by T. K. Leigh
Snapping out of my daydream, I strode back to where she still remained unconscious, sitting down beside her. I traced the contours of her face, my fingers memorizing each valley and dip of her soft skin. Seeing the bit of blood, I raised the towel to her forehead and began to clean up the cuts as best I could without waking her. Suddenly, her eyes flung open and she gasped for air. I placed my hands on her shoulders to prevent her from sitting up, not wanting her to take yet another fall. I could sense her panic as she began fighting against me, her legs and arms kicking.
“Hey,” I soothed. “It’s just me. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She stilled and her eyes met mine, her lower lip quivering. I gently caressed her forehead, brushing the hair out of her face. Nearly every day for the past six months, I had looked at photos of her, but they didn’t do her justice. The real thing was more alluring and enticing than I could have imagined. Maybe it was because I knew her as a person now. A person who was capable of love, empathy, and devotion… All of which I was unworthy to receive from her.
“Where am I?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“In my office. You took a pretty nasty spill out there and landed on some glass. Care to share what happened?”
“I don’t…” She shook her head, confused. “He…”
“What? Who were you dancing with?” I asked urgently. “Did you know him?”
“I thought it was you,” she admitted, closing her eyes. A slight smile crossed her lips before she let out a barely audible sob. “But it wasn’t. I knew that once I saw you staring at me.”
“You still haven’t answered my question, Mackenzie.” My eyes grew impassioned when I saw the trepidation that covered her entire body.
“No one.” Her voice was quiet and she avoided my eyes. “He was no one.”
“Mackenzie…” I swallowed hard before asking the question I needed the answer to. “Did he have a gun?”
She nodded slightly and her entire body began to shake as if she was reliving the moment in her mind.
“It’s okay.” I helped her sit up and pulled her body into mine, comforting her. I could sense she was struggling not to cry in front of me. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Mackenzie. I’m going to find out who the son of a bitch is who came into my club with a gun. Do you have any idea who it could be?” I rubbed her back, planting a soft kiss on her hair.
“He came for me,” she said, her voice soft. She pushed against me, lying back down on the couch.
“What makes you say that?” I searched her eyes.
“The phone calls… It’s him.”
“What phone calls? Who’s been calling you?”
“I don’t know. They never say anything. All I hear is heavy breathing, followed by three clicks, as if whoever’s on the other end is firing an unloaded gun.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“About two weeks now.”
“Have you gone to the police?” I asked.
She nodded. “They recommended I change my phone number, but said there was nothing else they could do.”
“When was the last phone call you received?”
“Friday,” she whispered softly.
“That’s what spooked you outside of the bar that night, isn’t it?”
She met my eyes. “Yes. The calls had always been the same. Heavy breathing, three clicks, then he’d hang up.”
“But something changed, didn’t it?”
Her expression dropping, she attempted to sit up, a frantic air about her as her chest heaved. “I have to get out of here.”
“No, you don’t,” I said, reacting quickly and forcing her back onto the couch. “What changed?” I stared at her, trying to persuade her with my eyes that she could trust me, although she probably shouldn’t.
Sighing, she closed her eyes briefly before meeting mine once more. “It wasn’t just three clicks. It was two clicks and a bang.”
“A bang?”
She nodded. “Like he actually fired the gun with a live round. And tonight, when I felt the metal against my neck and heard the two clicks, I thought…” Her lip began to quiver once more and I could only imagine what she was thinking at that moment. What was going through her mind when the guy, whoever he was, pressed a gun against her?
“Shhh… It’s okay. I’m going to find this bastard and he’s going to regret ever picking up the phone and calling you. Okay?”
She grabbed my hand, brushing her fingers against my knuckles. The contact was innocent, but far more satisfying, the connection more intense and pure, than any act of supposed intimacy I had engaged in over the past few years. There was no connection to any of those girls. They were simply distractions to help me forget for a minute. But here, with Mackenzie, I didn’t want to forget.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice full of sincerity.
“Of course, but first things first. You fell pretty hard and there’s a bit of glass lodged in your forehead.”
“So what? You want to play doctor?” she asked, lightening the tense mood in the room.
“Yeah. It’s always been a fantasy of mine.” I winked, grabbing a set of tweezers from the first-aid kit. “This is going to hurt a bit so just relax and try to avoid straining any of the muscles in your forehead right now. Okay?”
“Got it.”
“You can still smile if you want to, though.” I lowered my lips toward hers and could feel her heart rate increase. “I love your smile,” I murmured, my lips skimming hers. I remained a whisper away from her, her sweet, alcohol-laden breath dancing on my skin. She cleared her throat and I pulled back.
“You know,” she started, “you really should go after women your own age. Those girls you had hanging all over you at the bar aren’t right for you.”
“Who said I cared about that?” I asked, my eyebrows raised.
“It’s none of my business,” Mackenzie said quickly. “I get it. Believe me. Living on an island where most of the people usually only stay for a week certainly has its advantages.”
