Mirror, Mirror

by Linda Randall Wisdom

  “I put it on before I took my shower. Want a cup?”

  “Definitely.”

  “Hey, Duff, quit dreaming about the poodle. Off the bed. Now.” Mac waited for the dog to climb off the bed before he left the room.

  Dana couldn’t take her eyes off Mac as he walked away. She felt a whimper crawl up her throat. Now she knew with great certainty that a damp towel did wonders for a man’s naked body.

  She knew it was thanks to Mac that she’d woken up in a more positive frame of mind. Even the memory of her dream didn’t seem to hold the terror it had before.

  She found her robe on the floor where Mac must have dropped it the night before.

  When she entered the bathroom she found it still steamy from his shower. She rushed through brushing her hair and teeth and washing her face before Mac returned. She had no idea how he managed it, but the room even smelled like him. She was just coming out of the bathroom when he walked into the bedroom carrying a coffee cup in one hand and a duffel bag in the other. She arched an eyebrow as she accepted the cup he held out to her.

  “You must have given the neighbors an eyeful,” she commented.

  “I slipped out to my truck before I took my shower to get my bag, then forgot to bring it in here,” he replied.

  She gratefully gulped the brew. She welcomed the rush of caffeine in an effort to energize her body. She averted her eyes from his near-naked form. She started to sit down on the bed then quickly straightened up. She pretended she meant to walk over to the window and open the drapes.

  He grinned at her discomfort.

  “I guess I better get dressed,” he said, holding up the bag.

  “I’ll start breakfast,” she muttered from her spot by the window, where she looked out as if something in her backyard was utterly fascinating.

  Dana didn’t turn around until she heard the bathroom door close. Then she escaped to the kitchen and refilled her cup. She pulled out a frying pan, and had scrambled eggs ready and bread in the toaster when Mac walked into the kitchen.

  “It looks good.” He accepted the filled plate she handed him. “Thanks.”

  “When I think back about it, I feel a little silly that I allowed a bad dream to upset me so much,” she began. She set another plate of scrambled eggs on the floor for Duffy, who inhaled them. “I’m an adult. I should know nightmares can’t hurt you.”

  “Nightmares can be pretty nasty,” he pointed out. “The one you’ve been having is coming across as more than real. You just have to remember that anything that isn’t real can’t hurt you.”

  She snatched up his explanation with both hands. “True, but sometimes I think they’re right when they say it’s easier said than done.”

  Mac shrugged. He looked off into the distance as he spoke. “I wouldn’t worry too much. It happens to all of us. Shadows grow too big and too dark. As a result, we find out we can’t easily overcome them.”

  Dana knew Mac was speaking from personal experience. She wondered if he was remembering watching his partner Manny being killed. She knew it was something from his past that brought the darkness to his voice and etched the pain on his features.

  She reached over and grasped his hand. It took a moment for him to respond. When he did, he looked down at her hand covering his, then up at her face. His faint smile banished the darkness.

  He brought her hand to his lips. As he lowered it, he glanced at the clock on the wall and winced.

  “Sorry for not offering to do the dishes, but I’ve got an appointment,” he told her, getting to his feet. He snapped his fingers in Duffy’s direction. The dog immediately got to his feet and walked over to his master.

  Mac paused before heading for the door. He stared at Dana, the expression on his face not giving a hint as to what he was thinking. But she could see the tension in his body. His eyes didn’t move from her face.

  “Mac.”

  He turned around and moved toward her. When he stood in front of her, she looked up at him with mute appeal. He circled her wrists with his hands, then pulled them upward, arranging them to loop around his neck. When they were settled to his satisfaction, he lowered his face to hers and covered her mouth with his.

  His mouth was so gentle on hers, it was like the faint whisper of a butterfly against her lips. He coaxed her response with a sexy finesse he hadn’t displayed before.

