She wasn’t into romance and all that sappy stuff, instead she enjoyed sex and a lot of fun, and Ryan was guaranteed to give her just that. Part of her was glad he had slipped out long before the sun had risen; the other side would have enjoyed taking a shower together this morning. But it was better that way. Ryan wasn’t looking for a relationship and neither was she. The last time she had risked her heart, the man she thought she had loved, Blake Rhymes, turned out to be a bigamist. Mackenzie had done a background check on the sports recruiter, who traveled all the time, and discovered not one, but two wives, living in Virginia and Maryland. After that she had vowed to never trust a man again. She saw what happened when she had. Emotions weakened her. Allen was a prime example of that.
She swung her legs over the side of the bed, then padded naked over to the closet to look for something to wear. Although she needed to work on keeping her head on right because Ryan was definitely a distraction, she had every intention of seeing him today and when she did, she wanted to make a statement.
After scanning the contents of her walk-in closet, she finally settled on a yellow blouse and a lime green pencil skirt. A pair of fierce black and lemon pumps would emphasize the look, she decided, and guaranteed the outcome she was hoping for. They were definitely worth the four-hundred dollar price tag.
She padded into the small ensuite and turned on the shower then rushed to wash her face and brush her teeth. A beer distributor was coming by Spanky’s at eight to deliver a weekly order. It was also payday and checks were scheduled to arrive from the timekeeping company by courier at noon.
Once the water was hot, she stepped inside and sighed the moment the hot water beat against her breasts. Erotic images stole through her mind again, bringing a slow gurgling sound from her throat. Her nipples were tender and the thought of Ryan’s lips suckling at her nipples caused them to tighten with arousal. Damn that man! she muttered. It wasn’t supposed to have been quite so perfect. Not that she was complaining, although perfect meant that the bar had been raised and everyone else would have to measure up in comparison. Part of her was unsure if that was even going to be possible. Last night was like nothing she had ever experienced before. It had been about throwing cautions to the side and living life to the fullest with the hottest man she knew. And it was only the beginning. They had two weeks and she smiled at the possibilities.
By the time she was getting out the shower, Mackenzie was racing to get dressed, apply makeup to her face and run a brush across her pixie haircut. A couple of years ago, she spotted a model inside an issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, and rushed to have her shoulder length hair cut to mimic the short sassy style, and she hadn’t regretted it yet.
Moments later, Mackenzie was nibbling on a bagel and pulling out the driveway when a thought hit her. Immediately she pushed the Bluetooth button on her dashboard and made a necessary call.
“Hello?”
“Happy birthday, Mommy.”
“Good morning, Mack, and thank you. The phone’s been ringing all morning.”
Her mother was complaining, but she knew she loved every second of the attention.
“I sent you some flowers. They should arrive after lunch. What did Daddy get you?” she asked as she turned out the complex and onto the main road.
“I don’t know why you all go to such fuss,” she began with a scowl. “He bought me a ridiculous blender. It’s some kind of Ninja and too complicated. I told him to take it back.”
She groaned. There was no pleasing that woman. No matter what her father did, it was never good enough.
“He made reservations at some Indian restaurant he wants to try. I’d rather just cook at home.”
“It’s your birthday, Mommy.”
“So what? We can go out to dinner any day of the week.”
Her phone beeped and she was grateful for the distraction. Mackenzie carefully looked down at the screen. Her assistant had canceled an eleven o’clock appointment, freeing up her schedule.
“What’s this I hear about you messing around with someone’s husband?”
Mackenzie almost dropped her phone. Blowing out a breath, she made a right turn at the corner. “I didn’t know he was married.”
“Is that what they’re saying now?” she asked and there was no disguising the bitterness or sarcasm.
Mackenzie glared ahead. She should have known her mother would react that way. Six years ago, Andrea Boyd discovered her husband was having an affair. The moment she confronted him, he had come clean about the relationship he’d been having with one of his managers, but his reasons were that he was lonely and tired of not being appreciated at home. Mackenzie agreed there was no excuse for stepping out on her mother, but part of her could understand why her father had done what he had done. Her mother was a difficult woman to live with. Her father had done everything to try to make things work. He fired the woman, attended marriage counseling and since then had been trying to do anything and everything his wife wanted, hoping to make things right. Her mother said she had forgiven him, but it was clear she hadn’t forgotten, because she had made his life hell. Mackenzie felt sorry for her father. He couldn’t even go to the corner store without having to check in every thirty minutes. It was pathetic, and yet, her father was willing to do whatever it took to win back his wife’s trust.
“It’s over Mommy. As soon as I found out the truth I ended it.”
“That poor woman. If she has any sense she’ll leave him.”
“Really? Then why are you still with Daddy?” She blurted out. At her mother’s silence, Mackenzie almost felt regret for saying what she had been thinking.
“Because I love him,” she finally said and cleared her throat.
“Then for once show him. Go to the Indian restaurant and have yourself a good time. Mommy, you both deserve it.”
“You’re right. I guess I better take that gift card you got me for Christmas and go over to Lane Bryant and find me something to wear.”
