From Friend to Fake Fiancé (10 page)

Toying with the ends of his wet hair, Jenna held his gaze. “Things won't be weird between us, will they? Because I can't lose you.”

“No,” he vowed, praying he wasn't lying. “You won't lose me.”

But he wouldn't, couldn't ignore this ache. No matter the internal battle he'd been waging with himself, Mac had gotten the briefest glimpse of Jenna's passion. He knew there was so much more to uncover and he planned on doing just that in the remaining days. He could figure out what to do for the long term later.

First things first. Jenna would be his.

Thirteen

T
he ride back in the helicopter was...strained. So much for things not getting weird. Of course, she couldn't even think about the tension that had settled between them because her body was still humming from that entire experience in the pool by the waterfall.

Oh, mercy, her best friend had skills. Why? Why did they have to be so compatible in the sexual department, too? Why did every part of her still ache for more, even after he'd satisfied her?

What did they talk about now? Seriously. Because no matter what subject they broached, she wasn't sure she could give up any of her mind space to mundane things.

So, silence it was, since he was apparently not up for a chat, either. Was he having regrets?

No. That was one thing she was pretty certain of. He'd made it a point to tell her she was different from other women. His raw honesty had surprised her. She'd never gotten a sense of any vulnerability from him whatsoever. He'd always been so strong, so confident...so many things she wasn't.

But maybe they were more alike than she'd ever thought.

Once they were back on the main island, they walked to their bungalow. Silence still accompanied them and she worried just how they'd finish out these last few days.

As they headed down the dock toward their hut, Jenna slowed. “My sister and my mom—”

“I see them,” he said, reaching for her hand and giving it a slight squeeze.

A sense of relief speared her. She didn't even know she'd been holding her breath, but with the simplest of touches, some of the tension left her in a long exhale.

Then she remembered the charade. He'd most likely taken her hand because her family was watching. That had to be it, because he'd not touched her and barely spoken a word since...the moment she didn't even have a name for.

“There you guys are,” her mother exclaimed. “We just knocked and wondered where you went.”

Jenna pasted on a smile, a bit relieved that others were here as a buffer. How ridiculous was that? Since when did she need a buffer between her and her best friend? This entire situation had gotten out of control and if she didn't do something to reverse this mess, she'd risk losing the best thing that had ever happened to her.

“I hope we can steal your woman away for a few hours,” her mother went on, oblivious to the turmoil.

Mac stiffened at her side, she had to assume over the whole “your woman” comment. Jenna tried not to take it personally, though it was rather difficult. Everything about this week, this farce, had become personal.

“We thought with the rehearsal tomorrow and the wedding the next day, we'd take you out tonight.” Amy beamed and clasped her hands. “Just us girls.”

The thought of going into that bungalow alone with Mac, who may or may not be regretting what they'd just done, didn't exactly appeal to her. She may be a coward, but she needed time to think. Time away from his intense stare, time from his kisses, his touches...

“Give me a few minutes to wash up,” she told them, pulling her hand from Mac's. “We found the most incredible waterfall and—”

Oh, no. Was she really going to start in on why she needed a quick shower? Her hair was clearly damp, her clothes were clinging to the wet parts of her body. It was obvious she hadn't just been out on a stroll.

“Go right ahead.” Jenna's mom turned her smile toward Mac. “We'll keep him company. I want to hear all about what you've done today.”

That's precisely what she was afraid of and why she had to get ready in record time.

* * *

“Make the call.”

Mac sank down onto the leather sofa in the bungalow, rubbed his forehead and gripped his cell. Ryker's demand was simple, yet so difficult to act on.

“Shane isn't backing down,” Ryker went on. “He actually intercepted a piece of art that's due for your auction in Miami in two weeks. It was a legitimate piece, not one we had to acquire, but he's showing his hand.”

Which meant the O'Sheas needed to show theirs. Shane was ballsy, that was for damn sure. The man obviously didn't know who he was dealing with, or he was too stupid to care.