  If her knees had buckled before, now they downright melted. Along with the rest of her, as his tongue tempted her tongue into play. His fingertips caressed her breast with a featherlight touch that brought a strangled moan to her lips. She clutched his forearms so she wouldn’t collapse to the floor.

  Mac released the loose knot that held her robe closed and slid the heavy fabric down off her shoulders, until it lay in a pool around her feet. His breath was warm against her cheek as he used his finger to trace the prim collar on her nightgown.

  “Do you realize what a turn-on this thing is?” he rasped in her ear. His tongue started doing things to the delicate shell that she was positive were illegal—they felt much too good.

  “No.” Her voice was high-pitched and breathy to her own ears.

  Again he ran a finger along the collar. “This is something a proper schoolteacher would wear. It covers you from top to bottom so a guy can’t see anything. That kind of outfit gives a guy fantasies,” he murmured in her ear.

  Her head was spinning. “What kind of fantasies?” she asked, once she felt confident she could form the words.

  He gently bit down on her earlobe. “Fantasies where I’m unbuttoning it one button at a time.” He matched action with his words.

  By the time he undid the fourth button, cool air brushed across Dana’s skin, but only for two seconds before the warmth of Mac’s hand replaced it. She closed her eyes and savored the sensation of his thumb rubbing against her nipple in a circular motion. She gasped as he pressed down, causing a lightning bolt to streak down to her womb.

  Now there was no way her legs could hold her. Luckily, he swung her up into his arms before she completely melted. She buried her face against the curve of his neck as he carried her toward the rear of the house.

  He laughed softly when he entered the bedroom. “You don’t like unmade beds for more than five seconds, do you?” He used one hand to throw the covers down to the end of the bed.

  “I didn’t know.” Her words were muffled against his skin.

  “Just like this nightgown, a made bed needs to be unmade.” He set her down on her feet.

  “So I need to be unmade, too?” she asked, wondering if her dizzy feeling was due to Mac’s lips feathering across her temple.

  She could feel the pleasant vibrations of his laughter against her skin.

  “Oh, yes, very unmade.” He dispatched the next few buttons with ease. Before Dana could blink, her nightgown was pulled over her head and dropped to the carpet.

  Dana watched Mac’s eyes turn a deep molten green as he gazed at her nudity.

  “You are so beautiful.”

  Those four simple words spoken with husky sincerity made her blood heat even more.

  “There’s only one problem,” she said, feeling more confident by the second.

  “What’s that?”

  “You’re wearing too many clothes.” She couldn’t unbutton his shirt with the same ease he’d used with her nightgown, but it, too, soon dropped to the floor. Her fingers faltered a bit when she started to unbuckle his belt. When he moved to help her, she brushed his hands away and finished it. Her gaze lowered as she pushed his jeans down past his hips—then widened.

  Mac shrugged. “I’d forgotten to put a set of clean underwear in my bag.”

  She smiled as she moved closer to him. “I wouldn’t worry. It saves time.”

  Dana shrieked when she suddenly ended up on the bed with Mac lying over her. He levered himself onto his elbows so he wouldn’t crush her.

  “Do you realize how badly I want you?” he rasped.

  She encircled his hardness w
ith her hand. “Maybe you should tell me,” she purred. “Just so I don’t misunderstand.”

  Mac jerked at her touch. He rubbed his forehead against hers as he groaned. “Not a good idea, sweetheart. I don’t intend for this to end before it even begins.”

  “Oh, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” She slid over him. “And don’t worry about anything ending too soon—I’ll make sure you enjoy every minute,” she whispered, punctuating each word with a kiss.

  “Then the least I can do is offer you the same promise,” he told her. He began by brushing his lips across her nipple, then opened his mouth over it, sucking deeply. “Milk and honey,” he murmured.

  Dana gasped as white-hot sensations shot through her body. “You know just where to begin, don’t you?” she said huskily.

  She allowed her hands to roam, and he did the same.

  “Like velvet,” Mac told her as his mouth inspected the soft area behind her knee, then moved down her leg with agonizing slowness.

