Blake
The sun hadn’t fully come up yet and shone just enough through the slits in Mackenzie’s blinds to reveal an empty bed. Blake hadn’t planned on spending the night. Yet after they made it up her stairs half-dressed and landed on her couch in a frenzy of naked limbs and clothes, he was in no hurry to leave.
They’d played and laughed and fallen to the floor before they stopped to fully strip. And pleasure each other.
And pleasure they did. On the floor. On the couch. In the shower and on every square inch of her mattress. For those few hours, while naked and in her arms, Blake didn’t think about his messed-up sister or the damage she’d done to her own daughter. Instead he’d lost himself in the softness and distraction of Mackenzie.
Now alone in her cold bed, he needed to come to grip with the news that his niece and sister would soon be making their graces known. Not that he could hold anything against Natalie. She was an innocent victim in this mess, born to a drugged up teenager.
If Alyssa had fallen into Melinda’s footsteps—and it sounded like she did—Alyssa probably had no clue who the father was.
When Keith had shared the news years and years ago that Melinda’s body was found in a park, the victim of a self-induced drug overdose, Blake had no feeling. He wasn’t sad or even angry; that would mean he’d had cared or loved or even known Melinda Snyder.
Instead, he remembered feeling guilty because the weight of embarrassment and shame on his shoulders had lifted and he could move on with no one and nothing hanging over his head.
The recent break-ins and disappearing cash brought back too many memories of Melinda sneaking into his foster family’s homes stealing or begging for money. And Blake would bet his share in Rock the Gym that dear old sister had fallen into her mother’s footsteps.
It only made sense. If Luke and Sage had started the paperwork, then the process must have begun some time ago, and somehow Alyssa found out. She’d been snooping, looking for cash. For drugs. For her next victims. It was only a matter of time before she robbed Luke and Sage. If she hadn’t already.
And what about Natalie? Was she a mini-Mom following the path to permanent destruction as well? Maybe he should look into adopting her, since he was her uncle. But what could he offer a teenage kid? His life was anything but stable and he had next to no advice to offer anyone.
Hell, look at his life. Blake sat up, the sheet hanging loosely on his naked body. Natalie needed role models, not a man who flitted from bed to bed. Not that he’d done any flitting lately. Just one bed. Or two if he counted his as well.
Only one woman, though. She was enough. She was plenty. She was all he needed. Blake looked around Mackenzie’s bedroom for his jeans and didn’t see a stitch of clothing that belonged to him.
Living room. That’s right, they didn’t make it to her bedroom for quite some time. He used the bathroom, borrowing her toothbrush and hopping in the shower while he thought about all that needed to be done today. Hopefully Colton would toss him some pity hours and cover for him this morning at the gym. Blake needed a lift home but figured he’d wait to see where things were with Mackenzie before calling around.
He used one of her towels to dry off and tossed it on the floor when he was done. Remembering he wasn’t at home and that his mother would skin him alive if she ever found out he threw towels on the floor, he picked it up and hung it on the rack.
Blake stilled, remembering the long, blonde hair he’d found on his towel a few weeks ago. It must have come from Alyssa. She’d been in his apartment more times than the few he’d noticed, he was sure, and it scared him more than it should have. If it was just him, he’d deal. But knowing the history, if Alyssa was going to follow in Melinda’s footsteps, Blake would need to warn his entire family to be on guard.
Including Mackenzie.
Plodding naked to the living room, he stopped in his tracks when the cute little brunette opened the door to her apartment and greeted him with a smile.
“Well, what do we have here?” She sized him up from head to toe to…head, which was steadily rising. “A naked bandit?”
“Wanna strip search me? Make sure I didn’t take anything?”
“Looks like you already took care of that for me.”
“Nuh, uh, sweetheart. You’re the one who couldn’t get my clothes off fast enough last night.” He closed the gap between them and pulled her close. She smelled like hazelnut and vanilla and distraction.
He kissed her, trying to keep it short and sweet, knowing she had to go back to work. When she leaned into him and lowered her hand to his stomach, he stopped her and pulled back.
“I should get dressed and find a ride home. I know you need to get back to work as well.” Hell, since when did he become the responsible adult?
“Oh, well.” Mackenzie stepped around him and into her kitchen space. “Diane is covering for me today. I took the rest of the day off. Do you want some coffee?”
Blake paused mid-thigh and studied her backside as she busied herself at the sink, then continued with his boxers. “The rest of the day? It’s only nine in the morning.” He couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept so late. Granted, he’d lain awake for nearly an hour with his thoughts before forcing himself into the shower this morning.
