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As she descended the steps to the main deck, her heart began racing. As she neared the bottom of the stairs, her steps faltered, and she had to grab onto the railing so she wouldn’t tumble down the last three steps.
There he was, leaning casually against the railing, gazing out over the water. The glow of the setting sun reflecting off the water created a warm hue around him. He was dressed in a red button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal muscular forearms and dark jeans that fit snugly in all the right places. Jessie’s breath caught in her throat. His broad shoulders, the short dark hair that looked like he had just run his fingers through it, and the strong stance seemed…familiar.
Her mind whirled.No. No, it can’t be. That’s ridiculous.
She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “Matt?” she called out, her voice betraying her confusion.
The man turned around slowly, and her world tilted.
It wasn’t Matt.
It was Mac.
She froze, every muscle in her body locking in place. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. It had been a year and a half since she’d seen him. The shock hit her like a tidal wave. Her breath became shallow as she stood there, stunned, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. How could this be real?
As she looked him over, she realized he didn’t seem as shocked as she was. His expression was calm, almost expectant, and there was a softness in his eyes that sent a wave of emotion crashing over her.
He knew. He knew that Ella Belle, the ridiculous name that Lacie gave her for her profile was her. Somehow, he had managed to set this up, be here, and see her again. Had Lacie known, too? But that couldn’t be because she had encouraged her to move on after seeing the same photos she had with Mac wrapped around other women.
Then something else clicked—Martin! Now, she understood Martin’s odd behavior. He knew. He knew it was Mac!
Jesus, she was so confused about thinking about who knew what.
She stared at Mac, and he smiled, giving her that sexy, crooked smile that had always made her weak.
“Hello, Jess,” he said, his deep voice resonating in the quiet evening as he slowly stepped toward her.
The sound of his voice, the way he said her name, filled her with a thousand emotions all at once. She wanted to be angry for being deceived. She wanted to demand answers, like how he knew she was back and knew about this date. But all she could feel was the overwhelming joy of seeing him again.
Tears welled up in Jessie’s eyes, spilling down her cheeks before she could stop them. She wanted to speak, to ask him what he was doing there, but the words were stuck. It feltimpossible, like some kind of dream. She wiped at her eyes with shaking hands, unable to tear her gaze from him.
But then her thoughts spiraled into panic. “Matt,” she whispered, thinking her blind date would show up any moment. She didn’t want him to show up now. She couldn’t deal with anyone else—certainly not after this.
Goddammit! Lacie would be having a field day right now if she was here to witness all this.
Mac’s eyes softened, reading her panic instantly. He closed the distance between them, his hand reaching out to gently touch her arm. “Jess,” he said quietly, “I am Matt.”
Jessie blinked, staring at him like he had just sprouted horns out of his head. “What?” Her voice was barely audible as her mind tried to make sense of it all. How? How was this even possible?
Mac shook his head, chuckling softly. “We’ve got all night to talk about it,” he said. “But right now, I only want to feel you in my arms again.”
Oh, hell yeah!She wanted that, too!
Before she could respond, he pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. Jessie melted into his embrace, her body shaking as more sobs wracked her. She pressed her face into his chest, inhaling his familiar scent, still in denial that he was really here. Her hands clutched his shirt as if she was afraid he would disappear on her.
“Is it really you?” she whispered, her voice muffled against him. “I didn’t fall down the steps and hit my head, right? I’m not imagining that you are here?” she asked, feeling that anxiety creep back in.
???
Mac’s chest rumbled with a quiet laugh as he pressed kisses to the top of her head. “No, you didn’t fall and hit your head. It’s really me, Jess.”
He held her tighter, his arms protective, as if he could shield her from everything that had ever hurt her. He placed another kiss on her head. “I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered.
When her sobs quieted, he pulled back just enough to look down at her tear-streaked face. Thank goodness she never wore a lot of makeup. Otherwise, she’d be a literal mess right now.
“Where can we go to talk?” he asked softly, brushing a tear away from her cheek.
Jessie nodded toward the stairs, her voice still shaky. “The sun deck. We can talk there.”