  “It tingles,” she replied as she watched him caress her ankle. “Mac!” She moaned with delight when he flipped her over and dropped gentle kisses along her spine.

  “Did you know you have four freckles back here?” he whispered in her ear once he reached her nape. He’d swept her hair to one side so he could investigate there, too. “And hair like silk.”

  “Mac,” she moaned, shifting her hips under him. She twisted enough to turn onto her back. “You are a very cruel man.” She lightly raked her nails down his chest. She lifted her head and pressed kisses against the faint lines on his skin.

  “I’m telling you I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world, and you think I’m cruel?” His lips nuzzled her ear, then found the sensitive skin just behind it. One hand swept downward along her hip. His fingers tangled in the dark blond curls and beyond. He exhaled heavily when he felt how moist she was. She rotated her hips against his two fingers, silently asking for more.

  Dana’s breath caught in her throat as an electric current ran through her veins. “Don’t stop saying it,” she breathed, gripping his arms. “In fact, don’t stop, period.” She trailed her hand downward.

  Mac caught her hand, then pressed it against himself.

  He muttered a soft curse as he left her for a moment. She cried out her dismay but smiled when he returned to her.

  “When you’re looking like heaven on earth, there is no way I would leave you for any longer than five seconds,” he told her, sliding along her body. He moved into the inviting cradle of her hips and settled into the welcoming heat.

  Dana curved her hand around him, guiding him to her center. He paused, looking down at her.

  What would she say if he told her he felt as if he’d come home? That nothing had ever felt so right.

  “Perfect,” he told her, carefully lowering his body.

  She laughed with sheer happiness. “Better than perfect.”

  Mac buried himself deep within her. Just as slowly, he drew out until only the tip stroked the damp petals. Dana was positive she’d lost track of time as he continued to send her flying.

  She looked up at him, seeing the stark desire etched on his face. She was positive she wore the same expression.

  “Mac.” She whispered his name, unable to say more as she felt the contractions begin deep within her. She unconsciously tightened around him, then moved faster, lifting her hips to meet his. She felt the urge to fly as he thrust her farther into the heavens.

  Dana refused to close her eyes, although she was positive lights exploded in front of her as she exploded. She grabbed his shoulders as the pleasure-pain became unbearable. As she reached the pinnacle she had no idea she screamed Mac’s name. He covered her mouth with his, seeming to steal her breath as he followed her into the void.

  Dana’s street was always quiet this time of day, with its residents either already gone to work or running errands. The woodsy area with its path created for walkers was almost deserted—except for one person.

  The woman found it easy to stand at the rear edge of Dana’s property without being seen.

  Even though she couldn’t see into the house, she still made sure she stood close enough to hear. With the bedroom window slightly open to the warm morning air, it was easy enough to eavesdrop on the intimate conversation.

  A stormy feeling some might have called jealousy swamped her body. She snarled as she turned and clawed a nearby tree trunk. That a nail broke and her skin was scratched and bleeding didn’t matter. She couldn’t feel the pain. Not when anger overrode everything else.

  It is not fair! It is not fair that Baby Girl is in there doing the dirty deed with that stud detective. What could he see in her? He had to have been disappointed with the end result. That little milksop couldn’t give a man pleasure no matter how much she tried.

  She glared at the house as if her savage gaze could set it on fire and incinerate the occupants.

  She doesn’t deserve a man like him. He needs to find out just what kind of woman he needs.

  Tempting thoughts of going in there and doing away with Dana had her starting to move forward. It would be so easy to accomplish.

  All was quiet now. She knew they must be in there basking in the afterglow of what sounded like some pretty hot sex. The fact that she had first felt Dana couldn’t satisfy him, then was convinced Dana had, didn’t matter. Her thoughts flip-flopped all the time. She didn’t see anything wrong in it. Whatever she thought at that moment was what she truly believed.

