by Amy Lamont
“You made a commitment to me when you were sixteen, and you reaffirmed it with every letter, every email, every text message you sent me in the intervening years. We’re not just two teenagers and you know it. And if you keep trying to make it sound like what was between us was nothing, you're going to piss me off.” Her voice rose to almost a yell by the time she finished her last sentence.
“God, did you cling to every guy you dated since your were fourteen this hard?”
Oh, she would not let him get away with that.
“No, Mace. Just you. It’s only ever been you.”
He shook his head. “You want me to believe you haven’t dated another guy since I left you on the beach eight years ago? No wonder you’re so desperate to hang onto me. You must be lonely.”
Hot anger seethed through her. How dare he make light of what they’d meant to each other? What they still meant to each other. If she didn’t know where all this was coming from she’d have kicked him in the shins by now.
“Don’t try to pretend you don’t know what was between us, Mace. And don’t try to pretend you don't still feel it.”
His shoulders fell slightly and he pinched the bridge of his nose before he looked up at her. “I don’t, Serena. I’m sorry, but I don’t feel the same way I did before.”
If she didn’t see the emotions he couldn’t quite manage to hide sliding around behind his eyes, his words would have hit her like a blow. But she did see them—pain, remorse, sadness, fatigue...and love.
She had no doubt in her mind he still loved her. Call her crazy, but she’d known the minute she set eyes on him for the very first time that he was hers and she was his.
“Bullshit,” she said.
“Jesus, Serena, what do I have to do to make you see I don't have feelings for you?”
She fought back a grin. She had him now. He fell right into her trap.
“Prove it,” she challenged.
“How the hell am I supposed to prove it?”
She almost giggled at the aggravation in his tone. “Oh, I have an idea.”
Before he had a chance to react, she flung herself across the room and straight into him. He stumbled under her weight and stepped back before they tumbled in a tangle of limbs onto the overstuffed chair.
She didn’t give him a chance to regain his equilibrium. The only way this would work if she kept him off balance. She pushed her knees into either side of his hips, straddling him and pinning him into the chair. Then she leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his.
She'd been dreaming of this moment for so, so long. Serena would have thought the fact he wasn’t a totally willing participant might have ruined the experience, but she would’ve been wrong.
Their bodies pressed together from chests to far more intimate spots. The heat of his body sank into hers and the scent of him, like sea and sunshine and warm male, filled her senses. She slanted her mouth over his and kissed him for all she was worth.
At first Mace froze beneath her, but in seconds he reached up to her shoulders. Just before he would have pushed her away, she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips.
Suddenly, the hands trying to push her away were gripping her, holding her hard and firm against him. He went from reluctant participant to aggressor in seconds. His mouth opened under hers and his tongue swept out to taste and tease her.
Serena opened her mouth to him and felt the touch of his tongue to hers like a bolt of electricity that jangled every one of her nerve endings. Her nipples stood up into hard points and pressed against his chest. Without conscious thought she began to slowly rock against him, creating a delicious friction that kicked her heart rate up to a full gallop.
He groaned into her mouth and crushed her more tightly against him. He pulled his mouth from hers only to leave a trail of kisses along her jawline and up to her ear. When he sucked her earlobe into the hot, damp confines of his mouth and nipped it, she moaned and rocked against him again, pushing harder this time, craving more and more contact with him.
“God, Serena,” he whispered close to her ear, sending chills dancing across her skin, “you don’t know how many times I dreamed about this. About you.”
“Me, too,” she gasped, but even as she said the words, reality crept into her awareness. His words registered fully and no matter how much she wanted to burrow closer to him, to unbutton and uncover and strip every article of clothing between them until she reached skin, she knew he’d resent it afterwards. She wanted to remind him what was between them, but she couldn’t push him too far, too fast.
She leaned her weight into him and pressed her lips against his for one last, hard, quick kiss. She pulled away and licked her lips, savoring the taste of him there before sliding reluctantly off his lap.
He made a grab for her hips, obviously attempting to drag her back and continue the sensuous play. But she darted backward, moving away until she was out of his reach.
She staggered toward the window and slid a hand down the front of her dress in an effort to smooth out the wrinkles. After pulling in several deep, shuddering breaths, she looked over at him. He leaned forward in the chair, his eyes glued to her, reminding her of a predator waiting to trounce on its prey.
Time for her to go.
“Well, I guess that settles that then,” she said.
He narrowed his eyes and stood, leaning most of his weight on the arm of the chair to brace himself.
“Settles what?” he grated out.
“The question of whether or not you still have feelings for me.” She offered him what she hoped was a breezy smile and gestured to the obvious tent in the front of his jeans. “Looks like you’re not as immune to me as you’d like me to believe.”
Red splotches popped out on his cheekbones and she could hear his harsh breath from across the room.
“Are you shitting me?” His voice was pure gravel.
“Not at all. You asked for proof.” She made a vague gesture to the chair where he’d just cradled her in his lap. “And I proved it.”
