McKenzie Cousins Box Set One: Books One, Two, Three

by Lexi Buchanan

He grins. “Why not?”

  “Are you kidding me? I won’t be able to keep my hands off you if we get all wet and slippery together.”

  He groans and releases me so that I slowly slide down his hard body. “Why’d you have to mention wet and slippery? The thought of you all wet and slippery does things to me.”

  I laugh and back away, but he grabs my hands and tugs me back against his aroused body. “I don’t want to let you go…but, I need to. I have work to do for your father.” He quickly kisses me on the nose. Groans. Pulls me to him and, with one hand on my bottom and the other behind my neck, he devours my mouth. Our passion rises and then I’m pushed against the tile of the shower. My hands spread against the wall as I take a great deal of satisfaction when his palms run all over me. His breathing is heavy and when he turns me to face him, he slowly backs away.

  My eyes roam over his defined chest and abs but it’s the hard flesh standing strong and proud from his groin that holds my attention. It’s long and thick with a life all of its own as it throbs and jerks the longer my eyes stay on it.

  With a garbled moan, Michael hisses, “If you keep looking at me like that, we’re not going to make it to dinner first.”

  “I don’t mind spending my day in bed with you.”

  “Just one day?” He tilts his head to the side and slowly prowls toward me.

  My heart pounds with excitement as he stops within a breadth of me. I force my gaze away from his delicious body and meet his vivid blue eyes. “I’d spend every day with you Michael, if you wanted me to.”

  I don’t think I’ve ever been so blunt with a man before and the nerves swimming in my stomach say it all. This man is who I want, but I’ve no idea if he wants more with me.

  And how could I know. Maybe he wasn’t interested in me. Maybe it was simply because I’d come here and been so brazen. Maybe, in his mind, I’m an unexpected plaything that will keep him occupied over the summer while he’s on Santorini. I chew on the doubts but they don’t feel right...maybe I’m reading this correctly and he wants more.

  He crowds me and, cupping my face in his large hands, answers my unasked question, “I want you Brooke. I don’t know where this is leading, but I’m not just looking for one night.”

  His words fill my heart with joy and I can’t fight down the hope spreading through me. I hope that when I tell him tonight about my sister, he’ll accept what I’m telling him. I need him to accept that she only gave me the shove I needed to act. I needed him to know that everything else was done for me...not the dare. Because I have a feeling that Michael McKenzie is already in my young heart.

  34

  Michael

  Sketching my vision of the exclusive resort, I grimace at the lines on the page. This is a huge undertaking for McKenzie Holdings and I need to be focused on it. But today, it can’t hold my concentration after the night and morning I’ve just spent with Brooke. She could create complications because she isn’t the daughter Mitchell wants me with. She’s certainly the daughter who has my attention. Three times now, I’ve been lost in my imagination about her, and three times, I’ve drawn something in the wrong position. So, hours later, I’m slightly behind on what I’d planned to get done today. With the excitement of seeing Brooke this evening, I can’t muster enough annoyance at myself.

  The view I have from my desk is something I don’t think I’d ever get enough of. The ocean is so blue it looks endless with the cloudless sky above it. The cliffs to the right are treacherous, but a sight to be seen. The ocean waves crash onto the beach just off in the distance making the sudden yearning to have Brooke with me while we thrash about in the cool water.

  “Someone is distracted,” Carrie drawls, snagging my attention as she walks into the room.

  My jaw tightens in annoyance at her interruption. “I’ve asked you not to come waltzing in here while I’m working.”

  She rolls her eyes. “I didn’t see any work being done, more like wool gathering.”

  Sighing heavily, I ask, “What do you want Carrie?”

  “I want to know what my sister has that I don’t. She certainly doesn’t have the body I do.”

  Stunned at her question, I lean back and that’s when I realize she really is jealous of my attraction for her sister. I frown. “Your sister is a beautiful woman with curves that make a man’s mouth water. Mine hasn’t stopped.”

  “My sister,” her face tightens, “has no idea what to do with a man like you.” Her face creases in an ugly scowl.

