It was Saturday of the long weekend, and they were taking the boat out to Pot-a-hock Island—Jake, Raine, Mac, Cain, and Maggie—another annual tradition, and with the sun shining high in the sky, it promised to be a great day. It was nothing more than a big party with hundreds of boats heading out to the island. There would be music and good times and fireworks.
Usually Mac looked forward to catching up with old friends—especially those of the female persuasion. Hell, he’d already had more than a dozen text messages from a few of them. But this year?
This year, things just didn’t feel the same, and he couldn’t put his finger on what exactly had changed.
Mac strode across the dock and spied Jake and Raine near the boat, anchored a few feet away. The two of them melted into each other as if they were one person, Jake’s hand buried in Raine’s hair as his other palm cupped her butt intimately. Mac glanced away, feeling as if he were witnessing something he had no right to see, a private moment between two of his best friends—two of his best friends who were now together.
Shit, was that it?
Sometimes he felt as if he was spinning his wheels when everyone else was moving forward. Cain had Maggie and a baby on the way. Raine and Jake had finally moved past all the bullshit and gotten together.
And Mac…
He shoved his hands through his hair and rolled his shoulders, clearing his throat so the two lovebirds knew they weren’t alone.
Mac was fine just where he was, dammit.
“You stick your tongue down her throat again and I just may throw up,” he said with a grin as he moved forward.
Jake snorted. “Whatever, Draper. You bring the beer and burgers?”
Mac set his cooler down and nodded. “You bring your mama’s potato salad?”
Raine jumped into the boat, her slim figure barely covered by a deep-blue bikini top and cutoff jean shorts. “We’ve got it,” she said. “Along with hot dogs and the portable grill.”
Mac glanced around. “Where’s Cain and Maggie?”
Raine shook her head and made an exaggerated sad face. “They’re not coming. Maggie wasn’t feeling well and Cain didn’t want to leave her alone.” She shrugged. “It’s just the four of us.”
That got Mac’s attention.
“The four of us? Who else is joining?”
His heart began to beat faster as he pulled his aviators down over his eyes and skimmed the beach behind him. He didn’t see anyone.
“Lily,” Jake answered.
Jake hopped off the boat and strode toward Mac, though he too was looking behind Mackenzie.
“You didn’t get a chance to meet her yesterday,” Jake said, “other than when you went to move your car.”
“The blond.”
Jake nodded, his eyes narrowed. “Yeah. The blond.”
Mac didn’t much care for the warning in his buddy’s voice. “You trying to tell me something, Edwards?”
“No,” Jake said, a slow grin creeping over his face. Funny, the grin didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“She’s a good friend is all and…”
“And?” Mac said, his eyebrows arched in question.
Raine stepped between the two of them, her hand on Jake as she planted a kiss on his lips. “Jake thinks that Lily is some fragile creature.” Raine tweaked Jake’s nose. “What he doesn’t know is that she’s a big girl and can look after herself. Besides…” She glanced at Mac. “It’s not as if she’d go for someone like Mac anyway.”
Okay, that pissed him off. What was with the tag-team thing the two of them had going on?
“And why would you say that?” he asked, trying his damnedest to not let his irritation show.
“Because you’re a player and she’s not.”
He stared at his two friends for several moments, not really knowing what to say. Partly because it was true and partly because he was pissed off and didn’t want them to know it.
“Whatever,” he muttered and shoved past Jake and Raine. He doubted Boston would come, not after the way she’d hightailed it out of the barbecue yesterday.
He’d just reached the boat when he heard Jake.
“Jesus, Lily. What did you do? Buy out the bakery?”
Mac glanced back and dammit if his heart rate didn’t spike when he caught sight of her. Maybe he should have thought more about the impact she had on him, but he didn’t. He drank her in, grateful that his glasses hid the covert moves his eyes were doing.
“Would you be surprised if I told you that I stayed up all night and baked this myself?”
“I’d be more than surprised,” Jake shot back. “Domesticity isn’t exactly your strong suit.”
“Screw you, Edwards,” she said with a smile, turning to Raine as she set down a large red, white, and blue beach bag brimming with containers. The two women nodded to each other but there were no girly hugs or anything like that. Lily smiled, said hello, and gazed down the dock at Mac.
Her long, blond hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and she sported large, black sunglasses that hid half of her face. Coupled with the short, yellow-and-white sundress that fell a few inches above her knees, plain white flip-flops on her feet, and the barest hint of gloss on her lips, she looked a hell of a lot younger than…Christ, he didn’t even know her age, but he was guessing late twenties.
Though at the moment she looked like every teenage boy’s dream.
She lifted her chin and gave a half nod toward him, a sort of fuck you, and heat pooled low in Mac’s gut, burning up his skin until his jaw clenched tight. Her body language said “you don’t scare me” and “you don’t matter,” but if that were true, she would remove those damn sunglasses.
A smile curved his lips and a jolt went through him when her chin inched up a little higher.
She was challenging him.
A fresh shot of adrenaline rushed through him, and Mackenzie pulled off his aviators as he walked toward the three of them.
