Blake
Blake watched as Mackenzie picked up her crockpot, tucked it under one arm, and let herself out the front door. Did she just say…was he going to…?
Not wanting to be rude, he tore off a piece of paper from the notepad stuck on the fridge and wrote a quick thank you note to Simon and Renee, leaving his cell number in case Simon needed any more help.
By the time he got to his truck, Mackenzie’s little toy car was gone. He figured as much since he heard her peel out while he was scribbling his message. He needed to tread lightly now. Mackenzie could have said the statement in jest, or because she was upset about her mother.
If he didn’t stop by her apartment she could interpret his no-show as a decline to the best invitation he’d had in awhile.
In ever.
He thought about the comment her mother made about the Chad dude. So Mackenzie had been engaged before. Interesting. She didn’t seem to be the bride in the big white puffy dress type.
Like a girl, he checked his reflection every few minutes on his way to her place, making sure he didn’t have any lettuce in his teeth or boogers coming out of his nose. His truck dwarfed her little car but he liked how they looked parked next to each other.
Mackenzie loved to appear all badass, but she wasn’t as tough as she liked people to think. Knowing she could be an emotional roller coaster right now, he sat in his truck and sent her a text.
Feel like company?
Blake figured he’d have to wait a while before she responded. Girls were into those types of mind games. He didn’t have to wait long before his phone chirped a reply from Mackenzie.
Door’s open.
Not needing another invitation, he hopped out of his truck and moved as fast as his legs could carry him. He let himself in, locked the door behind him, and took the stairs two at a time until he came to another door. Blake tapped lightly on it.
“It’s open,” Mackenzie called from inside.
Her apartment was neat and comfortable, one big open floor plan that ran from the front of the building to the back. He didn’t care to take in the ambiance, only wanting to see Mackenzie.
There was no sign of Mackenzie, only the sound of the shower from down the hall.
“Damn,” he muttered. Should he shuck his clothes and join her in the obvious invitation, or be the gentleman and wait until she came out?
The compass below his pants was pointing in her direction, or would be if he wasn’t tightly contained in his boxer briefs and jeans. Should he follow his…head or stay put?
Their relationship was a kaleidoscope of colors. Hot and passionate to cool and aloof to fun and quirky. He loved all the colors, but was confused as hell as to where they stood.
Once they crossed the line to naked land, there’d be no turning back. Mackenzie was part of his family, close friends with his sisters and sisters-in-law. If he screwed this up the clan would surely take her side over his.
They’d put pressure on him to settle down, commit to a relationship. He didn’t know if he could do that and it wasn’t fair to Mackenzie to lead her on. They were surrounded by loving relationships, but being in one wasn’t what he was looking for right now.
“Scared?”
Mackenzie stood before him, wrapped in a purple towel, her hair dripping rivers down her bare shoulders. He licked his lips as his gaze traveled south, over the curves of her chest and hips and lower. His tongue wanting to lap up the cascade of water coming down her legs until she was dry, and then wet from him.
“I…uh.” Blake blew out a loud breath and tugged at the hair on his scalp.
“You don’t want to have sex.” Mackenzie sounded more pissed than hurt.
“Of course I do. You’re…you’re freaking hot.”
“So you’ve said before. What’s the problem then?”
Blake looked away, out the window and studied the bricks of the building across the street. “My family loves you. Your best friends are—”
“I’m aware of who my friends are. What does this have to do with anything?” She crossed her arms tight across her towel, her cheeks darkening with color.
“I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”
“The only impression you’re giving me is that you don’t want to have sex.”
“Then I’m doing or saying something wrong.” He studied her again and rubbed his hands across his scalp.
“You seem a bit stressed. I know a great way to release some, but if you’re not into it…”
“That’s not it and you know it.”
She cocked an eyebrow and tempted him with her chocolate eyes and killer body. “Then what is it?”
“I’m not into the relationship thing. Commitments and all.”
“Good. Neither am I. Sex doesn’t equate to a relationship.”
“I know that, but—”
“You think because I’m a girl that I’ll fall in love with you if we have sex and expect you to settle down? Aren’t you a tad chauvinist? And cocky.”
