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Seventeen
All Mac wanted was to crawl into bed and forget the world for a good eight hours. He’d flown from Bora Bora to Boston, then from there he’d come to Miami and gone straight to his new office. After working a few hours, he’d known if he didn’t get home, he was going to do a face-plant on his desk.
He needed nothing but his king-sized bed and his phone on silent.
Mac started to unbutton his shirt as he made his way down the hall of his Miami condo. He’d chosen a penthouse with a killer beach view because he was so sick of the unpredictable weather in Boston. Miami was everything he loved: warmth, sunshine and attractive people. The art deco aesthetic in the city was also a great fit for his new offices and auction house. Considering O’Shea’s pulled in art with every auction no matter the location, Miami was a no-brainer when it came to opening another branch and Mac had been all too eager to head it up. Not to mention Jenna had planted a bug in his ear about opening an office here since she’d arrived a couple of years back.
His gut clenched at the thought of her. So many times his mind just circled right back around to his best friend and he could do little to control it.
Mac jerked his shirt off and entered his bedroom. Before he could even tap the switch, that familiar floral aroma surrounded him.
“I thought you were never coming home.”
Jenna.
Mac quickly flicked the switch, drenching the room in light and his gut clenched at the sight before him. Jenna in his bed. Jenna naked in his bed. Jenna naked in his bed with the sheets rumpled all around her.
She tipped her head to the side and held his gaze.
“I figure you didn’t mean to leave me without saying goodbye, so I thought I’d give you that chance,” she told him, as if this entire situation didn’t warrant any questions.
“How did you know I was coming home?” he asked.
With a shrug, and clearly not concerned with her state of undress, Jenna let the sheets pool at her waist. “I used my key to get in and realized you weren’t here. I called Braden, who told me you’d just left.”
If he weren’t so freaked out about his feelings, about hurting her, he’d be all over her in that bed. Damn, but she was the best accessory in the room.
“You seem to be uncomfortable,” she went on. “Everything okay? I mean, I know we said we’d just play this week out, but even friends tell each other goodbye, right? Unless something else was bothering you and that’s why you left me. Either way, I deserve an explanation.”
Mac remained locked in place. If he took a step forward, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. Suddenly sleeping was the last thing he wanted to do in that bed.
“I couldn’t stay.” At least that was the complete truth.
“Work?” she asked, quirking a brow as if she knew full well that wasn’t what caused him to run.
He wadded his shirt up and tossed it toward the basket in the corner. “I can’t get into this, Jenna.”
As much as he hated to be the guy who was a jerk the morning after, he was going to have to make her leave. She needed to understand exactly what she was dealing with and how far apart their worlds truly were.
“Oh. What exactly can’t you get into right now? Would that be your feelings or just the simple courtesy of letting me know you were leaving?”
She was understandably angry and he deserved every bit of backlash she threw his way.
“Are you going to get dressed?” he asked.
Jenna tilted her chin, shot a glare across the room and then slid from the bed. “I suppose now that the week is over you’re done. I get it. I was even well aware of the plan going in, but I still thought something had changed.”
She let out a laugh, void of any humor, as she scooped up her bra and panties. He watched as she slid into the bright red lingerie that was sure to make any man beg her to crawl back into that bed.
“I figured when you crept out of the room like a coward that you were scared of what had happened, so I was giving you the benefit of the doubt.” She reached down and grabbed her red dress, sliding it over her head. “Apparently you felt nothing or you’re still freaked out. Either way, I’m not begging. Coming here was a risk I was willing to take, but it looks like only one of us has a set big enough to admit what they want.”
As she started to pass, Mac took one step and blocked the doorway. Jenna froze, staring into his eyes. She was clearly pissed, with her lips pressed into a thin line and the muscle ticking in her jaw. But it was the hurt, the vulnerability in her eyes that gutted him. He couldn’t let her leave this room thinking she wasn’t worth every single thing she wanted.
