Spark (MacKenny Brothers Series Book 1)

by Kathleen Kelly

  “Ouch! Jesus, Cherie, it’s me, Eric.”

  “What the hell are you doing?” I shriek at him.

  “I knocked, I yelled, you didn’t answer, and your front door was open, so I let myself in,” growls Eric as he rubs the top of his head.

  I push past him to the living room and turn off the music. Eric follows me out, wincing as he examines his head.

  “I’m so sorry. I reacted. Does it hurt?”

  “Only when I breathe.” Eric looks me in the eyes, and they seem to sparkle. I can’t help it, and I begin to giggle. “It’s not funny.”

  “It kinda is. Sit down. Can I get you anything?” I ask as my laughter takes hold.

  Eric grins at me and chuckles. “I didn’t realize vacuums could be so dangerous.”

  It’s the end of me, and I clutch my sides as I laugh. It takes me a minute, but I manage to stop laughing.

  “Can I get you a coffee?” I ask, grinning like a fool.

  “That would be good.”

  Eric sits down at the dinner table and watches me as I walk into the kitchen. I glance at what I’m wearing—black yoga pants and an oversized white top with the word ‘love’ written on it. Inwardly, I cringe. I look awful, and my hair must be a mess. I pour two cups of coffee and place one of them in front of him.

  “I thought you had an appointment today?” asks Eric as he takes a sip.

  Crap. I lied to him last night. Getting involved with him is a bad idea.

  “I did, they canceled,” I reply quickly.

  “Good, means we can still do something today.”

  “Why are you here if you thought I was out?”

  “I came to fix your screen door,” answers Eric.

  Great. Now, I really feel bad. He came to do something nice, and I hit him over the head with my vacuum, and I lied to him.

  “You don’t have to do that. It’s been like it for a while. It’s fine, really…” my words trail off as he quirks an eyebrow at me and cocks his head to the side.

  “Cherie, why’d you cancel? And I’d like the truth.”

  I take a sip of my coffee and look down at the cup. Without meeting his eyes, I say, “You left in such a hurry last night, I thought I’d let you off the hook.”

  “You thought I needed to be let off the hook? So you canceled?”

  I meet his gaze and nod.

  He purses his lips together and shakes his head. “You got me talking last night about my family. It’s not something I like to talk about, and I handled it badly. I’m sorry.”

  His confession surprises me. The way he talks about his family, you can tell there’s a lot of love there. Something very bad must have happened for him not to want to talk about them. I have so many questions I can’t ask as I don’t want to spook him again.

  “Family can be difficult, and you don’t have to share if you don’t want to. As for today, surely you have something better to do than hang out with me?” I say with fake joviality.

  “No friends, remember?”

  “Right... I still have a few things to do.”

  “That’s okay. I can fix your door while you do what you need to do,” states Eric like

  he’s decided for us.

  “Okay, but I could be a while.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll get started on the door.” Eric stands with his coffee and walks outside, leaving me sitting at the table wondering what the hell I’m getting myself into.

  Leaving my coffee on the table, I walk back into my bedroom to finish vacuuming. Then I strip my bed and put the sheets into the washing machine. Next, I walk into the bathroom. I close the door, strip off, and get into the shower. The hot water feels good. I wash my hair and do what I need to do. The water starts to go cold, and I finally get out of the shower. I wrap a towel around my hair and another around my body. Upon opening the door I find Eric on the other side.

  “Eric?”

  His gaze starts at my feet and travels up to my towel-clad head. Eric looks me in the eyes and smiles. It’s sexy, and I’m very conscious of how little I have on.

  “Your door is fixed. Would you like me to hang out your washing?” he asks.

  “Y-Yes, thank you,” I stammer under his scorching gaze.

  Eric does a quick head to toe of me again and walks away. I quickly go into my bedroom and shut the door, letting out the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Rummaging through my drawers, I find my nicest black lace bra and panties—a girl needs to be prepared. Opening my closet I find a cute black tee and some denim shorts. I check myself out in the mirror. My hair is a mess, so I drag a comb through it, trying to get it to look at least tidy. The one good thing about this heat is my hair takes no time to dry.

