Mac was silent all the way to the restaurant. His mind worked overtime analyzing and discarding scenarios and options at an accelerated pace. He hadn't liked seeing Herrick waiting for them outside of the sheriffs office. Despite Brenna's assurances, Mac's gut told him that is exactly what he'd been doing.

The restaurant Brad recommended looked like the good ol' type of greasy spoon diner that had great burgers and pie. The waitress behind the counter had told them to sit anywhere they pleased. They chose a booth by the window so they could keep an eye on Reego in the truck with the windows down.

The waitress was young and perky in her screen printed logo t-shirt and jeans. Brenna smiled inwardly when she made a point to lean in close to Mac while she pointed out their special for the day on the menu. To his credit he didn't seem to notice the large, firm mammarys that had been presented for his inspection.

In the end, Mac ordered the special, a behemoth burger which appeared very aptly named and fries with a large plain burger patty to go for Reego. Brenna chose the mushroom Swiss burger and the soup of the day. The sat drinking ice tea in comfortable silence after the waitress made her exit.

"Have you had any contact with Herrick?" Mac finally broke the silence.

"Not direct, no. Detective Brewster did all of the interviewing after we established our three main suspects." She knew where he was going with this. He was worried about her after seeing Herrick outside the sheriff's office. "He would likely know that the fire department is part of the investigation. It is a fire matter after all."

"If he were watching the fires he'd have seen you though. Right? A lot of criminals do that; stick around to watch the results of their work."

She nodded. He was right. She waited for him to continue but that seemed to be all he was going to say on the matter for now. Their food arrived and served as a good distraction for a time.

"Brad was right. Then again he usually is in all matters pertaining to food." Mac had insisted on paying the bill and they were standing outside the Expedition watching Reego gulp down his snack.

"Will you do me a favor?" Mac looked at her earnestly from his place leaning up against the hood of the truck. He looked very stoic and masculine with his tattooed arms crossed against his very well formed chest.

"Hmmm....depends." She answered playfully in hopes of lightening the mood.

He didn't lose his serious look. "It's important to me. I really need you to pay really close attention to your surroundings for me. Double check your doors. Check your rearview mirror when your traveling. Stuff like that. Just be a little extra aware."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. She appreciated his concern but thought he was likely overreacting. The rigid set of his face and the tense posture of his body conveyed his very real concern and she relented.

"I will. I promise." He pushed off from the vehicle and wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you." He planted a kiss at her hairline. "So business is concluded. After we drop off the truck what do you want to do?"

"Relax. I propose my couch, wine, a movie and maybe if you are lucky I might even let you in the hot tub with me." It felt amazing to just stand in the circle of his arms, pressed up against his hard body. She'd missed casual intimate contact.

"What are my chances at naked hot tub?" He could feel the rumble of her chuckle under his hands and smiled.

"Maybe." She whispered after a moment. He kissed her hairline again. After a few more minutes they finally parted. Mac cleaned up after Reego and took him for a walk to attend to his business. When he returned Brenna was waiting for him in the idling Expedition. They drove back in companionable silence.

*************

Mac followed Brenna to the movie rental store and made sure Reego was comfortable before joining her inside. She stood with several movies in her hands.

"Ok! Action shoot em' up flick and sci-fi end of the world drama?" She lifted her left hand. "Or heartwarming family movie and toe tingling romance?" She presented her right hand selections for inspection.

"How about we even out the gender gap?" He plucked one movie from each hand. "Let's go with action shoot em' up and toe tingling romance."

"Throw chocolate into that bargain and we have a deal." She returned the other two movies to their spot.

"Deal!'

They took their rentals and the giant Hershey bar she'd found back to her house. She changed into comfortable clothes while he figured out her DVD player and television system. When she reappeared she was wearing the little short and tank top combination that had driven him crazy in Cozumel.

The smile on her face told him she was well aware of the affect her choice had on him.

He settled into the corner of the couch. She turned off the light and came back to the room.

"Are you going to be comfortable like that? You can get comfy you know." She watched as he slipped off his shoes, fluffed up the pillow and stretched out leaving a place in front of him for her on the deep couch. She slipped into the spot provided and tingled with pleasure at the feel of his broad strong chest against her back and his warm arm draped across her middle. She'd pulled her hair into bun and subsequently could feel his soft breath blowing on the back of her neck. She shivered at the sensation.

"Are you cold? Here." He reached behind him and pulled the afghan she stored on the back of the sofa down around them.

"Thanks."

She couldn't have recounted a single moment of the movie if asked. Her mind had been more focused on the strong warm body so closed to hers. Every move that he made drew her attention. When he'd snuggled in closer his mouth was just above her ear and each breath sent goose bumps across her skin. When she'd stretched out it had tangled their legs and feet together. When he'd run his warm, rough hand up her side and down her arm before settling it on her hip. She was acutely aware of every sensation.

By the time the credits began to roll she was almost painfully turned on and he hadn't made a single sexual move on her.