Mackenzie laughed as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. “That sounds like a good idea.”
They talked a few more minutes and then her father came into the house. Mackenzie spoke to him long enough to tell him to have fun at dinner before she ended the call.
She released a long breath suddenly feeling emotional drained. Marriage was just too much damn work. It was the main reason why she had managed to stay single.
* * *
Ryan passed the sleeping quarters where several rookie firefighters were lying in the cots, sleeping and headed straight to the kitchen for coffee.
Most of the unit had been out on a late emergency call to a burning residence. A family of six had been inside. The fire crew had raced into action, rescuing the grandmother who was found lying on the floor face down at the rear of the house. Within hours the family was safe and the fire had been contained. Unfortunately the flames had spread so rapidly through the house practically nothing was left to salvage. The family would be forced to start all over. A local group had already started a drive for donations and Sheraton Beach Fire Station 3 was planning to hold in a fundraiser on Wednesday. As one of the senior firefighters, Ryan decided Spanky’s would be a great place to solicit donations. He would just have to run it by Mackenzie.
With a deep stretch, he stepped inside the kitchen and walked past the long table to the sink. Leaving Mackenzie this morning had been one of the most difficult decisions of his life. But if he hadn’t, he would have woken up and stared into her eyes and then there was no way he would have been able to leave. Their time together had been amazing, explosive, and more than he had bargained for and yet, now he was ready for another round. Just thinking about her light-brown skin lying naked on white sheets got him a little horny. Ryan shook his head. He really thought one night would have been enough to satisfy his curiosity, but instead it had heightened it. He now knew it was going to take several more nights, in her bed, lying between her thighs before his desire would be quenched. And he had every intention of us
ing the entire fourteen days.
And then what?
He brushed that thought aside and started a pot of coffee. There were no if, ands, or buts about it. Once things were over, they would part and still remain friends. But as he stared out the window, waiting for the coffee to brew he was already having doubts about going back to being nothing more than friends. But what else could happen?
He didn’t do relationships.
Not anymore.
Ryan gazed out along Lewes Avenue, a major intersection in Sheraton Beach. School buses were heading to the schools packed with children, and others were honking their horns, more than likely late for work. It had been on a spring morning like this, a drizzly morning when he had met his wife, Anika.
Her beautiful, chocolate face burned in his mind as he strolled over to the coffeemaker and reached down for a Styrofoam cup.
Anika had been a real estate agent who sold him his first condo. The moment he’d heard that sultry voice on the other end of the line he had known she was going to be someone special. When he finally met her at the first listing, he knew she was going to be his wife. Five months later, they were married. He had never been more in love and when she found out she was carrying their first child, life couldn’t have been more perfect.
His chest tightened as he remembered the mandatory fire training course in New York he had to attend. Ryan insisted Anika go with him, but four months pregnant she hadn’t been feeling up to traveling. He’d never forget her ruffling his hair and him kissing her round stomach before heading out to his car. When he lay in bed at night with his eyes closed, he could still see Anika standing on the porch waving goodbye. Two days later, she and his unborn child had been killed by a hit and run driver. According to the police, Anika had just stepped out of her car when a teen driver, who was racing another vehicle, had run her over. By the time the police had been alerted, it was already too late.
Ryan cleared the lump in his throat, tossed two sugar cubes in his mug, then stirred. It had been three years, and yet ever since her death, he’d buried himself, working long hours at the firehouse, taking on multiple shifts. Once he decided to start dating again, it was fast and furious. Dozens of one-night stands, but no one took him away from the pain he felt. Relationships always had to end. Other than the very few people who really knew him, he didn’t allow anyone to get close. He never dated the same girl for more than two weeks and even then he alternated with someone else. If there was one thing he didn’t want was a woman getting over-emotional and acting shocked when it was obviously time to end the relationship. The last thing he wanted was an emotional involvement and run the risk of experiencing what he had felt with Anika. It had been three years, and he’d been doing a good job of keeping his heart out of it, but after last night, he wasn’t so sure.
As he took a sip, he walked to the head of the table and took a seat. He took a sip, then another and scowled. Mackenzie had managed to get inside his head. Or rather, she had always been there and he just hadn’t realized how much until now.
As he brought the mug to his lips again, he thought about the years he had known her. Watching her go from a pesky little cousin to the beautiful woman she was today, he had always been fond of her. Even loved her the way he would if he’d had a little sister, but it wasn’t until he was attending a family dinner party and she had walked in that he had suddenly seen her as a woman. His eyes wandered over her figure, catching every luscious curve he hadn’t even realized she had. That was the same day she had cut off her long hair to the short style that emphasized her beauty and showcased her spunky maturity. But what amazed him most was the jealousy that brewed its little head at the sight of the young man who stepped inside the house behind her. The thought of someone being with Mackenzie had bothered him on so many levels, and even more when he found out they had been dating for months. Every touch, made him want to grab the guy and fling him out the door. But, by the end of the evening, he had chalked it up to a big brother being overprotective. The same way Charlie had reacted the other night at seeing the two of them together.
