The Distance Between Us (MAC Security 3)

“Charlie,” I whisper as his hand trails over my panties, making me shiver.

“Hey! Come on, we’re gonna be late.” We both stay silent at the sound of Evan’s voice coming through the cottage door. “I know you’re both in there, I’m not moving until I see you coming!”

I chuckle at the innuendo and Charlie groans, letting me down as he adjusts himself in his jeans and shakes his head.

“This ain’t finished.” I smirk as I pick up my jean shorts and pull them up my legs and over my hips. “Not by a long shot.”

He watches my every move as I put on my cowboy boots and then pair it all with a tank top that has thin straps. Patting his chest twice as I walk by, I head straight for the door.

“Really, Evan?” I punch his arm and walk past him, heading straight for the trail that leads up to the clearing where we’re all having a family afternoon.

“What did I do?”

I turn around, walking backward and raising my brows. “I’m not moving until I see you coming?”

He frowns at me and then goes bright red when he sees Charlie come out of the door.

I throw my head back and laugh, spinning back around and heading up the trail between all of the trees that back onto the edge of the compound.

The clearing was originally made for outside training, Ty had all kinds of outdoor equipment up here, but when Kay moved onto the compound, it started to get used more for barbeques and family days. It’s now become a monthly thing, although I haven’t attended one since I went undercover.

Charlie catches up with me and wraps his arm over my shoulders as we walk up to the clearing in companionable silence, listening to the birds singing in the trees.

“Uncle Charlie!” Eli shouts as soon as we break through the trees and into the clearing, his dog, Monty, trotting beside him. He runs at him and Charlie catches him, swinging him around in a circle before placing him back down.

“Hey, buddy, how’s it going?”

“Good!” he says, throwing his fist up in the air. “Want to race on the ropes?”

Charlie looks at me and I smile, waving my hand and telling him I’m going to help Kay get the food ready. He places a kiss on my lips before he chases after Eli and I turn to Kay, seeing her watching us.

“How you feeling today?” Kay asks when I join her at the picnic bench.

“Good,” I tell her, shaking my head when she hands me a bottle of beer. I don’t want to risk drinking with the tablets. I may be taking more than I probably should but somehow drinking a beer resonates with me that it would be going too far.

I shake the thoughts from my head, knowing that I’m good for at least two hours before I’ll need to head back down to my place and take some more painkillers.

“He looks happy,” Ty comments when he comes to stand next to Kay. “I haven’t seen that smile on his face for a long time.”

“Yeah,” I answer, turning around to watch Charlie climb the rope with Eli and laughing when he gets to the top and shouts that he’s “king of the world.”

“You did that,” he says, tilting his head to me and then looking down at Kay, flashing her his own grin. “Love is all us Mackenzie men need.”

I snort at him and widen my eyes when he kisses her, I really don’t want to see that.

Eli shouting at me and asking me to join them gains my attention and his hopeful, bright green eyes coupled with both of their boyish grins has me jogging over to the bottom of the ropes and taking a couple of steps back before I dive for it, making it up to them within seconds.

“I’m queen of the world!” I shout, standing on the top bar and spreading my arms out wide just like Charlie did.

The view up here never gets old, the trees and the sky as it bursts with oranges and reds, the sun starting to set in the background. I’ve never seen anything like it and it still amazes me just as much as it did when I saw it for the first time years ago.

“Food’s ready!” Luke shouts up to us, waiting for Eli at the bottom of the rope. Eli hollers and fist bumps the air before climbing down and racing Luke to the table where all the food is laid out.

I turn to Charlie and then to the guys. This right here is all I’ve ever wanted, people who love me for me and not for an ulterior motive.

What Ty has created here is unlike anything else and I know that I’m lucky to be a part of it, but I can’t stop that little voice in the back of my head that whispers, “you’re not good enough for them.”

“Kitty Kat? You coming?”