by Megan Bryce
“Hungry?” He opened the fridge and laughed. “It looks like the housekeeper stocked up.”
He pulled out a bottle of chilled champagne and wiggled his eyebrows at her. “There’s even some chocolate-dipped strawberries in here for us.”
Mackenzie turned away from the window and folded her arms across her chest. “I’m going to unpack.”
He laughed. “Maybe later, then.”
“Not in a million years, O’Connor.”
He put the champagne back. Maybe he could talk her into it after she’d gotten used to living with him. A million years was an awfully long time.
He showed her to her room and said softly, “Make yourself at home, Mackenzie.”
He smiled charmingly at her. And she slammed the door in his face.
Mackenzie looked around the bedroom, noting the king size, four-poster bed. The door to the walk-in closet was open and her eyebrows rose as she peeked into it. Maybe she would do some shopping here after all.
She walked into a bathroom larger than the one back home, grateful that she wouldn’t have to share with Ethan. And sat down on the rim of the whirlpool tub. She longed for a good bubbly soak, but no way was she going to lay around naked and wet when Ethan was just in the other room.
Next time he left though, she was going to enjoy herself.
She quickly unpacked, her small wardrobe looking even more pathetic hanging in a small corner of the gigantic closet.
She wasn’t normally much of a shopper, had too many other plans for her money, but decided she’d have to give herself a clothing allowance. Might as well avail herself of everything New York had to offer.
She could just imagine Cassandra leering at her, and she said out loud, “And that does not include Ethan O’Connor.”
She glanced at the bedroom door guiltily, then laughed. It was going to take some getting used to living with someone.
She took a speedy shower, making sure all doors were locked between her and Ethan, then changed in to a long-sleeve shirt and lounge pants for bed. She turned out the lights and opened the window shade. The city lights glittered in the night and she watched for hours, trying to get used to the thought of all those people crammed together.
Los Angeles might be a good-sized city, but it didn’t compare to cramped New York at all.
A soft knock on her door made her jump.
She looked at the door, debating whether to open it or not, and finally got up, tiptoeing across the carpet. She opened the door a crack and peeked out at him.
He was dressed in a t-shirt and green plaid cotton pants. She looked down at his bare feet.
He said, “I just wanted to make sure you were settled in and didn’t need anything.”
She looked back up, breathing in and out slowly. “Nope, don’t need anything.”
“I’ll be in the other room if you do.”
Oh, she knew exactly where he was. He didn’t need to paint a picture.
He smiled. “Good night, honey.”
She shut the door in his face again, making sure the lock clicked. His chuckle came through loud and clear through the flimsy door.
She crawled into bed, keeping the window open, staring out at the night, and wondering how she was ever going to fall asleep with Ethan just in the other room. With bare feet.
She fell asleep less than ten minutes later, not waking until the morning.
They quickly established a routine. Ethan went to work in the morning and Mackenzie practiced sleeping in. She wasn’t very good at it but lounging around in her pajamas until noon felt nearly as decadent.
And then Ethan would come home for lunch, change into his “tourist” clothes and drag her around New York. She’d stopped pretending to hate it after the second day. She loved it, loved it all. The sounds, the smells, the sheer humanity. The subway! Ethan had taken her on it that second day and she’d refused to get in his car ever since. She thought it might very well be the best thing about New York.
Ethan came home that day carrying a tabloid. He held it up and glared at her.
She said, “I guess this engagement isn’t keeping you out of the tabloids.”
He looked at her as if the fault lay entirely on her shoulders.
“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t call Star and tell them you paid me a million dollars to be your fiancé.”
“And your friend?”
She hoped not. “She wouldn’t.”
She looked at the picture of him, serious and unsmiling, and the caption. A million dollars for a wife!
She said, “You know no one is going to believe it.”
“I want to know who told. Who knows about this?”
“Cassandra. That’s it. You think I want it to get out that I’m a sucker? That I would agree to marry you for a measly million?”
“Measly! I could get any woman to marry me for free!”
She laughed. “I know. Everybody knows you don’t have to pay a woman to do anything to you.”
She flipped through the rag. “They didn’t get it quite right. I’m not marrying you, we’re only going to be engaged for six weeks. Now if the headline had been A million dollars for pretend engagement, you might have something to worry about.”
He tapped it savagely. “It’s eerily close to the truth.”
“What’s that saying? Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why isn’t there a huge picture of you on the front? Isn’t that what I’m paying you for?”
She opened the magazine and showed him the teeny picture of herself below another giant one of him. “You really think they’re going to put that on the front? Compared to you?” She shook her head. “You should have got someone more photogenic than yourself. I’m surprised I’m in there at all.”
He looked closely. “Especially with that expression on your face.”
“At least it’s not a picture of me climbing my fence.”
“That’s all I have to be grateful for these days.”
She watched him moodily flip through the pictures and took pity on him. “I’ve got a Hershey’s bar in my purse.”
