by Lynn Stevens
“It’s true.” Lauren tipped her glass toward Macie. “And you know it. So what’s the deal?”
“There’s no deal.” Macie turned away from her friend. “And you’re delusional.”
“Sure,” Lauren said. “So what’s the deal with the guy on the app? You still talking to him?”
Macie’s smile spread so fast it hurt. “Yep.”
“Ah, now I get it.” Lauren nodded. “That’s the hold up. Why don’t you meet him and get it over with so you can bone Zac?”
“Jesus, Lauren. You have one drink and you’re spewing innuendos. That’s my job.” Macie smiled and drained the rest of her beer. “I’m going to get another. Want one?”
“Nah, I’m good. Threes my limit anyway.” Macie turned toward the bar, but Lauren stopped her with a hand on Macie’s elbow. “Seriously, Mace, don’t keep waiting for the right moment. It might just disappear before you know it.”
Macie smirked, but Lauren wasn’t wrong. This fine line Macie walked with Zac got thinner by the minute. She stopped at the bar and raised her bottle, shaking to indicate she wanted another. No, she needed another. It felt like an eternity since she let loose and with a rare Sunday off work, she was determined to have fun and act like any other twenty-two-year-old. She glanced over her shoulder to where Zac stood with a bottle blonde. He smiled at the petite girl who clearly wanted to see what was under his Dockers. She ran her hand along the buttons of his shirt. Macie noted that Zac didn’t bother to step back. Anger surged through her. When the bartender dropped off her bottle, she downed it and signaled for another. All while staring at Zac as he let some bimbo hit on him.
She took the second bottle, grabbed the first guy within reach, and pulled him out to the dance floor. Jealousy wasn’t her game. It wasn’t her usual reaction and trying to make the guy she’d spent the better part of her college years hating jealous, seemed like a stupid play. It didn’t seem like it, it was stupid. Zac wasn’t interested in her. He wanted the digital version of Macie Regan, and he’d probably flip his lid if he knew the truth. She tried to get him to know the real her, and obviously that failed. It was time to cut her losses and move on. A one night stand with a complete stranger was just what the doctor ordered. Macie led the guy into the center of the crush of bodies. She turned to face the randomness her hand found and just about shit a brick.
Alex fucking Leffler.
“This is ... unexpected,” Alex said.
“Shit, I’m sorry. I just wanted to—”
“Make the boyfriend green?” Alex nodded over Macie’s shoulder. Zac glared at them. “It’s working, but I don’t think he’s going to storm onto the floor to rescue you, yet. Wanna make him?”
Macie laughed and leaned in so Alex could hear her. “With you? You’re kidding, right?”
“Just for fun, Macie.” He glanced over her shoulder. “He’s already getting pissed off.”
“I doubt that,” Macie replied, adding an eye roll for good measure. “He’s not exactly who you think he is.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Maybe not officially, but he’s into you. I’ll prove it. Dance with me and you’ll see how fast he cuts in.”
“If you’re game?” Macie grinned. “And if you think this means anything other than that, you’re an idiot.”
Alex leaned down so they were eye to eye. “We’ve already established I’m an idiot.”
“Wait, what’re you doing here anyway?” she asked, curious why Alex just happened to be at Hoof.
He shrugged. “My cousin suggested I get out of my comfort zone and meet new people. Apparently, he just wanted a wingman” He pointed to a couple who were dancing like they were intent on the night leading to a bed.
He held out his hand. “Let’s get this party started, shall we?”
Macie’s grin widened as she put her hand in his. Alex smiled and spun her around, pulling her back against his front, and his hot breath found her ear. Macie hated to admit it, but damned if that wasn’t a turn on. Macie raised her arm, putting her hand around Alex’s neck as they moved together from side to side. His hands wrapped around her waist, his chin settled on her shoulder. Macie glanced toward the last place she’d seen Zac, but he wasn’t there. He stood right in front of her, pissed off and hotter than the sun.
“Mind if I cut in?” Zac asked through gritted teeth.
