A Place to Call Home (25 page)

Finally! She had him exactly where she needed him to make her come. Oh, she didn’t want this pleasure to end but the throbbing along her heated pussy had grown unbearable. Surrendering to his loving proved the best choice.

When his tongue teased her sensitive nub, licking, sucking, nibbling, pleasure crashed over her, sending her into wave after wave of pure bliss, her body rocking with one spasm after another. Barely able to catch her breath, her limp body lay under him, his hands roaming, caressing, stimulating until she was ready for him to take her.

The smell of sex and hot flesh clung to the air. Hannah sucked in breath after breath, trying to fight the force of pleasure strumming along her belly to the junction of her legs, where Mac’s kisses had glistened the soft curls. Wanting to prolong her ecstasy, needing to remain in this moment forever, Hannah begged her body to calm and ride out Mac’s loving until he could come with her. His erection rubbed against her thighs when he leaned over her.

When he eased inside her, she thought she’d die if he didn’t thrust into her with his regular fury. She needed for him to show her how wild she made him, how she could help him lose that steely control he always had. But instead, he showed her how exquisite gentle loving could really be while he slowly pumped into her one long stroke at a time, inch by inch, repeating, his hand gripping her hips while his other held him up off of her.

Never had she thought of making love at such a leisurely pace, never imagined the sweet torture of his cock stroking against her pussy like this.

“Hannah, I wish you could feel how hot your sweet pussy is. Damn,” Mac said, his lips kissing the tender side of her neck.

If he left a mark, oh well. His love bites tingled too much to stop him. The delicious scrape of his stubble left simmering trails along her sensitive skin.

Her hands couldn’t touch him enough. Scraping her fingernails across his shoulders and up and down his back rewarded her when he groaned. Her hips flexed up to urge him to speed up.

“Austin. Faster.”

He shook his head. “No.”

She ceased moving her hips. “What do you mean no? I’m ready to come. Fuck me faster.” Did she just beg? She didn’t care.

His short laugh teased her. “Okay. Since you put it that way. God, you feel so good.”

Her pussy still spasmed from her earlier orgasm, the effects lingering in the swell of her moist lips, the tightness around his cock more than usual. When his hips finally answered her prayers and thrust harder into her, deeper into her wetness, her breath escaped her lungs. Her arousal built to the point of mind numbing waves and mocking spasms that just wouldn’t bring her over the edge. This hovering between reality and ecstasy drove her insane.

“Austin. Faster. Deeper.”

When she orgasmed, it stunned her with its soul-shattering power, encompassing all she ever wanted in life, happiness, and security. Right there in Mac’s bed, held possessively in his strong, muscular arms, Hannah found the contentment she had always wondered if existed.

Determined to see Mac through his pleasure, Hannah squeezed her legs and wrapped them around his hips.

“Oh, hell, yeah,” he said, gritting his teeth, his expression warning of his heightened lust. “You feel better and better each time, baby. So fucking tight.” He pumped harder, his cock filling her.

Moments after her release, Mac’s body jerked. He exploded in a deep thrust bumping her G-spot, the pleasure of his orgasm etched on his face, his eyes closed, his jaw clenched. How she wished to feel his hot cum filling her but the condom prevented it. Instead, she closed her eyes and imagined the slippery wetness that would ease out of her pussy when his limp cock slid out. Someday maybe she’d experience making love without the need for a condom.

Mac only left Hannah’s side for a moment to dispose of the condom. Tossing his T-shirt to her, he crawled back into bed.

“Thanks, Hannah, for tonight.”

Tugging on the T-shirt, her head snapped around, her eyes wide. “I swear if you thank me for sex, Austin, I’m really going to hurt you.”

Mac laughed. He turned off the light and then wrapped those solid arms tightly around her. “Not for sex, brat. Thanks for making Aidan’s night special. He’s never hugged any woman like that, you know—not without being prompted and then it was only his grandmother or aunt.”

Hannah rested her leg across his and snuggled against his side. “I can’t believe the love triangle. Oh, God.”

“Yeah, you almost lost your pedestal.” He sighed. “I got scared, Hannah. Aidan hugging you just made us look like one big happy family and that’s the furthest from our reality.”

Her fingers toyed with the curly dark patch of hair on his chest. “I know. I’ve never had that kind of attention. But I’m glad the night ended well. At least for the most part,” she said looking up at him.

He kissed her lips and held her close. While he lay still on his back, she placed her head on his chest listening to the rhythmic thump of his heartbeat. His breathing evened and slowed and a quick peek at his face showed he had fallen asleep.

Hannah snuggled closer to Mac’s warm, naked body and for the first time in her life she wanted to set down roots.

If she only knew how.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

No matter how long she lived Hannah would never get used to having money, especially millions of dollars. She had worked hard for every dime and knew it could be gone tomorrow with the wrong investment, business venture, or help from her miserable parents.

Hannah stood at the cashier’s window wiring money to her mother in California where she worked as a waitress or something. Hannah didn’t care to hear her sob story. She agreed without wasting time, knowing her mother wouldn’t stop calling until she sent money. Ten thousand was worth the peace Hannah would have once she paid the obnoxious woman.

