Riveted (Art of Eros #1) (9 page)

Mac’s lips trailed kisses down her cheek and nipped her ear. He continued down her neck and lightly bit the tender place that met her shoulder. For the first time, she said his name on a begging, raspy breath. He became even harder at the sound of his name on her lips. He wanted to hear it again and again, preferably every time he made her come.

“
Leannan
, I’m barely hanging on here. If this were a private beach, I would take you here. But now is not the time or place. I want to take my time with you.” Those words fed Mara’s courage. Safe out in the water, she wanted to push herself. As soon as he got the words out her hand lower between them to stroke his cock. Mara couldn’t believe its size, or was Brock just really small?

Her touch was firm as she palmed him up and down. Damn, he could lose it right in his swim trunks like some damn teenager. He made a low moan in the back of his throat. Those big, blue innocent eyes about undid him.

“Is this what you’re going to do every time I run away? I’m enjoying my punishment way too much.” She moved her hand up his hard abs and over his firm chest, so she wouldn’t continue to analyze this newfound information about Mac’s equipment and scare herself.

Mac moved his hands around her ribs and held her away while grazing his thumbs under her breasts, causing her to swallow hard. He leaned in close to her ear.

“I’ve only begun the torture. Let’s see how quiet you can be with the beach full of people behind us.” No smile accompanied his playful statement, just the face of a lusty, determined man. Her arms came up to cover her chest instinctively with her head down.

His broad back was facing the beach, so she was sheltered from prying eyes. “Trust me, no can see what we’re doing out here. I will never do anything to embarrass you. Move your arms and look at me. I want to touch you.” She slowly moved her head up and her arms floated away from her body.

His thumbs came up to rub her nipples back and forth through her suit. He wanted to see her reaction to what he was doing to her. Her eyes fell to half-mast with hooded lust as her arms came up to wrap around his neck. He moved his hands up to untie the knot behind her neck. Her body tensed once again as she closed her eyes. He kissed her as he slid the front of the suit down to her waist, exposing her to the warm ocean water.

“Hold on to me.” His voice sounded like gravel.

He rolled her nipple between his thumb and finger while kneading the other. Her breasts fit perfectly in his hands, full and round, even more beautiful than he imagined. She opened her eyes to see his handsome, masculine hands on her breasts, heightening her arousal. The sensation made her feel free to be half-naked in the water with a man like Mac. She couldn’t believe he enjoyed seeing her in broad daylight. Mara was only ever acquainted with the dark. Mac always said kind words to her, sharing so much about himself. She thought she would be embarrassed and ashamed out in the open like this, but he made her a little bolder. If they got to the point where she needed to tell him about her problem, would she be able to let him see her scars? Mara quickly released those thoughts and made the hum of a satisfied woman. The anxiety of being exposed left her. She wanted to be brave for herself and Mac. She wanted to feel normal for once.

“God, you’re so sensual like this. They’re perfect and fit in my hands nicely.” His lips curled into a devilish smile. They both needed a taste of things to come. Mara gave half a smile as a flash of pain crossed her eyes.

“Hey, what’s going on in that head of yours?” Mac didn’t miss the brief sadness that peeked through her lusty haze.

“I was thinking how I missed out on being with a real man all these years.” She cast him a look of longing. Mac wondered what was behind those words but didn’t push.

“I have to believe things happen for a reason, and I’m here now. I’m not going anywhere.” Mac’s hand came to the back of Mara’s head as he pulled her into another heated and possessive kiss. His thumb brushed past her lower lip down her chin, her throat, and settled at its destination.

He kept one hand playing with her nipple as the other traveled down the softness of her belly to between her legs. His fingers carefully stroke her up and down. Her body automatically went rigid and she started to back up. It happened involuntarily. Mac noticed that she tensed up as if it hurt somehow. He was confused by her reaction and took a moment to reassure her.

“Mara, I’m not going to hurt you. Relax. Close your eyes and let yourself feel. Just breathe.” His voice low and scratchy with that incredibly sexy accent, as curiosity etched across his face.

Why would a woman who has been married react like this? It doesn’t make sense.

She closed her eyes and breathed out, hoping her body would relax. This was Mac.

I can trust him with my body.

She repeated the mantra in her head over and over again.

He continued to slowly stroke her. His touch was electric and not like anything else she had ever experienced. He read her body, adding the right amount of pressure and making her move into him. As his fingers made a downward stroke, the heel of his palm put pressure on her clit. Back and forth, up and down then circle around. He went to slip his finger inside her suit and her hips jerked back on their own.

“I can’t,” was all she could say as dark terror passed in her eyes.

“You’re okay.” Mac held her firmly to him as her body trembled, telling her okay over and over again to calm her down. He ached knowing something went terribly wrong for Mara. His gut told him her reaction had everything to do with her late husband.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He posed the question suggestively not to scare her off. Instead of answering, she simply shook her head back and forth. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was moving too fast for you. I would never push you, Mara.”

