Mackenzie’s core pooled with excitement at the thought of their relationship evolving into more, but they’d had an agreement and she wasn’t going to ruin that by becoming clingy and asking for more than he’d been willing to offer any woman.
Charlie disagreed. “My man has gone through way too much heartache in his life. I don’t think he has the energy for another serious relationship. Women are draining.”
“Draining?” she said and swung on her seat. “Why, because you say so? If you weren’t such a workaholic you might just be able to keep yourself a woman.”
He scowled. “That’s the last thing I need.” He shoveled spears of asparagus onto his plate and changed the subject. “I’ll be by the bar tomorrow to go over the inventory.”
Mackenzie’s eyes darted across the table. “Uncle Nick, please help me get this dude laid so he can relax and leave me alone!”
“I warned you when you decided to go into business with him,” he chuckled and pointed his knife as he said, “Son, you are a little uptight.”
While Charlie went back and forth trading remarks with his parents, Mackenzie chuckled and reached for the mashed potatoes.
She was on her second helping of duck by the time the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.” Mackenzie sprung from the chair and hurried to greet Ryan, then drew a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves. The moment she swung open the door Mackenzie discovered she was unprepared for the impact he had on her. She paused to admire him in a pink and green striped Ralph Lauren dress shirt and khaki slacks that clung to the muscles of his thighs. That man had enough confidence to radiate brighter than a 100-walt bulb.
“Hey babe,” he replied. His sensual lips glistened with moisture and her nipples tightened with remembrance of the way they felt gliding along her skin.
“Hi,” she whispered then rose on her toes to kiss his cheek and whispered, “Beware of Charlie.”
Chuckling, Ryan drew back and she loved the way his eyebrow quirked in amusement before he swooped in and kissed her once more. “Thanks for the warning.”
She took his hand and led him into the dining room where her aunt and uncle greeted him. Charlie barely made eye contact as he mumbled, hello. Releasing her hold, she returned to her seat and Ryan moved to the seat at the end of the table, beside Charlie, who gestured toward the food.
“Dig in,” he urged in a lackluster tone. “I’m sure you’ve worked up quite an appetite.”
“Thanks,” Ryan grinned over at Aunt Josephine. “Aunt Jay, everything looks delicious.”
“Thank you. Help yourself.” She passed him the platter of duck as he went on to explain.
“Sorry I’m late. We’re a little short-handed at the station.”
“Well you know you are always welcome to join us.” Her aunt beamed with pride.
“Thank you ma’am,” he replied as he loaded his plate with food.
Uncle Nick, of course, wasted no time. “So you and Mack are dating?”
She was sure her cheeks had darkened. “Uncle Charlie, I told you we’re just enjoying each other’s company. That’s all.”
“No, you said the two of you were having sex,” Charlie retorted, accusingly. “And what about his two-week rule? Does that apply to Mack as well? Or is she the exception?” His tone was brittle.
Ryan looked over at her and the glittering heat in his eyes sent a chill down her spine. “She and I—”
“Are two mature, consenting adults who are enjoying a mutually satisfying relationship. We have agreed to two-weeks only in order to preserve our friendship,” Mackenzie blurted before he had a chance. She figured it would mask everything she was feeling if she said it first. Instead her stomach churned at the thought.
“Is that true?” Charlie asked.
She groaned helplessly as Ryan first looked to her and then shrugged. “Whatever she says.”
Aunt Josephine held up a hand. “Chuck, leave those two alone. Anything can happen in two weeks. I only knew your father three days and knew he was the man for me.”
And Mackenzie felt the same way. How could she think she could spend two weeks and then just walk away as if nothing happened? Instead a lot had happened in a few short days and already she was anxious for dinner to end so they could rush back to his place or hers and have his large body snuggled against hers.
“Can we just enjoy a meal?” Mackenzie sent Charlie a silent warning to behave.
He sighed. “I guess the two of you are old enough to know what you’re doing.”
Ryan’s lips curled as he stared over at his best friend. “I appreciate that, man.”
Mackenzie watched as Ryan reached over and gave Charlie a fist bump then Charlie’s lips curled into his first smile all evening.
“Maybe I was too quick to judge.”
Mackenzie reached for her fork and grinned. That was what family was all about.
* * *
As soon as they stepped into her duplex, Mackenzie wasn’t sure who made the first move. The next thing she knew they were kissing and yanking off each other’s clothes.
Her entire body was sizzling. She drew back, and stared at him. “Sorry about Charlie and my family being all in our business,” she said, breathless with anticipation, waiting to see what happened next.
Reaching up, Ryan gently stroked her cheek. “It’s all good. They care about you. There’s nothing wrong with that.” With each caress, desire crackled between them.
“I know, I just didn’t want them making more of this than it is,” she murmured, although, her heart ached with each syllable.
“Like you said, we are two consenting adults.” He pulled her towards him until their lips were almost touching and stared into her eyes with so much power, her knees began to shake. Leaning forward, Ryan brushed his lips against hers, again and again, in a way that only Ryan knew how. Mackenzie responded by leaning into his body, her mouth opening to him.
