by Natalie Ann
Her bladder was telling her she needed to wiggle out of his hold though and make her way to the bathroom.
She eased his arm off of her and then slid out of bed and walked out of his room buck assed naked. Her clothes were still scattered on the floor somewhere. Her bag downstairs.
When she walked back in, Mac was sitting in bed up against the headboard looking sexy enough that she wished she wasn’t so sore and could jump him. But everyone’s body had their limit and she was pretty sure Mac had found hers last night.
A second glance had her staring at his defined abs and bulging biceps then shook her head over the thoughts, pushing her sore body aside.
“Morning,” she said, walking forward. Rather than grab her fitted shirt from the floor, she found his and pulled it over her head and crawled back in bed. She’d been hot against his body but chilly now that she moved around the house, her feet on cold floors.
“That’s a nice look,” he said.
“Goes well with the bedhead.”
“Bedhead is a good look on you.”
He moved his arm for her to tuck under it, her head on his shoulder. She’d never been much of a tender person either. No romance for her or sweet words. She’d never experienced it and wasn’t sure if she wanted it. She didn’t think she was the type of person to fall for it. Or maybe she was still sour she fell for Rod’s words years ago.
Not sweet ones, but cocky ones. Yeah, she had a thing for cocky men.
And though Mac was cocky, he wasn’t an ass about it. She’d never thought he was before she had a more vested interest in him but she knew he definitely was not now.
“You surprised me last night,” she said.
“You didn’t think I could go that long? I’m kind of hurt.”
“No,” she said, poking her finger in his side. “You’ve got a little romantic sexy side to you. It came out of left field, but damn, does it work.” He started to laugh. “What? What did I say?”
“You said I had a romantic sexy side. I’m not sure there is a person on the face of this earth who thinks that. Plenty have said just the opposite. Including my family.”
“Well, I wouldn’t expect you’d be showing your family romance, but I liked it. Maybe most women wouldn’t think of it that way. I don’t know. I’m not the hearts and flowers type of girl. But get me naked and keep eye contact while you’re screwing my brains out and my heart just went all aflutter. That’s sexy and romantic to me.”
“Really?” he asked. “Guess I learned something new too. I just went with my gut.”
“Well, your gut made the right choice.”
He was silent for a second and she wondered if maybe they were getting a little too deep. “You’re the first person I’ve done that with. And though I know I shouldn’t talk about other women when we are in bed together, I just felt the need to say that.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said. “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one that might have felt something they never had before.”
“No,” he said quietly. “You aren’t alone.”
And a few hours later when Mac dropped her off at home, she barely got in the front door before Bri was right in her face saying, “Give me the details. Handcuffs right? Nah, too early for that. But I totally see Mac as the rough type. Bet he threw you on the bed and gave it to you hard.”
Sidney rolled her eyes at Bri and moved past her into the kitchen where she heard Amanda laughing. “I told her not to attack you like that the minute you walked in the door. It’s like having a child in the house waiting for Santa,” Amanda said.
“When I’m going without sex and my roommates aren’t it is like Christmas if I could get some details,” Bri said.
“Sorry. Not giving you what you want.”
“Something,” Bri whined. “Give me something, please. Even Amanda gives a tiny bit.”
This time Amanda rolled her eyes but she was smirking. “Fine. He’s not anything like you think he is.”
“What does that mean?” Bri asked.
“It means you think Mac is this tough guy, but something tells me he’s a mixture of serious and tender,” Amanda said.
“Let’s say he’s a man of his word. When he says he’s going to do something he does it.”
“Aww, come on. That’s no fair,” Bri said. “You have to give me more than that.”
“I don’t have to do anything,” Sidney said. “You should know that about me by now. But I will tell you that I’m walking a little funny this morning.”
“Damn, girl,” Bri said, doing a little booty shake. “Those are the best nights. Amanda knows. She’s had a few of them, haven’t you?”
Amanda’s lips stayed sealed, but her face was red enough to give Bri the answer.
“Now if you are done quizzing me, I’m going to go do a load of laundry quick and get ready for work.”
“You can take my car,” Amanda said. “Unless Mac is going to pick you up again?”
She smiled. “He offered, but I declined. Even though they are closing earlier, I don’t want him to have to stay up. I’ll get my car back on Tuesday and don’t have anywhere to be tomorrow that I need one.”
“You’re not going to spend time with Mac tomorrow on your day off?” Bri asked.
“We spent a lot of time together last night and today. But if he wants to get together for dinner, I’d be willing.”
It hadn’t come up and she hadn’t wanted to push it either. After the night they shared, she had a feeling they both might need a little bit of time to think things through.
She went upstairs to get her laundry and when she came back down, Bri was in the living room watching a movie, Amanda still in the kitchen baking.
Once her clothes were in the washer, she went to get a bottle of water. Amanda grabbed her hand and nodded her into her bedroom. “So tell me. You fell hard last night, didn’t you?”
Leave it to Amanda to cut to the chase and get to the heart of the matter. “Man, is it a Bond thing? Kayla did too. The same as you. How is it possible?”