He shook his head. “It’s just not the same as stealing it from your secret stash.”
“I’m just thankful you haven’t found this one yet.”
His head came up. “Are you saying there is a big pile of chocolate hidden in this apartment somewhere?”
“How could you not have known that? You were the number one reason I ever needed to dip into my stash. And now I live with you?” She laughed. “Yes. I have a stash. Good luck finding it.”
He wasn’t going to find anything, especially since she didn’t have a secret stash anywhere. She, surprisingly, hadn’t needed it. Quitting her job had gotten rid of a lot of her stress and, who could have guessed, but living with Ethan was actually less stressful than working for him.
He got to his feet, spinning in a slow circle. “You’ve been here less than a week.”
“Desperate times.”
She watched him stalk off to her bedroom, his eyes glittering, the tabloids forgotten.
“It’s not in there,” she called after him.
He opened the door to her room. “Maybe not, but it gives me an excuse to rifle through your drawers.”
She followed him, leaning against the doorjamb and watching him open and close drawers. He took an unreasonably long time looking through her underwear drawer.
She said again, “It’s not in there.”
“I just want to leave no stone unturned.”
“You mean no panty unturned.”
He held up a black lace thong that Mackenzie was sure was not hers. He said, “Yep. That’s what I meant.”
He stuffed the panties into his back pocket and she fought a grin. She’d have to tell Cassandra her panties had found a way into his pocket after all.
He squeezed pockets and turned her boots upside down.
She said, “That’s disgusting. I wouldn’t
keep chocolate in my shoes.”
“I’m just being thorough. Don’t take it personally.”
“It’s not in here.”
He shrugged and headed for her bathroom. She ran to block the door and gripped the casing tight in case he tried to go through her. She said, “That’s even more disgusting than shoes.”
“I assume it’s wrapped. It’s not like the bathroom can contaminate it.”
“Yes, it could. There would be bathroom germs all over the wrapper and then you’d open it and the germs would transfer and contaminate it.”
“Just by opening the wrapper?”
She nodded and he folded his arms. “Is this that germ thing again? Maybe you should see someone. I can get you the name of a good therapist.”
“Yeah, you seem like you’ve got a few issues you’re trying to work through.”
He took another step forward, trying to look over her shoulder.
She shook her head. “It’s a bathroom. What do you think I’m hiding in there?”
“Chocolate, for one thing.”
“I swear on the life of your mother that there is nothing hiding in my bathroom.”
He laughed and took another big step towards her. “Now I have to see what you’re hiding in there.”
“It’s just the usual monthly bathroom stuff.”
He cocked his head. “Is that what this is all about? And here I was getting all excited you had something good in there.”
“I don’t.”
He said, “Swear on the life of your mother and I’ll believe it.”
“She’s dead.”
“I’m sorry.”
She ignored his pity. “I’ll swear on her grave.”
He touched her hand. “Okay, I believe you.”
He ran his eyes down her body, lingering on her pant legs. “But there is chocolate somewhere. Those jeans are awfully baggy on you. Maybe you’re hiding the chocolate in your pants.”
She laughed. “Keep your friends close, your chocolate closer?”
He took another step forward, crowding her. She pushed him back. “Uh-uh. You stay back.”
“You haven’t had enough time to find a really good hiding spot yet. It’s got to be somewhere close.”
“I’m not walking around with chocolate strapped to my legs.”
“What was that? I can’t hear you over all that crinkling.” He shuffled forward, his body pressing against hers from knee to chest, and wrapped an arm around her waist.
He whispered, “Careful. Don’t want the bathroom germs to get you.”
He took two gigantic steps back, dragging her with him, and flung her onto the bed. She squealed as she bounced and her heart thumped in her chest.
He jumped onto the bed, straddling her and pinning her arms above her head. “Tell me one thing, Mackenzie, and I’ll leave you alone.” He bent down and whispered in her ear, “Where is your secret stash?”
She turned her head away. “I’ll never tell. I’ll die first.”
“Mmm.” He nuzzled her neck. “I can’t decide if I’m happy you’re being so stubborn. I do like chocolate. But you smell just as delicious.”
“Get off me.”
“Okay.” He didn’t move.
“This is a bad idea.”
“As bad as me wearing your skin?”
She blinked. “Is that on the table?”
“No. I’m just wondering where sex with me rates. Somewhere above serial killer?”
She was silent, thinking it over. Finally she said, “Barely.”
She could feel his lips smile against her neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling her, his chest rising and falling against hers.
He said, “I’m guessing today is a no if you’ve got monthly stuff in your bathroom.”
She nodded. The monthly stuff was over but today was still a big, big no. Absolutely no.
She just couldn’t seem to say it.
He groaned and flung himself onto the bed next to her.
She stared at the ceiling, breathing. Telling herself that she was not disappointed at all.
He said, “Now I’m going to either need some chocolate or some sex.”