“The morning rush has fizzled and my nephew Joey is home from college. He and Diane have everything covered. I thought we could…well, I suppose you need to get to the gym or course or whatever you’re working on.”
“Wait a minute.” Blake yanked his shirt over his head and joined her in the kitchen. “You’re telling me you put in a few hours and then called out to spend the day with me?”
“I’m the boss. I don’t have to call out.”
Blake couldn’t contain his childish grin. “You want to hang out with me today.” Mackenzie shrugged. “Yeah you do. Don’t be shy about it.”
“I’m hardly shy.” Mackenzie rolled her eyes and pushed past him.
“Yeah you are,” he teased, following her into the bedroom.
“If I was shy I wouldn’t do this.” Mackenzie flung off her shirt and bra and pushed Blake on the bed, climbing on top of him, smothering him with her body.
***
“I like it when you’re shy,” Blake teased as he stroked Mackenzie’s back awhile later. Her body sprawled spread-eagle on top of him, both of them spent from their rushed lovemaking. He felt her body shake with laughter.
“I’ll remember that. But don’t ever expect me to dress up in a little Catholic school outfit or a timid peasant girl whom you attempt to deflower.”
“Deflower?”
Mackenzie pinched his side. “Whatever your sick fantasies are. I do naked, that’s it. No costumes.”
“Naked works for me.” He worked his hands down her back, cupping her round butt, and rested his cheek against her head.
“I like you, Mackenzie Pratt.”
“You like sex,” she said into his chest.
“That, I do. Sex with you is even better.”
“You’re okay as well.” He smacked her butt and she laughed. “Good. You’re good.” He swatted her playfully again and she giggled, rolling off him.
Blake rolled into her body, both of them stretched out on their sides facing each other. “We do the sex thing pretty well together.”
“I’ll second that.”
“So, I’ve been thinking.” He’d been thinking about a lot, too much, and most of his thoughts involved Mackenzie. The next few words spilled out before he could give them much more thought. “We talked about the no-string sex deal a while back.”
“Yeah.” Mackenzie slipped away and sat up, leaning her back against the headboard, hugging a pillow to her chest. “I’m cool with that. If you’ve been seeing other women…” she shrugged and looked away.
“I’m not cool with that. I’m not the jealous type but I really don’t want another man touching you while I’m…while I’m around.”
“What are you saying?”
He couldn’t get a read on Mackenzie. Her dark eyes questioned his motive and her body language said stay away.
“If you, uh, if you’re having sex or anything with someone else, I’m okay with…no, actually I’d like to make an amendment to our no strings rule.” Blake rubbed his eyes with his palms before grabbing hold of his short hair. Talking to a woman about having somewhat of a commitment shouldn’t make him this nervous.
“What kind of amendment?” Mackenzie drew her knees up to her chest, still keeping her distance.
“I’m really not cool with another man touching you. Your body. At least not while I’m touching you.”
“Well, I’m not into the ménage thing so we’re good.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Blake closed his eyes and tried not to picture him and Mackenzie with another person, male or female. No way in hell would he ever want someone else to come in between them. Opening his eyes, he studied Mackenzie. The freckle by her lip, the trace of a dimple she kept hiding—only revealing itself when she did her loud, big open-mouthed laugh—the dark intensity in her eyes that spoke of nerves and insecurity.
“Can we just do the naked thing and sex thing with each other? When you’re done with me and want to move on, I’ll be fine with that. You know, no strings and all, but I don’t like the idea of another man’s hands on your body.”
“Oh.” Mackenzie unfolded her legs, twisting the sheet in her hands and toying with her lip in between her teeth. “Oh,” she said again.
“Oh as in Yeah, I won’t have sex with another guy until we break things off oh? Or Oh as in Oh, hell no I’m sleeping with as many men as I want?”
Mackenzie snorted. “No worries there. I haven’t slept with anyone but you in a long time.”
“That makes me happy.”
“That I’d been pretty damn near washed up before you seduced me?”
“I think you have it backwards. You seduced me.”
“Sure. Whatever. So, if I agree to keeping other men at bay, are you going to do the same?”
Blake grinned. “I’m definitely keeping other men at bay.”
Mackenzie slapped his bicep. “Don’t be obtuse.”
“I promise,” he said, pinning her to the bed, “to keep my paws off other women as long as we’re still doing the naked tango.”
“Naked tango?” Mackenzie laughed. “Who says that?”
“We do.”
They managed to climb out of bed some time before lunch and went to pick up his truck at his mom’s. Relieved she wasn’t home and he didn’t have to face her or his siblings and deal with their sympathetic stares, he hopped in his truck and sped off to the gym, Mackenzie following behind.
