“I love you.”
The minute the words escaped her lips I claimed her mouth and pulled her closer. I doubt she had room to take air into her lungs.
I had waited, hoped.
“I love you too, baby, I always have.” I reached for the bathrobe and wrapped her securely like I was protecting the most precious gift I had ever received.
“I only have one robe. Someone borrowed the other one,” I teased her with a playful wickedness.
I quickly dried myself and threw on sweats. “Let me feed you, we haven’t eaten since breakfast, and barely that.” I took her hand and led her to the kitchen. I pulled out two bowls.
“Antonio’s chili,” I grinned as I filled her bowl and placed it in front of her.
“You were going to feed me canned beans when you had Antonio’s?”
I was not quite sure if there was a hint of amusement or resentment in her statement.
“I wanted to make sure you were actually going to eat this time.” I said, my voice calm, non-accusing. I was not sure where her mood was and if I pushed her too soon, I might regret it.
“You can stop tiptoeing around me. I’m not going to break or run.” Her playful demeanor was returning.
She scooped the food into her mouth, “Yum, this is really good.” After a few mouthfuls she looked at me. “You didn’t play fair.”
I walked around the counter and ran my hands through her silky hair, still wet from the shower. “That’s because I was playing for keeps.” I kissed her fiercely for a few seconds and pulled away.
“Did you mean it,” Mackenzie paused, “or did you think that was what I wanted to hear?”
“I meant every word. I came here knowing what I felt. I came here hoping you felt the same.” I placed my bowl on the counter and sat beside her.
“Eat, then we will talk, really talk. This time only talk,” I said, my wicked grin letting her know I was well aware of the fact that with us, talking led to sex.
With us, everything led to sex.
First we would finish dinner. Then she would have to get dressed. There was no way we were going to talk with nothing more than a bathrobe between her and her undeniable soft skin.
As I watched her enjoy her meal, our conversation buzzed in my in ears, not quite penetrating to comprehension. She was beautiful and sexy and all I was aware of, was how sensual her lips were. Every time the spoon entered her mouth, all I could imagine were those pink pouty lips surrounding my cock instead.
“Richard, are you listening, Richard?”
She pulled me out of my trance. “Of course I’m listening, every word.”
“Liar. I’m going to get dressed, then we’ll talk about this.” She waved her hand between us. She kissed me and retreated to the bedroom.
I took in a deep breath. Was her saying she loved me enough for her to agree to this?
Chapter 20
Mackenzie
The first order of business would be to blow dry my hair and tie it back. Tied back would be best for what I had planned. It was late afternoon and the sun set earlier this time of year.
I emerged from the bedroom and Richard had the kitchen cleaned and had made coffee.
He looked up. “Hello, baby, a little overdressed, aren’t we?”
“Not for what I have planned.”
He raised a quizzical eyebrow.
“We’re going for walk. It’s nearly sunset and the colors are beautiful this time of year. It will give us the chance to try out your new creation.
Am I correct in assuming there was no time for that?”
“You’re right. I jumped the line to push it out in time for my birthday,” he shrugged. “We’ve done it before. I would like to try them out for myself, though. Let’s take a walk.”
He stood. “Don’t give me that face. I’m not taking yours, I brought my own.” He reached for his shoes.
Pulling two hoodies out of the closet, he crooked his finger. “Come here,” he gestured. “Now it appears you’re under dressed for what we are going to do.”
I watched his hands as I let him wrap and zip me up in his hoodie. A flashback reminded me of what Richard said, memories would overlap, but the feeling would be different.
He was right. Michael had often helped me into his hoodies. It was such a simple thing. Today it had a new meaning, I wasn’t flinching, I didn’t have an uncontrollable urge to run.
I did not want to run from the warmth his simple gesture emphasized.
We pulled anchor and headed back to the island.
He took my hand and led me off the boat. The air was cool; it didn’t matter, I was overheating at the simple touch of his hands in mine.
Being outside in the cold was the only situation I could think to put ourselves in where we would not be tempted to end up back in bed.
“You will like Tranquility, Mac, it’s a small town on the Atlantic. It won’t be much unlike where you live now.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed it. “I’m not oblivious to the fact that it may take you awhile to get your affairs in order.”
“Lucky for you I’m low maintenance. Except for a small studio apartment I rent above Sally’s, I don’t have much.”
“It’s been a rough year, hasn’t it?” he stated. I felt a slight reassuring squeeze of his hand. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me closer.
“Yeah, it’s been a rough year. You have to understand I’m not ready to give up my apartment. I’m willing to spent some time with you at yours, that’s all I can offer.”
I wasn’t sure what his reaction would be. He was possessive in our love making earlier. Would he accept this small development in my resolve?
“If that’s what you want,” he faced me and kissed me tenderly on the lips, “I accept any terms if it means I can spend more time with you, no matter how little.”
“Tomorrow I’ll head back into town and pack enough for a week. We can reassess our living arrangement after that, if that's okay?”
