Best Friends…To Lovers

“You’re my priority here,” he told her. “You called me to help, and this is me helping. I don’t like how he looks at you, how he treated you. He doesn’t even deserve to be here, but that’s not my call. I will protect you from getting hurt again, though. That much I can and will control.”

Jenna’s eyes widened; she bit down on her lower lip before turning away and diving into the water. She disappeared for a moment and popped up closer to the waterfall. With her dark hair slicked back, she looked like some type of dream rising from the waters. She was glorious, she was perfection...and for now she was his. He would resist temptation and give her this day of relaxation, no matter the cost to his feelings.

But taking his eyes off of her was not even a possibility. She floated easily on her back, her face tipped up to the sun, her mouth curved in a subtle smile that took his breath away.

Splashing water up onto his bare shoulders didn’t help cool him off. Mac wasn’t too certain anything would at this point. The sound of the rushing waterfall seemed to drown out everything else. Well, everything but his thoughts.

“You’re frowning,” Jenna stated as she waded closer to him. “How can anyone frown in a place like this?”

He blinked, attempting to will his demons away. “I didn’t mean to.”

As she neared him, her body lifted from the water as she threw her arms out to the side and closed her eyes. “I never want to leave. Ever.”

He laughed at her childlike declaration, but as soon as she dropped her arms, the straps on her bra slid down over her shoulders. Without thinking, Mac reached out with both hands and pushed them back up. But instead of letting go and backing away, he curled his fingers around her wet, bare skin.

Those expressive eyes widened as she licked her bottom lip. Her heavy inhale pressed her chest out just enough to brush against his.

“Mac,” she murmured.

“I know.” Keeping his grip on her, he closed his eyes and told himself to pull away, but he couldn’t. Not yet. “I didn’t bring you here for this. But damn it, Jenna. I can’t keep my hands off you.”

With a tip of her chin, she reached up and held on to his wrists. “You know I won’t be like all those other women in your life. That’s not who I am.”

Mac swallowed. “It’s not who I want to be,” he whispered. He had no idea if she heard him over the waterfall, but sleeping around wasn’t something he’d set out to do. He’d never wanted a relationship, and being with women who were on the same page as him seemed to work. But right now, he felt...dirty. As if he wasn’t good enough for her. He hated feeling like this.

Maybe he couldn’t sleep with her, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t show her how much she meant to him.

With careful movements, and keeping his eyes on hers, he pushed the straps back down. Her hands remained around his wrists, but she didn’t try to stop him. When he slid his fingertips over the flesh just above the lace trim of her bra, her body trembled beneath his touch.

When her hands tightened and she started to shake her head, Mac cut her off. “This isn’t about me,” he explained. “Let me show you.”

Jenna remained silent, but held his gaze.

“Trust me,” he added.

The slightest of nods gave him the green light he’d been waiting for. He hadn’t even realized how monumental this was, but there was no way he could ever let her think she’d be like any other woman in his life. She was so much more.

She let go of his wrists, giving him complete control. Mac reached around and unfastened her bra, then removed the unwanted garment. Giving it a fling toward the shore, he allowed his eyes to rake over her exposed body. The water lapped just beneath her bare breasts and he could tell by the way she’d curled her body in and glanced away that she was vulnerable and doubting herself.

“You’re the most beautiful woman, Jenna. Look at me,” he commanded when she kept her eyes averted. “These perfect curves were made for a man’s hands.” My hands.

She didn’t reply and he knew she didn’t believe him. He was all too happy to show her exactly what he meant. Society had some warped idea of what a beautiful woman should look like, but in his opinion, a woman should be built like a woman. All curves and dips. A perfect layout to explore and enjoy.

Keeping his eyes locked on to hers, he wanted her to see every single emotion in his eyes. He wanted her to understand just how pivotal this moment was. And if he delved any more into that line of thinking, he’d terrify himself. But the last thing he wanted now was to pull away.

Mac cupped her face in his hands. “Don’t take your eyes off me.”

She didn’t nod, didn’t speak. She made no motion whatsoever. If Mac let his ego have control he’d think she was under his spell, but it was quite the opposite.

He cupped her breasts, loving how she quivered beneath his touch. When he moved his hands down her sides, she attempted to shift away.

“Never pull away from my touch.”

Jenna froze. Keeping his eyes on hers, he let his palms travel over her soft skin beneath the water. Her stomach clenched, her hips tilted and he knew her body was reacting all on its own. Hooking his thumbs under the edge of her panties, he started pulling them down. A bit harder to do in the water, but he was a man with one goal in mind—to make Jenna feel like the beautiful, desirable woman she was.

“Brace your hands on my shoulders.”

“Mac—”

“Do it.”

Water trickled from her fingertips as she brought her hands from the water and placed them on his shoulders. Without another word, she lifted one foot at a time and let him remove the last of her clothing. Keeping one hand on her hip and the other between her thighs, he watched as her lids lowered halfway, desire completely consuming her. Her lips parted, a soft sigh escaped and Mac wanted more. Much more.