“They are all different, but they’ve got a way about them. He threw you for a loop, huh? You weren’t expecting tenderness and it touched you?”
“Yeah. Not tender like you think. He has his own form of romance, you could say. I can’t explain it.”
“You don’t need to,” Amanda said. “If it works for you that is all that matters.”
“Oh, it did. He did. I had to get out of there before I said something stupid.”
“I know the feeling.”
“It’s too early to even be seeing cartoon birds flying around my head.”
“Oh my God,” Amanda said. “That is so cute.”
“Forget it. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No. I’m glad you did. You know you can tell me and that is why you did. Months ago you wouldn’t have said it.” Amanda’s eyes got a little misty.
“No. I wouldn’t. But now. Today. I’m comfortable enough to. And you know damn well I’ve got to fill Kayla in. I don’t want to bother her on a Sunday though.”
“Ask her to come to lunch tomorrow. The three of us can have a girl’s chat. Maybe I’ll make ham salad again.”
They both burst out laughing. Last summer Sidney and Amanda were eating ham salad sandwiches in the backyard. Kayla came home and grabbed one. After a few bites she ran for the bushes and threw up. That was when they suspected Kayla was pregnant. The three of them still laugh about that day.
“I’m going to go text her right now and say ham salad is on the menu for girl’s gossip.”
“Make sure you mention no one is pregnant but her,” Amanda said, laughing.
“Kayla knows better than that. But she knew I was going home with Mac last night. Or I wanted to. She’ll be ready to dish the dirt too.”
“Tomorrow it is,” Amanda said. “Should we tell Bri?”
“She has to work.”
“She’d take the day off or call in sick if we told her what we were
doing,” Amanda said.
“I know. Damn it. I don’t want to include her because she’ll get too nosy.” She felt bad, but Bri was the type of girl that made Sidney not want to confide much in others in life. But Amanda made her feel like she was talking to her sister, Anne, again.
“Then it can just be the three of us tomorrow. Bri mentioned she might go on a lunch date with someone anyway. I’m sure she’ll fill us in when she gets home.”
“Even better,” Sidney said. “We’ll make it up to her.”
“If she lets us talk. Chances are it’s going to be all about her at dinnertime.”
“I know. I get it. We are all different. We get along well, but sometimes...”
“Sometimes the two of us can’t help that we don’t share like her. I understand.” Amanda hugged her. “I’m just glad we are able to with each other now.”
“Me too.”
14
Nothing To Hide
“So I heard you were hanging out at the bar last Saturday night.”
Mac turned to look at Chris who’d just said that. He’d seen Chris for the past three days and yet today was the first time he brought up Mac being in the bar. Not that it was anyone’s concern what he did on his time off.
“I didn’t know you had such an interest in my social life.”
“I don’t. It’s just you’re the chief of police and how will it look if you’re hanging out at a bar on Saturday night drinking until closing?”
Chris was still sour over not getting the job over Mac. He knew it and it wasn’t going to change. He couldn’t do anything about it and he wasn’t going to feel bad about it either.
“Not that I need to explain a damn thing to you, but maybe you should know all the facts before you walk in here and start accusing me or my character,” Mac said calmly. He wasn’t going to fight with an employee who wasn’t going to listen.
“Were you or were you not at McKay’s until closing on Saturday night?”
Mac laughed. Not a funny sound either. “What I do in my free time without a badge on is none of your concern. However, if you must know, my girlfriend was working until closing and needed a ride home since her car was in the shop. Sitting at the bar for three hours nursing two beers is hardly gossip for anyone in this town, even you. If I’d let her walk home alone at night, then maybe that might raise more eyebrows.”
Chris just stared at him and took a step back. He should, as Mac was sitting at his desk with his arms crossed and a no bullshit look on his face. “I wasn’t aware you were seeing anyone.”
“It doesn’t concern you, does it?”
“No,” Chris said, his back getting straighter by the minute. Any second he expected a steel rod to pop out from behind him.
“Then if that is all about my personal life, did you have anything work related or in an official capacity?”
“Nope,” Chris said. “I’m going out on patrol. The roads are pretty slick.”
“Fine,” he said. They’d gotten a few inches of snow last night and freezing rain this morning, but it was still a steady sleet on and off. He was glad Sidney got her car back already, but then worried about her driving into work tonight for her shift and then later when the bar closed. As much as he wanted to text her to be careful, he held off. She was a big girl.
By midafternoon the 911 operator went over dispatch for a child calling in abuse at their house. He waited for his officers to claim who was going in and one by one they’d reported they were dealing with accidents. Both at least twenty to thirty minutes away.
He radioed Chris but got no response, then called it in he was on his way.
When he got to the home, he went to the front door and knocked, heard yelling and knocked again. “Amore Island Police.”
The yelling finally stopped and the door opened, a woman standing there. Not someone he knew or had ever come across. If there were family issues in the past, he’d not been aware of it. “Can I help you?” the woman asked.
“Mac Bond with Amore Island Police. There was a 911 call for child abuse made.”
The woman’s face turned red. “I’m going to strangle you,” she yelled at her teenage son.
