by Sawyer Belle
She stepped through the doorway and Brent turned to greet her. His usual chumminess dropped with his jaw as his smile faded. His eyes, slightly wider than they had been a moment before, scanned her figure and she finally saw what she’d always wanted to see in his eyes when he looked at her. Desire.
Chapter 17
When Brent insisted on driving, Mackenna handed over the keys to her Ford Ranger, and when he walked with her to the passenger side and opened the door for her she felt a growing giddiness inside. He drove as though he’d driven these streets a dozen times.
“Do you know where you’re going?” she asked.
“Yep,” he said confidently.
“Have you been to Reno before?”
“Nope.”
She studied him curiously. “Then how do you know where you’re going?”
“It’s a wonderful thing – the Internet. Well, that and talking to the cab driver on the way to your place.”
“Ahh, I see now.”
Sometime on the way to their destination, the snow had stopped falling. Brent took the highway that led them out of town and up into the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe. Her curiosity rose with the altitude and every attempt she made to discover their endpoint resulted in Brent’s tight-lipped grin. When he finally pulled into the parking lot she gasped.
The Vintner was a classy spot crouched into the mountainside with outdoor dining on a wooden platform overlooking the lake. She’d never eaten there but had always thought it a romantic setting. She’d heard of others’ experiences at the restaurant, including tales of how the hostess provided warmed blankets to those sitting outside and a free long-stem rose to every female.
She hadn’t meant for him to open the door for her, but she’d been so distracted looking up at the dining platform that she failed to notice when Brent left the truck. As her door was yanked open, he held out a hand to help her. It was obvious by the state of the parking lot that the mountains had received more snow than the city. Her boots sank down into the powder a good few inches. As she made to release Brent’s hand, his grip tightened. She looked up in question.
“Best hold on,” he said with a wink. “We don’t want you falling like you did earlier.”
“How kind of you,” she said with sarcasm, but she laced her fingers through his anyway.
Though she wore thick gloves to shield from the cold, her hand warmed to the touch of his. To any onlookers, they would pass for a normal couple on a date. The thought pleased Mackenna and she strove to walk a little taller, proud to be at his side. When they reached the top of the salt-soaked steps, Brent approached the hostess.
“Thompson, party of two,” he said. “We have a reservation.”
“Yes, I see you right here, Mr. Thompson,” the hostess replied cheerily. “Please follow me.”
She led the way to a table near the railing of the platform and Mackenna soon learned that everything she’d heard was true. She was presented a rose with her menu and within minutes a heated blanket was placed over her lap. It warmed her enough that she removed her scarf and gloves. They ordered waters to start and Brent asked to see a wine menu. Once the wait staff removed themselves from hearing range, she leaned forward and whispered to Brent.
“You know I can’t drink, right?”
His face shot up at her words, as if the thought hadn’t occurred to him. Mackenna misread the look and hurried to correct what she thought was her mistake.
“Of course, you can drink if you want. I wasn’t saying that you couldn’t order wine if you wanted to.”
His face relaxed. “Do you want to share some with me?”
She looked at him as if he hadn’t understood what she’d said. “But I’m only eighteen, Brent.”
“That’s not what I asked you,” he returned, still awaiting her answer.
“They’re gonna card me,” she pleaded.
“If they card you, we’ll pretend to look for your wallet and when we can’t find it, we’ll retract the order.”
He said it so easily that she sat upright and eyed him suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. “Sounds like you’ve done this before.”
“I’ll never tell,” he teased. “So, what do you say? You up for it?”
She flushed with excitement and anxiety at the idea of skirting the law, but in the end she decided to go for it. She nodded.
“Good,” he smiled. “Way to color outside of the lines. Now, how about something white? It’ll be chilled. Are you okay with drinking something cold out here in the cold?”
“Whatever you pick will be fine,” she said.
“Cool, now give me your left hand.”
“What?” she said, confused.
“Give me your left hand,” he repeated. “I’ll bet you don’t even get asked for an ID.”
“Of course I will,” she returned.
“Let’s bet on it,” he cocked an eyebrow. “If you get ID’d, you get to ask any one thing of me. If you don’t get ID’d, I get to ask something of you.”
She shot him a sideways glance, skeptical and curious as to his game.
“Okay, I’ll bite,” she said and she placed her left hand in his.
He scooted his chair closer to hers and hid their joined hands beneath the blankets, resting them on her lap. Her pulse leapt into her throat at so intimate a position. When the waitress returned to take their order Brent spoke for them, and he was as cool and calm as can be.
“We haven’t decided on our entrees yet, but we would like a bottle of wine.” As the waitress’ eyes shot toward Mackenna, Brent continued speaking. “We’re celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary and this is our first time to Tahoe. We’re from Vegas. We didn’t expect snow, though, so this is definitely a treat for us!”
“This is your first time to Tahoe?” the waitress asked, eating up Brent’s distraction.
“Yes,” he answered. “I can’t believe how beautiful it is in person. The photos don’t do it justice.”
