Chapter Eight
I didn’t get on the last ferry to the mainland, and I hoped Mack wasn’t surprised. I needed time to figure out how I felt about the fact that he and Harley used to be together, and how Harley would feel if she found out. I knew there was nothing positive she could say to me about him. She’d broken up with him for a reason. If he were good, she would have kept him for herself, right?
I’d woken up in a bad mood, which meant no one in my path was safe. As shitty luck would have it, Travis was at the gas station that morning, and I noticed he was sporting a black eye.
“That guy won’t bother you again. I promise you that.”
I realized that Mack had made good on his promise, because as soon as Travis saw me he made a beeline for his car and sped away. Things got even worse when I went into Catch to start the dinner shift, and Mama informed me that she hired a new girl named Carina. She was about my age and pretty enough, I guess, with bright red hair I was positive she dyed regularly to keep it so vibrant. She was also a member of the mysterious Risto family, who moved to the island about a year ago. We didn’t know much about them except they had lots of money, which made it odd that Carina took a job as a waitress. However, one thing I did learn about her was that she was a ridiculous overachiever in an annoyingly accurate kind of way.
“Excuse me, miss,” an elderly man called out to us as we walked by his table. “What time is it?” Carina and I both pulled our phones out of our aprons at the same time but gave different answers.
“It’s almost eight o’clock,” I answered.
“Actually, it’s seven fifty-three,” Carina corrected from behind me, and I turned to glare at her before storming off. She hurried after me, whispering, “What? He might need to take medicine or something. What if he ends up taking it too soon? Seven minutes might make a difference.”
I whirled around and scowled. “If his old timer’s disease is so bad that he forgets to wear a watch, especially if seven minutes makes all the difference when it comes to his medication, then he shouldn’t be out alone.”
“Do you mean Alzheimer’s Disease . . .?”
“Listen, I don’t need you to correct me. I know what it’s called and I said it the way I meant it. I don’t care how you interpretate it.”
“Interpret, and if I were you I would stop talking.” She twisted her mouth and cocked her head to the side in amusement.
“Just shut up and go refill water glasses or something,” I snapped, and then shoved a pitcher of water into her hands. When my mother appeared from the kitchen I immediately stalked up to her.
“Mama, we have to talk about Carina. I don’t like her.”
“Jonna, you don’t like anybody, so that’s not saying much.” She shook her head dismissively as she walked past me to deliver two hot food plates to a table.
“Yeah but she . . .”
I stopped speaking midsentence as Mack and Brando walk through the door. His eyes slowly scanned the room until he found me. His lips immediately drew into a tight line before his gaze shifted to the pool tables to the right. He began walking in that direction with Brando following.
“Great,” I mumbled and was about to send Carina over to take their drink order, but Harley was already approaching their table and waving her arms frantically. Mack was also speaking and shaking his head. He crossed his arms and glared at Harley while she glared back at him. When Brando started talking she transferred her gaze in his direction, and Mack shifted his eyes to me. I knew instantly that he was angry, but it wasn’t with Harley. He was angry with me. It was almost like I could read his mind and he was saying, Come here, Jonna.
I broke eye contact with him, because there was no way I planned to be seen talking to him, especially by Harley. It would just open up a line of questioning I wasn’t prepared to answer right now. Plus I wasn’t sure there was anything more I wanted to say to Mack, so I busied myself with the other side of the restaurant, dragging Carina along behind me.
Since neither Harley nor I made any effort to go over to that side of the room for the remainder of the night, Brando had to go to the bar every time they wanted another beer. I could feel Mack’s eyes on me the entire time, but I refused to acknowledge him. I was also aware of the swarm of girls that seemed to gather no matter where he was.
God, he was like a skank magnet. It was really pathetic the way girls could be so obvious and almost desperate in their attempts to get his attention. Like cheering over enthusiastically every time he sent a ball in its pocket or constantly tossing their hair from one side to the other, and making sure their cleavage was in full view. It reminded me of the night of the party and how I’d done the exact same things to get his attention. Embarrassment warmed my cheeks. God, I was no better than any of the girls here tonight.