He couldn’t believe she agreed to run the course with him this afternoon. His mind did crazy things to his heart, mixing the signals between lust and like and love. No, not love. That was for family. For his mom and brothers and sisters and their families.
Mackenzie was just a friend. An extremely hot friend who looked good sprawled out naked on top of him.
Adjusting his shorts, he was out of his truck and by Mackenzie’s car door before she even turned off the engine.
“I’m quite capable of getting out my car by myself.” She brushed off his offered hand and slammed the door behind her.
“Never said you weren’t. Keith Riley’s lessons on how to treat a lady are instilled in us Riley boys. Besides, your car is so low to the ground, it’s gotta be a killer to climb out of that toy every day.”
“Funny. Now, are we going to stand around all day or are you going to show me this course of yours?”
“Thatta girl.” Blake looped his arm across her shoulders and guided her inside.
“I thought it was out back.”
“It is, but I need to check in with Colton, grab us a few water bottles and some power snacks.”
“Snacks? I thought we were running.”
“This is about endurance, strength, and mental stamina. It’s not a race. We don’t time participants. Attempting or completing the challenge is all that’s important. You’ll be wiped. You’ll need energy.” He’d witnessed too many hot shots forgo water and the bananas and oranges and energy bars they offered at certain points throughout the run and go down hard. Either with cramps, dehydration, or hypoglycemia.
“I suppose Superman doesn’t?”
Blake puffed out his chest, the Superman emblem on his shirt stretching thin. “I’m packing a few things for both of us. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He kissed her quickly on the lips and jogged to his office.
“Got your text.” Colton sat at their shared desk, working on the computer. “You and Kenzie, huh? Lucy was right, then.”
“It’s not a big deal.” He rummaged through the supply boxes and pocketed two power bars and two water bottles.
“That kiss you just gave her looked like a big deal.”
“Seriously? That was barely a kiss. Besides, we’re not doing the relationship thing. It’s just sex.”
“A man and a woman who are using each other for sex don’t do the chaste kiss thing when he’s going to be back in five seconds.”
“What makes you the relationship expert?”
“So it is a relationship.”
“Asshole.”
“Don’t forget to send me a wedding invitation.”
Blake flipped him off as he left the office. Just because his brothers were into the marriage thing didn’t mean he’d fall into the same trap. He and Mackenzie were on the same page and doing quite well with the purely sex thing.
And the fun thing. They had a lot of fun too.
“Ready?” he asked and handed her a water. “Need to use the bathroom first? Your next opportunity will be the nearest tree.”
“Ten-four. I’ll be right back.”
He scoped out the guys at the salmon ladder while he waited. They had good form and would probably get the hang of it by the end of the month.
“Bladder’s empty. Let’s roll.”
“That was quick.”
“Some things are meant to be fast, others are best slow and steady.”
Blake bit back a groan as he held the door for her and ushered her around back, explaining the different trails he’d designed, each with its own challenging obstacles.
“The twelve-mile Mud on the Rocks course includes all the obstacles, but we can do a 5K or 10K today to start off. Without the crew out here we won’t be able to do all the obstacles anyway. I can help you with a few. There isn’t a lot of mud right now, so the climbs and trails won’t be as slippery as they will be when we’ve got hundreds running around making a muck. Luke’s going to bring a couple fire trucks out before each race and hose down areas to make more mud.”
“Why does it have to be muddy?”
Blake raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Mud is fun. I’d really like to see you all dirtied up.”
Mackenzie shook her head. “You’re such a boy.”
“You’re gonna have so much fun. Promise.” Blake leaned in to kiss her before they stretched but thought better of it, Colton’s incorrect observation ringing loud in his ears.
They warmed up their legs, stretching their hamstrings, quads, and calves, and started out at a slow jog.
“You sure you’re up for the 10K? I don’t want you to be hurting at work tomorrow.”
“You didn’t seem to care after we hiked Washington. Where were the warnings that I wouldn’t be able to walk up or down the stairs for a week after that hike?”
“I didn’t peg you for the whining type,” he teased.
They jogged side-by-side, not stopping until they reached the first obstacle, the ten-foot wall.
“Grab ahold of the rope and pull yourself up with your arms. Keep your feet flat on the wall like this.” Blake modeled the proper technique, dropping over the other side and running back to assist her.
“Got it.”
Like a pro, Mackenzie held firm to the rope and pulled herself over, coming down on her two feet and letting out a whoop.
“That was cool.”
“There are plenty more scattered throughout. Some without the rope.”
“How the heck are you supposed to get over it then?”