“What do you guys do in Vegas?” she asked.
“I work in construction,” Brent lied, “and my wife…”
“I deal blackjack at the MGM,” Mackenna interjected. Brent whirled his head around to look at Mackenna’s poker face. He smiled at how easily she inserted herself into the fantasy.
“Sorry, honey,” he said to her. “I know how it bugs you when I speak for you.”
“No worries, babe,” she said flippantly before turning her attention onto the waitress. “What are your recommendations?”
“As far as food or wine?” she asked and Mackenna felt a sense of triumph welling in her.
“Both,” she replied.
“Well, let’s start with food first. Then, you can pair your wine.”
The waitress listed off the specials and her recommendations, with Brent and Mackenna settling on the roasted red pepper risotto. Next, they went with a crisp bottle of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and as the waitress sauntered off with their order Brent squeezed Mackenna’s hand beneath the blanket before turning a smug grin on her.
“Don’t look so pleased with yourself,” she said. “I think I can claim a little credit for pulling it off.”
“True,” he admitted. “You shocked the hell out of me with how cool you were.”
“Ok, so what do you ask of me?” she offered. “You won.”
“I wouldn’t have won without your help. So, you can ask any one thing of me.”
“You sure?”
“Yep. Besides, it’s your birthday. You should get the favor. So, what’ll it be?”
“Hmm…” she eyed him mischievously. “I don’t know yet. I’ll get back to you.”
He laughed. “Uh oh.”
She smiled, shrugged, then turned to study the effects of the newly-emerging moonlight on the still waters of the lake. Brent took the moment to let his gaze rove over her profile. Her skin looked smooth and pale, no longer the dusty tan of her Montana days. Her hair reached below her shoulder blades, even with its curl. It had darken
ed a shade with the sunless winter. Her face had thinned out like the rest of her and her cheekbones were high and just prominent enough to flatter the soft angles that completed her. The sweater she wore clung to her curves enough that he knew he would like the body beneath.
Suddenly, he was aware of where his hand rested on her lap, and how she didn’t seem to mind it there. More surprising was that he didn’t seem to mind it there. For a moment, he allowed himself to believe in the fantasy he had woven. What would it be like to have been married to her for five years? What would it be like to be able to give in to his yearning and kiss her whenever he wanted?
He shook the stars from his eyes. What the hell was he thinking? It could never be. They lived two completely different lives, lives more conducive to the close friendship they had fostered over the winter. He would never leave his mother in Montana and Mackenna had expressed no interest in ever living there. So, what was the point of giving in to something already designed to fail? They’d both end up with broken hearts and worse: the loss of a best friend.
He needed to find a way to control his growing attraction to her. He had not expected to have such a strong physical reaction after so many months apart. As it was, he couldn’t bring himself to remove his hand from her thigh, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. He breathed a sigh of relief when the waitress returned with their bottle of wine. He might have done something really stupid, like kiss her.
Mackenna enjoyed the meal and every detail of the experience. She found the wine crisp and light with a hint of fruit and sweetness. It went down cold and came back up to warm her cheeks. The dinner was superb, the conversation easy and comfortable, and Brent’s calloused palm claiming her thigh was the best dessert. By the time they returned to her apartment, she was soft and sated.
“How long are you here for?” she asked him, removing her jacket and scarf.
“I leave on Sunday morning,” he answered. Then, he looked around the tiny apartment. “I should have booked a hotel room or something. I didn’t realize your place was so small. I thought you’d have a couch or something to crash on.”
Her pulse quickened at learning that he had nowhere else to stay.
“Don’t be silly. You’re welcome to stay here,” she said.
“You don’t mind if I sleep on your floor?”
“Yes, I do mind,” she said seriously. “I would be very insulted that you would think me such a poor hostess. You will take the bed.”
“Oh no, I won’t,” he protested. “I would be very insulted that you would think me such a poor gentleman as to put you on the floor while I sleep in your bed.”
“Well, you are not sleeping on my floor.”
“Neither are you.”
They shifted their gazes nervously between themselves and the bed until Mackenna finally laughed.
“This is stupid. What century are we in? We can sleep in the same bed.”
Brent could already feel his groin beginning to react and he went to his duffel bag as a distraction.
“Are you sure?” he asked over his shoulder. “I have no problem taking the floor.”
“I’m sure,” she said and thought absolutely sure.
She disappeared into the bathroom with clothes bundled beneath her arm. When she emerged, she was dressed in flannel pajama pants and a tight, black, long-sleeved top. Her face was washed free of its makeup and her hair was piled into a messy knot atop her head. Brent had changed while she was in the bathroom and now wore black jogging pants and the black hoodie he’d had on when he arrived.
When he went to brush his teeth, Mackenna climbed beneath the covers nearest the wall and listened to the sounds of Brent in her apartment. The sheets were cold and she curled into a fetal position and shivered. Brent shut the light off and took a deep breath before climbing into the bed beside her.