When things died down I begged my mom to send Carina home so that I could get out of here. Harley, like most nights, was scheduled to close since she always waited around for Drew to take her home. I quickly finished cleaning up my area, then headed out of the side door and up the stairs to my apartment.
I’d taken a long hot shower while I tried not to think about which of the skanks downstairs got to be the one to leave with Mack. I was leaving the bathroom when I heard loud pounding on my front door. Cautiously, I gathered the towel tightly around me as I walked to the door and peered through the peephole, fully expecting to see Travis, but instead I saw Mack glaring back at me.
My heart began beating rapidly in my chest. How did he know I lived here? I glanced down at my towel-clad body and knew there was no way I was going to let him in, especially looking like this. I slowly backed two steps away and was about to turn when I heard his voice through the door.
“Jonna, I can hear you moving. Please, open the door.”
“Why?” I called back.
“Because I want to talk to you.”
“Well, I fell for that once. I know what you mean when you say talk.”
I heard him chuckle softly. “While I’m definitely not opposed to that kind of talking, I want to actually talk to you.” When I remained silent, he added, “Please, Jonna. Just hear me out.”
I really wanted to tell him to leave. To go to hell. To go talk to one of his groupies downstairs. Wait, no. I didn’t want him to do that.
“Fine,” I said, cursing my weak resolve as I unlocked the dead bolt and pulled the handle open. Mack was immediately pushing open the door and stepping inside as if anticipating I might change my mind. His heated gaze traveled down my body, and I felt my breath quicken.
“I’m going to, um, change. Be right back.” I didn’t wait for his reply as I hurried to my dresser drawer and pulled out a tank with a shelf bra and a pair of yoga pants, then went into the bathroom to dress. I don’t know why I did that. Mack had already seen me completely naked. Maybe it was for my own protection. I couldn’t take the way his eyes were darkening with want, just the way I’d seen them do the times we’ve had sex. Scorching hot sex. Just thinking about it made my heart race, so I splashed cold water on to my face and forced myself to focus. I needed to think with my brain and ignore the pulsing need growing in my lower region.
When I emerged from the bathroom I didn’t feel any more protected from his hungry gaze. He was sitting on my small sofa, his large body nearly taking up the entire space, with one arm across the back, his legs bent and planted firmly apart. His eyes smoldered when they reached my breasts. While the shelf bra provided decent support to my C-cups, it did nothing to conceal the way my tight nipples strained against the material.
I crossed my arms over my chest to cover my traitorous bosom and walked to stand near him. Besides the high-back stools at the counter my dad recycled from the restaurant, the sofa was the only other place to sit. There was no way I’d be able to sit next to him, though. My mind lost all rational thought and allowed my body to do the thinking when it came to him. It was something I couldn’t let happen right now. Mack smirked at me, fully aware of my dile
mma. So instead I sat down cross-legged on the floor, just on the other side of the coffee table.
“How did you know I lived here?” I decided to start the discussion with a question.
Mack shrugged and answered, “I make it my business to know everything about people in my life.”
In his life? Was I in his life? What sort of life did he lead where it was important that he had to know everything about everyone he came in contact with? The kind of things that needed to get handled or someone would be handled?
As if he could read my mind, he started speaking. “Jonna, there are things going on right now. Things that I can’t get into with you because I don’t want you involved in them.” He rubbed a hand over his face and sat forward. “Look, I never claimed to be a saint. I’ve done things that I can’t undo, but I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m ready to put it all behind me. It’s just not that easy to walk away from some of it.” I decided that I didn’t want to know the kind of things he was referring to and was grateful that he didn’t want to share it with me. My mind couldn’t even fathom what they could be, but I did remember the scene out front of Jamie Risto’s house, and how it didn’t look like a friendly conversation. When I didn’t say anything he kept speaking.