“I have no interest in any of those women, if you could even call them women. In my eyes, they’re just confused girls. They wouldn’t be able to satiate my appetite.” My eyes grew hooded and I leered at her, not masking the fact that I was checking out her body in the slim-fitting dotted dress she wore, her chest prominent. “I like mature women.”
I leaned down once more and all I could think was how soft her lips appeared. I wanted to kiss her. God, I wanted to do so much more than just kiss her, but I had a goal. An entire mission depended on me being able to read this woman and make all the right moves. My timing had to be perfect. So instead of kissing her and taking advantage of her vulnerability at the moment, which could have easily come back to bite me in the ass later, I pulled back. Her body relaxed and an adorable look of disappointment appeared on her face. It was playful, beautiful, and everything I had learned made up the enchanting Mackenzie.
“So you own this place?” she asked, clearing the air.
“Yes. I bought the property about six months ago and renovated.” I raised the tweezers back to her forehead and skillfully extracted a piece of glass from just above her eyebrow before disinfecting it and applying a bandage.
“You did a great job. I remember this building. It was a complete dump. This is my first time here. I’ve been meaning to get here for months to check it out, but haven’t really had much time for going out lately, except for girls’ night.”
“Girls’ night?” I asked.
“Yeah. Every Friday night, Jenna, Brayden, and I go to−”
“The tapas bar?”
“Yeah.” She eyed me with curiosity.
“Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “you’re as good as new. Just leave the bandage on for tonight, but be sure to put some ointment on it daily for the next week.”
“Yes, doctor,” Mackenzie joked, then sat up quickly, holding her head as if trying to fight off the dizziness. “Shit!”<
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“Easy there.” I wrapped my arm around her, steadying her.
“How am I going to explain this to Jenna and Brayden? He went through all this trouble to throw us a party upstairs and I totally disappeared. And then I show up with a bandage on my head? That’s going to look bad.”
“I’ll take care of it. You need to go home and get some rest.” I strode to the desk and picked up my phone. “Eli, pull the car around back, please.”
“No. That’s not necessary.” She bolted off the couch and started toward the door. “I can manage on my own.”
Groaning, I hung up the phone, jumping in front of her to prevent her from leaving.
“Are you always this stubborn, Mackenzie?” My voice was loud and demanding.
She halted in her tracks, raising her eyebrows at me. “You think I’m stubborn?”
“Honestly, you’re probably one of the most infuriating women I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Why don’t you want to leave, especially after what just happened?”
“Because going home is the last thing I need right now. I probably won’t sleep anyway, so I may as well enjoy the party.”
“With a gash on your head?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, sighing in irritation. “Do you always like to tell people what they should or shouldn’t do?”
“I don’t necessarily like it. I only do so if it’s someone I’m concerned about. How about you? Do you always try to control every situation?”
Her eyes narrowed, a hint a venom in her expression. “You don’t know me.”
“Fine,” I relented, running my hands through my hair. I couldn’t have her hating me this early on. “I’m sorry. I’m really not an overbearing asshole.”
She stared at me for several long moments and my eyes traced her face. She held the fate of my mission in her hands. She could very easily decide to walk out that door and never speak to me again. I was bracing myself for it, running through the conversation I would have to have with my brother explaining how I let my emotions sabotage the mission.
Finally, her fierce expression softened, relief washing over me.
“And I’m really not a controlling bitch… Well, not all the time.” She winked, cringing from the pain.
Bringing my hand to her face, I delicately caressed her forehead. A subtle warmth spread through me when she leaned into my hand, closing her eyes and getting lost in the sensation of my touch.
“How about a compromise?” I asked, my voice soft and tranquil.
“Which is?” she breathed, keeping her eyes closed as I positioned my body closer to hers.
“I’ll be far too worried about you if you stayed tonight. I will escort you upstairs to the party so you can say your goodbyes, then my man will drive you home.”
“Your man?” she asked, opening her eyes, smirking. “So you are gay?”
I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body into mine. She gasped as I gently rubbed my erection against her.
“Would a gay man be this turned on by seeing you in that amazing dress?”
Her breathing grew uneven and I kept my arms wrapped around her, not wanting her to grow lightheaded once more. “Maybe you were just turned on by thinking about your man,” she responded playfully.
“That’s not the cause, Mackenzie. I think we both know that, don’t we?”
She gazed into my eyes and simply nodded.
“Good. Now, let’s go say goodbye to your friends.” I released my hold on her and opened the office door, placing my hand on her lower back and leading her into the elevator. The doors closed and the car began its ascent up to the second floor, the tension building between us in the confined space. I had to keep reminding myself that everything I had been doing was just for the job, then I would walk away.
I had to be able to walk away.
The doors opened, relieving me. I didn’t think I could make it another second without pinning her against the wall. The more time we spent together, the more I wanted to know what her lips tasted like.
Not tonight.
Not tonight.
Fuck, not tonight.