They jogged down the path following the arrows. “Teamwork. The buddy system. I’ll show you at mile four.”
It wasn’t until they hit mile six that they encountered mud. And lots of it. The barbed wire crawl was set up in a low valley where the rainwater pooled, making a deep muck.
“Seriously? There’s like, less than a foot between the mud and the wire. My hair is going to get caught on it.”
“Crawl. Swim. Do what you have to do. Oh, and keep your butt down. Most people snag their shorts on the wire. Use your elbows to help you crawl through.”
Mackenzie looked from the thirty-foot stretch of barbed wire and mud to Blake, back to the mud again.
“Afraid to get dirty?”
“Afraid to get sliced open.”
“Need me to go first?”
The stubborn streak he loved in her flared and those sexy chocolate eyes peppered him with cool daggers.
“I’ll go first.” Rolling her shoulders, she crouched down on her knees and dropped to her belly, using her elbows to pull herself forward, just like he said to do.
Blake did the responsible thing first, eyeing the course for any dangerous hazards that may impact the safety of the design, then moved his gaze to the cute ass that was getting dangerously close to the wire above.
“Ouch!”
“Put your ass down.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Blake didn’t need to watch her anymore, so he dropped to his belly and slid along next to her, clawing at the mud and grit beneath his hands. He kept his body perfectly flat and slid like a snake, using the infamous army crawl to get him to the other side.
He crawled out and waited while Mackenzie cursed and wiggled her way to the end. Blake knew better than to offer her a muddy hand. She stood, straightening her spine, and flung the mud off her hands.
“It smells like a sewer. Please don’t tell me that was anything other than mud.”
“The rain washes all sorts of organisms and germs and who knows what else into the muck. Wild animals could be using it as their personal latrine,” he teased as he helped wipe the mud off her, focusing on her chest.
“Hey.” She swatted his hand away.
Those boobs looked pretty good covered in mud. So did her face. She had a cute little streak across her cheek. Blake reached out to wipe it away only making it bigger with all the mud on his hand.
“You wanna play dirty, Superman?” Mackenzie squatted, scooped up a pile of mud and flung it at his chest, completely surprising him.
“What the—” Another splat hit him in the face. He glared at her, giving her a good old-fashioned stare down, and slowly crouched, scooping up as much mud as his hands could hold.
Mackenzie’s eyes grew large and round. “Don’t you dare, Riley. Don’t you—” she squealed and ran off down the path, Blake at her heels.
The cannonball of mud hit her square in the back and she arched her shoulders and screamed, but didn’t stop running. When he caught up to her and they were side-by-side again he could see her trying to contain her laughter, her lip clenched between her teeth.
“We’re even now.”
“Not by a long shot. You hit me twice. I only got you once.”
Mackenzie looked around nervously. “There’s no mud around here, so we can call it good.”
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m just getting started.”
***
Mackenzie
Well, that was different. Mackenzie stood under the shower spray in the gym locker room and watched as the water washed off the mud and grime, making a pool that resembled chocolate milk swirling around her feet. She was thankful Blake made her pack a change of clothes, towel, and soap before leaving the apartment this morning.
Or was it this afternoon? She tilted her head back under the spray, her fingers getting caught in the tangles in her hair, and grinned. Blake was an amazing lover. They had a lot fun in the bedroom.
And their games outside the bedroom were pretty damn fun as well. When he proposed a change in their no-strings gig this morning she panicked, thinking he was dumping her and moving on to someone else. For a moment, her heart had stopped and she felt as if someone had pulled her feet out from under her. It was similar yet different from learning of Chad’s infidelity. Her first response when she’d seen his pregnant mistress was of disgust and anger at being cheated on.
Not hurt, not sadness, but pissed-off rage.
When she thought Blake was saying his farewells, she was sad that she’d never again be on the receiving end of his salacious grin, or feel his strong hands on her body, his heart beneath her cheek as she rested on him, or laugh during sex.
It was as if her life flashed before her eyes, seeing and feeling all she would be missing without Blake in it. Not since she’d first fallen for Chad back in high school had she crushed so hard on a man.
Blake’s offer to have a semi-commitment, primarily around sex, was a step in the right direction. Maybe. Mackenzie didn’t have a clue what direction was right and which was wrong, but she knew if she had Blake with her that everything would be okay.
There was no cure for her mother’s dementia; it was a matter of learning how to cope with it. And spending every free second with her mom wasn’t helping either of them. Mackenzie needed the break and Blake had come around at just the right time.
Making sure all the mud was off her body, she turned off the water and reached for her towel. Doing simple things like going for a hike or riding through the woods or spending the day with Blake not only took her mind off her mother, but also put a smile on her face.