“But I want you to know that none of this has anything to do with Harley or your brother. Maybe it did at first, but not anymore. The other night at my house was about ending something that should have been over a long time ago.” His words confirmed what Harley said about their relationship. “I made a lot of mistakes where Harley was concerned, and I was too stupid to realize it for a long time. The box she took had been at my house since the first day we met, and she kept it there for five years, even with all of the times that she took off and would disappear for weeks at a time. I somehow knew as long as her box was there that she’d be back. When she took it the other night it symbolized the end for good. I didn’t know how to feel about it at first. I still cared about her even though she was an expert at causing trouble in my life. But after she walked out of the door, and I saw you standing in my living room, I realized I was more concerned about you, not her.”
“Mack . . .”
“Listen, I don’t know what I’m really trying to say, but I just wanted you to know that you aren’t some kind of casual fuck for me. I’m not in any position to promise you things, but I do know that I’d like to be able to see you, that is, if you’d like to see me.”
“S-see you? H-how?” I stammered, feeling tongue-tied.
“From the moment I laid eyes on you, I was drawn to you. I can’t seem to stay away from you. I don’t want to stay away, but I don’t need you to be involved in some of the things I have going on right now. Would you be willing to be with me when it safe to have you around?”
My heart did a flip, and I chewed on my bottom lip as I studied him. I really had no idea what to say. Safe to have me around? What did that mean? I was trying to force my brain to think rationally, but my body wanted him in the worst way, so instead I felt myself softening to the idea of being with him again. Images of him using his tongue on me while I was pressed against the wall as he stroked himself filled my head. I heard Mack’s sharp intake of air and noticed that his eyes were focused on the way my hardened nipples were visible through my top. He licked his lips, then lowered himself to the floor where he lunged forward until his face was just inches from mine.
“Say yes, Jonna.” His intense eyes held me captive as he waited for my reply. My breath grew shallow, my throat felt dry, but I was soaked between my legs.
“Yes.” My voice was barely a whisper. The corner of Mack’s mouth drew up with a grin of satisfaction before his lips were on mine.
“Now”—he pulled away to speak—“about that talk.”
Chapter Nine
Mack pushed me back on the floor, his mouth hungrily finding mine. I slid my hands under the front of his T-shirt so I could run my fingertips up the ridges of his abdomen. He reached back and tugged his shirt over his head in one swift movement, and then pulled my tank off. Before I was able to pull my shirt completely free he already had one of my nipples in his mouth. I gasped and fell back against the floor, placing a hand on either side of his head. He swirled his tongue around each tight point then pinched them between his teeth. I arched my back, and he gathered both breasts together, sucking and licking as he raised his eyes to meet mine. His dark smoldering gaze had the power to set my body aflame.
“Mack.” I moaned as his fingers slid into my yoga pants.
“Fuck, Jonna. You’re not wearing panties.” He growled and pulled my pants down, tossing them away. His mouth found my inner thigh, and his lips grazed the soft skin as he inched his way up to my needy center. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I felt his tongue dart out and slide along my wetness. I put my fingers into his hair as I threw my head back.
“So wet. I love it,” he murmured while throwing one of my legs over his shoulder, before he continued to devour me with his mouth. “God, I could eat you every fuckin’ day.” He flicked my clit lightly with his tongue before sucking. He repeated this several times, taking me higher. He slid one finger into my wetness, then a second, until he found the magic spot. He pumped his fingers in and out while he licked and sucked. Intense pleasure consumed me, and all I could do was beg him to never stop. My hips were rocking against his face as he worked me. I lifted my other leg and rested it on his other shoulder and pulled his face closer.
“Ah, I’m coming, Mack. I’m coming.” I gasped, and he pulled his fingers into a come-hither motion, placing pressure on my G-spot while flattening his tongue and pressing it against my clit. And that was it. I was done for. I came so hard that the room could have crumbled around us and I wouldn’t have noticed.