“Holy crap!” a man screamed, running up to Mackenzie. “Do you want to give me gray hair before I turn forty? We were looking all over for you. You weren’t answering your cell phone, and you always answer your cell phone. Where were you?” He grabbed her face and examined her bandages as a short blonde slid up to her, also eyeing her with worry. “What happened to you?”
“Nothing, boo. I just drank too much and walked into a wall,” she said, eyeing me.
Without her saying a word, I knew that she didn’t want me to mention what really happened. I needed her to trust me, so I nodded slightly and remained silent about the incident.
“And who is this?” her friend asked, intrigued, suddenly noticing me standing by her side.
“Brayden,” she said, her voice firm, “this is Tyler. Tyler, my overzealous and worrisome friend, Brayden.”
“Tyler?” he asked, scrunching his nose.
“Yeah. You know… From girls’ night. The voice…” she responded.
Brayden’s eyes lit up. “Holy shit! For real? Damn, he is hot! Nice to finally meet you.” He held his hand out and I took it. “Mack will never admit it, but you’re all she’s been talking about lately.”
“Brayden!” Mackenzie exclaimed, playfully punching her friend.
“What? It’s true.”
I gazed down at her. “You’ve been talking to your friends about me?”
“No,” she insisted, trying to brush me off. “They’re just confused.”
“No, we’re not. Hi. I’m Jenna.” A short blonde held her hand out.
“Tyler,” I said, shaking it.
Brayden leaned toward Jenna and whispered, “The hottie from girls’ night.”
She grinned, nodding. “I’m drunk, not deaf. Anyway, she told me his name on the limo ride over here.”
“On that note, I’m leaving. Thanks for the fun party, boo,” Mackenzie said, standing on her tiptoes and planting a soft kiss on Brayden’s cheek.
“Fine. You can go, but only because you’re leaving with a man.”
“I am not. He’s having a driver cart my over-served ass home.”
“Oh really? Is that what you kids are calling it these days?” Brayden crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“I’ll make sure she gets home in one piece, courtesy of one of my drivers,” I said.
“You have drivers?” Jenna asked excitedly.
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?” Mackenzie asked.
“Because−”
“Wait! Wait one fucking minute!” Brayden exclaimed in a dramatic manner. He narrowed his gaze at me, taking in my silhouette. “Jackpot!” he said after a brief mental analysis. “I know exactly why he has a driver. This man, well… He’s one of the country’s most eligible bachelors!”
“Boo!” Mackenzie shouted. “What are you going on about? I think you drank too much!”
“No, Mack,” he sneered playfully. “This man is the one and only Tyler Burnham. I had heard he was getting into the club business.” He turned his attention from Mackenzie to me. “I thought for sure you’d want to work with your older brother. I may have had one or two fantasies about you and a gun.”
I chuckled in response, knowing the story I had to tell. “Sorry to disappoint you, but the family business didn’t really appeal to me. I love my brother, but I’m happy just being an owner on paper and leaving the managing and all that to him. But I did go into the navy so I have handled my fair share of guns.”
“On that note, I’m leaving,” Mackenzie said, turning on her heels. “With or without you,” she called to me over her shoulder.
“Go get her, cowboy,” Brayden said.
“And don’t take any shit from her,” Jenna added. “She doesn’t know what’s good for her!”
“I’ll try my best.” I beamed at her friends and then ran after Mackenzie,
sliding into the elevator just before the doors would have closed on me.
“Mackenzie,” I said in greeting, nodding.
“Tyler,” she replied, imitating my formal gesture.
“I hope it’s not too forward of me to say, but the thought of you talking to your friends about me makes me burn for you even more.” I moved swiftly toward her, pinning her against the wall. Her body against mine felt…perfect.
“I barely spoke of you, so don’t let it go to your head,” she explained. “Either one.”
“Oh, really?” I raised my eyebrows at her.
“I had no other option but to talk about you when you sent those flowers to me. Anytime I spoke of you was just in response to their relentless prodding. It wasn’t self-initiated. Had you not done so, I wouldn’t have spoken or thought about you once.”
“Well, in that case…” I released her from my hold, noticing a slight scowl on her face.
The elevator dinged, announcing its arrival on the lower level, and I escorted her out back to where a darkened SUV was idling. My right-hand man, Eli, jumped out, opening the rear passenger door. I grabbed Mackenzie’s hand in mine, helping her into the car.
“Eli,” I said sternly, turning to the well-built, formidable-looking man. “Please take Miss Delano home. Ensure that she arrives safely in her condo.”
“Yes, sir,” he responded, stepping away and hopping back into the driver’s seat.
“You’re not coming?” Mackenzie asked, her face covered in disappointment.
“No. I’m not. Upset by that?”
Straightening her spine, she crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Not in the least.”
I glanced down, trying to control my increased breathing as I gazed upon her perfect neckline. Her classical and attractive curves were making it more and more difficult for me to not throw her over my shoulder and haul her into my office so we could finally let out all the sexual tension that had been building since Friday.