laughed. “Hold yourself back? You punched him.”
Mac nodded. “In my head I did more. He’s lucky.”
A sadness slipped over her features as she glanced away. “I wish you wouldn’t be so cavalier about violence. You’re too good of a man for that.”
Mac clenched his teeth. He wasn’t a good man. Moments ago he was contemplating making a call to end a life. There was evil in his family, though Braden was doing his damnedest to move away from that aspect of their activities. If Mac had to make the call, he would do so without a shadow of a doubt. He didn’t make mistakes and he sure as hell wouldn’t jump into a decision like this without fully analyzing every possible angle.
“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