He made no move to get up and change the DVD and she wondered if he'd actually fallen asleep behind her while she'd been quietly going out of her mind.

Unable to be still a moment longer she turned to face him and found his dark eyes staring right back at her intensely.

"I thought you might have fallen asleep." She whispered softly into the darkness.

"Fat chance of that happening. There is no way I could fall asleep with you snuggled up to me like that."

She giggled; pleased to know she wasn't the only one wonderfully uncomfortable.

Tentatively she snuggled in closer and placed both of her hands on his chest. She angled her face up and kissed him softly. He breathed in deeply as the kiss continued and she felt his hand slip under her tank top and slide around to her lower back. He pulled her in closer to him.

Brenna was now flush with his body and their legs were tangled together. His hand crept down and gripped her bottom as his tongue slipped past her lips and tangled with her own.

A low moan escaped her and his grip on her bottom tightened pulling her impossibly closer.

Brenna's hands snaked up and ran through his hair. Mac made a low growling sound and gripped Brenna's hips. Before she knew it he'd flipped onto his back and rolled her on top of him. Both of his hands now roamed freely up and down her back, bottom and legs.

They continued to kiss and explore each other's bodies. From her position she could feel his arousal pressing into the fly of his jeans. She could tell he was taking his cues from her, the bolder she became the bolder he responded.

In an instant she made a decision and reached down to stroke the length of him. He stilled and groaned in pleasure. She nibbled her lip with nerves as she flipped open the button of his jeans and pulled down the zipper. Mac was absolutely still and when she looked up he was staring at her intently.

"Is this ok?" She asked.

"Absolutely anything you do is ok. You could pour molten wax on my chest if that makes you happy. Is it ok for you is the question?"

Any doubts she'd been harboring evaporated at his response and the concern in his voice. She simply smiled and gripped the bottom of his t-shirt pulling it up and off to reveal the muscled expanse of his chest and abdomen.

She took a moment to run her hands over the ripples of muscle in appreciation before gripping the bottom of her tank top and pulling it off to reveal herself to him. He pulled himself up running his hands up her torso as he went.

She tensed for only a moment as thought of her scars grazed her mind. His hands ran over them softly as if reading her mind.

"So beautiful!" he groaned. He lavished kisses down her neck and chest then took her left nipple in his mouth. He was gentle yet insistent and the sensation loosed a low keening sound from her. He moved to attend to its partner and she found herself gripping tightly to the back of his head as she unconsciously ground slowly into his lap.

One of his hands had strayed up her thigh and slowly made its way north to the juncture between her legs. Carefully he ran a finger along the leg of the tiny shorts she wore and found she'd forsook the addition of underwear.

Just the thought made him even harder. He ran his finger along the edge again but this time delved a little deeper tracing her moist entrance. He continued to suck and lick her nipple as his fingers slipped slowly within the folds of her.

Brenna stilled. He could feel her trembling in his arms. He took his time stroking softly, just barely grazing her nub with his thumb. He liked how her breath hitched each time he allowed himself to slip two fingers in just the littlest bit before running them back to her nub.

She was trembling uncontrollably and moaning loudly in moments. He found her slick and ready. Looking up at her to gauge her response he carefully pulled the shorts down and away. Her small hands tugged at his jeans and he helped her removed them and his boxer briefs.

He lay before her bare and painfully aroused. Her eyes were hooded with lust as she reached out and softly ran her fingers along the bare length of him. Suddenly she looked up in horror.

"I don't.....I don't have anything. I mean, it's been so long....."

He chuckled. "I wasn't sure when, but I was really hoping that someday we'd make it here. I have one in my wallet. Three actually, since that's how many are in the package."

Brenna reached down and retrieved his wallet from his jeans and extracted the necessary item. She fondled him softly as she sheathed him. Mac groaned with pleasure at her small hands stroking him. If she kept that up he didn't think the actual main event was going to take very long.

Brenna moved to straddle him. Mac brought himself up and cupped her face to kiss her deeply. Brenna braced her hands on his shoulders and moved smoothly to take him in. He groaned into their still locked lips.

She moved slowly at first taking him deeper with each stroke and adjusting to the length and width of him. Gradually she sped up the pace. Mac knew he wasn't long from his end. She felt amazing, the most perfect fit. Softly he took her juices and smoothed them over her nub. Immediately she made a high pitched sounded of lustful surprise.

Mac concentrated on stroking her softly but with just enough pressure. When he could feel her trembling violently and on the verge of climax he let himself match her. Together they ground to the edge of the cliff and fell over the side in a unified exclamation of pleasure.

She collapsed sweating and trembling against him. He held her until their breathing slowed to the slow even breaths of deep exhaustion. Reluctantly he slipped from her.

"Baby, let me carry you to bed." He kissed her forehead and could feel her nod against his lips. Without letting go, he picked her up and carried her up the stairs to her bed. He laid them down and she curled into his body warm and comforting. Mac had never felt as content in his life as he did with the small body in his arms and the dark head on his chest.