“It’s different with us. With you.”
“Why?”
“Because we have family and friends in common. I usually keep my…uh, my partners separate.”
“Okay, I’ll give you credit for being gentlemanly, but don’t be so kind and nice in bed.” She furrowed her brow and tapped her foot rapidly on the carpeted floor. “I’m looking for a release as well. That’s it. You’re handy. I don’t do relationships either and don’t need you breathing down my neck expecting me to be at your beck and call. This is a one-time deal.”
“One time?” Blake’s legs finally found the strength to move. He approached her until her crossed arms rubbed against his chest and his groin tightened even more. “The first time’s gonna be pretty quick. I’m going to need to redeem myself with a round two.”
“Oh.” He liked how she sounded out of breath already. “There are rules.”
“Such as?” Blake picked up a wet strand of hair and watched the water drip down his arm before drawing her body into his.
“You had garlic bread so we shouldn’t kiss.”
“We had garlic bread so it cancels out. Kissing is a must.” He lowered his lips to her neck and lapped at her sweetness. Vanilla and Mackenzie.
“You need to wear protection.” She sighed and lifted her arms around his neck, the towel falling between them.
“Of course.”
“After tonight, no more sex.”
Blake stepped back, keeping his arms around her waist and smiled. “That’s one rule I’m gonna break. Over.” He sipped at her lips. “And over.” He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth and pulled her tighter, enjoying the feel of her crushed breasts against his hard chest. “And over again.”
This time he took the kiss as deep as it could go. When Mackenzie went limp under his touch he picked her up, not breaking the seal of their mouths, and carried her down the hall to her bedroom.
Blake placed her gently on the bed and climbed on top of her, his hands taking a life of their own, traveling down her body, opening the towel and absorbing the softness of her skin.
“Wait.” Mackenzie pushed at his chest and he sat back, still straddling her.
Blake looked down at the naked beauty under him and couldn’t help but grin ear to ear. “You’re even sexier than I imagined.”
“You’re still dressed. Take your clothes off already.”
“Yes ma’am.” Her hiss and wiggle when he slid off her body told him his denim-clad groin had brushed her just right.
Taking pure pleasure out of her impatience, he stood and slowly unbuttoned his jeans and pulled down the zipper, then grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it over his head.
Another hiss and a wiggle from the bed. Blake reached out and stroked Mackenzie’s naked torso, his hand trailing over her hip and toward her inner thighs.
“Hurry the hell up or I’m going to take care of myself.”
“Now that, I’d like to see.”
“I wouldn’t have invited you over if that’s what I wanted.”
“I believe the invitation was out of gratitude.” Blake leaned over the bed again and lowered his mouth to her nipple, drawing out another loud gasp from Mackenzie. When he’d finished playing with one breast, he lavished attention on the other, enjoying the cut from Mackenzie’s nails in his back.
“You’re driving me nuts.” Mackenzie pushed at him and sat up, grabbing on to the tops of his jeans. She pushed as far as she could, her face so close to his groin that he thought she was going to—
“Dear God.”
She did. And he wouldn’t last more than five seconds if she kept doing that thing with her tongue. Gently shoving her back, he did a ridiculous dance with his feet until he freed himself from his jeans, grabbed a condom from his wallet, and put it on.
“I’ll make it up to you next time.” He touched her to make sure she was ready before he entered her, his eyes nearly rolling to the back of his head.
She moaned and gripped the sheets while he took. And took. And took.
***
Mackenzie
Holy mother. Mackenzie opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, focusing on her breathing. Blake’s body draped over her like a warm blanket, his face—and his labored breathing—near her ear.
Her legs still dangled over the edge of the bed, as did Blake’s, tangled in with hers. She felt him stir between her legs and his body stilled.
“I’m going to take care of…” Blake picked his head up and looked down between them where they were still joined. “I’ll, uh, be right back.” He slid off her body, the cool air taking away Blake’s scent.