Alex’s hands disappeared from her waist and landed on her shoulders. Macie wasn’t expecting what happened next. Alex spun her around, shoving her into Zac’s arms. “She’s all yours, buddy. Just treat her right. She knows where to find me.”
Macie mouthed “thank you”, and Alex did the creepy winking thing. She hated guys who winked.
Zac’s hands settled on the side of her hips. His lips brushed against her ear as he said, “If you wanted to dance, you could’ve picked a better partner.”
“The partner I wanted was busy with a blonde bimbo.” Macie pressed back against him.
Zac responded by sliding his hands across her stomach. “Plenty of guys with blonde bimbos on their arms, Mace. You need to be more specific.”
The music turned to a faster beat. Macie’s hips moved with Zac’s, following along. His fingers spread across her stomach, flattening her against him until there was nothing but fabric separating their bodies. Her heart hammered in her chest. She snaked her arm around his neck, curling her fingers into his thick blond hair.
His breath drifted over the skin of her neck and she tilted her head.
“There’s a guy over there, for example, with a gorgeous blonde with a huge rack. Is that who your talking about?” Zac asked into her ear.
Macie’s knees weakened as the desire melted her from the inside out. “You know who I meant.”
“No, I don’t.” He spun her around until they were eye-to-eye. “I’m an idiot sometimes. I need things spelled out in black and white.”
Her breath hitched in her throat. No amount of alcohol could’ve prepared her for this moment, and she was well past her normal limit. Words were what he wanted, but she couldn’t say anything. Besides, she’d always lived by the actions-speak-louder rule. Why change? She didn’t smile, didn’t even crack a grin. Her hands slid up his arms, over his thick shoulders, and around his neck. She teased him with her fingers in his hair and pulled his head toward hers. Zac’s arms tightened around her waist. Macie needed the anticipation, the seduction. She brought her forehead to his and let her body move to the music.
“Macie?” Her name wasn’t more than a whisper on his lips, but she felt it in her core.
“Dance with me, Zac,” she said. “Nobody else but me.”
His body moved with hers, through each song, each beat, they danced. Somebody offered them drinks, but neither one saw who. They didn’t care, either. They only had eyes for each other.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Macie knew she was tipsy, but she didn’t give two shits. Besides, tipsy didn’t mean too-drunk-to-remember. Zac held her hand as they walked toward her apartment building. He didn’t sway like he was drunk, or even on the way to drunk. The heat of summer helped sober her up, so did the dancing. She knew this was the epitome of a bad idea. She knew it wasn’t the right time, but she didn’t care. She wanted Zac. He wanted her. At least, based on the bulge in his pants. Macie keyed in her code to the building and practically pulled him up the stairs to her floor.
She didn’t look at him as she unlocked the door and stepped inside. Only when the latched click did she turn around. She half expected him to be gone. He stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets and confusion covering his flushed face.
“What’re we doing, Mace?” he asked.
She closed the short distance between them and put her hands on his chest. “This.”
Then she raised onto her tip toes and kissed him softly.
Macie fell back on her heels and waited. He didn’t move. He hadn’t even kissed her back. What had she done? It was too soon. She knew it, but in her damn impatience, she did what she wanted anyway. He st
ared at her as if she’d grown another head. Her leg dropped back, prepared to step away, but she held out because she hoped for some reaction from him. Maybe they were both drunker than she thought. Alcohol normally killed inhibitions. She let her hands fall from his chest.
“Sorry,” she whispered. Her eyes closed, because God knew she couldn’t look at him anymore. Another embarrassing moment witnessed by Zac Sparks. Tears welled, but damned if he was going to see her cry.
His fingers skimmed along her jawline. Macie’s eyes snapped open. He tilted his head and slowly closed the distance, pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. “This?”
She swallowed the knot in her throat and nodded.
Whatever caused him to hesitate disappeared. Zac pulled her against him, kissing her with a gentle rush. Every cell in her body exploded. She needed to free him of his oppressive clothing, free his body to take hers. Never had she wanted anyone as much as she wanted Zac. No she needed to feel him inside her. Needed to feel him take her. Macie let Zac guide them with his tongue. She let him lift her and press her against the wall. Her legs wrapped around his waist. His erection pressed against his zipper, pressed against her.