He wanted his name on her lips, he wanted her to know who was pleasuring her and why. He wanted Jenna to see this as much more than a quick release.

When he slid one finger over her center, her fingertips curled into his skin. Mac was barely hanging on by a thread because he couldn’t wait to see her come undone. But Jenna was worth the wait.

As he moved his hand, she rocked her hips, never taking her eyes off him. There was something so intimate, so primal about watching her. He didn’t think this much with other women, didn’t analyze every detail. But he didn’t want to mess up a single thing with Jenna.

Mac gripped her waist as his hand moved faster. Her body kept up with his rhythm and Mac watched as a pink tint crept over her face. A sheen of sweat covered her forehead and nose, but she never once took her eyes off him.

Her body jerked. “Mac, I’m—”

“Do it,” he demanded.

When she tightened around him, his name slid off her lips like a whispered promise. Her eyes widened as if she wasn’t expecting the onslaught. Mac held her close and kept pleasuring her until her body went lax.

Wrapping both hands around her waist, he pulled her against his chest. Her heartbeat seemed to be just as frantic as his own.

The sound of the rushing water, the occasional bird chirping and Jenna’s panting were all music to his ears. Nothing else mattered but this moment, this woman. Words eluded him. Honestly, if he opened his mouth right now, he didn’t know what he’d say. He was aching to be with her, but he wouldn’t put her in that position. Beyond that, he wanted to say something sweet, something romantic...but that wasn’t them. They weren’t here for romance and he sure as hell didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.

Jenna’s hand slid over his board shorts, heading toward the one spot he needed her most. But he pulled away.

“No.”

Jerking back, her brows drew in as she searched his face. “Why?”

Mac clenched his teeth. “This isn’t about me or even us. This was all for you.”

A slight grin tipped one corner of her mouth. “Hardly seems fair.”

Taking her hands in his, he kissed her fingertips and placed her palms flat on his chest. “I don’t want you to think you’re like other women. This wasn’t about sex, Jenna. I need you to know that.”

She stared at him for a moment without saying a word. “I don’t know what to think,” she finally said. “You don’t want anything in return?”

With a painful laugh, Mac shook his head. “You already know the answer to that, but you deserve more and I never want you to think that you’re in a group with any other woman I’ve been with. You’re completely different. I’ve never...”

Damn it. He didn’t plan on confessing his doubts. He wanted to pleasure her, enjoy a little swim, have a few laughs and fly back to their bungalow. Why did this have to be so difficult?

“You’ve never what?” she prompted, moving closer to wrap her arms around his neck.

Swallowing any fear of opening up to her, Mac stated, “I’ve never just given without expecting something in return. I’ve never wanted to. A relationship has never been in the future for me so I always make sure to...”

Mercy. The more his thoughts started taking a stroll out of his mouth, the more he sounded like a jerk.

“I’ve been a bastard,” he confessed, guilt slamming into his chest and squeezing like a vice. “I purposely find women who only want one thing and then I move on. I never set out to be that way, Jenna, and I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”

Mac dropped his head because the last thing he wanted was for Jenna to see him vulnerable or broken. Damn it, he hadn’t even known how much this hurt him until he started saying the words out loud. He’d used his body in an attempt to ignore all the anxiety and fear that came with relationships. And maybe he hadn’t even noticed until right now.

“You’re telling me because you care.” She tipped his chin up and he was rewarded with a megawatt smile that told him she completely understood and wasn’t judging. “You’re telling me because you value our friendship and you don’t want to hurt me. And I never thought you were a bastard.”

Mac reached up and framed her face. With her lush wet body plastered against his, he never wanted to leave this place, either. Why couldn’t they just run away and be—

Wait. What the hell was he thinking? Run away? As in, together? He didn’t have time or the emotional stability to attempt anything like a relationship and he sure as hell wouldn’t make Jenna his guinea pig.

Just because he’d had some grand epiphany over his suppressed emotions like some damn woman didn’t mean he wanted to explore boyfriend territory. He was still out for a good time...he just wanted that with Jenna and then he wanted to move on.

Damn it. He’d created a giant mess and plopped her right smack dab in the middle.

“What you did just now.” She bit down on her lip before continuing. “Nobody has ever put my needs first. The way you look at me, the way you touch me...”

“What?” He wanted to hear her say it. Needed to hear her say it. And that made him not only a bastard, but a masochist, because he had nothing to offer her beyond the physical.

“You make me feel beautiful,” she whispered.

Every part of Mac wanted to rejoice in the fact that she’d finally seen herself as he did. “You are, Jenna. I’ve been trying to tell you that, and I needed to show you. It’s been hell trying to keep my hands off you, but I didn’t know another way. I wanted you to see how desirable you are, how much a man can completely break by being near you. You’ve got this power I don’t even think you are aware of possessing.”

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

The 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.”