  When I walk back out to the dining room, Eric is sitting there, drinking a fresh cup of coffee.

  “So, what did you want to do today?” I ask.

  “I’d still like to take you to lunch,” replies Eric.

  “Okay, we could drive to Frisco, it’s only half an hour away. Vinny’s Restaurant has great food.”

  “Sounds good.” Eric stands and walks toward me. “Now, the only question is…” he licks his lips and drops his gaze to my mouth, “… are we going to go on my bike or in your car? Personally, I think my bike is safer than your death trap.”

  I narrow my eyes, flick out a hip, and place a hand on it. “Really? I’ll have you know my car is perfectly safe.” I want so badly to ride on the back of his bike, but now he’s dissed my car, how can I?

  Eric holds up his hands in surrender and says, “I’m not sure about perfectly safe, but it’s a gorgeous day, too good to be stuck inside a car. I brought an extra helmet, please say the bike,” Eric says sincerely.

  I nod. “Okay, let me get my purse and plait my hair, then we can go.”

  “Babe, put some jeans on, and do you own a leather jacket?”

  “Bossy,” I state as I walk back to my bedroom.

  In response, I get a deep chuckle, which rocks me to my core.

  Eric

  I’m sitting on my bike waiting for Cherie to come out. I’m thinking about how easy it was to convince her to come. There’s always a little bit of fight, but she caves fairly quickly and does what I want. Well, most of the time.

  The front door opens, and my mouth falls open. Cherie’s hair is pulled back in a plait, she has on leather pants and a long leather coat. With her sunglasses on, she looks like a character out of the Matrix but so much hotter.

  “What are you wearing?” I ask as I appraise her from head to toe.

  “You told me to put on a leather jacket. This is my nicest one. Don’t you like it?” Cherie has her hands, palms out, and does a little twirl.

  My dick twitches, and I nod frantically at her. “Babe, I more than like it. You look damn fine!”

  Cherie stops moving, tilts her head to the side, and chews on her bottom lip. “Really?”

  “Come on, you know you look good.”

  She walks toward me, climbs on, and whispers, “Thank you.”

  I twist in my seat to lock eyes with her. Unfortunately, with her sunglasses on, I can’t read her eyes. I pass her a helmet. “Need to keep you safe, so put this on.”

  Cherie takes it, gives me a small smile, and puts it on. When it’s securely fastened on her head, I grab her hands and wrap them around my waist.

  “I’m not going to break any laws, but hold on tight.”

  I turn my bike on, give it some gas, and off we go. Instinctively, she grips on harder, and we head for Frisco. Cherie directs me with a series of hand gestures, and we arrive at Vinnie’s in twenty minutes.

  When she gets off the bike, she pulls off her helmet and throws her arms around me. “That was fantastic! I had no idea bikes could be this much fun. I’m so sorry I headbutted you a couple of times, but once I got the hang of it and relaxed, it was great.”

  Her enthusiasm is infectious. I grin, climb off, grab her hand, and walk toward Vinnie’s. “We should do a ride along a coastal road. Tak
e off for a week and stay in places along the way. It’s a nice way to see the country.”

  “Yeah, when I win the lottery, we’ll do it,” replies Cherie with a cheeky grin.

  “You know, it’s not that expensive. My treat.”

  She stops walking and pulls on my arm causing me to spin around and face her. “Number one, don’t say things you don’t mean. Number two, I don’t need you to pay for me. I can look after myself.” Her eyes are hidden from me by her sunglasses, but from her stance, I can tell she’s trying to tell me something important.

  Reaching up, I take her glasses off her face, wrap an arm around her waist, and pull her into me. She looks like a startled rabbit, and when my lips first touch hers, she freezes. My other hand wraps around the back of her neck, and slowly I feel her melt into me. Never before has a woman fit me so perfectly. A moan escapes her, and as it does, my tongue slips into her mouth. Her hands go up under my tee, and the kiss gets deeper and more intense. A growl escapes me, and I want to do so much more than kiss her. Cherie’s lips are soft, and she tastes amazing. The softness of her body pressed up against the hardness of mine feels good—it feels right.