Without missing a beat she said, “Chocolate.”
“That’s what I thought you’d say.”
He grabbed her thigh and pulled himself to a sitting position. He patted her leg, then stood up.
“I’m going down to the store. I need to satisfy at least one frustrated desire.”
She watched him leave; her blood still pumping, her heart still thumping, her hormones still raging.
Dear God in heaven. She was in trouble. They were only one week in, five to go, and his constant touching, petting, teasing, and just being there was wearing her down.
As soon as she heard the front door close behind him she took her cell into the bathroom and called Cassandra.
The first words out of Cassandra’s mouth were, “I didn’t tell about the million.”
Mackenzie breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay. I didn’t think you would.”
“But you had to ask?”
“I’m sorry.”
“How are you going to make it up to me?”
Mackenzie laughed. “A prepaid appointment to turn you Anna Nicole blond?”
“That would work. Or a picture of a certain someone naked.”
“I’m not sending you that.”
“Spoilsport.”
Mackenzie tried not to think about a certain someone naked. “I can’t send you what I haven’t seen.”
“Well, get cracking. You’ve already been there a week; what’s taking so long?”
“I need someone to cool me down, not incite me some more.”
“Some more? Is he inciting you?” Cassandra squealed. “Oh, please tell me he is.”
“He doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s just like that. I’m pretty sure it’s my job in this relationship to not take anything he says or does seriously.”
Oh, she knew he’d jump in the sack at the first hint she was willing. But it wouldn’t be serious. He wasn’t ever serious. She was constantly surprised that no one else could see that about him.
Cassandra breathed in deeply. “You have a relationship with Ethan Howell O’Connor. I swear to God, you had better take advantage of that before you come back.”
“I’m hanging up now. You are of absolutely no use to me.”
“You are going to have a hard time finding anyone to tell you not to jump on that while you have the chance.”
“I bet his mother would.”
Cassandra laughed. “I would love to hear that conversation. Record it for me, would you?”
“I’ll keep her in mind if it looks like I’m losing the use of my brain and need some shock therapy.”
She might need to put the woman’s number on speed dial soon.
Mackenzie hung up and walked around the apartment, making sure Ethan was still gone. Then made a second lap with the Hershey bar from her purse, searching for a good hiding place. She was going to have to buy some more next time she was out. One candy bar did not a stash make, and if the tabloids were going to keep ganging up on Ethan he was going to need the distraction.
Megan BryceSome Like It Charming
Six
Ethan passed three convenience stores before he decided he should go in to get a Snickers. Chocolate was not exactly what he wanted right then, but it looked like it was as close as he was going to get.
When this thing with Mackenzie had first started, he hadn’t really planned on sleeping with her. She was going to be his buffer from other women, give him a break. But sometime after signing the pre-nup, it had become all he thought about. Since that kiss in the limo, hell, since the softball game, chasing Mackenzie Wyatt had become the only game he was interested in.
Her objections were getting weaker, her pauses were getting longer. Instead of tightening up when he got near, she got looser. Instead of cutting him down when he crossed the line, she was getting flustered.
Flustered, but still fighting.
The thought of Mackenzie flustered and fighting, naked beneath him, was driving him crazy.
He grabbed the first candy bar, ripped open the wrapper, and took a big bite. The woman behind the counter watched him and fanned her shirt.
He smiled at her. “I’ll pay for it. I’m just not sure how many I’m going to need.”
She nodded slowly, and when he licked caramel off his lips, her eyes widened and her mouth opened.
Ethan took another bite and remembered Mackenzie’s pulse pounding against his lips.
Bad idea?
He didn’t think so. He was pretty sure she didn’t really think so either. But not entirely.
He was going to have fun getting her to yes. If it didn’t kill him first.
He grabbed a second bar, decided he didn’t need to give the shop girl any more of a show, and paid.
He walked back outside and couldn’t think of anywhere he wanted to be except back home with Mackenzie. Or out with Mackenzie, if they weren’t going to get naked.
But he couldn’t go back home yet, if they weren’t going to get naked. A man had limits.
He needed to burn some energy, get rid of some of this sexual frustration, because chocolate just wasn’t working.
He thought about heading to the gym, wondering if Mackenzie would go with him. Then he grinned.
He’d take Mackenzie to the batting cages. Get rid of his frustration and maybe talk her into wearing some short shorts while they knocked some balls around.
He couldn’t think of any better of a day.
If they weren’t going to get naked.
A few days later, Mackenzie handed him a typed piece of paper when he came home at lunch.
“What’s this?”
“A bill for all the balls jokes. You reminded me.”
He glanced at it, then looked up at her. “You’re kidding.”
“I don’t think I am.”
“I just paid you a million dollars!”
“And a half.”
“We’re quibbling over half a million dollars and you give me a bill for $57,000?”
“You’re the one who keeps opening your mouth without thinking it through. Just because it’s costing more each time doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have to pay for the earlier blunders.”