  She’d barely taken two steps, when a dog’s deep bark sounded from inside the house and shook her out of her murderous thoughts. In moments, a large dog appeared at the sliding glass door leading to the patio. As he saw her, he jumped up on his hind feet, pawing at the door in hopes he could open it himself.

  For a moment, she was stunned by the sight and feared the dog would accomplish his objective.

  She was surprised Dana had allowed the mutt into the house. Dana must have been more desperate for a man than she’d thought.

  She laughed when she realized the dog wasn’t able to get out. All he could do was bark and jump at the glass door. Her secret was still safe.

  No problem. I can come back anytime I want to take care of you, Baby Dana.

  Chapter 11

  The bone-chilling cold that suddenly struck her had to have been some kind of warning.

  Dana felt it a few seconds before Duffy started barking. She wasn’t sure why she sensed there was a connection between the two, but the idea refused to go away. It frightened her.

  Duffy’s angry barking told her something was out back that the dog didn’t like. She could hear him jumping up against the patio door in an agitated manner as he fought to get outside.

  Since Mac was in the bathroom, she started to go over to the window to see what was bothering the dog. She’d just started to reach for her robe, when Duffy stopped barking. Just as abruptly, the chill left her body.

  “What’s up with him?” Mac frowned as he came out of the bathroom.

  “Maybe he saw a cat,” Dana replied, not believing her own logical explanation and not understanding why she felt this way. She wrapped her arms around herself, briskly rubbing her arms with her hands.

  The chill had left but not the fear.

  She pasted a smile on her lips. It wasn’t difficult to do, when Mac stood there in all his glory.

  Minutes ago she’d felt safe in the circle of his arms. In turn, she’d held him as he trembled with aftershocks. She’d listened to his muttered prayers for her beauty and response to him. She’d combed her fingers through the dark hair matting his chest. She’d felt the strength under the layer of roughened skin. And reveled in it. She didn’t think she could ever tire of touching him.

  Dana realized she’d never thought of herself as a woman who would enjoy the kind of raw elemental sex she’d just experienced with Mac. Her earlier encounters were sterile compared to the heights Mac had carried her to.

  She wanted to fly ag
ain. She wanted to feel safe again, and the only way she could was in his arms.

  Her need must have shown on her face, because Mac stopped in mid-stride.

  “You really know how to make a guy crazy,” he admitted. “Right now, I’d like nothing more than to take you back to bed, but I need to see what’s going on with Duffy.” He reached for his jeans and pulled them on.

  Dana sat back on the bed, holding her robe in her hands.

  Mac looked over his shoulder just before he left the room. “Stay here,” he instructed.

  “I won’t leave,” she promised. She could feel her heart climbing up into her throat as she strained with all her senses in an attempt to know what was going on.

  “What’s going on, boy?” she heard Mac ask the dog. “You see a cat or something? Come on, let’s take a look.”

  Dana swiftly put her robe on and tied it tightly. She suddenly couldn’t keep her promise. She had to know. She hurried out of the room and down the hallway to the family room. By the time she reached it, Mac was already outside. Duffy was running back and forth along the length of the back fence. Several times he stopped and jumped up, throwing his large body against the wooden posts. She winced as the fence shuddered against the blows.

  Mac also checked the length of the fence, but he did his investigating by looking over it. He’d walk several steps, stop and peer over. After he checked out the entire rear section, he walked over to the side that wasn’t bordered by another house.

  He was frowning when he returned—a frown that deepened when he found her sitting on the couch.

  “I thought I told you to stay in the bedroom.”

  She ignored him. “Did you find anything?”

  “As you said, maybe it was a cat.” He picked up Duffy’s leash and whistled for the dog. “I’m going to check out the land just behind the house. And don’t leave,” he ordered, as he snapped the leash on the dog’s collar. “Set the alarm after I go.”

  Dana ran to the door and punched in the code the moment Mac and Duffy were gone. She stood at the patio door, her palms pressed against the glass as she waited for occasional glimpses of the top of Mac’s head.