Mara pulled back from Mac. “Don’t be sorry. It’s me who should be sorry. Let’s go before we miss our ride.” Her eyes glistened from the tears that appeared from shame and embarrassment. She gave him a light kiss as reassurance and tied her suit back up behind her neck. Mac, not sure what to do, followed Mara’s lead. This was a new one, even for him.

Mara couldn’t believe what happened. She actually almost let herself go with him. Mac’s tenderness and patience with her allowed her body to relax, if only for a moment. He didn’t push her when she said no. She should have been scared and embarrassed, but he put her at ease and it felt natural to be with him. She could almost hear Raquelle, “You go, girl!”

When was the last time I let myself go? He listened to my body. But will he be able to deal with me if I tell him about my dysfunction?

Not knowing what the future held, her anxiety came back. She so badly wanted to be normal, free of the pain and shame that came with trying to be intimate with a man. Mac might be the man to see this through with her after she told him about her problem.

They swam back to shore, not knowing that the eyes that had been following Mara watched her at that moment. Those eyes knew exactly what happened between Mara and Mac, and it only stoked the fire that burned. A rage that grew due to a failed attempt to get to Mara and the fact that time was running out. The vigilance would continue until the moment presented itself and a move could be made. That move would be made without remorse, a means to an end.

Chapter 8

Mara fit snuggly into Mac’s body as he put his arm around her for the ride out to the dive location. He didn’t give her a choice; he pulled her to him tightly, letting her know he wanted her no matter what, or how slow they had to go. Mac sensed her shame and embarrassment, hinting to more of her story, but he would be patient. Tenderly stroking her leg and waist, he wanted to reassure her that he was still there for her. As he inhaled the ocean air, contentment filled his heart. He hadn’t felt that in a very long time, too long to even remember. He recognized an almost irrational need to protect this woman and there would be some hurdles to overcome before they could truly be together. Only time would tell if Mara would really trust him after he pulled back the covers of his little white lie.

She had a feeling of normalcy to be with him. Even after her embarrassing shut down, it was only a taste of what could happen between the two of them. She hoped to find the courage to see it through and if her body would stop her or bring her the joy she longed for with a man. Her emotions beat like a heart rate monitor with peeks and valleys between excitement and anxiety.

When they reached the dive location, the engines to the boat shut down and silence took over. The boat bobbed up and down keeping rhythm to the music of the waves. Mac unlocked her from his protective guard to gather their equipment. Even with the warm of the sun coming across the water, she felt suddenly cool and vulnerable without him near her.

They suited up after Mac thoroughly checked all of their equipment. As she watched him, relief washed over her; he had a lot more of her trust than she cared to admit. Her gut told her, without a doubt, that Mac would be close to her during the dive. A natural synchronicity flowed between them as they helped each other with the tanks, masks and regulators. As instructed, they plunged backwards off the side of the boat into the pristine crystal-blue water.

As they sank into another world, Mara took her time to acclimate to the breathing apparatus again. Mac waited to see how she would do in open waters. After a couple minutes, she gave the thumbs-up and they swam off side by side in watery silence. Floating among the many brightly colored fish and surreal coral reefs, the underwater world was more vivid than she could have ever imagined. The two of them seemed like aliens as various marine animals came in for a closer inspection. Mara brought along an underwater camera to take pictures of her newly discovered world. The beauty and tranquility of being underwater amazed her, but she also knew some of that came from the man next to her. The peacefulness that settled within her had been long overdue and she was grateful in that moment. Most people could go through life and never experience this kind of serenity. She would always treasure the moment.

They swam underwater for a short time when Mac pointed to an eel in a coral cave. He motioned for Mara to go ahead of him to take a picture. As he turned back, he caught sight of something in his peripheral vision. A huge sand shark glided toward Mara, probably out of curiosity more than anything else. She sensed something and turned around, coming face to face with the shark.

Having been on his share of dives, Mac knew what to do to deter a shark from advancing further. He glided between Mara and the shark, punching it square in the nose. The shark turned abruptly away from him as he leaned back to avoid its tail, but Mara, in the confusion, got hit on the right side of the face, ripping her regulator and mask off. Panic set in when she realized she had no way to breathe and the water stung her eyes when she opened them. Bubbles surrounded her, increasing her anxiety as she became very agitated. At fifty feet down, she wouldn’t make it to the top without air.

Instantly, something was shoved in her mouth—Mac’s regulator as he firmly held her upper arms to let her know he was taking control. He started buddy breathing with her, praying she would calm down long enough to remember her training. She took a couple of breaths, getting herself under control. Not being able to open her eyes, she completely relied on Mac to help her ascent. After she started to calm down, he began to slowly lead them to the surface. He gently took the regulator from her for air, creating a rhythm between them. He saw her blow out on the way up. They went back and forth until they floated to the surface. He never let go of her and he never panicked. His calmness came through his touch, like an extension of his being that reached out to her. It was exactly what she needed, reinforcing her trust in him.