  A wolf whistle pierces the air, followed by, “Get a room.”

  I stop and look over my shoulder to see a guy getting into a pick-up, shaking his head with a grin on his face. I nod at him and look back at Cherie. Her face is flushed, lips are swollen, and her eyes are filled with lust.

  “You keep looking at me like that and, baby, I’ll be finding us a room here in town,” I whisper.

  She shakes her head slightly, moves her hands to my shoulders, takes a deep breath, and pushes me back. “I keep telling you, I can pay for myself.”

  I chuckle at her and hold out my hand. “Let’s go eat.”

  Cherie smiles, grasps my hand, and leads me into Vinnie’s. Once inside, Cherie sits at a table for two. The inside of this place is not like anything I’ve seen before—dark red ceiling with gold swirls on it, and the walls are painted a mustard color with wood paneling below it.

  “This is the pub part of Vinnie’s. They make everything here themselves. There’s a proper dining room through there.” Cherie points behind me. “And the staff here are super nice.”

  “That’s good, babe, but what’s the food like?” I ask.

  “Our food is the best in the district,” gushes a waitress as she places a menu in my hands. “I’m Julie, and I’ll be your server today. Now, how hungry are you folks?”

  “Starving,” I say, grinning at Cherie, who goes a lovely shade of red.

  “Good! May I suggest the baby spinach, gorgonzola, crispy bacon, and pickled red onions to start, followed by braised Aspen Ridge short ribs with cream corn sauce and truffle polenta? It’s so good.”

  “Sounds good for me, and a bottle of Shiner Bock for both of us,” I say as I nod at Julie.

  “And for you, ma’am? What would you like?”

  “I’ll have the salad you recommended, but could I please have the bolognese ragu?”

  “Excellent choice. I’ll be back in a jiffy with your drinks.” Julie smiles big at us, removes the menus, and bustles away.

  Reaching over, I grab Cherie’s hand and link my fingers through hers across the table.

  “You come here often?”

  Cherie shakes her head. “No, I tend to stay in Breckenridge.” Her eyes drop to our linked hands, and she frowns slightly. I rub the side of her hand with my thumb, and she looks back at me. “What are we doing?”

  “Having lunch?” I grin at her and quirk an eyebrow.

  “What did we do outside?”

  “You seemed to like it… but if I’m wrong…” I let the words hang in the air.

  Cherie disentangles her hand from mine and sits back. “I have lousy taste in men. Epically bad. If there were a picture of someone who can’t pick a winner to save herself, it would be me, with flashing lights around it. Tell me you’re a good guy, tell me you’re not a jerk, tell me I can trust you.”

  Cherie’s eyes are pleading, and I want to be that guy for her, but I can’t give her all of me. It’s too dangerous for her, my family, and me. I look down at the table. I’m nodding, trying to think of the right words to say. I like this woman. I want to explore this and see where it goes, but I can’t tell her everything.

  “I can’t promise you a lifetime. I can promise I’ll treat you right. I don’t cheat. I mean what I say, and I say what I mean. I don’t have hidden agendas.” I look up and lock eyes with her. “I like you. I want to see where this takes us, but it’s not all on me. You need to be all those things for me as well.” Part of me feels guilty for not telling her everything, but it’s early days. This is our second date. I’m not about to pledge feelings of unending love or share with her my most intimate thoughts and truths.

  Cherie smiles and nods. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to turn into an episode of truth or dare.”

  Julie, our waitress, returns and places a beer in front of each of us. “Starters will be right up.”

  “Tell me about you.” Cherie picks up a beer and puts it to her lips. She puts the bottle down, staring at me intently, waiting for my response. I have the back story the Marshals gave me, and I know it off by heart.

  “I grew up on the East Coast, both my parents are dead. Ahh, I thought Breckenridge would be a good place to start over.” Even to my ears, it sounds flat and unbelievable.

  “That’s it?” Cherie asks questioningly.

  “I came here to start again, to forget my old life. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but I needed more,” I reply with a smile.

  “You’ve lived here for three years, and you’ve never socialized with anyone except some of the guys from work, and you did it all because you needed more?”