  Standing, I face the mean woman. “After spending the night with her, I’d say that she knows what she’s doing.” I don’t stop there because I’m angry that this woman would put down her own sister. “Why do you think I’m so distracted today, huh? I can’t get her out of my head.”

  My eyes widen in surprise when Carrie laughs.

  “What would you say if I told you she was only with you as a dare?” she throws the words at me.

  “I’d tell you to stop with the lies and to get out of my office,” I reply. I grind my teeth and fight the anger I’m feeling...Carrie has been a thorn in my side for months, well before I even arrived on the island and actually met her...but I can honestly say that I’ve never been this angry with her before.

  She sniggers. “You can say I’m lying, but the truth is, it was a dare. I,” she emphasizes the word, “dared her. She wouldn’t have come to you on her own. You’re not that interesting enough, but once I dared, she accepted it.” Her smile is nothing but evil. “Cat got your tongue?”

  No way was Brooke dared to be with me…was she?

  “I can see the wheels turning in that simple little brain of yours, so why don’t you ask her.” She turns to walk away. “I think you have a misconception about my sister. She is expected to marry Sinclair.”

  Five minutes later and I’m still standing where I was when she left wondering if there is any truth to Carrie’s words. The woman has a vindictive streak, which I’ve seen since I’ve been here, but would she direct it toward her sister, I just wasn’t sure.

  The initial encounter in the shower had shocked and surprised me, but I didn’t stop to think of why she was there. Now though, I can’t help wondering what had driven her to my villa. Was she a virgin, or was it something she’d said as part of the game?

  You promised to love her in the morning if she was still in your bed…she was still there…

  She was still there, and just as eager. I didn’t detect any hesitation and she really did seem happy.

  Groaning, I run my hands through my hair and decide that the only way I’ll get the truth is by asking her.

  No way did she come to me on a dare. No way in hell could she do that. Not my Brooke.

  Dropping into the chair, I gaze off into the distance, the work on my desk forgotten as I let the doubt take over. After one night, do I really know Brooke well enough to be sure of anything?

  Sighing, I focus my attention to the drawing board in front of me, and the design that is now starting to take shape. My personal life, which I didn’t have much of yesterday, sure has gotten complicated. My sister, Sirena, would cry from laughter if she were here now, so I guess I should be thankful that she arrives tomorrow with her husband, Garrett, and their son, Elias.

  Tonight should be my date with Brooke, instead of getting ready, I’m still dressed in the shorts and shirt I’d thrown on this morning. While I sit in the dark, I wonder whether or not she’ll actually turn up, or whether her sister has told her that the cat’s out of the bag.

  I swirl the whisky in the glass and hear the gentle clinking of the ice cubes. My eyes search the amber liquid for the truth, which I offer a mirthless laugh at. No answers other than numbness, or a headache, have ever been found in a bottle of whisky.

  I’m more than disappointed in Brooke because I really like her…liked. Her smile lit me up inside. The curves revealed once she had no clothes on made me want to sin. I loved talking to her. Most of all I loved the way she’d look at me, as though I
was everything to her.

  Sighing, I run my hands through my short hair feeling more disappointed than angry. I know I didn’t imagine this morning or her reaction to me. Actions don’t lie, right? I wish I knew.

  Draining the glass, I resolve myself to go and seek her out, needing answers to the question heavily on my mind. Was I really a dare?

  Hearing a soft knock on the door to the villa, I clamber to my feet, feeling weary, and tug it open. Beautiful Brooke stands there looking sweet and innocent. Her hair shines and looks so soft my fingers twitch to tangle in the long strands. She wears nothing more than a long, pale pink sundress with narrow straps and a smile...one that warms me more than the whisky warmed my gut. The smile looks real...but it was a dare, whispers in my head making me doubt everything.

  “Are you going to invite me inside?” she asks, her tongue slipping between her lips, which I realize is a nervous habit.

  I nod and step away from the door, allowing her to follow me inside.