“You’re a beautiful woman and I haven’t been around a woman not related to me in months,” he bit out. “All you proved is that my dick still works.”
She shoved down every bit of hurt his harsh words caused her. If she was going to bring her Mace back, she couldn’t show him he got to her. She managed a shrug. “So you’re saying you’d get that out of control with just any woman who threw herself in your lap?”
His jaw clenched and she knew she struck a nerve. Mace had always prided himself on his self-control. Even at sixteen he’d been careful not to let their make out sessions go beyond a certain point.
“You can keep telling yourself lies, Mace. But I know better.” She pushed her hair off her face. “I'll go, though.”
She walked toward the entryway, looking over her shoulder to see Mace still standing in the same spot, his fists clenched at his side.
“For now,” she added before making a beeline for the door while she still had the willpower to get out of there. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself back in his arms and resume what they’d started.
Once outside with the door closed firmly behind her, she walked to her car and braced herself against the doorframe. She did her best not to hyperventilate as all the emotions she’d held at bay while she was with Mace flowed through her.
When she finally felt normal again, she slid behind the wheel of her car. She surprised herself by smiling. Despite the hurtful words he’d spewed after she’d put an end to their make out session, the truth came out while Mace had his lips against her skin, his arms around her body.
She was as much the woman of his dreams as he was the man of hers.
She decided that deserved a celebration. And she knew just the place to celebrate. She pointed her car toward town and replayed every moment of kissing Mace. She might need the memory to keep her going for a while. He wouldn’t allow her to get under his skin so easily a second time.
Chapter 5
Holy fuck. As soon as the door snicked shut behind Serena, Mace walked back to the living room chair. He ignored the twinges of pain radiating through his leg and dropped into the seat, burying his face in his hands.
Shit. He picked his head up and breathed in deep, flopping back against the cushions. He should have known better than to issue a challenge to Serena Adessi. Her gorgeous brown eyes had glinted with pleasure when he issued it, as if she’d been biding her time until he demanded she prove he still had feelings for her.
And goddamn she’d done it. Hell, he still didn’t know how he managed to keep his tongue off the floor when he opened the door to find her on the other side.
He rubbed two hands over his head and then lowered one of them to massage his right thigh. Pain radiated up into his hip and he clenched his teeth against it. The ache had gotten worse and made his limp more pronounced the last few days.
His physical therapist had warned him this would happen if he didn’t continue with his exercises. But other than keeping the pain down a little, he couldn’t see the point. A miraculous recovery wasn’t in the cards for him.
He rested his head against the back of the chair and stared sightlessly up at the ceiling. It really didn’t matter if Serena Adessi strolled in here looking like a walking, talking wet dream and pinned him down while she rubbed herself over his erection. A hard dick was about all he had to offer her, and she deserved way, way more than that.
“Oh my God, Mandy, this is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth.” Serena sat back in her chair and closed her eyes as she savored the last bite of the decadent chocolate cake Mandy had served her.
“Glad you like it.” Mandy slid into the seat across from Serena at the cozy table in the window of her pastry shop. She picked up the French press coffee pot and topped off both their cups. “Now, tell me everything. Did you go back and talk to Mace?”
“Yes, I made my first strike in Operation Mend Mace today.”
“Mend Mace?” Mandy wrinkled her nose. “Makes it sound like you’re entering a quilting bee.”
“No good?” Serena shifted her eyes to the ceiling, trying to come up with a better name. After a few seconds, she looked back at Mandy. “I’ve got nothing.”
“How about Operation...Enduring Love?” On the word “love” Mandy’s voice got breathy and she placed a hand to her chest dramatically.
Serena giggled. “Hmm, I don't know if that's any better.”
“Hmm, how about Operation Snare Your Man?”
“Ugh, every feminist bone in my body is screaming at that one,” Serena said with a laugh.
Mandy giggled along with her and tapped a finger against her chin. “We may have to give this one more thought.”
“Well, while you’re thinking up names, try to think of a step two. I think I won round one, but that’s only one battle. If I’m going to win the war, I'll need to keep going.”
“What was step one?” Mandy asked.
Serena bit her lip. How could she tell Mace’s sister the plan she’d played out with Mace?
“Nope, nope, don’t tell me.” Mandy held up a hand, palm out flat. “I can tell by that deer in the headlights look on your face that it’s too much information for any sister.”
Serena laughed, relieved Mandy wasn’t going to make her spill all the details. Heat infused her cheeks at the thought of telling Mandy exactly how she’d thrown herself at Mace and all but pinned him down for her own pleasure. And his.
“Oh, God. Please stop thinking about it,” Mandy said.
Serena looked up and once again found herself laughing. It had been so long since she’d sat like this with a girlfriend, giggling over coffee and a decadent dessert while they talked about men and all the frustration they caused.
Mandy laughed along with her, but then her face grew serious and she reached out a hand to clasp Serena’s. “Did it work?”
“What?”
“I get the gist of what you did. Did it work?” Mandy asked softly.