The bed was barely big enough for both of them to lie without touching one another. He was on his back with his hands laced behind his head. She was on her side, her back to him. He stared up at the dark ceiling, fighting the urge to curl up behind her. Soon, her shivers relaxed and he heard the rhythmic rise and fall of her breaths. She was asleep. He suddenly felt too hot in his hoodie and quietly stripped it off, leaving him bare-chested.
He laid quietly, his fingers and toes fidgeting restlessly, and he knew there would be no sleeping for him like this. He rolled over onto his side, facing her back. His feet accidentally brushed against her icy toes, sending a chill through his own body with their temperature. Ah hell, he thought and then curled up behind her, wrapping his arm around her and entwining his warm feet with hers to warm them.
Mackenna’s open eyes widened. Oh my God, she thought as Brent snuggled up behind her. She had been contemplating how there was no need for the space heater with Brent there. Only seconds after he’d climbed into bed it warmed pleasantly and her shivering stilled. Then, his feet touched hers and her breath caught. His were so warm. Next thing she knew, his entire body pressed against hers and his arm draped possessively over her waist. She saw then that he had shed his sweatshirt.
Her body was tight with anticipation. When Brent relaxed into deep and easy breaths, she figured he had fallen asleep. She shifted her body until it snuggled more comfortably against him and closed her eyes with a sigh. She could feel his hot breath on the back of her neck, his hand resting on her stomach just below her breasts and she smiled.
“Thank you,” she whispered to him, knowing he would not hear.
After a brief pause, he whispered back. “For what?”
Her eyes popped open when she realized he was awake. Knowing that he had purposefully arranged himself with her in his arms made her flush. When she answered him, she spoke the truth.
“For making this the best birthday I’ve ever had.”
Brent smiled to himself then stretched his mouth forward to plant a soft kiss on her nape, and as he held her tight to him, breathing in all of the scents that made up Mackenna, he drifted off to a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 18
The solitary window of the apartment faced east and with the early morning sun blasting through the sheer curtains, the room was as bright as midday. Mackenna was used to the conditions and slept soundly, but Brent always rose with the dawn.
As his eyes opened, he found Mackenna on her side facing him, her breath washing over his neck. Her hands were folded, one on top of the other, and rested beneath her chin. Wavy blonde hairs had escaped their confines and fell over her face. She was completely at ease, breathing softly with her mouth slightly parted. Brent’s arm was looped around her and one of his legs was thrown over one of hers.
How they had gotten so entangled, he did not remember, but he was glad that they did. She was a heartwarming sight to wake up to and if he could have stopped time, he would have done so right then. If he had a choice, he would wake up to this every day for the rest of his life. The thought sank into his soul and filled him with unblemished joy.
He moved his hand to cup her face, smoothing away the soft wisps of her hair as he did so. He ran his thumb lightly over her lower lip and watched as her eyelids fluttered open in response. Her eyes gleamed like Montana sapphires as all traces of sleepiness vanished in the wake of desire. Her breaths moved quicker and shallower over his thumb until he finally gave in and kissed her.
Her lips were warm and soft, molding perfectly to his. He pressed them together gently, hesitantly waiting for her response. Her arm moved to wrap around his back and he took that for the sign that she wanted what he wanted. He deepened the kiss, sucking on her bottom lip until her mouth opened completely to him and they tasted each other.
His tongue was hot and bold and moved with teasing slowness, stroking her untutored one with unhurried skill. As their mouths stayed locked together, he pressed his bare chest closer to hers, bringing the whole of her body up against him. His hand left her face to move up into her hair, gently removing the tie she’d used to bind it. Once the strands were loose he buried his
fingers in their silkiness.
Slowly, he eased her onto her back and leaned his torso over hers, cradling her head in his hands as he filled his mouth with the taste of her. Her mounting passion matched his and she ran her palms over the sculpted muscles of his back as she had always longed to. Up and down his spine, she stroked until she finally brought her hands up into his blonde mane.
He wanted to explore the rest of her body and so finally broke the kiss long enough to reach down and grab the ends of her shirt and pull it up over her head. If Mackenna had any shyness about her body, it had disappeared against the heat and desire swelling inside of her. Whenever she had imagined them together like this, she felt sheepish and insecure, knowing that her body was not as beautiful as others, but in this moment all she wanted was Brent’s hands and eyes and mouth on her, and wherever he wanted them.
He stopped for a moment to stare down at her in appreciation. Her eyes were glazed with desire, her hair fanning out in disheveled beauty. Her skin was pale and soft, stretching over her collar bones before filling out into two perfectly round and full breasts, their centers dark and peaked for his attention. He could feel his erection straining against his pants in response.
He leaned down and took a nipple into his mouth, groaning with the realization of how much he had wanted to see and taste this part of her. He filled his palm with her other breast, teasing the nipple between his thumb and forefinger. He swirled his tongue around slowly and attentively, as if committing it to memory. Finally, he tickled the bud with the tip of his tongue and felt Mackenna shiver beneath him.