I was staring directly into his stoic brown eyes. I wanted to see if he really meant it when he said he loved me.
It had only been a week, yet it was also a lifetime. I meant it, why did I find it hard to accept he did as well?
He placed another chaste kiss on my lips before reclaiming my hand and continuing our walk.
“Mac, did you ever contact the charter company you talked about?”
“No, not yet, I tried going over the contract they had with Michael and my father. There’s a lot of legal mumbo jumbo and it’s taking a while. I thought I might get someone to look at it for me.”
“My business partner has a law degree, do you want me to ask him to give it a once over?”
“I thought I might make an appointment to talk to the legal staff from the charter. Their main operations is out of New York. It would be nice to get into the city for the day.”
“You should get Aleksander to go over it first. It would be to your advantage to know the terms fully before you get there. If you would like, I could ask Evonne’s husband Dickie to take a look at it also. He had some dealings with some of the charters already.”
“That would be nice, thank you.” I was enjoying the walk. The conversation was natural and pleasant. The sun was setting and the stars began their appearance. “I love walking at night this time of year. The air is fresh and clean.” I inhaled a deep cleansing breath.
“And cold,” Richard added. “Makes it easier to concentrate on the conversation. Don’t think I didn’t conclude that it would be too cold to rip your clothes off and take you against the tree.”
“You can’t blame me, Richard, we’ve done nothing but fuck like rabbits since you stepped foot on the island. Not that I mind, I just need to...recuperate for a while.”
We walked in silence for a short distance.
“Richard,” I paused, “you got a little possessive. What was that bit about babies?”
“I know, I’m sorry, baby. I can’t explain it. I have never
wanted anyone more than I want you and it scared me. If you didn’t agree to come with me, I think I might have actually left everything and moved here to be with you.”
His confession frightened and excited me at the same time. Someone wanted me to that extent. It also sent a shiver down my spine.
It wasn’t that long ago that another very rich man was obsessed with me and did not want to take no for an answer.
Why was I not more scared at what Richard had professed?
“That came out really creepy, didn’t it? If you need me to back off, Mac, say so. I want you, there no denying it, but I love you more and I won’t hurt you. I won’t try to own you.”
Richard voice was steady, calm, with no hint of the possessiveness I’d previously seen.
“I think it kind of went both ways. I was more than a little possessive at times myself. Like you said, it’s unexplainable. Why have you changed your mind about wanting children?”
“I want to give you anything you want. If that’s children, I want that too. We would make beautiful babies, Mac.” He pulled me to him and devoured my mouth.
I opened my mouth and let him delve deeply into mine, challenging his tongue thrust per thrust.
He released me, “You know, you still haven’t accepted my request to be my date for my birthday party,” Richard teased. “I hope you willing to spend more time with me was a yes?”
“Yes, I would love to be your date and show off your new design. They’re comfortable, I’m not noticing any discomfort on the heel or toe. Those are the places I usually get blisters with new shoes.”
“That’s good. We have been looking into the unisex market for a while. We talked about taking the company global. The new men’s line was a huge success and we want to capitalize on that. Launching this before spring showing is risky, I hope the gamble pays off.”
I halted in my tracks. “Are you worried? From everything I’ve read in the papers, you’re a genius. No one is going to question your decision.”
“You read about me in the paper? Have you been stalking me?” he rasped as he backed me up against a tree. “Are you sure it’s too cold out here for this?” He ran his hand up my shirt and cupped my breast.
“I read about you in the business pages, like everyone else,” I scolded him. “And yes, it’s too cold out here for this,” I slapped his hand away. “Your hands are cold,” I giggled.
“My hands might be cold, but your body is hot, so very very hot,” he said and claimed my mouth. I expressed my appreciation for his talent with a pleased moan.
I gripped his strong muscular arms and wrapped my arms around him. “I think we need to head back now. Do you want to spend the night on the boat, or in the cabin?”
“I like the coziness of the cabin when the fire’s going. I know the bed is not as big.” He brought his forehead to rest against mine, flashing his sheepish grin. “We made it work with no problems the last time.”
I slipped my arms around his and laid my head on his shoulder.
“What will I do all day when you’re at work?” I questioned.
“Do you still work as a veterinarian's assistant?”
We hadn’t taken the time to talk about what I had been doing.
“I had a hard time returning to work after the accident. Every time I had to explain to a client we lost their love one, it brought back too many memories.” Everyone told me I just needed more time. I knew I no longer had the passion for it.
“What have you been doing this past year?” His voice was monotone, like he wouldn’t judge me if I chose to sit and mourn this past year and nothing else.
“After the funeral and selling my father's house, I moved into the loft and helped Sally at the coffee shop. It was mindless busy work. It kept me occupied. I attended a few grief counselling sessions, but they didn't help.”
This revelation surprised me. I had always told people they helped; this was the first time I admitted they had not.
