~*~
MacKenzie stirred the gravy, adding the crumbled sausage and replaying the last twenty-four hours in her mind. They were together, kinda. They were in a committed relationship—yes, that. What still confused her was the logistics. Sebastian would only say he was working on it.
The most logical plan was for him to move here, or to at least spend a large amount of time here. She wasn’t going anywhere. She wasn’t sure how that would all work. Again, he was working on that.
MacKenzie circled back to the most pressing thought—the differences between them. Sebastian was so far above her social class, she’d need a step ladder just to catch a glimpse. He had access to a private jet! He’d called in another favor knowing flights would be hard to get that weekend after the nor’easter shut the state down. Then there was the shopping trip he’d planned for the next day. She shuddered. MacKenzie hated shopping. Declaring the gravy done, she covered the pan turned off the stove. She needed another coffee.
Replacing the K-cup then selecting her brew, she yelled for Bas. “Are you almost done? Breakfast is ready.”
“I’m right behind you, Beautiful.” His arms came around her as he pulled her into his burly frame, placing a kiss on top of her head.
“It’s about time.” The dude took longer than any woman to get dressed. There was another thing—him and his stylish ways. She rolled her eyes, remembering his excitement at the prospect of going shopping tomorrow. Turning in what little space he afforded her, she cradled her mug in her hands and peered up at him. “You didn’t shave? You were up there all that time and you didn’t even shave?”
“I was thinking of growing it out a little. Do you not like it?”
Kenz tilted her head to the side. “I like it. I just can’t see what took you so long to get dressed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go serve breakfast. You do know how to operate that, right?” she asked, gesturing to the machine behind her with a shrug.
“Very funny, yes, I know how to operate it. I’ve been taking care of myself just fine for quite a while, I’ll have you know.”
MacKenzie jumped at the quick smack he placed on her butt. “How was I to know you don’t have a butler, chef, and maid to take care of your every need? Ya know, help lift that silver spoon to your mouth.” She cringed at his growled mutter; maybe she’d gone a bit too far with that one.
Okay, so maybe she was a little bitter. But he didn’t understand. She came from a blue collar family. Her father worked in construction with her uncle. Her mother had worked part time while MacKenzie and her brothers had attended school. They weren’t poor, but they were far from rich. When her parents died, they’d left a delinquent mortgage and overdue medical bills for MacKenzie and her brothers to deal with. Sebastian just didn’t understand how hard she and Jason had worked to get where they were. Jason and his brother had had the garage. She had her café. And they’d worked so damn hard scraping by, doing without, and cutting every coupon, all while raising three kids in a small three-bedroom apartment. She sighed. Maybe this wasn’t going to work out after all. They were just so different.
One thing was for sure—there needed to be another talk. The sooner the better. If her heart was going to be broken, better to do it now, before she fell any further into this fairy tale.
“Look, we need to talk.”
~*~
Sebastian looked up from his coffee, watching Kenz cross the kitchen and set down a plate in front of him. Aye, they needed to talk. She needed to hear about his upbringing. It was not what she seemed to think. He didn’t understand why his wealth was an issue, but she needed reassurance, and he’d do anything to make her happy. He reached for her hand as she sat across from him.
“Aye, we do. I'm afraid you have the wrong idea about me.” He paused to collect his thoughts. “I never knew my father. He skipped out on Mum before I was born. Mum worked in a factory making enough to survive, barely. She was killed walking home from work one night, a hit and run. They never found the person responsible. I was only a lad. I was sent to live with my grandmother, and she passed a few years later. At the tender age of twelve, I found myself in care.” He paused to take a breath. Releasing her hand, he picked up his fork. Speaking to his food, he continued, “I was lucky a nice family fostered me. The da, he was the rugby coach at the college. It was almost like having a normal family.” He took a bite to cover the emotions he was resurrecting. A fresh sting to old wounds.
“I . . . I’m . . . oh, Bas.”
There was a rustle from across the table. Looking up, he saw Kenz coming around to straddle the bench beside him. The look of pity on her face he could do without. He offered a weak smile. “Nae, dinnae give me that look.” His brogue came through with the mixed emotions he was feeling. A cough clearing the lump in his throat, he pressed on. “I’m not done yet. After Uni, I had an internship with a marketing company. One day, I was at the coffee shop getting the office order. And then this guy who eventually be my agent, Ben, came up to me with this insane offer to model. I thought, what the hell, it’s a few hours and I could use the cash. I became an instant success. I was sent to etiquette school and speech lessons to lose the rough brogue. I’ve spent the last thirty-odd years pretending to be someone I’m not.” He leaned in close, laid a soft kiss to her cheek, and whispered, “With you, I don’t have to pretend.”
Scooting in closer, Kenz wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry I was such a bitch . . . I . . .I didn’t know.”
Sebastian heard a soft sniffle followed by a slight tremble as he slowly rubbed her back. “How were you to know? Not many did. All part of the masquerade.” Even he could hear the bitterness in his voice. “But that’s over now. I’ve only a few last commitments before I can officially announce my retirement.”
