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Chapter Fourteen

Ava had no idea what she hoped to accomplish here, but she found herself rooted to Mac’s doorstep at three am What if he wasn’t alone? For all she knew, he and Gwen had worked things out She shuffled fro her as she debated returning to her car and leaving She had taken a few steps backhen the porch light suddenly lit the area and the door opened She blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden glare "Ava?" Mac sounded surprised, clearly not expecting to see her standing there

"Ohyeah--hi," she said la to sell Tupperware Squeezing her eyes shut, she scraain? Oh yeah, that was right, she was now a glutton for punishment and couldn’t help herself

When she opened her eyes, Mac see an answer to as going on Her eyes dropped from his face to the naked width of his chest Oh, holy mother, all those muscles and that smooth skin, just inches away from herWhen she was able to continue her doard review, she saw that he earing only a pair of low-slung boxers that left very little to the iination He had the V and the happy trail of hair that every roe to Ava licked her suddenly dry lips when she noticed the ie beyond the waistband of his shorts "AvaAva!"

Ava’s head jerked up and e his assets From the smirk on his face, he knew exactly what had been on her ?" His surprise had now turned to concern as he studied her intently He ht be mad at her, but he still cared She felt a little burst of hope It wasn’t much, but she’d take any crumbs he threw out at this point

"Ella had her baby," she blurted out, finally re Mac at the hospital to share the moment had left a void inside her Mac always came to family functions He’d been an unofficialBrant had assured her that he’d let Mac know that Ella was in labor, but he had soave her a soft sirl"

"Sofia Grace," Ava added Since Ella’s parents argued over which parent or grandparent the baby would be named after, Ella and Declan finally picked two completely neutral names Her parents weren’t happy about it, but the decision was now officially inked and drying on the birth certificate

Almost as if in reflex, Mac reached out to squeeze her shoulder "That’s great I’ll have to get by to see her to at each other "Mac, I’m sorry," she whispered "I miss yousohim sound so tor, she covered the short distance between the, warainst her hold, and she just kneas going to pull away, so she clung tighter, trying to fuse her body with his "Please, Mac, hold et past this I don’t kno to exist without you in ht he would reject her, she felt a hand against her lower back, then another one curl around her neck "Oh, Avie," he whispered against the top of her head as he pulled her into him "I don’t knohat to do with you anymore," he admitted in a shaky voice

Her hands th under her fingertips She trailed kisses along his chest, loving the feel of hiue "Let rowl ruainst the back of his throat as his arms flexed around her "AvaGod, don’t ask her, locking the that there were no signs of panic at being this close to a man Was it always meant to be Mac who finally helped her bury the horrors of her past? She stood on her tiptoes until she could rest her lips against his She swiped her tongue across his full lower lip, causing him toto see what she would do next His lips were parted slightly, allowing her to suck his botto hell," he rasped as his hands dropped to her botto completely on instinct, she used her hands around his neck as leverage to pull her body upward, wrapping her legs around his lean waist His hands on her ass added support as he gripped her tightly "Avie--oh, baby"

In a ind of movement, she founded herself on the other side of the door and holding on tightly as Mac nearly ran through the darkened hallways of his house until he reached the door of what she knew to be his bedrooed your mind, you need to say it, baby I’ll stop at any time, but I’d prefer it to happen nowbefore I have you under ainst the hard length pressing against her botto her eyes with his, she said, "I don’t want to stop" Then knowing it was okay to be vulnerable with Mac, she ad"

Mac dropped his forehead against hers, seeht or wrong Just having your hands on h to senddoesn’t feel right, then we stop, okay?"

Nodding her head against his, she allowed herself the freedo this close to Mac was like discovering a lost Christ with the anticipation of the unknown "II want to touch you Can I?"

With a grin, Mac set her gently onto her feet "Of course, sweetheart You never need to askat the bottoether the last few years, they’d both been in each other’s hoave her the tour of his home and a few other times--well, a lot of times that he wasn’t aware of Each time she used the restrooined what it would be like to be in a relationship with hiht without fear or hesitation To be normal