Boston had no idea who she was wrangling with.
He stopped a few inches away, and his smile widened when he caught sight of the throbbing pulse at her neck.
She had no idea at all.
“This is a surprise,” he said softly, his eyes piercing the dark glasses on her face. A smattering of small freckles danced across the bridge of her nose, so pale, you’d miss them if you weren’t looking.
“Really?” she answered. “You don’t look surprised.”
“No?” Mac shoved his hands into the front pockets of his faded navy board shorts. “What exactly do I look like?”
“You really want me to answer that?” she shot back.
Mac shrugged, enjoying the color that slowly flushed up her cheeks.
“Only if you have something nice to say.”
“That would be a stretch,” she replied, not missing a beat.
“Am I missing something?” Jake said with a frown. “Do you guys know each other?”
Lily opened her mouth, but Mac beat her to the punch.
“Nope,” he said with a grin. “At least not until yesterday. Isn’t that right…Boston?”
Her mouth thinned a bit. Score one for Draper.
“Don’t call me that,” she said softly.
“I like it,” Mac shot back.
“You would,” she retorted.
For a moment there was silence, and then Raine let out a long, slow whistle. “Wow. This is gonna be fun.”
Mac turned and headed back toward the boat. “Got that right.”
Suddenly it was as if the clouds parted and the sun shone on everything in his sight. The tension across his shoulders dissipated and not one single muscle or bone ached. All was right with his world.
He saw the way Boston’s pulse still ran…the way she let her tongue glide across those pouty, full lips—a nervous gest
ure, no doubt about it.
She wanted him to think that he didn’t matter. That New Year’s Eve didn’t matter. That the way she’d responded to his touch didn’t matter.
Mac hopped into the boat. It mattered.
It mattered a lot.
He knew when a woman wanted him.
He pulled his aviators down over his eyes and turned back to the dock, a grin on his face, legs crossed casually as he leaned against the wheel. The grin faded when he spied a tall man just behind Lily. A tall man who had his hands on her as if they belonged there.
His eyes narrowed on the dark-haired newcomer. A guy he recognized. What the hell was Blair Hubber doing here?
Jake strode toward the boat and shrugged when Mac raised his eyebrows.
“What’s he doing here?” Mac asked carefully. The guy was doorknob. Or at least he used to be, though Mackenzie hadn’t seen him in years.
Jake shrugged. “Apparently Lily asked him to come along. They’ve been hanging out a bit.”
Mac stood a little straighter. Boston was involved with Hubber?
“What the hell does she see in a guy like him?” he said without thinking.
Jake rounded on him sharply. “Why do you care, Draper?”
“I don’t.” But he did. “It’s Hubber though. He’s the guy who ratted us out on the whole Ronald McDonald thing. Or did you forget that?” His jaw tightened. His father had kicked Mac’s ass but good over the stolen statue.
“Come on, Mac. That was what? Fifteen years ago? We were kids.”
“I still think he’s a doorknob.”
“Yeah, well, the doorknob is now our mayor.”
“Really?” Mac murmured as he watched Raine, Lily, and Blair make their way down the dock. Lily’s chin was still up and those damn glasses were still in place.
Mac stood back and shook the hand offered to him by Blair. It was true that Hubber no longer wore his jeans halfway down his ass and his metalhead hair was long gone, but still…
“Mackenzie,” Blair exclaimed. “Good to see you.”
“Same,” Mac replied, his eyes on Lily as she walked past him without a word. The woman’s silence said something. It said that either the she was truly embarrassed about their hot night together, or it said that Mac pushed her buttons.
He was guessing she didn’t like her buttons pushed, and judging from the heat in her cheeks and the way her chest rose and fell, he was willing to bet that it was door number two.
For the first time in forever, it seemed Mackenzie Draper had found a woman who challenged him.
A woman he wanted to get to know—he glanced toward Hubber—regardless of the fact she’d dragged the mayor along for the day.
And the thing of it was, Boston thought she had the upper hand. She thought that she could hide behind those glasses and Blair Hubber. She thought that she could hide behind that cool persona and the cold front that came with it. But he knew it was nothing but a mask.
Mackenzie was used to masks because he wore one every single day. He was used to hiding. Hell, he was the king of that shit.
But more importantly, Mackenzie Draper was used to winning.
Chapter 4
Lily watched Mac from beneath lowered lashes as she leaned back in her seat near the front of the boat. They’d just arrived at Pot-a-hock Island, one of at least fifty boats scattered around the immediate area. Most people lounged in their boats for the day, enjoying the water and sun, but there were several couples and families on shore, setting up their gear for the day—coolers, towels, and beach stuff.
She breathed out a long, slow breath, adjusting her dress so that the top wasn’t pressing in on her chest.
Last night she’d convinced herself that Mackenzie wasn’t anything more than the result of a bad decision and too much cheap champagne—there was a reason God had invented Dom Pérignon. For all she knew that hot, passionate night was nothing more than a fantasy. A big, inflated version of something ordinary.
But she was wrong. Holy hell was she wrong.