“Maybe we’re not so different after all.”
Sebastian shifted to face MacKenzie. What he had to say needed to be face to face. Cupping her face in his hands, he spoke softly. “Oh, Beautiful, we are different. We, together, are something different. When a chance meeting leads to the love of my life, that, my love, is something very different, something beautiful.”
Her eyes, shining with unshed tears, closed for a breath. Leaning closer, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “This is the time when you call me a sap.” He laughed at her frustrated grumble. Things were getting a bit too serious for breakfast chatter. After all, he hadn’t had his coffee yet.
~*~
A few hours after breakfast, a loud scraping sound came from outside. MacKenzie went to the window, then announced, “Awesome, the plow is here!” She went to the kitchen and poured some coffee into a travel mug.
“I’ll be right back. I’m just gonna give this to . . . uh . . .” She looked out the window again. “Declan, or at least it looks like his truck.” She stopped at the plate of cookies she’d made earlier and wrapped a few in a napkin before going out the back door.
Sebastian went to the window overlooking the parking lot and watched as Kenz walked up to the truck, passing the coffee and cookies through the open window. The young man with blond hair spoke with her, his breath making small clouds in the air as he spoke. When both MacKenzie and the young man both looked up him and waved, he waved back, wondering who this guy was. And why was he getting the cookies Kenz made for him?
When MacKenzie returned, he asked, “Who was that? And why did you give him my cookies?”
MacKenzie shivered and rubbed her hands together. “That was Declan Sullivan. He is friends with my Sam, and he’s Autumn’s cousin. He or one of the Sullivans comes by with the plow to clear my parking lot. Those cookies are communal cookies; they don’t belong to just you.”
“My cookies!” he grumbled.
MacKenzie laughed. “Fine, I won’t give away any more of your cookies.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now, what do you wanna do? Watch a movie? Play a board game? I’m not used to having a day with nothing to do.”<
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“Well, I was thinking maybe you could tell me why you don’t want to go to the event with me. I already told you I’d get you a dress and whatever you needed. So why are you still acting like you don’t want to go?”
“I’m not acting.” She replied with a sour expression on her face.
This was getting them nowhere. Sebastian sat on the couch and tapped the cushion next to him. “Come talk to me, Kenz. I can’t fix things if I don’t understand the problem.”
She settled down on the other end of the couch, pulling her legs up against her chest. “I told you already. I don’t belong at that kind of event. When Ella and I were at the ball in London, everyone was staring at us and whispering behind their hands. I was extremely uncomfortable. The only reason I stayed was for the chance to bid on you.”
“You stayed at the ball just for a chance to be with me? So, why won’t you come with me to L.A. when there is nothing left for chance?” He was so confused. He just didn’t understand her reasoning; there had to be something more she wasn’t saying. “Help me out here, Kenz. What’s going on? What’s the real reason you don’t want to go.”
MacKenzie rested her head on the back of the couch, groaning. “I just told you! I don’t belong there. People talk about me, point fingers, and turn a cold shoulder to me. I’m not all prim and proper; I stand out in a crowd of posh yuppies.” She turned her head and offered a small smile. “No offense. I don’t mean you’re a posh yuppie. You’re not. But those other people that will be there most likely are. I just don’t want to spend an evening being uncomfortable and, dare I say, unwelcome.”
“I can’t see why you would think that. I can’t see anyone treating you like that. You got on well with Eva at dinner that night in London. I watched you from the stage during the bidding, you were—” He paused to search for the right word. She was amazing that night, so confident, so fearless, so determined. “You were amazing. I stood there watching you and willing you on. You had me praying to anyone that would listen to let you win.”
“Eva and the dinner were an entirely different circumstance. That was just a friendly dinner, not a fancy ball with the hoity-toity. Please Sebastian, can’t you just let this go?”
“No, I can’t. I want you to come with me. What if I promised you a side trip to a book shop? A book shop that houses nothing but romance books.” He laughed to himself as he saw her straighten up in her seat. When she turned to him, there was a look of wonder on her face. “Oh, now I’ve got your attention. Only had to mention books.”
“Hush! Tell me about this utopia bookstore.” She scooted across the couch, closing the distance between them.
“How am I supposed to hush and tell you about the book shop?”
“Sebastian!”
“Right, I was on the hotel's website and under the nearby attractions was a list of places to visit or local events. I saw the bookstore and looked into it a bit more. It’s not far from the hotel. I thought we could take some time on Saturday to visit it. The reviews for the place are very positive. I thought it would be something that you’d enjoy.”
“Well, yah, I would enjoy that. It’s the fancy event I hate. And I also have the café to run; you can’t expect me to be able to just drop everything and go.”
“The café is closed on Sunday. We could leave late Friday afternoon. You’d only need someone to fill in on Saturday. I bet Ella or Candy would do that for you.”
