Best Friends…To Lovers. Jules Bennett
of the waterfall enveloped them. Besides the beauty of their surroundings, there was nothing here that demanded their time or attention. Mac, Jenna and their own private island were all that existed in this world.
Jenna glanced over her shoulder and nearly gasped. Mac had taken his shirt off, those tanned muscles glistening in the sunshine. His board shorts were wet as he stepped in even further.
“If you want to take your dress off, there’s no one else here,” he told her.
Swallowing, Jenna kept her grip on the material bunched in her hand. “No, I’m...”
Mac stood only a few feet away, but he eased closer. “It’s just me, Jenna. Don’t be embarrassed.”
“I only have on a bra and panties.”
Mac quirked a brow. “And how is that different from a swimsuit?”
“I don’t like wearing a suit, either.”
“I know.” He took her hand and opened her fingers, releasing the material. “You’re beautifully made, no matter what you think or what you’ve been told. I’m not pressuring you, but if you want to swim in this once-in-a-lifetime place, then do it. Don’t let insecurities rob you of this moment.”
Why did he have to be so right? Why did he have to get inside her head and drive out all of the doubts? She’d justified each and every insecurity and felt she had a right to them. But when Mac talked to her, when he used that voice of reason, she listened. If she let her low self-esteem run her life, she’d miss out on some amazing things.
Turning away, she gripped the hem of her dress and slid it up over her head. Using the material as a shield, she moved closer to the shore and gave it a toss. Pulling in a deep breath, she rounded back and froze.
Mac’s intense gaze was on hers, his hand extended, inviting her to join him.
Just friends.
Every now and then that reminder crept back into her head.
But there was something very intimate about being in a remote location with your friend, wearing nothing but your underwear.
No matter what happened today, this would be a memory she’d keep forever.
What the hell was he thinking, inviting her to take that dress off? He’d slept in a damn hammock last night to avoid temptation and here he was begging for it to be rubbed in his face.
Jenna was absolutely breathtaking in her simple pink bra and panty set. Women threw themselves at him, purposely wore the sexiest of lingerie to entice him, but nothing got his attention more than a self-conscious Jenna wearing cotton. She moved him...so much that he had no idea what label to put on his emotions.
But he’d turned her away for a reason and he needed to keep in mind that, after this week, they both would return to Miami and the life they were used to. As friends.
Between thoughts of her in bed last night and texting Ryker, Mac hadn’t gotten much sleep. Ryker was still playing cat and mouse with Shane. Unfortunately, Braden was still MIA and Mac was starting to worry. He was also growing concerned he’d have to make a decision about Shane in short order.
Not something he wanted to think about while holding Jenna’s hand in a place that could rival paradise.
“I know I keep saying it, but this place is so amazing.”
She slid her hand free of his and ran her fingertips through the water. She dunked down so the water just skimmed the tops of her shoulders and Mac knew she was trying to keep her body hidden from him. He wasn’t going to say anything. He didn’t want to call her out or make her even more embarrassed. All he wanted was for her to see herself the way he did, the way any man with breath in his lungs would see a voluptuous woman.
“We probably shouldn’t stay long, though.”
Mac shook his head and slid onto his back to float.
“In a place like this, time doesn’t exist.”
“You’re right. But I almost feel guilty for leaving and just—”
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked, coming back up to face her. “Don’t feel guilty. The flowers are coming along so don’t even think about those. And as for Martin, if I keep seeing him staring at you, I can’t guarantee I’ll hold myself back again.”
Jenna 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.