It was cute, the way he blushed and seemed almost embarrassed. Heck, there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Mackenzie stood on wobbly legs and rummaged in her drawer for a pair of underwear. She slid on the black satin and grabbed the matching bra.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Blake came behind her, looking over her head at their reflection in the mirror.
Mackenzie had never been shy about her body and wasn’t about to cover her breasts just because his gaze had turned hungry. Like a predator, he licked his lips—a habit she found sexy as hell—and slipped his hands around her waist, resting them across her belly.
She liked how they looked together, rumpled and satisfied, naked as the day they were born. Well, except for her panties.
“I thought we agreed on a round two?”
“You sure you’re up for that, cowboy?”
“Babe.” In one swift spin he had her facing him, his desire beginning to harden against her stomach, the traces of hair on his chest tickling her unbound breasts. “I’m ready for round two. The question is…” He sucked her bottom lip between his and bit it gently. “Are you ready?”
Needing the upper hand with the second go-around, Mackenzie pictured coffee beans and the new espresso machine she needed to buy. She couldn’t succumb to his hotness so soon. Placing both hands on his chest, she pushed him until the backs of his knees hit against the bed.
“This time,” she purred as she shoved at his shoulders until he fell, “I’m running the show.”
“Babe. You ran the show last time. If I had my way I would have licked and sucked and tasted every inch of your body before—oh.”
She couldn’t let him sweet-talk her again or she’d be a puddle of goo at his disposal. To shut him up, she crawled up his body and licked his nipple while she gyrated her hips over his. Coming close, but not quite touching him the way she knew he wanted to be touched.
“Mack.”
“Mackenzie.” She bit his nipple and he shrieked like a girl before pulling away.
She couldn’t help but laugh at his response as he massaged his chest.
“That hurt.”
“Don’t call me Mack.”
“Your dad does.”
Which was exactly why Blake couldn’t. It was too special, too personal, and she and Blake were in it for the sex.
“Do you want to chit chat like a bunch of girls or do you want round two? Or can’t you…get it up so soon after?”
“Feisty, aren’t ya?” Blake sat up so Mackenzie was straddling him. She wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him in. “Round two’s gonna end before you know it if you keep that up.”
“Maybe I want it to end so I can go to sleep.”
“Babe,” he warned. “You’ll be begging to sleep by the time we’re done.”
And once again he stripped the power from her and she became putty in his hands as he did what he’d promised. Kissing and licking and sucking.
Every. Single. Inch.
It wasn’t until the moon was full and bright in the dark sky that she’d finally been able to rest.
And when she woke a few hours later, Blake was gone.
***
The Sunday morning rush kept her sore and tired body busy, but wasn’t a distraction enough to keep her thoughts from the sexiest, tightest ass she’d ever seen, much less touched.
Blake Riley’s body was made for loving. He wasn’t overly built like his brothers Colton or Luke, and wasn’t super tall like Graham. Instead he was…Blake. Perfectly proportioned. With a chest and arms defined by years of working outside and legs strong and muscular from running his crazy races, and abs so washboard amazing she bet her mother would want her scrubbing laundry against them.
And those hands. Big and warm and callused, yet gentle and knowing exactly when and where to touch at just the right time.
“Late night?” Maggie asked as she propped her elbows on the counter.
“What? No. I didn’t see you come in.” Mackenzie stacked paper cups she’d gotten from storage on the shelf and reorganized the lids. For the ninth time.
“Good date?”
“No date.”
“Ah. I see. Good sex then? Someday I’d like to actually meet one of these infamous guys you go out with.”
Yeah, so would Mackenzie. She used to go out all the time, had no problem meeting men and having a good time. Then Maggie met Graham and Rachael met Jake and everyone else around her fell for a nice guy who was good in bed and good for the heart.
Mackenzie had tried that a long, long time ago with less than stellar results. She was truly happy for her friends, but seeing their happiness every day made her not want to hook up with the one-night stand guys.
Until last night. Blake had enough charisma and energy to make an espresso look like a glass of water.