After completing her transaction, Hannah stepped out into the hot Charleston sun, temporarily blinded by its brightness until she put on her sunglasses and got into her car.

When her cell phone rang, she wanted to ignore it since it was probably her mother calling for the tenth time in two hours. But instead, she started the car, set the AC on high, and answered. To her relief it hadn’t been her mother again but her manager, Charles, from the Greenville, North Carolina restaurant.

“Oh, Charles, it’s so nice to hear—”

“The restaurant’s on fire, Ms. O’Leary!” he said, cutting her off, his voice cracking with fear.

She stared out her windshield, the cold breeze from the car’s AC hitting her face. “What?” There’s no way she’d heard him right.

“I mean, it
was
on fire. But it’s out now.”

“Oh, my God!” She swallowed hard. Nothing like this ever happening to her before. What was she supposed to do? “Did anyone get hurt?”
Please say no, please.

“No, ma’am. Just mostly damage to the kitchen.”

“I’m on my way, Charles,” she said, panic consuming her, her palms sweaty and slipping off the steering wheel until she grasped with a death hold. Thank God she had yet to drive away or she might’ve crashed after hearing this news.

On the other end, Charles cleared his throat. “Really, I’m sorry to have alarmed you. It all just happened so fast. There’s no need for you to drive all the way here. The insurance and fire inspectors will be arriving momentarily. I’ll keep you updated.”

She took a deep breath, praying her nerves would steady. “I’m sure you have everything under control, Charles. But I want to be there. The restaurant is ultimately my responsibility and I owe it to you and the rest of my employees to find out what happened and get the place operational again. Make sure all staff know they will be paid their entire regular wages while we’re closed, no matter how long that has to be. See you soon.”

Hannah disconnected the call with a shaking hand and swung into traffic, headed toward her house to locate Mac. But to her disappointment when she arrived she only found Harry, Mac’s assistant.

Rushing into the house, Hannah blurted, “Harry, I need to speak with Mac right away but his truck’s not here. Did he go to his office?”

The elderly man straightened from tearing a board off the floor. “No, ma’am. Took his boy to Goose Creek. Had to pick up some supplies. Said he expected to be back by four.”

“Oh. Well, thank you, Harry. I’ll just call his cell.”

Hannah drove back to Mac’s house to pack her suitcase. She wanted to be on the road within the hour to get to the restaurant by nightfall.

Dialing Mac’s cell earned her a strike two when she got his voicemail. “Austin, if you get this I’ll already be on the road. One of my restaurants had a fire. I have to go there. Should be back in a week.” She cringed listening to her words. A week? She hated to think of being gone that long, but maybe she could take care of things quicker. “Oh, and, Austin, please change the schedule and begin work on my apartment immediately so it’s ready for when I return. I want to move back in when I return. Do what you need to get it done but it’s a priority. Talk to you later.” At least she could give Mac back his space at his house once he completed the repairs to her apartment. Overstaying her welcome would only take advantage of his hospitality.

At the house, only Porkchop greeted her. She packed in a rush, not having much since she always traveled light. Stealing one of Mac’s T-shirts to sleep in, she buried her nose in it breathing in the fresh scent of his detergent before shoving it into her bag.

To her regret, Ryan and Luke hadn’t been at home. Since the temps had risen to almost a hundred degrees out she’d bet they’d be at the lake. She’d just leave them a note and get on the road, hopefully in time before the fire department boarded up the building at which point she couldn’t inspect the damage.

While the reason for this trip was indeed unfortunate, she would use it to put some space between her and Mac. She needed time to herself to think clearly. Things between them had progressed too fast. Just last night, she’d considered setting down roots and giving life a chance here, but in the light of day, it all seemed too surreal to be possible. She sighed. A week off should give her a clearer head and a better handle of the situation.

Even if the manager had claimed most of the destruction had occurred in the kitchen, she was nervous about discovering how bad the damage in Greenville had been, and her stomach turned upside down with nausea. Charles could certainly keep her abreast of the situation, but Hannah remembered the pledge she made to always support her employees. Suffering a fire and loss of work meant she needed to step up and be there for them. Mac could continue the renovations during her brief absence. The businessman in him would understand her responsibility to report to the scene, assess the situation, and resolve the problems.

Hastily, she wrote the note to the boys, struggling with what words to write, not wanting to sound too sentimental and mortify them. She smiled, thinking of the teasing they’d probably give her if she acted sappy. She hung the note with a magnet on the fridge, the usual spot where Mac and the kids left each other notes.

She filled Porkchop’s bowl with fresh water and glanced around the kitchen remembering the first night Mac had carried her in the door after her fainting spell. She stared at the spot on the wall where the egg she’d thrown at him had landed, and she smiled. Turning, she scurried out of the kitchen and into the driveway, jumping into her car, trying not to look back at the house.

Finally, she got on the road to Greenville. Merging onto the Interstate, she settled into the middle lane and noticed something tickling her cheek. She reached up to brush it away and her hand came away wet.