But to make the ultimate call on a death was not something Mac took lightly. Still, Shane had threatened Laney and now he was throwing his weight around like he could control the O'Shea family. Hell, no. That man had been a proverbial thorn in their side for years and the fact he thought he could use power against them was unacceptable. But trying to kidnap their sister was grounds for the ultimate punishment.

“I left a voicemail for Braden, but he hasn't returned my call.”

Which meant the decision was Mac's to make. Obviously Ryker's choice was to end the conflict before it caused even more trouble. But Mac was starting to get even more concerned with Braden's silence. This wasn't like him and if Mac hadn't been so wrapped up in Jenna, he would've focused more on his own family than his hormones.

“Let me try to reach Braden one more time,” Mac said. “I'll let you know.”

“Make it fast. I'm done with this guy.”

Mac hung up and eased forward, placing his elbows on his knees. Nothing kept Braden quiet for this long. Something was wrong and Mac couldn't tackle any other issue until he knew what it was.

He called Braden, not surprised when he got voicemail, too. After leaving an urgent message, Mac fired off a text. Maybe if he kept badgering him, Braden would answer.

Pushing off the couch, Mac stalked to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. Of course, he had to be careful of the blooms in there because Jenna would murder him in his sleep if he so much as touched a petal.

After grabbing a water, really wishing he had something stronger, he took his phone and the bottle to the deck. His mind was a jumbled mess, between the Shane situation, his brother's unexplained absence and the encounter with Jenna at the waterfall.

Standing on the edge of the deck, watching the orange sun settle on the horizon, Mac recalled the way Jenna had responded so perfectly to his touch. All that pent-up passion just waiting for the right man to come along and release it. For reasons he didn't even want to explain to himself, he wanted to be that man. He wanted nothing more than to...

What? He wanted her in his bed and beyond that he couldn't make plans. He'd be heading back to Miami as soon as this wedding was over because he had an auction that would be in the final stretch of preparations.

Mac took a long pull of his water and willed his phone to vibrate. After waiting another ten minutes, he shot off another text, demanding a reply of any kind or he'd be on the next flight to Boston.

After a few minutes, Braden's reply came.

Zara and I are dealing with something. Don't come home, but business is on you for the next few days. Will talk in person later.

Well, that answered one question but stirred up a whole host of others. What was going on with Braden and Zara? Surely not relationship issues. Those two were so in love it was almost sickening. Braden was so protective, so fierce about keeping Zara safe from their world. Surely nothing had happened to Zara. If so, Braden would've called in all forces to deal with the issue.

Then what was going on?

Mac finished off his water and sighed. At least Braden was safe, but the fact he'd passed all business decisions to Mac spoke volumes as to the severity of Braden's problem.

This also meant Mac would have to make a decision about Ryker's pressing matter.

Damn it.

Mac knew Braden wanted this family to take a less aggressive role in battling their enemies, but Shane had proven time and again that he was nothing more than a menace. He harassed Zara, he'd fought with their late father more than once and now he was getting too close to their main goal of retrieving the scrolls. Mac had to assume that's why he intercepted the recent art, just to prove he could get that close to their operation and slip beneath their noses unnoticed.

Unacceptable.

But, trying to take Laney was an act that could not be overlooked. The man was dead.

Gripping his empty bottle in one hand, Mac shot off a text to Ryker.

Finish it. Text me when you're done.

And with that weighty decision made, he went inside in search of something stronger than water.

* * *

Jenna walked back to her bungalow after an amazing dinner and laughs with her mom and sister, still anxious about being alone with Mac. They'd both had time to reevaluate everything and perhaps they could just ignore the fact that he'd given her the most intense sexual experience of her life. Well, maybe
he
could, but she wasn't so sure.

What would happen when she walked in that door? It was late, nearing midnight. Maybe he'd be asleep.

Jenna, Amy and their mom had eaten, gone for dessert, then ended up at their mother's bungalow where they'd discussed memories, good and bad, chatted weddings and even shed a few tears over the monumental day fast approaching.

Now here she was afraid to open the door to her own hut because she had no clue what waited on the other side.