“Blushing. Interesting. Grab a scone and meet me at the couch. I expect details.” Maggie reached down for Katie’s car seat and claimed a place at the couch where they’d had many heart-to-heart talks over the years. Funny that they rarely hung out in Mackenzie’s apartment. They’d have nachos and a bottle of wine at Maggie’s from time to time, but usually they’d do their girly talk at Coast & Roast. The brown leather sofa was symbolic in a way.
The Sunday morning foot traffic had slowed so Mackenzie had sent Diane home. Maggie knew when the rushes and the lulls were and timed her visits perfectly.
Mackenzie usually controlled their conversations, making Maggie the center of them. While she wasn’t shy and had no problem being the center of attention, Mackenzie didn’t like baring her soul.
Only to Maggie. And very rarely. Mackenzie picked out two cranberry scones from the shelf and made her way to the couch. Why was she so nervous? It wasn’t like she needed advice or anything.
Once seated, Mackenzie squeezed Katie’s little fingers and placed a light kiss to her sleeping cheeks.
“She’s so darn cute, Mags. She still sleeping well?”
“Better than me. Katie started rolling over and Graham is worried she’ll flip to her stomach and suffocate. He gets up every few hours to check on her and when he comes back to bed he…likes to wake me up. I’m exhausted.”
“Uh, just say no?” Mackenzie tore a piece of her scone and popped it in her mouth. She knew if Blake woke her in the middle of the night, no matter how exhausted, she’d say yes. Over and over again. Kind of like she did last night. She’d dozed for a few minutes only to be woken with Blake’s lips on her ear or her neck. Or her toes. The man had a fascination with her body, that’s for sure.
“Would you mind?”
Realizing Maggie had asked her a question that she’d totally missed, she shoved another piece of scone in her mouth. “What?”
“Wow. You have it bad. I asked if you could watch Katie for an hour or so next weekend. I want to take Graham out for a birthday dinner. We won’t be out long because I’m still nursing every seventeen minutes.”
“That’ll be one quick dinner.”
“Okay, every few hours. Anyway, are you available?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good. Now that we have that out of the way, who’s the guy?”
“What guy?” Not having any scone left to occupy her mouth, she stole Maggie’s water bottle and chugged a few gulps.
“Since when do you hold out on me?”
“I’m not. There’s no guy.” Maggie was a successful therapist and the best bullshit detector around. “Okay, there’s a guy.”
“I know.”
“You don’t have to sound so smug about it. It’s just sex. Panty-dripping sex. But it’s over now.”
Maggie stretched her arm across the back of the sofa and steeled her therapy eyes at Mackenzie. “Bullshit.”
“Maggie Riley. Such a filthy mouth, and in front of the baby.”
“Avoidance.”
“Nothing to tell.”
“Defensive.”
“I am not.”
“You’re in love.”
“Oh, hell no!” Mackenzie wiped the crumbs from her chest. “Just because you and the Riley clan are all ga-ga over some guy or some girl doesn’t mean every sexual encounter I have with a guy is about love.”
“Okay. You’re in like.”
“That’s not a big deal.” Mackenzie cleaned up the pile of magazines and Coffee Table books, avoiding eye contact with her annoying BFF.
“You don’t like a lot of people.”
“I’m in the service industry. I like everyone.”
“Well, that’s good to hear,” a deep, familiar voice said behind her.
“Hi, Blake. How was your run?”
Blake leaned over the back of the couch and gave Maggie a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Good. Your husband’s getting slow in his old age.”
“I’m sure you told him that already.”
Blake rounded the couch and sat on the coffee table, his knees bumping against Mackenzie’s. His gaze locked with hers and intensified into something she couldn’t name. And then he winked those freakishly long, gorgeous lashes at her. He had to stop doing that.
“Hey, Mackenzie. You look tired. Not enough sleep last night?” He grinned like a foolish schoolboy playing a trick on his teacher.
“I had plenty. Now if you don’t mind, Maggie and I were having a private conversation.”
“About the service industry. I heard that. From what I’ve seen so far, you’re pretty good at servicing others. A little bossy at times, but you balance it out well by putting out…great coffee.”
