His Witness To Love by Summer Rose

CHAPTER TWO

A knock came from the room they left Lauren. “He must be all done,” Mack said as he turned to leave. Just as he got to the door, he turned and walked back to kiss her hand before going.

The room bore down on Brie, and she held one hand in the other, not sure exactly what to feel at that moment.

She eventually moved to follow him and walked in as final goodbyes were exchanged between the solid block of a man and Mack.

The door shut behind Lauren, and Mack turned to face her again.

“The process is done. For now, it’s in their hands.”

Brie didn't talk, her hands stretched out to him, and it was silent as he held her.

She could smell him, feel his heartbeat. Everything that had abandoned her that night was right here in her arms; with that thought, she hugged him even tighter, burying her face in his clothes.

Mack pulled away momentarily, never really letting her go, and stared at her, rubbing at her face with his palm.

“You really are such a beautiful woman,” he said under his breath, but she heard him, and it happened before either of them was really prepared. Her lips crashed into his, and the sparks flew in their heads. A buzzing sensation that had them humming slightly.

She felt his hand go from her shoulder to her midline, grabbing at her waist. She felt him press at her love handles and tried to guide his hand higher. He was having none of that as he pulled her in.

The clothes came off in jerky pulls and careless tosses; they found it hard to pay attention to anything other than the taste of each other.

The feeling of her on her back with their fingers locked together was unmatched. Brie could feel everything as he kissed his way down her body, everything and then some.

The walls were witness to the passion that night, to pulls and thrusts and groans. Their dance carried on through the night and, at last, released. Afterward, a calm was shared carefully with each other, a silent loving.

Brie could feel him, just like before it all started. Her fingers traveled along his chest.

Mack stood up suddenly and turned to face her.

“Brie, I love you.”

For a moment, she looked at him in silence.

“Mack, don’t do this.”

“No, listen to me,” he went on, interrupting her.

“I love you, more than you know, more than you realize. I’m tired of leaving it open to be questioned. I swear to you, Brianna, I love you, and believe me when I say, I’m not leaving you.”

Brie lay down, avoiding his eyes. She pulled the covers up to her chin.

“And what happens when you disappear again?”

“Never, never again,” Mack moved closer and held her. “I’m here, Brie. I will be here, I promise.”

The silence continued, but tears came in the morning.

When Brie woke up, the air had warmed seemingly entirely by the single beam of light hitting her foot. Scenes from the night before hitting her in waves, and she instinctively hugged at the covers.

The air was cool in the hallway; it pushed against her exposed skin, almost giving her goosebumps. She rounded the corner and found herself relieved to see Mack at the table, speaking into a receiver. She let her arm trail across his back as she walked past to get something to eat.

Mack paused his conversation to speak to her.

“There’s a dish in the microwave and something to drink in the fridge. It shouldn’t be too cold; I just had a bit of it.”

“It’ll do nicely,” she replied from the other side of the room.

A message came up on his screen, and Mack turned back to look. Brie watched him take a few seconds to read through the text before he dropped the phone, seemingly done with work for the morning.

Brie stood at the counter, digging at a piece of toast and some eggs. She didn’t feel him walk up behind her until he reached for a piece of toast.

“How is it?” he asked.

“Not bad, not bad at all,” she mumbled through a mouth full of food.

Crumbs were sticking to her face, which he gently swiped away. She felt the air between them become charged as his eyes held hers intensely.

"Brie, do me a favor."

"Yes?" her eyes fluttered open

"Get packed."

"Huh?"

He walked away from her, still speaking, "The office has assigned you a safe house, you and Rachel, of course. You'll be staying in a designated home with an assigned live-in guard in case there’s any funny business.”

“Mack, the last time we-"

"Just until Rachel recuperates, and we get these guys."

"Fine, fine. Who's the guard?"

Mack lifted his phone screen to show a file with his own picture at the top.

"Who do you think?" he asked with a smile.