MacKenzie pursed her lips, closed her eyes, and sat silently for a few minutes. When she opened her eyes again, she said, “I’ll ask Ella if she can open on Saturday. If she can, I’ll go to L.A. with you. Under protest and with the promise of the book utopia! The books are a must; if I don’t see this mystical land of romance, I’m not leaving the room until it’s time to fly home. Deal?” She held out her hand.
Sebastian clasped her hand, using it to pull her into a hug, “Deal.” He kissed her in lieu of the handshake.
Chapter 11
Sebastian sat in a comfy chair, sipping a glass of champagne as MacKenzie dragged her feet behind the saleswoman. He laughed to himself. You’d think she was heading to the gallows. Bas raised his glass to the evil glare Kenz shot him over her shoulder before she disappeared behind the dressing room door. Laughing out loud, he called out to her, “Try that navy blue with the deep V-cut in the back.” He laughed harder at the unrecognizable grumble that answered.
“Will there be anything else, sir?”
Sebastian turned to the patient woman. “Not at the moment. Thank you, you’ve been most helpful.” In truth, the woman was a saint. MacKenzie had whinged all afternoon about everything. The saleswoman’s smile never faltered; she remained the picture of professionalism. He’d not be surprised if she ducked away to have a drink right now. She certainly deserved it.
“Of course. My pleasure. If you need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Sher recited before stepping away.
MacKenzie emerged from the dressing room in the navy blue lace dress he’d indicated. She looked perfect. Well, maybe lose the fuzzy socks, brooding look, and hunched shoulders. He let a laugh escape as she snatched his glass from him, downing the contents before thrusting it back at him. “Well? Can we be done now?” She raised her empty hands, doing a small twirl. “It fits. Do you like it?”
Oh, he liked it. Very much. The V-cut stopped just above her ass, leaving her back fully exposed. The dress snuggly hugged her ass, making it all the more irresistible. This was the dress, but he was not letting her know that. Yet. This was too much fun. He filled his glass and took a sip, building the anticipation. “Hmm. I dinnae ken. Try the red one.” He laughed at her crestfallen face, wincing at her well-placed kick to his shin. MacKenzie stomped back to the dressing room, muttering a string of curses. Sebastian laughed all the harder.
Seven dresses later, she was standing before him wearing a lovely frosted blue gown with an almost innocent sweetheart neckline. It may have been more innocent had it not squeezed her ample bosom together, providing an extraordinary view of the tops of her breasts. Feeling the effects of this private fashion show and the empty bottle of champagne beside him, Sebastian motioned for her to come closer. When she was within arm’s reach, he pulled her onto his lap, nuzzling the side of her neck and nibbling her ear. “Mmm, I’m not sure.” His free hand slowly wandered to the hem of her gown, sliding beneath the layers of silk, tulle, and satin. “Maybe you should try that navy blue one on again. The first dress.” His fingers tickled at path along the inside of her leg, pausing at her knee as he trailed light kisses along her shoulder.
“The first one? You’ve had me try on all these other dresses just to have me put the first one back on?” Her outrage dissolved into a moan as his fingers met her pussy through the thin barrier of her panties.
Shifting in his seat, he adjusted the angle of his hand. He slipped a finger under the soft cotton and dipped into her moist heat. He bit her shoulder. “The navy blue dress.” He curled his finger. He kissed the bite mark. “Then come back here.” The come-hither movement accentuated the request.
She shuddered in pleasure. “Why did you stop? I was enjoying that,” she rasped.
“Because you need to show me the navy blue dress again.” He laughed as she began to squirm on his lap suggestively.
MacKenzie tried to stand among the mass of fabric, her legs clearly wobbly. “Then can we go home?” she asked once on her feet, brushing the hair out of her eyes. Her color was high and her eyes were bright.
“No. You still need shoes, a purse, accessories . . .” He rose from his seat and wrapped an arm around her. His free hand found her breast, and with a small tug, he exposed her nipple, pinching it between his fingers. “And lingerie.” Another pinch and he released her. Reclaiming his seat, he reclined with a Cheshire Cat grin on his face and a throbbing erection in his lap. Private dressing rooms were the best.
~*~
MacKenzie grumbled as she pulled into her parking spot, finally home after the ma
rathon shopping session. Shifting her SUV into Park, she leaned back against her seat. “Shit, I never took anything out for supper. Do you mind leftovers? There’s some stew from last night. I think I have some chicken parm . . . maybe.” She turned her head to look at him. “Well?”
“We could go out somewhere. Or order takeout?”
“I’m not going anywhere else tonight. I’m exhausted and the Bruins are playing. I’ll order a pizza and some wings.” She opened her door, the blast of cold cutting through her. “Fuck, I hate winter.” MacKenzie shivered then hopped out, making her way to the back to unload all the bags.
Sebastian met her at the cargo area, taking up half the load and the long garment bag holding her dress. “Do you need any help, love?”
With both arms full and her keys at the ready, she marched past him to the back door. “No, I got it.” Unlocking the door, she stepped inside and sighed as the warmth of the building surrounded her. She made the trudge up the stairs to her apartment. “What time do we leave Friday?”
Something Different Page 11