“Ma’am,” he said. “I’m going to need to come in and find out what is going on. Especially based on that statement.”
The kid was laughing and looked totally fine in Mac’s eyes. “My son is pissed off he got grounded last week for skipping school. I took his video games away and, it being a snow day, he’s giving me shit over being bored.”
Mac took a deep breath. “What’s your name?” he asked the kid.
“Mike Preston.”
“Mike. You do know it’s a crime to file a false report with the police?”
The kid’s face went ghostly white in a heartbeat and Mac thought he was going to pass out. “It’s abuse to not let me have my games though. They are mine.”
“Mrs. Preston?” he asked, not knowing her name.
“Emily,” she said. “Emily Preston. Is Mike in trouble? I mean he’s going to be in trouble when you leave. If he thinks losing his games for a week was harsh, three months is going to feel like he’s in jail. He might even want to go to jail, but I need to know if he’s going to be charged with something. I feel like I should call my husband, but he’s off the island today.”
“No charges,” he said. “Mike, are you being physically or emotionally abused? Aside from getting grounded for what sounds like a legitimate reason?”
“No, sir,” the kid said, his head down.
“Ma’am?” he asked. “Are you in danger here? Any abuse from your son or do you feel threatened that he might take action for calling the police on you?”
“No,” she said, her face redder than her son’s.
“I’m sorry,” Mike said. “I just didn’t think. I mean I thought it was funny, but I guess it’s not.”
“No. The chief of police doesn’t like taking prank calls when there are more urgent matters that might need my attention.”
“You’re the chief of police?” Mike asked.
“Mike,” Emily said. “How can you not know who the chief of police is on this small island?” She turned to him. “I apologize. I’m so sorry to have bothered you.”
“No problem. Hopefully we all learned our lesson and it won’t happen again. Take this as a warning though.”
“It won’t happen again,” Mike said.
“If you are in danger or feel threatened—truly threatened—that’s what we are here for. Not because you’re pissed your mother took your games away.”
The kid nodded and he left. He didn’t have one foot off the porch before he heard the yelling again but shook his head and walked on. He didn’t want to leave it with the kid thinking he couldn’t call the police if he needed them. But he sure the hell wasn’t dealing with some punk-assed kid throwing a temper tantrum either.
By the time he was back at the station, Chris was pulling up with a coffee in his hand. “Where the hell were you?”
“Patrolling,” Chris said.
“You didn’t hear the call out for child abuse?” he asked.
“Sorry. I must have been inside getting my coffee. When I came back it was picked up by you.”
Mac was going to make some comment about Chris having his radio on him at all times, so either the guy ignored the call when he was in the coffee shop, or left it in his patrol car. Neither was acceptable.
“When you’re on duty, coffee waits when a call comes in. You are to be available the entire time. Do you hear me?”
“Heard,” Chris said and walked past him into the building.
What he needed now was a stiff shot of whiskey but knew the last thing he was going to do was go into the bar again.
Sidney was almost dreading going into work on Wednesday. She knew Diane was on shift and it was the first time they’d see each other since Mac stayed to bring her home on Saturday.
Even her shift on Sunday she’d gotten a few looks from other coworker
s that must have heard through the grapevine. But no one said a word to her. Not that she’d care if they did. She’d be honest and say they were dating.
They had nothing to hide. They weren’t doing anything wrong.
And when she showed up for her shift at five, she’d seen Diane look up from the table she was working at and send her a big grin.
Sidney pretended like she didn’t know what it was about and went to the back to lock her purse and jacket up.
The minute she was behind the bar, Diane was walking up to give her the order over Mark that was already there. “So...you and Mac? Never saw that coming.”
She knew there was an insult in there somewhere, she just wasn’t sure if it was aimed at her or Mac. Guess it didn’t matter either way.
“And what is so hard about focusing your eyesight on that?”
Diane laughed. “First off, you’ve got a personality and he doesn’t.”
She took the order and started to fill it. “There is nothing wrong with Mac’s personality. Maybe he only shows it to certain people he feels are worthy.”
Diane snorted but her grin stayed in place. “I’ve known Mac my whole life. We went to school together. Trust me, if he had one, I would have seen it long before now. I’m not saying he isn’t a great stand-up type of guy.”
“Then what are you saying?” Sidney asked when she put the drinks down on the tray.
“That he’s kind of dry and boring,” Diane said back, picking up the tray and going to her table.
She couldn’t dispute that, as she’d seen it herself over the past year that she’d known Mac.
Whenever he came into the bar before, he normally grunted out a few words, got a drink, then left. Or came in to talk to someone, not much more.
Hell, even she’d been stunned when she realized she and Mac were flirting with each other. Hadn’t she said she wasn’t sure of this side of him?
It wasn’t going to bother her what anyone said about him even if she did want to know more.
So when the night went on and things slowed a bit, Diane made her way back to sit at the end of the bar to have her break, and the two of them started talking. “So how long has this been going on with you and Mac? Had I known on Saturday I wouldn’t have been flirting with him. Sorry if I stepped on any toes.”