The physical reaction going on inside her was crazy. She had come here today, armed with Blair Hubber as an extra buffer, confident that her overreaction the day before was just a fluke. Why else would she run away from him like a teenager?
Lily St. Clare didn’t run. Lily met things head on. She dealt with things in a no-nonsense manner with a heavy dose of cool detachment thrown in for good measure.
But with just one look, he’d made her gut clench, and right now, her freaking nipples were standing on end.
She blew out a long, hot breath.
Again.
What the hell? Sure he was all male and gorgeous to boot, but she was used to the pretty people. They populated her old life on a regular basis, yet Mackenzie Draper transcended that.
With his longish blond hair, golden skin, and wicked green eyes set beneath the aristocratic arch of his eyebrows, he made her heart beat like an out-of-control drum. His even, white teeth, chiseled jaw, and square chin were enough to pull any girl into his orbit, and Lord knows, Lily was spinning crazily. Christ, if she didn’t hold on, she was going to float away and never come back.
Never had she reacted to a man this way, and she might not know much, but she was pretty darn sure that Mackenzie Draper wasn’t the kind of guy to get hung up on.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Jake slid into the seat beside her, his eyes on Raine, who was at the wheel of the boat. Mac had already jumped into the water, the shallow water at mid-thigh as he chatted up the couple in the boat anchored beside them.
Blair stood, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his shorts, a smile on his face as he turned to acknowledge a shout from someone else.
That was the thing about small towns. It was hard to be incognito, especially when everyone knew your name and your business. It was the only aspect of living in Crystal Lake that she wasn’t yet used to.
“Lily?” Jake prompted.
For the moment, Lily and Jake had some privacy. She considered lying, but Jake knew her too well, and besides, lying wasn’t her thing.
She glanced behind them. A boat cut through the water, churning up spray in its wake. Overhead, the sun shone, and she knew it was going to be a hot one, especially considering it was only the end of May. It didn’t bode well for what was coming this summer. Already her dress clung to her body, the bathing suit underneath damp from the heat. She waited a few more seconds, gathering her thoughts.
“I slept with your friend on New Year’s Eve.”
For one brief second, pure shock filled Jake’s eyes. “You slept with Mac?” he sputtered.
She nodded but didn’t answer.
“Mackenzie Draper,” Jake said.
“The one and only.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. You and Mac?”
Lily leaned closer. “Get it together, Edwards. I don’t want this broadcast all over the place. Lori the hairdresser is in the boat next to us, so unless you wipe that stupid look off your face, she’s going to smell gossip, and it will be all over Crystal Lake before I make it home.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed, and he leaned back, exhaling loudly. “You and Mac…you guys… I don’t get it. How the hell did you two get together and I didn’t know about it?”
“It just happened, okay? Call it a moment of insanity. I was leaving the Coach House and he arrived in a taxi.” She shrugged nonchalantly, though she was feeling anything but. In fact, heat ran through her like wildfire as images of the two of them danced in her mind.
“I got in,” she continued as she turned around to face the water. “He didn’t get out. End of story.”
Jake settled his elbows on the edge of the boat as he too looked out over the water. In the distance, several boats dotted the pristine, blue lake. All of them headed for Pot-a-hock Island.
“You never said anything,” Jake said quietly.
“It wasn’t any of your business,” she answered abruptly.
“Huh.”
Lily glanced at Jake and knew she’d offended him. Tugging a few loose strands of hair from her eyes, she tucked them behind her ear and leaned into Jake. “Don’t take it personally, sweetie, but I don’t tell you everything.”
“Yeah,” Jake said. “You do.”
Okay, he had her there.
“Look, I had no idea he was your friend, and he didn’t know who I was until yesterday.”
“You guys spent the night together but didn’t bother to exchange names?”
“Honey, we were busy doing other things, and I left before he woke up.”
“Jesus.”
She glanced at him sharply. “Don’t get all judgmental on me, Jake. Guys pick up women all the time. They get a pat on the back and a wink, wink from their buddies, and the girls think he must be great in the sack, so they flock to him, wanting to be the next in line. Just because a woman chooses to have sex with someone she just met doesn’t make her a slut. As long as she’s careful and in control, there’s no difference.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Good. Because that’s all it was. Sex. I wanted sex, and he was there, and it was just…sex.”
“Wow.”
“What?”
Jake shrugged. “I just…you’ve never really been interested in anyone before and, Lily, you barely tolerate a hug.”
“Jake,” she said carefully, “I’m not interested in Mackenzie, not in that way. I might not be the most physically affectionate person you know, but sometimes that itch needs scratching.” She shrugged. “He was there. He was convenient. And he scratched it. End of story.”
Keep telling yourself that, she thought.
Jake’s eyes narrowed again, and his lips thinned when he glanced over to where Mackenzie was chatting up Lori the hairdresser. Lily had to work hard to keep the distaste off her face as she watched the two of them.
She didn’t know Lori all that well, but she knew the type—newly single, with a nice figure and a need for validation. The woman had dated her way through a hefty number of Crystal Lake’s eligible guys. From the looks of it, she had her sights set on Mackenzie.
The Day He Kissed Her Page 3