Serena nodded. “I think so. At least he admitted he’s not as immune to me as he’d like me to think.”
“That sounds like a step in the right direction.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” Serena took a sip of the aromatic coffee. “Now I just have to figure out the next step. I don’t think he’ll be such an easy target next time.”
The bell over the door chimed and Mandy slid from her seat. “That’s my cue.”
Serena stood up. “I need to get going, too. I have to get ready for my shift. How much do I owe you?”
Mandy waved her off. “Are you kidding me? Family doesn’t pay around here.”
Pleasure bloomed in Serena’s chest, and she shifted forward to give Mandy an impulsive hug. “Thank you. Let me know when you and Mitch need to get a few hours to yourselves. I’d be happy to come babysit for Liam.”
“We might just take you up on that. I wouldn’t mind a little alone time with my husband.” She grabbed Serena’s hand. “But please don’t wait until we need a babysitter or you have news about Mace to stop by. You can come in just for a chat and some coffee.”
“I’d love that,” Serena said. And she meant it. She was finally starting to feel like she was making some good friends in Kismet Beach, and she hadn’t realized until now how much she needed that. “Throw in more of the chocolate cake and you may never get rid of me.”
Mandy gave her one more, quick squeeze. “You’ve got it. See you soon, sweetie.”
She bustled off to help her customer while Serena collected her purse and headed out onto Main Street. In her hometown.
She’d been here for close to a year and she loved it. But today, for the first time, with Mace here and the beginnings of a good friendship to look forward to, it finally felt like home.
Chapter 6
Though it almost killed her to do it, Serena waited almost a week before she sought Mace out again. She figured he’d expect her to come running back the next day, and right now the element of surprise seemed her best hope of getting through to him.
The long wait had inspired the latest name for her mission—Operation Endless Frustration. Having Mace so close without being able to see him every day was about to push her over the edge.
Of course, she’d kept tabs on him, checking in with Mandy every few days. It sounded like things with Mace were status quo. He spent most of his time hanging around his grandmother’s house, doing an odd job here and there for her. But according to Mandy, he hadn’t left the house much. No physical therapy, and Miss Abigail reported that she hadn’t even seen him doing much to exercise his leg.
That news goaded Serena into action.
The next step of her mission had two parts. She decided to recreate one of the days they’d spent together the summer they first met. But the first part of the plan was getting Mace to cooperate. It’s not like she could go knock on his door again and ask him to come have a picnic.
So she walked down to the beach, the one where she’d seen Mace for the very first time, and where they’d spent all their free time that summer. She’d chosen to rent her cozy bungalow in part because that beach was only a few blocks away.
When she arrived, she found the perfect spot—an area with a little privacy because of a sand dune on one side with a perfect view of the ocean. It was a little ways down the beach, so she managed to avoid most of the crowd that came to enjoy the gorgeous late spring day.
Once she had a blanket spread out, she pulled her T-shirt over her head, revealing a navy blue tankini top with white polka dots. She left her khaki shorts on for the moment and stretched out on the blanket, grabbing her phone.
She hit the button to call Mace and then her heart leapt into her throat. The one thing she hadn’t planned for was if Mace blocked her number or changed his. She’d texted him and tried to call him a number of times in the nine months since she last heard from him, but he’d never answered. She’d assumed at the time he was still deployed and out of range. What if he didn’t
answer now?
“Hello, Serena.”
When she heard his voice on the other end, her heart took its rightful place back in her chest but set off at a frantic beat. Relief hit her so hard she was almost a little dizzy with it.
“Serena?” Mace asked, his tone clipped and slightly concerned.
Perfect. She hadn’t intended to make him worry right off the bat, but this might work out even better than planned.
“Mitch, hi.” She did her best to sound distracted. “Sorry to bother you, but I didn’t know where else to look. Is Mandy with you by any chance?”
“No. Why? What’s going on?”
“Oh, it’s not really a big deal.” She called on her limited acting abilities to try to sound upset. “I’m just having um…a little issue, and I thought maybe Mandy could send Mitch over.”
“What kind of issue, Serena? Where are you?”
“It’s not a big deal. I’m at the beach down from my house and I guess a couple of the guys here were drinking…” She crossed her fingers and cringed as she told the big fib. But she couldn’t think of any other way to get him to fall in with her plans. “But it’s not a big deal. I’ll try the bakery again. Or maybe I can call Hal’s husband.”
“Where on the beach?” The words came out like he spoke through clenched teeth. “Tell me now, Serena, and then move away from those guys and don’t move until I get there. Keep your phone out and if they approach you again, call 9-1-1.”
She had to resist the urge to do a happy dance. Had no feelings for her, her ass. The second he thought she was in trouble he went to full-on protective mode. He might have left the Army behind, but you could never take the soldier out of him.
She quickly gave him the directions to find her on the beach and hit the end button to disconnect the call. If she stayed on the phone with him much longer, her giddy excitement would surely communicate itself to him.