When I finally opened my eyes Mack was moving up my body, his lips glistening from my wetness. He placed his mouth on mine and I tasted myself. He stood up slowly and walked us to my bed where he laid on his back and pulled me to straddle him. I unbuttoned his jeans and lowered them along with his boxer briefs. His large rock-hard erection was straining upward against his belly, and I grabbed it firmly in my hand, then bent down to lick the precum forming at the tip. Mack hissed as he watched me swirl my tongue around the head and along ridges of his shaft before pulling him into my mouth. He was so big that it was hard to take very much of him in, but I did my best. I bobbed up and down on him, working the part of him I couldn’t reach by letting saliva drip from my mouth and onto my hand as I pumped him tightly with my fist.
“Unh, that’s so good. Fuck, baby.” Mack brush my wild curls away from my face so that he could get a better look. “Goddamn, you’re amazing.” I’d never been a fan of giving blowjobs, but his reactions made me want to give him the best head he’d ever had. I kept my eyes on his as I gave him my all. Relaxing my throat and taking him as deep as I could go without gagging. His eyes rolled back for a second as he grabbed the back of my head. When he pushed his hips upward I sucked and pumped him harder. Then suddenly he pushed me away.
“Need inside you,” he grunted while reaching to the floor for his pants, where he retrieved a condom from his wallet. As soon as he had it rolled on he pulled me forward until I was straddling him. “Want you to ride me.”
He lined himself up with my entrance and pushed up while I pushed down, lowering myself on him. This time he slid in much better. He still felt incredibly large, but there was no soreness or stretching. I straightened my back and used my legs to rock up and down on him. His eyes traveled the length of my torso, from my bouncing tits to the rolling of my hips, to his own cock sliding in and out of me. Mack brought his hand up to caress and pinch my nipples while the other rested on the curve of my backside as he encouraged me to increase my rhythm. Deep in my belly, my orgasm began to coil tightly, consuming me. I bent forward and brought my mouth to Mack’s, our tongues desperately gliding together in time with our hips.
“You ready? Gonna come,” Mack groaned against
my mouth, and I nodded. He sat up, with me still straddling him, and slammed upward hard, causing me to cry out.
“Yes, yes. Ah, God. Mack.” My head fell back as he buried his face into my neck, panting and groaning. My inner walls started to contract as my intense release washed over me.
“Jonna. Oh, fuck.” He pushed into me twice more before he shuttered and stiffened. I could feel the muscles in his lower abdomen moving against mine as he held me close, chest heaving as he groaned through his orgasm along with me.
He lowered us down to the bed. He kissed my neck, the side of my face, and then my lips.
“That was fuckin’ incredible.” He kissed me slowly as he brushed my damp curls away from my face.
“Just incredible?” I grinned playfully up at him, and he chuckled before pulling out and heading to the bathroom. He returned with a damp washcloth in his hand.
“Let me clean you up.” Mack tugged the comforter away, parted my legs, and gently wiped my sensitive skin. It was so intimate and unexpected. I’d never had anyone do that before. I tried not to think of the times he’d done this to other women.
Stop it, Jonna. He’s here with you now.
That has to count for something, right?
He took the cloth back into the bathroom, turned off the light in the living room, and then the one on the nightstand, before climbing into bed beside me. His large arm wrapped around my waist as he drew my backside against his front. He kissed the back of my neck and shoulders while his hand caressed the curve of my hips.
“My firefly,” he murmured sleepily, then his breath grew even, his body relaxing against mine, and I knew he was sleeping.
It was awhile before I fell asleep. My mind went back to our conversation earlier and whether I would be able to be with him on his terms. This meant when he wanted and at times that were convenient. Could I be that for him? The way he made my body hum with just one touch and how I loved the feel of him wrapped around me, I was pretty sure I’d do just about anything he asked, and that’s what scared me. He had the power to weaken my judgment and have me question my abilities to use common sense. The problem was that I wanted him. Any way I could have him.
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