“Zac,” she whispered as his lips moved down her jaw, over her neck. “Now. Please.”
Begging wasn’t her normal cup of tea, but if she didn’t feel him soon, she was going to combust. He didn’t stop his assault on her neck. If anything he slowed down.
“Zac?” she asked.
He stepped back, breaking the seal of their bodies. His gaze drifted down her body, only serving to make her hotter. She waited and tried to remember to breathe. Never had she wanted a man like this before. Sure, she’d had some amazing sex, but there wasn’t this all-consuming need that overpowered her. And she’d never wanted anybody else to take charge, to put her first. Most guys didn’t do that and she prayed Zac would be the first.
She opened her mouth, ready to beg if she had to, when he reached out. His fingers skimmed along her bare arm from her shoulder to her elbow, hooking inside the glove. He slid it down her arm with achingly slow progress and tossed it on the coffee table. With the same process, he removed the second glove. Macie had never felt more exposed in her life.
Zac stepped closer, tugging her black tank free from her skirt and lifting it over her head. His hands trapped her arms above her head and against the door. He kissed the top of each breast. Her body screamed for more, but he wasn’t going to deviate from whatever plan he had. Macie wished she knew what was going on in his head. The anticipation was eating away at her. His hands left her wrists and barely caressed her skin as they drifted down to her waist. Macie threw her tank across the room, not caring where it landed. He slipped his fingers under her waistband, dropping to his knees as he lowered her skirt to the floor and leaving her only in her matching bra and panties.
Macie’s eyes watered over as he sat back on his heels and stared up at her. Their gazes collided and the spark that started this only intensified. Zac slid his hand up her calf, lifting her leg onto his shoulder. His lips skimmed along her inner thigh. He never broke their heated gaze as he slipped his fingers under the thin material still covering her.
“Zac,” she pleaded.
He teased her, circling the edges of her nerves until sliding a finger inside her. Macie’s breath hitched in her throat, but it wasn’t enough. She needed more. She wanted more. All of him. Not just one little digit. Macie sighed in frustration when he removed the lone finger. She kept his gaze as he grinned.
“Damn you,” she whispered.
Zac chuckled. He reached up and pulled her panties down, fully exposing her to him. “You don’t like this.”
“I think I like it too much,” she said.
Zac kissed along her thigh again until coming to her sweet spot. His tongue licked her to the edge, then buried itself inside her. Macie cried out quietly as he pleasured her with his mouth and her body rode the orgasm that shocked her into submission. Zac Sparks could do anything he wanted to her, anytime he wanted, as long as he made her feel like she did in this moment.
“Jesus, Macie. You’re gorgeous.” He kissed his way up her stomach, standing to his full height. With one swift move, he unlatched her bra. There was nothing slow about the way he took her breasts into his mouth, rising the peaks of her nipples until they hurt then nibbling at them. Macie was ready to explode again. “Where?”
“Here. Right fucking here,” she ordered.
Zac pulled off his shirt and let his pants fall to the floor. He didn’t hesitate after rolling on the condom then burying himself inside her. Macie wasn’t quiet as he moved inside her, crying out with the pleasure of each thrust. He pressed against, pushing himself to the hilt and filling her completely. Macie’s heart raced against her breath. She needed this. She needed him. This wasn’t sloppy drunk sex. She was completely sober. It was so emotionally powerful, so much more.
She exploded around him again, her body weakening to the point he had to hold her up. Once the first wave was over, another crashed through her riding along with Zac’s own orgasm. She couldn’t think. Her mind only registered how she felt, and it was overwhelming. They didn’t move for a long time. The weight of Zac’s body holding them both against the wall. Without a word, he pulled her into his arms and carried her to the futon. He held her against his flushed body as he tugged the frame into a bed then helped her down. Macie’s brain was mush. She wanted nothing more than to sleep. But only if Zac stayed. She held out her hand, inviting him to join her.
