bring the tip of him to my clit and rub it back and forth.

Fuck! That feels good.

But it's not enough. After a few swipes, I fit him to my entrance and push down at the same time Mac pulls me to him. Mac slams his mouth down on mine to absorb my cries of pleasure. We seriously need to find better places to have sex. Having to always muffle my cries is killing me.

The water around us laps at our bodies as we move against each other. Our lips move apart, but our foreheads rest together. We watch each other with heated eyes as we both move toward the climax of our lovemaking. This isn't the normal fast and impatient sex we've been having. Nothing is rushed about it. We move slowly, enjoying the feeling of the other, never taking our eyes off the other.

When we finally reach our peak together, our lips meet on a soft and sweet kiss. I lay my head against his shoulder as we catch our breaths, Mac's cock still nestled in my body.

After a few minutes, I unwrap my legs from around Mac's waist and fix my bottoms, while Mac tucks himself back inside. I turn to him so he can retie my top. Once done, I turn back to him.

He pulls me back into his arms and looks deeply in my eyes. "I love you, Pix."

My heart stutters at his words. Not because I don't return the feelings or don't want him to love me. I'm just surprised and so happy to hear them. I never thought I would hear him say those words to me again. I've known for a while that I never stopped loving him. How could I when he's been everything I've ever wanted?

I smile and tell him, "I love you too, Mac."

He crushes me to his chest at my words. When he pulls back, there is a whole slew of emotions on his face. Relief, elation, and a hint of surprise are just a few.

"I never thought I would hear you say those words to me again," he says, mirroring my own thoughts.

"I never stopped loving you, Mac. I'm still scared that something is going to come along and mess it all up, but I refuse to let that stop our happiness. I need you in my life, Mac. I never realized how alone I felt until you forced your way back to me."

"You'll never have that feeling again. Nothing and no one will separate us again. You're mine, and I plan to keep you."

His face is serious, but I still chuckle at his barbaric words. God, I really do love this man.

"We better get back before they send out a search party," Mac mutters.

We find the ledge on the side of the cliff, and Mac helps me climb up, easily following me. We hold hands and walk in silence back to the others.

When we make it back, Ethan and Karyn are there. Nick is here as well. He looks to be moody, if the expression on his face is any indication. It seems like he has a permanent scowl on his face lately. He's off to the side, talking to Jaxon and Ethan.

Karyn comes running up to me with a loud squeal.

"Guess what, Mia?" she says, jumping up and down.I take a wild off-the-wall guess just to mess with her. "You're pregnant."

The excitement on her face disappears and disappointment replaces it.

"How did you know? You totally ruined my surprise." She pouts.

Oh shit! I didn't see that coming.

"Um… I guessed," I tell her honestly, feeling bad for taking away the good news she was so happy to give. "Shit, Karyn, I didn't know. But congratulations!"

Mac leans down and kisses my temple, telling me he's going to go talk with the guys. Bailey and Chris come to join our party of burst bubbles.

I reach over and give Karyn a hug. When I pull back, her big grin is back in place.

"Guess what else?" she asks, and then doesn't let me answer. "Never mind, I'll tell you. Don't want you to ruin this one, as well. Ethan asked me to marry him, and I said yes!" She jumps up and down, laughing. Bailey, Chris, and I watch her with happy grins on our faces. Obviously, Karyn has already told Bailey and Chris while Mac and I were occupied.

"I'm so happy for you both, Karyn! Ethan's a good man and would make a wonderful father and husband. And you're just as special, if not more so." I say the last with a wink at her.

"I know," she says, and looks over at Ethan, who is trying his best to avoid Andrew. We all laugh at him and his useless attempts. "I'm so glad I moved here and met him, met all of you."

"We are, too," Bailey says, hugging Karyn.

Chris steps up, offers her own hug, and says, "I'm so happy for you. You deserve this."

Our happy moment is shattered when we all hear Andrew yell, "Hey, Mia Pia, how was it having sex with Mac in the hidden alcove?"

"Jesus, fuck, Andrew," Mac says.

"What?" Andrew asks, as if he didn't just inform everyone what Mac and I were doing a few minutes ago.

I roll my eyes at Andrew and yell back, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Actually, yes I would," Andrew answers. "So, tell me, is he as big as I've imagined?"

Chris, Bailey, and Karyn burst out laughing. Jaxon has his back turned, but I see his shoulders are shaking. Nick's lips are twitching. When I look at Mac, he has his head thrown back, looking up at the sky as if trying to control his temper.

I decide to play the game a bit longer and give as good as I get. "Oh, Andrew, he's so much bigger than you could have ever thought."

"Okay, that's enough," Mac says, sending a glare in Andrew's direction.

"Thank fuck," Jaxon mutters. "The last thing I want to hear is how big Mac is and what he does with my sister."

"What?" Andrew whines in his deep voice, which totally contrasts with the whine itself. "We were just getting to the good part. Mia, come see me later and you can give me all the good details."

"Not happening," Mac says, coming to stand beside me and putting his arm around my waist.

"You suck, Mac."

"No, that would be you, Andrew," Mac deadpans. We all laugh at the two of them.

A little while later, we all sit down on the blankets to eat the hamburgers and hotdogs the guys grilled and have easy conversations. I've missed this so much, and I vow to myself that I'll make sure we all have get-togethers like this more often. Just us adults, and our silly antics.