“I could kiss you all night,” he whispered as he pulled away. “And tonight I plan to kiss you all over.”
She moaned aloud, her sex clenching, her mind led by his suggestion. She wanted him. And she wanted it now.
Ryan lifted Mackenzie into his arms and carried her down the hall. Once inside her room, he lowered her to her feet. Her breasts were crushed against his chest, his body hard against hers, hands stroking over her, from her cheek down along her arms, causing her to quiver in their quest. “I can’t get enough of you.”
Her body buzzed with anticipation. That was the plan. Part of her hoped there was no way he could end their relationship. She knew a lot of it had to do with the way her aunt and uncle had been talking about the two of them. How dare they put those ridiculous thoughts in her head?
Focusing on the here and now, Mackenzie slipped the skirt down over her hips, doing a silly striptease. And then she lifted the blouse over her head and tossed it in the corner. Her bra followed next.
“You are so beautiful,” Ryan whispered as he cupped one naked breast in his hand. With his other hand, his fingers traced the top of her lace panties, making her quiver and sway. Gently, he slid them down, bending to kiss her breast, then her belly. Mackenzie clutched at his shoulders as he knelt at her feet, lifting her legs to remove her panties.
“Remove my heels,” she whispered.
“No, I want you to leave them on tonight,” he murmured and she moaned in approval. “Now I need you to open your legs.”
Mackenzie slowly parted her thighs, then watched as Ryan leaned in and touched her clit with his tongue. With each stroke she flinched and moaned, while he explored between her intimate folds. His hands grazed her inner thighs, then parted her tender flesh so he could explore even further.
“Awww,” she cried out and brought her hands to his bald head. Using it to keep her from falling, while also preventing him from stopping what he had started.
“You like that, don’t you kitten?”
“Yes, oh yes,” she murmured. Her body arched while his tongue danced with her cl
it. Pleasure, intense pleasure flooded through her body. Release hit her, fast and deep. “Ryan!” she screamed and, yet, he didn’t cease. He continued his gentle assault to her clit and labia. “Baby, please,” she whimpered, between deep breaths, and yet she didn’t want him to stop. Three days was all she had left and she wanted it all, his hands, his tongue, his hard cock thrusting inside her.
He finally stopped, released her and rose before her. Mackenzie held on, still breathing heavily.
With his eyes on her, he dragged off his shirt and tossed it aside. He unfastened his pants and shoes and peeled them off, followed by gray boxers. There, just below his belly button, was hair tapered into a fine line that led her eyes down to his groin. His penis was long and thick, its head beautifully dark brown.
Ryan carried her over and laid her gently on the bed, then covered her with his body. She sighed, marveling in the sensation of his muscular body between her thighs. Oh she was desperate, practically feinin’ for his penis. Mackenzie took a deep breath, filling her lungs with his natural scent, hungry for him, hungry for it all.
Ryan teased her damp folds with the head of his cock. She was so sensitive, she moaned and jerked on contact. He rocked forward, pushing the head into her wet core. She hissed under her breath, then brought her hands to his buttocks and pushed him deeper inside. He swore under his breath, then drove further his penis, again and again. Each thrust was so deep and arousing a sob rose from the back of her throat. Mackenzie locked her legs around his hips and rocked her body into his deep pumps.
“You like that?” he asked. “I want you to enjoy every second.”
“I do!” she cried out in pleasure.
He leaned in and began saying crude, sexual things in her ear of what he planned to do to her over the next few days. His words provoked her, made her even wetter.
Ryan continued to pound even strokes, pushing her further to the edge. The feeling of his erection spread burning heat through her body. She turned her head and brought her lips to his, kissing him desperately, her tongue plunging into his mouth.
“Yes… yes!” Mackenzie cried as he rode out the storm with her.
His eyes were blazing when she felt his whole body stiffen, and when he came, it was with a loud roar that shook his entire body.
Long after their hearts slowed, she was gasping and holding on to him. Ryan rolled over, pulling her with him. She lay on top of him, with her eyes closed as Ryan gently stroked her hair.
“We’re just getting started,” he whispered and his mouth moved to her forehead, cheeks and then her lips, melting her into submission all over again.
Moments later, he was kissing her neck and then her breasts, sucking at her sensitive nipples while his penis grew hard and insistent. Mackenzie moaned with pleasure. She was in for another long, fulfilling night.
TEN
Ryan rolled over onto his side, snapping out of another dream, and groaned.
He had made a terrible mistake.
Two weeks with Mackenzie had not satisfied his curiosity or craving, and now he feared not even a lifetime of her would.
He whipped the sheet back, then swung his legs over the side and scowled as he glanced around the empty room. No pictures on the walls, curtains weren’t swinging from the windows, and no décor that put his personal stamp on the space. Mackenzie was right. The townhouse was definitely in need of a woman’s touch.
Rising, he walked over to the bedroom window, one forearm braced against the wall as he stared out over the courtyard below. Residents were out walking their dogs, another was sitting on a park bench sipping from a mug, while staring off into the horizon. As Ryan looked out the glass, he saw nothing. His mind was focused instead on last night.
Mackenzie.