  “I’m boring. I don’t make friends easily. I like working with my hands. I used to do clerical work back East, but I’ve always had a love for anything mechanical. I’m good with machinery.” The lies, mixed with truth, slip out of my mouth easily, but I can tell she’s not buying it.

  Cherie has her head tilted to the side, processing what I’ve said. She opens her mouth to ask me something when the waitress returns and puts our salads in front of us.

  “Enjoy,” exclaims Julie as she walks away.

  “I’m starved. Let’s eat.”

  Cherie studies me for a few seconds more as I pretend to be engrossed in my meal. Eventually, she picks up a fork and begins to eat. The silence between us is so thick you could cut it with a knife. I’m trying to make it feel like I’m not bothered, but the longer the silence stretches on, the harder it is for me to engage her in conversation.

  “How’s your salad?” asks Cherie.

  I’ve been eating it without tasting it. Putting my fork down, I look into her eyes. “It’s good. How’s yours?”

  “Everything’s better with bacon.” A small smile plays on her lips, and I can feel the tension drop a notch.

  “Woman after my own heart. So, what do you want to do after lunch?” My mind immediately goes to finishing what we started outside, and my dick twitches.

  “I was thinking we could visit my granddaddy, if it’s okay?”

  “It wasn’t what I was thinking, but yeah, sounds good. I need to give him an update on the ‘stang.”

  “What were you thinking?” Cherie asks innocently.

  A chuckle escapes me. “I bet you’d look great naked in my bed.”

  Her face and neck turn a pretty shade of pink, and she looks down at her plate. “Y-You live on the side of a mountain, right?” stutters Cherie.

  “Yeah, babe. It’s not much, but it’s enough.”

  Her head snaps up, and she scrutinizes me. “See, that’s what I don’t get about you. You came here to start over and change, but Eric, you seem to be living on the edge of society, not embracing a new life but hiding from it.”

  Fuck.

  She’s summed me up perfectly.

  “It takes me a while to warm up to people, th
at’s all. When was the last time you visited your grandfather?” I ask to change the subject.

  Cherie frowns and replies, “A few days ago.”

  The rest of our starter is eaten in silence. Julie comes back to us in a fluster.

  “Did you enjoy your meal?” asks Julie as she takes our plates away. “The rest won’t be far away.”

  Grateful to have something to hang on to, I pick up the beer and take a swig. I look at Cherie, and she’s staring out the window. This isn’t how I wanted today to go. I stand and move my chair from across the table so I’m sitting to her left, then take her hand in mine. “I like you. I’m being as honest with you as I can. I’m not a dick. Although, I do have one,” I say, trying to be funny.

  Cherie quirks an eyebrow at me and smiles. “Good to know.”

  I raise her hand to my lips and brush her knuckles with a kiss. A sigh escapes her. “You sure you don’t want to come back to my place?”

  Cherie hesitates but answers firmly. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  The look on her face doesn’t match her answer, so I turn her wrist over and kiss it. “Positive?”

  “You don’t fight fair, Eric.”

  “Are we fighting?”

  “No and yes. I feel like you’re keeping things from me, and I don’t know why.”

  I link my fingers with hers and nod. “Doesn’t hurt to keep a little bit of mystery, does it?”

  Smiling, she answers, “So long as you don’t turn into a lying son of a bitch. No.”

  “Fair enough,” I answer with a chuckle.

  The rest of the meal is spent in pleasant conversation. Nothing too deep on my part. Cherie doesn’t ask me anything about my past life. I can’t help but think she’s going easy on me.

  Cherie

  I’m playing the part. Eric clearly doesn’t want me to get too close to him. I’ve been hurt too many times to let him into my life without him sharing something about himself. Maybe he’s divorced. Maybe he’s got a bunch of kids out there he doesn’t want me to know about. Who knows?

  The attraction between us is strong, but I will not allow myself to fall so easily for a nice smile and a good body. Been there, done that, not doing it again. He’ll make a nice friend, no acquaintance. It’s not good to allow myself to be around someone I find attractive and not sleep with them. Let’s face it, if he kisses me again as he did outside, all my resolve will be gone.