  Her smile falters when she looks me over in my rumpled clothes and a frown appears. “Um, we are still going out?”

  “That depends.” I mumble, holding her gaze.

  Her fingers start twitching as she glances around the room. I watch her deeply inhale, hold it for a long moment before she slowly exhales. “I need to tell you something,” she quickly mumbles, as though she needs to get the words out before she has second thoughts.

  I search her gaze, and say, “Let me ask you something first.” When she nods, I ask, “Did Carrie dare you to sleep with me?”

  Her eyes widen in surprise before they fill with unshed tears. “Yes, but…it’s not what you think,” she mumbles as a tear escapes down her cheek.

  I hold my hand up to stop the flow of words. “Carrie told me that she dared you to spend the night with me.”

  Her eyes widen in surprise before they narrow. “That…that…lying…ugh!” She strides straight up to me and shoves me in the chest with a finger. “You believed her,” she accuses. “Yes, she dared me. You want to know why?” She steps into my space. “I’ll tell you why, although I don’t feel I need to. She dared me because she saw the attraction between us. But this isn’t the first time she’s dared me...it’s just the first time I accepted the dare. I’ve always ignored her dares so she assumed that, last night, would be the same as all the rest...except it wasn’t.”

  Unable to stay unaffected any longer, I cup her tearstained face between my hands. “Finish, Brooke. Tell me.”

  “I knew if I didn’t accept that she’d be the one going to you, and I was jealous. If I hadn’t wanted you, then I never would have gone near you, dare or not.” She dips her head, but I tilt her face so she’s looking into my eyes.

  “It hurt me Brooke. Thinking you were only with me because of a dare…” Her hand covers my mouth.

  She shakes her head slowly, removing her hand. “It was the dare that made me bold. But I was with you because I wanted to be. Badly.” Her cheeks flush. “I’m here now because I want to be. Everything that happened between us was real, Michael.”

  Gazing into her eyes, I search and find her hopeful, which is what I am, so I make a snap decision. “Then let me quickly change and we’ll walk into town.”

  Her smile lights up her face. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry. If I’d stopped to think, I never would have been upset after your sisters visit.” I place a quick kiss to her lips. “Don’t move.”

  Backing away until she’s out of sight, I turn and quickly toss my clothes off. Smelling under my arms, I grimace and head for the shower. The water sloshes over my heated skin but knowing she’s waiting for me, I’m quick and to the point.

  Five minutes later and with a smile on my face, I walk out of my bedroom and find Brooke waiting for me. She raises a brow and I chuckle. “I can be quick in the shower when I don’t have company,” I answer the question I see on her face.

  Slipping a hand around her waist, I admit, “The next time my dick gets happy will be with you.” I laugh and sling an arm around her shoulders.

  “Carrie isn’t going to stop. You know that right?” Her voice sounds tired as she tells me this. “She won’t like that you listened to me, and that we’re now heading out on a date.”

  “What is it with her?” I ask, walking through the garden.

  Brooke sighs. “She’s always been the pretty one. The one who everyone wants to spend time with.” She shrugs. “I’ve always been the plain one.”

  “Don’t ever put yourself down in front of me again.” I tug her to a stop, becoming angry on her behalf. “You are beautiful. You caught my attention from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  She offers me a small smile. “Thank you for that.” Her arms go around my waist and her head rests against my chest. “This is my first date,” she whispers.

  My arms tighten around her shoulders, as my heart takes a leap toward hers. “Then lets make sure that it’s special.”

  35

  Brooke

  Walking toward Oia, Santorini’s artisan village, I can’t help the feeling that this is right as Michael drapes an arm around my neck. He feels really good beside me, like he was always meant to be there...just the two of us on a romantic stroll toward the restaurant on the cliff. Every now and again, he places a kiss to the top of my head.

  The only shadow on the whole night is worry over what my sister is going to do or say when she finds out about tonight. She isn’t going to be happy.