He’d been so sure that if he saw her every day for two weeks, he’d satisfy his desire for her. Last night hadn’t ended until the wee hours of the morning. They had sex over and over as he tried to get her out of his system. Once, twice, even a third time and it wasn’t near enough. He had risen at four and while she was sleeping, rolled her onto her back and buried himself so deep again, he forgot where he started and she ended. He pumped his hips with urgent longing until she was moaning, clawing at his back and crying out his name. Spent and exhausted, he had gone home convinced he had satisfied his taste for her. Instead Mackenzie haunted his morning long after he’d left her.
He had been a fool for thinking he could just simply have a fourteen-day fling with Mackenzie, like he had done with the others. He would never be free of her. She was part of him. She had changed him.
Now what?
He pushed against the wall and headed into his closet for his running shoes, then slipped into a pair of gray sweatpants and a matching jacket that he had flung over a chair near his small desk in the corner. Moments later, he was jogging up the walking trail around the complex, hoping a morning run would help him clear his head. But two miles later, he was more confused than ever.
How in the world did he think he could go without kissing her again, never sinking into her welcoming body again, hearing her cry out his name? It wasn’t just about the sex, it was more than that. Mackenzie had wiggled her way into his head and his heart.
He could barely remember life before two weeks ago. Instead, all his thoughts and memories were filled with her smell, her amazing smile, and the way she rolled her eyes when she didn’t agree.
And, now he knew.
Somehow, some way, Mackenzie had shattered the icy wall around his heart and there was no denying it any longer.
He had fallen in love.
The realization shook him to the core. How was it even possible? He sure the hell didn’t set out to fall in love. That was the last thing in the world he wanted.
Stopping to catch his breath, he leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. Instantly, her beautiful face appeared and he felt a burn radiate to his heart. All the years he’d spent guarding his heart, avoiding serious relationships, and yet the unstoppable had finally happened.
Hours later, Ryan was still trying unsuccessfully to put Mackenzie out of his mind. He was driving down the highway on his way to start his shift. All morning he had been struggling to come to terms with his feelings for her. He loved her. There was no denying that. He loved Mackenzie. He loved her so much it scared the hell out of him. At first, he felt as if he had betrayed his wife and the love that they had. His heart was supposed to have belonged to hers, always. But over the years he had learned to accept Anika’s death and knew it was time to move on. Even though she would always hold a place in his heart, he was confident she was smiling down at him, nodding her approval.
He was still thinking about her as he stepped into the station. Firefighters were talking, sometimes crude and rambunctious, but normal for men who spent so many hours together. As one of the seniors of the group, he usually asked them to tone it down, but it had been a long week with heavy responsibilities and frankly he decided they deserved a break. Ryan stepped into the locker room, joking with the new shift as they arrived and waving to the others as they headed home.
He tossed his bag in his locker, spun the padlock, then headed to the weight room. He’d been slacking on his workout, and he knew it was because he’d been rushing home from work every evening to hold Mackenzie in his arms. But their relationship was over and she didn’t want a commitment any more than he did.
And there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
Or was there?
The alarm sounded before he had a chance to consider the possibility. He sprung from the leg press machine and hurried with the other men out to the garage. After sliding into his gear, Ryan headed over to one of the large fire engines. One of their newest members was already behind the driver’s seat as he hopped in.
“Ready, Lieutenant?” he said.
Ryan lowered the helmet onto his head and nodded as he shouted, “Let’s go!”
They sped through the streets, sirens wailing, the adrenaline fill
ing his lungs. When responding to an emergency call, there were no guarantees of the outcome. There were always risks involved. But he couldn’t let fear and doubt stand in his way, because the end result was the biggest reward of all. He suddenly realized it was time to follow the same course of action in his personal life.
Mackenzie… I’m ready.
* * *
“It’s over.”
Kaelyn whipped around to stare at Mackenzie as she said, “What do you mean it’s over?”
They were spending the afternoon, painting the second bedroom of the ocean-view cottage that was going to be the nursery. “I mean our fourteen days are up and we parted while things were still good between us.”
“Friends?” Kaelyn walked around so she was standing in front of Mackenzie, with a slender hand on her hip. “I saw the way the two of you looked at each other. There’s no way you can just go back to just being friends.”
“Why not? We started out as friends.”
She pointed the small paint brush at her. “But you’ve been bumping and grinding for two weeks. You can’t just forget!”
Mackenzie faltered, at a loss for words. Was she really that easy to read? Her body warmed as she remembered all the hours they had spent in his bed and in hers. All the time they spent talking, kissing and holding hands. Oh, yes, Kaelyn was right. Those moments weren’t going to be easy to forget.
But I have to.
Her eyes shifted to the wall, admiring the soft green paint. It was a good neutral color for either a boy or girl. With a sigh, she returned the paint brush to the pan and took a seat on one of the folding chairs. “You’re right. I can’t forget him. All I do is think about Ryan all damn day.” Mackenzie closed her eyes against the sting of tears.
“So just call him,” Kaelyn insisted and brought a comforting hand to her shoulder.
Mackenzie shook her head, wishing it was that easy. “I can’t.”
For Her Pleasure (The Pleasure Series Book 2) Page 10