“What do you want to do, Mac?” He ran his hand down my back. I gasped with the awareness he was deliberately applying pressure to the divot at the bottom of my spine. The spot he knew made my knees goes weak and my insides melt.
“I want to get my bearings. Remember, this is just a visit, I can’t promise anything permanent. Beside, I think I may need the day to sleep. I don’t think we are going to get much of it at night,” she giggled.
We arrived at the cabin and Richard volunteered to get wood while I used the kindling to start the fire. I loved the way the cabin smelled and how warm and inviting it felt with the old pot belly stove at full flame.
“Do you want some coffee?” I offered.
He stepped closer and ran his hand up my shirt. “No coffee,” he growled.
“I agreed to go with you, you don’t have to fuck me into submission, you know.”
“Good, now I can fuck you for the sheer pleasure of it.” He picked me up and carried me to the bed.
“It wasn’t pleasurable before?” I purred in his ear.
“With you, baby, it is always a pleasure.”
We began ripping at each other’s clothes. ”It’s not a competition, Mac.”
“With you it’s always a competition. Are you ready to lose?”
“Even when I lose, I still win, baby.” God, what that man can do simply with a sheepish grin.
He laid me on the bed and positioned himself above me “If you want a competition, how about, you have to stay one week for every orgasm I give you,” he enticed.
“That’s not fair, it’s different for women than men. We don’t need as long to recover and we can be coerced in more ways than one.” I relished the thought of accepting his challenge.
I would enjoy being coerced, but would I be able to keep my side of the bargain?
Was I willing to give him more than one week?
Chapter 21
Richard
I woke up with a beautiful woman wrapped around me. This time I was not looking for a line to explain it was time for her to go. I was never going to let this woman go.
If I thought for one second she was going to change her mind, I would fuck her again this morning. A reminder of what she would be missing if she changed her mind and ran from me.
Stirring in my arms, I cradled her to my chest. I was not ready to let her go. She stretched her long lean body and it reminded me of a cat. She arched her back against my chest and pressed her ass against my morning wood.
It had a mind of its own around her. It obtained a lust I believed I would never be able to quench. The more I took her, the more my desire was to have her. It was borderline obsessive and it scared the hell out of me.
When she was living in my house, when I knew she would be waiting for me at the end of every day, this obsession would subside. It had to, otherwise I would never be able to leave for work every day.
She opened her beautiful blue eyes, her face still flushed from the excitement of our night together. I placed a kiss on her temple and ran my hand down her naked body. “Would you like some breakfast?” I teased.
She slapped my hands and attempted to rise from the bed. “I need to use the bathroom,” she chastised me. “If it's going to be like this every morning, you’re never going to make it to work.”
“I was thinking the same thing. Sounds like you haven’t changed your mind. I guess I won’t have to remind you what you would be missing if you did.”
I could afford to be playful. I was getting what I came for. I was getting her in my bed every night and every morning for the next week.
If I could get her to admit her defeat of my challenge last night, it would be much longer.
I was going to find out how deep my obsession and lust for her ran. My saving grace was knowing her obsession for me was coming in at a close second to mine.
She returned to her place in the bed. “I want to get an early start. I never intended to stay on the island this long. If I don’t get across the sandbar by early afternoon, I’ll be
stranded here a few extra days.”
“How long do you think it might take you to get yourself organized and talk to Sally about you leaving?” I didn't want to push her, but I wanted a timeline. I wanted to know when to expect her and when to know if she ran at the last minute. It was never far from my thoughts.
I knew this was a big step for her. It was a big step for me.
Except for Aleksander, no one had any idea I would be returning today with someone I wanted to share my life with. There would be some explaining to my family.
I was not concerned about their acceptance of Mac. They were going to love her; my father already did.
“I don't exactly work for Sally. She lets me keep busy and pretends I’m not in the way. It’s more about company with us.”
Her body was nestled into mine and I did not want to lose the warmth her body was giving off.
My hand ran down along her vertebrae and settled at the base of her spine. She let out a soft moan as her body shivered and her face flushed. “I think I just added another week to our agreement.”
“Your agreement, and I let you win.” She tickled her fingers down my muscular arms. Her touch had me uncomfortably hard. “I know your secret spots as well,” she purred in my ear.
I pounced on her like a jaguar playing with its prey, pinning her underneath my toned masculine body. “Are you ready to let me win again, baby?” I ran my hand across her flat abdomen downward to her folds. I could feel her readiness as I cupped her.
“Richard, baby,” she was toying with me. Calling me baby with the same sickly sweet tone I had used on her. “You came by boat; you have all day to get off the island.
Do you want to win the battle, or do you want to win the war?”
I rolled off her, voicing a few expletives. I knew she was right. If I expected her to make it to Tranquility before nightfall, she would have to get her cute butt in that truck and across that sandbar.
She attempted to leave the bed, I pulled her back. “If I lock thing up here, kill the fire, how much extra time does that give us?”
Manwhore Heir (The Heirs Book 2) Page 10