  “Stop thinking so hard.” Michael squeezes my shoulders. “Don’t worry about your sister, Brooke. Now I know what she’s like, I’m not going to believe anything unless it comes out of your mouth.”

  I feel a huge sigh of relief at those words. “Thank you.”

  He smiles and looks off into the distance. I follow his gaze and grin like an idiot. “You’re taking me to my favorite restaurant?”

  “You bet.”

  “How?”

  “I may have overheard you talking with your mom,” he raises a brow. “Hope you don’t mind?”

  Chuckling, I wrap myself around him. “I don’t mind at all.” My arms slip around his neck while he secures me against him with his strong hands around my waist. “Have you been into the village since you’ve been here?”

  “No, but I’ve heard wonderful things about this restaurant.”

  “You’ll hear good things about a lot of restaurants on this Island.”

  He leans in and captures my lips in a sweet kiss, making my heart pound as heat rises through me. When he removes his lips, the look in his eyes causes my breath to catch in the back of my throat. “Dinner,” he whispers. He brushes the side of my face with his fingers. “I need to keep reminding myself to go slow.”

  “I might be inexperienced, but I really don’t need you to go slow.”

  He smiles. “I won’t always go slow, but tonight I will. I want you to experience the perfect first date. That will make me happy.”

  I reach up and kiss him on the cheek. “You’re a good man, Michael McKenzie.”

  “Shush,” he chuckles, “don’t tell anyone.”

  Laughing, I roll my eyes.

  He takes my hand and, before I can catch my breath, we’re being shown to our table on the balcony with the most amazing view of the sea—the stars bright in the moonless sky. Just a sea of diamonds laid out before us.

  “I’ve only been to this restaurant once before. When my father was in the process of buying land here. It’s my favorite though and one of the most romantic.”

  “I haven’t left the villa since I’ve been here, unless it had anything to do with work.” He shrugs. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to get away with such a beautiful woman.” He takes my hand and holds it on the top of the table.

  “Are you trying to sweet talk me?” I ask, tilting my head and watching him.

  His eyes sparkle. “Is it working?”

  “Yes, but you don’t need to.”

  “I know that.
” He squeezes my hand, keeping it in his hold as the waiter takes our order.

  “Why haven’t you eaten here again, if it’s your favorite place?” he asks, lifting my hand and placing a kiss on my knuckles.

  “You’re distracting me.”

  He grins. “Good…you were saying.”

  My breath catches as I hold his gaze. “Mmm.”

  He fidgets as his eyes darken. “Stop moaning,” he hisses.

  My eyes widen in surprise and I feel the flush on my cheeks. I need to get the subject off of us so we can focus on our date. “I haven’t been back to eat here because I find it embarrassing to eat alone, and my parents prefer their own chef.” I don’t mention my sister because there’s no way I’d go out to eat with her…a few years ago I would have.

  “Then I’ll have to make it a point to bring you here to eat whenever we can.” Michael smiles and I know he means what he says.

  “I’d love that.” As we talk, the waiter pours our wine and I take an appreciative sip. After I do, I ask Michael, “Will you tell me about your life in Lexington? I’ve never been there.”

  “That’s right, you live in New York.”

  “Out of the city though. It’s too busy for me… So, Lexington,” I urge.

  He smiles, softly. “My favorite place is my home at Harbor Point, at the side of the Lake. It’s known as a reservoir, but lake sounds much better.” He grins. “My mom and dad still live in the home where I grew up. Charlotte is my twin and works at McKenzie’s with our cousin, Alexander, and I. We make a good team. Our cousins, Olivia and Madison also work at McKenzies.”

  “Twins! I bet you’re parents had their hands full.”

  He tips his head back and laughs. “You could say that.” He shakes his head, amusement on his handsome face. “It wasn’t long before Sirena arrived, followed a few years later with Joshua.”

  We sit back in our chairs as our Shrimp Risotto arrives, a momentary break in our conversation, but then he continues, “I have a large family with my grandparents being in their late eighties, then there’s uncles and aunts, and lots of cousins. I can’t imagine my life without any of them.”