Pulling in a deep breath, she adjusted her strapless sundress, gripped her purse and pushed the door open. Darkness greeted her, along with a sliver of disappointment. Part of her had wanted Mac to be waiting up for her. Going to bed with this sexual tension surrounding them would only cause another sleepless night.

“I didn't think you were coming back.”

Jenna jumped and glanced toward the bedroom, where Mac's outline filled the doorway. His arms were braced on the frame above his head, and in the darkness the moonlight cast a soft glow into the hut, showcasing the perfection of his chiseled arms, his broad, bare chest and his narrow waist.

Jenna swallowed and dropped her clutch on the accent table beside the door. “We lost track of time. What did you do while I was gone?”

There. Keep the conversation friendly.

But when Mac pushed off the door and stalked toward her in that sexy, panther-like way, she had a feeling the friendly talk was finished.

“I don't want to talk about what I did.” His growl washed over her body, sending shivers and goose bumps racing across her skin. “I don't want to talk at all.”

“Mac—”

“No.” With the gap closed between them, he placed his hands on either side of her head, caging her against the door. “We've danced around this attraction long enough. After today, I can't ignore it anymore.”

Jenna licked her lips, aching with the desire to touch him, to be touched by him. “And what about tomorrow? Or when we get back to Miami?”

“We'll worry about it then.”

His lips crushed hers as he gripped her dress and yanked it down, leaving the material to pool at her feet.

Well, that answered one question. She knew what to expect tonight and she wasn't about to put a stop to it, no matter what red flags were waving in her mind. For once, she was going to do what she wanted, damn the consequences.

* * *

Mac couldn't touch her enough. Between their excitement at the waterfall earlier and the business decision he'd had to make, Mac was strung way too tight. He needed Jenna, needed to feel her desire, her passion.

She pressed her lush body against his as he continued kissing her. Delicate hands gripped his shoulders. The bite of her nails into his skin only added to the pleasure.

Reaching behind her back, he unfastened her strapless bra and flung it to the side. Hooking his thumbs into her panties, he jerked those down, too. He wanted her completely naked, completely his.

“Mac.” She pulled away, panting.

He trailed his lips down her throat and palmed her breasts in his hands. “I have to have you, Jenna.”

She cupped the side of his face, pulling his attention up toward her heavy-lidded eyes. “Then have me.”

Mac took her hands and put them on the waistband of his shorts. “Show me you want this.”

Without hesitation, she removed his shorts, leaving him just as bare as she was. “I can't go slow,” he warned. “I want you too much.”

“I won't break, Mac. Do what you want.”

Like a dam that had burst, he captured her lips once again. With one hand firmly gripping her waist, Mac slid his other hand between her legs. As she stepped apart, he touched her just enough to have her moaning into the kiss.

When he said he couldn't wait, he hadn't been lying. For days he'd been hanging on by a thread and today that thread finally snapped. He broke the kiss, reached down to his shorts and snagged the condom from the pocket.

“Looks like you planned this,” she murmured, her chest heaving.

“I'm not sorry.”

After covering himself, he stepped back against her and grabbed hold of her hips. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”

“I'm too heavy,” she argued, her eyes darting away.

“Do it,” he commanded. “And never look away from me again.”

The second her legs were wrapped around him, Mac slid into her. For a second, he didn't move, couldn't move. She was utterly, blissfully perfect, wrapped all around him in every way possible. Jenna held her breath; her eyes widened but remained on his.

He had no clue what emotions were lurking in his own eyes and he damn well didn't want to get into analyzing them, especially when Jenna's curves were all his for the taking.

Her hips started moving as her body arched. Those pants and moans of hers were killing him. Finally, she was letting go of that control she clung so tightly to.

And Mac finally did what he'd been dying to do for years. He ran his hands all over the luscious dips and valleys of her bare body. Each time he brushed the sides of her breasts, Jenna let out another moan.

When he feasted on them, she cried out his name.

Her body tightened, her fingertips curled deeper into his shoulders as her release swept over her. Mac pulled back, needing to see her face, wanting to watch as she came apart.