Mackenzie could feel her face burning. The arrogant asshat was goading her right in front of Maggie. He infuriated her with his cute smile and pain-in-the-ass mouth.
“May your chair produce a sound similar to a fart, but only once, such that you cannot reproduce it to prove that it was the chair,” she hissed at him before getting up and storming off into the kitchen.
His loud laughter echoed through the nearly empty coffee shop, causing shivers of lust down her spine.
It wasn’t long before she heard the bell above the door chime, hopefully signaling Blake’s exit. Funny that she didn’t hear it when he came in earlier. A little warning would have had her more prepared to face him.
Mackenzie stepped behind the counter and looked around the shop. Only Maggie and Katie remained. Thank god.
“Are you going to tell me what that was about?” Maggie asked as she made her way to the counter.
“Your brother-in-law is an arrogant asshole.”
“Arrogant, yes. Asshole, I’m not so sure. You two seemed at each other’s throats last week at Rock the Gym, but Rachael said you all had a nice dinner at Doreen’s the other night.”
“For being a nice girl and a reputable therapist, you sure know how to lay on the passive aggressive.”
“I’ve learned from the best.”
“Sorry I didn’t tell you about four-wheeling. It sort of slipped my mind.”
“Liar.”
“Is this how you treat all your patients?”
Maggie leaned her elbows on the counter and grinned. “Nope. Just my best friend.”
“It was a spur of the moment thing. Blake made me go four-wheeling and Doreen forced us to stay for dinner.”
“I believe the Doreen bit. No one escapes her clutches without a home-cooked meal. Rachael learned from the best. The bit about Blake making you go four-wheeling intrigues me. No one makes Mackenzie Pratt do anything.”
“You can shove that therapist license up your ass anytime now.”
Maggie laughed. “So what’s going on? Blake’s not…forceful or anything like that, is he?”
Mackenzie turned so her all-knowing and ultra-observant BFF wouldn’t see the reoccurring blush. Yeah, forceful, but only when Mackenzie demanded he be.
“Oh. My. Word. You slept with Blake. How could I be so obtuse? He’s been pining away at you forever. And then your outburst last week at the gym—”
“I didn’t have an outburst. I could have had a concussion.”
“And Blake turned ashen white when he thought you were hurt.”
“Because he didn’t want a lawsuit.”
“Because he cares about you.”
Mackenzie picked up a rag and wiped down the spotless counter. “He doesn’t know me well enough to care about me.”
“Why did he come by today?”
“For coffee. Just like everyone else.”
“He didn’t get a coffee. You guys slept together. Last night. That’s why he was glowing and you were in a sex-crazed stupor until he showed up. Did it not end well? Seems like he’s much happier about whatever took place than you are.”
“Whenever I tried to get you to kiss and tell about Graham you’d tell me to mind my own business.”
“So it’s that serious?”
“No!” Mackenzie tossed the rag aside and banged her forehead on the counter. “The sex was awesome. Beyond a girl’s wildest imagination, and it wasn’t like we did anything kinky or had sex anywhere fun. Straight-up bedroom sex. But…shit. Mags. Wow.”
“And the problem is…?”
Mackenzie picked her head up. “He’s a Riley.”
“I married a Riley. And if I remember correctly, you hit on Colton and were cursing Sage under your breath when you met Luke.”
“Yeah, the Riley brothers are hot.”
“And good men.”
“Sure.”
“And the problem is?” Maggie stroked Mackenzie’s hair and waited for a response. “You’re starting to have feelings for him.”
“No. It’s not that. I mean, we’re having, or rather we had, some amazing sex but I don’t want that to get in the way of our friendships. He’s going to be your brother-in-law forever. And he’s Rachael’s brother and—”
“And Ellie’s brother-in-law. Yeah, yeah. I get that, but it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on between the two of you.”
“See? That’s the problem. We both agreed we don’t want a relationship, that it’s just a sex thing between us, but the rest of you will make it out to be a bigger deal.”
“So you’re both in agreement to the no-strings sex and don’t want to get the family involved.”
“Exactly.”
“Yet you look as torn up as my daffodils after a spring wind storm.”
“Exactly.”