They broke the surface of the water, thankful to be breathing earth’s air, lying out on their backs to calm down and become reoriented.

“Are you okay? Let me see your face.” Mac held on to Mara. As she turned to him, the angry red welt crossed her right cheek. “Does it hurt badly?” He didn’t want to touch her for fear it would hurt her even more.

“Yeah, I think I need some ice. Thank you for rescuing me.” Mara, even dazed by the whole experience, was in awe of him. He read into her statement, wondering if anyone had ever come to her rescue before. People were yelling from the boat about the sharks and to get back on board quickly. They swam back to the boat without a second incident and bagged some ice for Mara’s cheek.

“I guess my new adventure turned out to be a little more than I bargained for.” Mara regarded him with sad tired eyes, another reminder of how life changed on a dime. One minute, you could be enjoying everything life offered and the next, you were fighting to survive. Mara realized she really only had moments with Mac and nothing more. After this vacation, she would never see him again. He would be her string of moments and memories that she would tuck safely away in that bottle, never to be forgotten. It occurred to her that she wanted to give herself to him, but she would have to expose all of her horrid secrets. She just didn’t know if he would want her after she exposed her scars.

“Make that a minor diving incident, and I will save you as many times as I need to. That was a freak accident, by the way. I think we should get back in the water as soon as possible so you can erase this memory.” He held her close around her waist with his lips pressed against the top of her head. He checked her cheek several times and seemed to think she would be okay as she continued to hold the ice on it. He was so attentive that she ached knowing he was everything that she never had in her marriage. They rode back to shore in silence as the silk cord between them tightened, another moment that drew them even closer together, breaking down the barriers to find to each other.

As she climbed off the boat utter exhausted took hold of her. She just wanted to go back to the suite and lie down for a while. They were hand in hand walking up the beach to the pool when two women approached them.

“Hey, Mac! What are you up to? We had a blast the other night and hope you’re up for us again tonight.” The southern twang came from a blonde in a gold bikini with fake boobs up to her ears. She and her friend balanced themselves precariously on sky-high stilettos, wearing huge Jackie O sunglasses that covered their leering eyes. They made it obvious that they had been with him at the resort, having a private party no doubt.

Mara tensed and dropped Mac’s hand as if it were on fire. As she put her feet into her wedge flip-flops, she hurriedly reached for her bag as it slipped from her grip and dropped in the sand. Having grown up in Greenwich, she was well aware of the McMahon legacy of the WWE and felt a ‘Roman Reigns Superman punch’ coming on, its target, Bimbos One and Two. But instead, her inner Diva played her role with class and dignity; bad habits were hard to break. She gathered her stuff, shoving everything haphazardly in her bag. She stood up, shoulders back, and spun away from Mac.

“I have to get going. I’ve got things to do. I’ll see you around, Mr. Creighton.” She casually informed him over her shoulder without the direct eye contact they were both so accustomed to by now.

She hurried to get away from him. Mara pivoted on her heels and walked as fast as her dancer legs could carry her without running. She had
some
dignity, after all. He called her name but she didn’t turn around. Mac was nothing more than a player and ‘sucker’ was written all over her forehead. She wouldn’t be anyone’s fool again. Having lived it with Brock, she refused to let any man in her life who had a revolving door on his dick. This wake-up call hit her over the head. Score: Mara one, Mac zero.

The icy words hung in the air, stabbing Mac. He stood there somewhat flustered by what happened. The fawn heard the rustle of the leaves in the forest and bolted away. She automatically assumed the worst, even after the afternoon they spent together. He didn’t blame her because, quite frankly, it didn’t bode well for him. In an instant, her guard was up, acting as if nothing happened between them. What she didn’t realize was this was just Round One.

He turned to the two empty vessels standing in front of him. “Sorry, ladies, not tonight. The other night was enough for me, and I’ll be staying in for the evening. See ya.”

“Aw, come on now, Mac. Don’t you want to get to know us better, maybe without clothes this time?” The friend in the leopard-print bikini couldn’t imagine any man saying no to their offer.

“Oh, I can see plenty from here, and there’s just not enough ‘real’ to whet my appetite.”

They looked startled by his comment, as if he would dare state the obvious. He turned away, already done with them, almost stepping on a red shape in the sand. He bent down to pick it up, recognizing the dragon Mara worked on the day before. Stuffing it in his pocket, he continued on to his suite, wanting nothing more than a shower and nap. Pre-Mara, he would have gladly entertained the twosome to make it a threesome. But his new mission would be taking up all his free time and energy, Mission Mara. A strategy was key to navigating these new waters. He wondered if kitten had any clue to what she was in for.

If she wants to play hard to get, then game on. MacGregor Creighton doesn’t give up that easily.