He settled in behind her, wrapping his strong arms around her in a protective cocoon. He brushed her hair back from her neck, kissing her gently and Macie fell into the best sleep of her life.
THE SUN SHATTERED HIS sleep. Zac didn’t want to wake up. He was too comfortable, too warm, too happy. The sun was bright for a Sunday, and since when did he forget to close the blinds? He squeezed his eyes tight and squeezed the warm body lying next to him. Comprehension slapped him in the face and his eyes shot open. Dark hair cascading over a bare shoulder. He knew that shoulder.
Zac slowly lifted his arm from around Macie’s waist. With each movement, the night before rushed back at him. The dancing. The want. The need. The taking. This connection with Macie had been intensifying for weeks, but he never saw it going down this path. Even in hindsight as it happened, he hadn’t expected it. Nothing in their relationship had ever led to this. How did it happen?
Idiot. He knew how it happened, just not the why. Alcohol. Blame it on the whiskey from the party. It had gone down smoothly. Except, he wasn’t that drunk. A little drunk when they left Hoof, sure, but not drunk enough to lose all sense of propriety. Not drunk enough to forget who he was with or what they were doing.
He had to get out of there.
Leaning up on his elbow, he glanced around the room. His pants were by the door. His shirt was on the stove. He shook his head. That was just where it landed. His shoes were a mystery, and if he was a betting man, he’d bet they were under his crumpled pants. He glanced down to figure out how to untangle himself from her smoking hot body.
Macie slept with her hands tucked under her head. A small smile softened her face. She was beautiful. So damn beautiful it made him ache for more. He reached down and moved a lock of her hair from her cheek. She shifted toward him, snuggling her body closer. The blanket fell away from her chest, revealing her perfect breasts.
The memory of those in his mouth set him on fire.
He had to get out of there.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. He needed to remind himself that this was Macie the great antagonizer. It didn’t matter if they’d been getting along for Ford and Lauren’s sake. Once the wedding was over, they’d never have to see each other again. That was the deal.
Sex, no matter how good it was, was not part of the deal.
Besides, he had his mystery girl. Guilt stabbed him in the center of his chest. He cheated. Yeah, technically he wasn’t with the mystery girl, but he’d committed him
self to her until they met. If they met and stayed friends, then fine. He’d move on. But that girl, she was so perfect for him, and sleeping with Macie had not been part of the equation. Sleeping with Macie was a huge mistake. Sleeping with Macie was the best night of his life.
Zac slipped off the futon and headed straight for his pants. As he suspected, his shoes were hidden underneath. He shook his head as the rush of memory tore through him. They hadn’t even made it to the futon. He taken her right there, right against the front door. There was no slow and steady move about it. And it was incredible. He was pretty sure slow and steady would’ve been just as amazing. Completely sober probably would’ve been beyond all of it. He shook his head. It didn’t matter. This was a mistake.
Dressing as quickly as he could, he moved around her tiny apartment in stealth mode. Dick move, sure, but he didn’t want the morning after confrontation if he could avoid it. He didn’t even know what to say to her. ‘Thanks for the sex. See you at the wedding,’ wasn’t going to cut it with Macie. No, he couldn’t have any kind of conversation until his head was on straight.
He moved toward the door, glancing over his shoulder one more time to take in the beauty of a sleeping Macie. Only she wasn’t sleeping. She was wide awake with her hurt feelings on rare display over her face. Zac’s hand fell from the doorknob as he turned to face her. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to, he could read it on her face. She knew he was bolting on her. He never in his life would’ve thought she’d be hurt by it.
Macie stood, letting the sheet fall from her naked body. Zac’s gaze took in every inch of her in the morning sun. How could he just walk out on this beautiful woman without an explanation? He loathed himself for it and despised himself more for still wanting to leave. Macie didn’t say anything as she strolled toward him, completely unashamed of her exposed skin. Even that was a turn on. A woman confident in who she was and how she looked had been on his checklist for a very long time. And here she was in front of him as he was ready to run out the door. Macie didn’t stop until they were toe-to-toe. Her head tilted back and her eyebrows crinkled together. Zac swallowed hard.