Ryan leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He could still picture her lush mouth swollen from his kisses. He couldn’t wait to hear her screaming out an orgasm, to feel her hips rocking to meet his deep strokes. Damn, why couldn’t he get her out of his head? He had never been consumed about a woman before. So why now? He dropped his head and chuckled. His lust for Mackenzie had gotten way out of hand.
“Hey, Lieutenant.”
His eyes whipped to the door and he had to blink twice and thought maybe she was a figment of his imagination, but she was still there.
“Did you hear me, silly boy?” she said and sauntered toward the table looking petite, soft and curvy. There was nothing unusual about Mackenzie coming by the fire station. Only it felt different. Very different, now that he knew what it felt like to have her nails clawing at his back.
“Of course I heard you. What are you doing here?” he said and rose slowly from the chair. Why did he suddenly feel like his equilibrium was off? The blouse she was wearing enhanced her complexion and the low neckline was intriguing, taunting a man to come and see what lay beneath. Oh, he was staring, but thankfully, she didn’t notice as she sauntered into the kitchen.
“I thought I would come by and surprise you with these.” She held up a bag.
He instantly recognized the logo on the side. “Is that cinnamon rolls?”
Baiting him, she let the bag swing from side-to-side. “I don’t know, you tell me,” she teased. He reached for the bag, but she jerked it out of reach. “Not so fast, buster. You have to pay the toll first.”
“What toll is that?”
She gave a saucy grin. “That’s for you to figure out.”
As he came around the table, she put the bag behind her back. His heart turned over in his chest as she licked her bottom lip in anticipation.
He moved his hand to her soft cheek and caressed. “I think I have a pretty good idea what it is you want.”
“Who said I wanted anything?”
“Me.” Ryan leaned in and kissed her. “Am I right?” He dragged her close and wrapped an arm around her.
“I think you’re getting warm,” she purred and leaned toward him, her lips parting slightly in invitation.
He swooped in and lowered his mouth over hers and slid his tongue along the seam until her mouth relaxed, then he took possession of exactly what he wanted. Oh, he’d tried to remember how sweet her mouth was, however, he hadn’t even come close. Today was far, far better. She tasted good. Like hazelnut coffee with cream. He felt a tug at his midsection and his cock hardened. Mackenzie lips were clinging as he took her in a long, deliberate kiss. She placed a hand to his chest, and he reached for her waist, encircling his arm around her and pulled her close. With a soft growl, he cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss and within seconds she molded her body to his.
How many times had he thought about kissing her… holding her in his arms? he thought with a groan. More times than he cared to remember. And now she was here at the firehouse on the verge of starting a two-alarm fire. Immense heat swamped him and his groin tightened. Ryan growled against her mouth. He had always been a weak man when Mackenzie was involved. And today was no exception. He reached down for her curves. His hands followed the indention of her waist and the flare of her hips, then around to squeeze her ass.
Arching forward, she pressed the swell of her breasts against his chest. And the feel of her hardened nipples were enough to bring him to his knees. Images of her large, perky breasts burned in his mind. He remembered the way they felt, the way they tasted, and how beautiful her breasts were to look at.
He could feel the rapid beat of her heart as he backed Mackenzie toward the counter with the sudden urge to stroke and tease her until she purred.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he whispered her name, then rained kisses along her neck and jaw as he buried his fingers in her hair. Mack
enzie gasped and drew his mouth back to hers. The kiss was hard and persistent.
Her legs parted, cradled him and all rational thoughts evaporated. Consumed by desire, Ryan slipped his hand along her hips and over to cup her ass again, lifting her slightly off the ground so she could feel his erection.
There was a thump and then cussing coming from the other room that jerked him back to reality.
Mackenzie leaned back and stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. “What was that?”
“Sounds like one of the men fell out of their cot. Probably Tomas,” he added with a chuckle.
“Are you serious?” she asked and then laughed.
Ryan nodded in the direction of the other firefighters. “Yep, it happens all the time.” He kissed her once more, and as he released her, he snatched the bag she was still holding in her hand.
“Hey, give me that back!” she cried out with laughter, and went for the bag, but he was way faster.
“I think one of these has my name written on it.” Ryan chuckled as he moved over to the table. “Sit.” He pointed to the chair across from him and lowered back onto his seat. She pulled the soufflé out the bag and handed him one.
“I have a request,” Mackenzie said, as she reached for a plastic fork.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“Since this… this thing is going to be for two weeks, I was thinking I could milk it for everything that it’s worth.”
Ryan couldn’t resist a laugh. “What do you have in mind?”
“I need a date.”
He took a bite and said, “And you want me to go?”
“Yes.” She took a sweet roll from a plastic container as she explained, “It’s a fundraiser. I was supposed to go with Allen, so if I don’t go he’ll think it’s because of him.”
All she had to say was Allen, and he would have been onboard. “I think we can arrange that.”
Mackenzie leaned back on the seat and took a bite of her roll. “Cool. Dating you might turn out to be worthwhile.” She laughed as he reached over and allowed his fingers to dance along her arm. What was it about this woman that he found so tempting?
For Her Pleasure (The Pleasure Series Book 2) Page 4