Oh, my God! She was crying. Why the tears? Her trip would only take her from Charleston for one week but it crushed her heart. What would it be like to leave forever?

With a shaking hand, she swiped at her stained cheeks, blasted the music, and slammed the gas pedal to the floor. This is what Hannah O’Leary did. She ran from one place to the next, never bothering to get attached to any place or anyone.

Until this time.

Until she’d met the four MacDevin men.

§
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Hannah was dead on her feet. She’d driven all day and into the evening, stopping only for necessary bathroom breaks and coffee refills. Now she stood outside her Greenville restaurant and all appeared fine. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked inside. The remnants of acrid smoke irritated her nose with the dusty dank smell of burnt wood and melted plastic, making her nauseated.

“Ms. O’Leary,” Charles, her manager, greeted her. Around fifty-years-old, he stood tall with a medium build, salt-and-pepper hair neatly combed, and thick glasses hiding his light brown eyes.

“Hi, Charles.” She shook his hand.

“Wow, you sure did make good time. I told you not to panic,” Charles said after glancing at his watch. “It was just a small grease fire.”

She hurried into the kitchen to find her normally spotless prep area blackened like burnt toast. The wall had been charred and the stove melted beyond recognition. Dread filled her. She swallowed hard, her heart pounding. “Charles, are you sure no one got injured?”

“No, ma’am. The chef and hostess were the last ones here for the night. They were about to leave when they saw the smoke billowing from the grease trap above the stove. They knew better than to fight it, so they waited outside for the fire department.”

She let out a long breath. They had been quite fortunate for sure. Thank God they used their heads. “I’m glad no one got hurt. It’s not worth it. Things can be replaced. People can’t.”

He nodded. “Agreed. The Fire Inspector said there’s some kind of defect on the grease trap, so he’s citing the manufacturer. You’ll be covered a hundred percent.”

She glanced around some more still stunned at the scene. Turning her attention back to her faithful employee, she spoke even though exhausted. “Good to know. How is everything else going?”

They sat at one of the small round tables reserved for intimate brunch reservations, the ones where couples wanted to dine away from larger groups.

“Great.” His fingers tapped the table. “Place has been a huge success as all your places are, Ms. O’Leary.”

“Charles, you’ve been with me five years. I told you to call me Hannah.”

“Sorry, my manners won’t allow me.” His hand waved to her. “You’re the boss and I’m the eternally grateful employee.”

“Stop it, now. I’m the one who’s grateful to you. I owe you the world.” She scanned the room again, a chill running up her spine when she thought of how bad things could have been with the fire. “This has always been my one location that I’ve never had to worry about.”

“Thank you. That means a lot to me.” He bowed his head with a little nod. “So tell me how the new place is coming along?”

Hannah didn’t want to think of that, or admit she missed Mac and the kids. She’d only been gone about eight hours. Would Mac call her? God, she hoped so. Hadn’t she jumped for her cell phone with excitement every time it had rang on the journey here, and even now she held it in her hands, hopeful. Maybe she should call him? Just to make sure he understood her message about changing the construction schedule. No, of course he would. It had been pretty cut and dry. He’d understand that the time had come for her to get back in her apartment, give him back his bedroom. Once her renovations finished then maybe she could convince him to come to her house for an adult sleepover if his sister or parents could watch the kids.

“Ms. O’Leary? Everything okay?”

Caught daydreaming by her employees could never be a good thing. “Sorry, been on the road too long, I guess. The new place has been the usual, Charles. You know, construction noise, planning menus, and getting ads ready for hiring. I figured I’d be here a week to meet the inspectors then I’ll return to Charleston to start the interviews to hire my staff.”

“Better plan on a little longer than a week.”

“Oh no,” she said, not meaning to sound disappointed. “I mean, well, you know me. I like to stick to my schedules and I’m pretty busy back in Charleston.” Her shoulders slumped. Denying any longer how much she missed Mac and the boys would only have her living a lie. Any extra days away would be miserable.

“I remember. We should be able to get you back on the road in ten days.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Ms. O’Leary, if you need to get back sooner then I could handle the inspectors. Any paperwork you need to sign we could send overnight.”

“No. I should be here. You said they requested the owner be present if at all possible so I will be even though you are quite capable of handling anything.” She rose to her feet. “Charleston’s not going to miss me.” Her heart ached with that acknowledgement. Would the MacDevin’s even notice her absence? “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to check into my hotel and get some sleep.”

“Absolutely. I’ll see you tomorrow, Ms. O’Leary.” Charles walked her out, waving while she got back in her car.

Back at her hotel room, Hannah dialed Mac’s cell phone to tell him she missed him and she’d be gone longer than the week she originally expected. When he answered in an unusual gruff tone, her heart thumped. Gripping her cell phone harder, her breath caught in her throat.

“Hi, it’s me,” she said.

“Yeah,” he answered, his normal charming tone replaced with annoyance.

“Is everything okay, Mac?” Was he tired? She’d admit they hadn’t been getting much sleep but he never seemed tired.