Granted, she’d be sore for the rest of the week, and it would be worth it. She dressed and shoved her nasty clothes and sneakers in a plastic garbage bag, hoping the laundromat wouldn’t kick her out for bringing in the muddy heap.
When Mackenzie stepped into the gym, she looked around for Blake, not seeing him. He couldn’t still be taking his shower. Oh, yummy pictures played like a pornographic slideshow in her mind.
Scanning the area, she spotted him and Colton in what appeared to be a serious conversation in the back of the gym. She couldn’t hear a word they were saying, but Colton looked big and domineering, and Blake seemed agitated, his hands tugging at his hair, then swirling around the air and finally landing in a finger-poke on Colton’s chest.
He hadn’t talked to his family since leaving last night. Surely they were worried about him and his niece. Mackenzie wanted to know all the details but, like her, Blake needed a distraction today. And she was glad to give it. Besides, if he confided in her it would move their relationship to the next level, and while she thought she may have wanted that, it still spooked her.
Being in a monogamous sexual relationship would have to do. For now.
Colton nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Blake’s shoulder. They stood like that, neither mouth moving in conversation, until Blake lightly patted Colton’s cheek and turned on his heel, walking toward Mackenzie.
He must not have seen her, his face stony and serious until he was a few feet from her. His eyes softened, his lip curled up, and he tossed her a wink.
“You clean up real nice, Miss Pratt.”
She liked that she could put a smile on his face. Blake Riley was too pretty to be sad and serious.
When they reached their vehicles in the parking lot, Blake trapped her body between his and her car.
“You hungry?”
“For?” She dropped her gaze to his lips and smirked.
Blake shook his head in laughter. “And people think I’m addicted to sex.”
As if after a punch to the gut, Mackenzie’s shoulders drooped as she worked through the pain in her stomach. So his inability to keep his hands off her had nothing to do with his attraction to her but his addiction to sex. Maybe he was like Chad.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Just tired. I need to check on things at Coast & Roast.” Mackenzie looked away, out across the field, the baby pines swaying in the gentle breeze while hurricane force winds beat at her insides.
“It’s after five. Should your people be closing up soon?”
“We stay open later if there’s still a steady stream of foot traffic.”
“Okay.” And the sad, serious expression took over Blake’s face again; this time she was responsible for it. The man, even if he was a sex addict, had been given some pretty serious news last night and all she could think about was herself.
“I guess if we’re both going to have dinner we might as well have it together.”
“Really?” And like a puppy dog who had been given a treat, Blake squirmed with excitement.
“Sure. I do want to check on the shop first. And change. I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.” She looked down at her running shorts and pulled at her T-shirt, remembering what her face and hair looked like.
“You’re gorgeous. Don’t change. Unless it’s to put on skimpy underwear.”
“What about commando?”
His eyes changed to an ebony so dark she could practically see her reflection in them before he crushed his mouth to hers. He did that a lot, kissing her quickly and roughly with minimal notice. And she liked it. Too much.
Right as her toes curled and her over-sensitized girly parts tingled, he slipped his tongue from her mouth.
“You can’t talk like that when we’re in public. Or I’m not responsible for what I do to you.”
“Sorry about that, Mr. Riley. I’ll go home and put on my granny panties, spanx, and baggy sweats.”
“Still not helping.” He lowered his head again, this time sipping at her lips and tucking his hands under the elastic of her shorts, cupping her butt. Skin on skin and she thought she’d melt right there in the parking lot.
“If I knew this was the show I’d be getting I would have finished my workout a long time ago,” someone called from behind her.
Blake withdrew his hands from inside her shorts, resting them on her lower back, and looked over her shoulder.
“Anything to get out of a workout, huh, Dan?”
“Is that the hot brunette with the nice ass who was in earl—”
“Watch it,” Blake warned. He stepped away from Mackenzie, his face hard and angry.
“Easy, man. Just joshing with ya. You Riley guys are all sensitive about your women.”
Mackenzie kept her gaze on Blake’s clenched jaw as she heard the slam of a car door, the start of the engine, and squealing of tires.
“Sorry about that.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
“Dan’s an asshole.”
“If I saw a friend of mine making out in the parking lot, do you think I’d keep my mouth shut? And don’t tell me you don’t razz your brothers when they’re locking lips with their wives. Not that I’m…that we’re…” Great. She didn’t mean to put herself in a category with his family.
“Sure, I’d be the first to give anyone a hard time, but I wouldn’t be disrespectful toward the woman. Dan acted like you couldn’t hear what he was saying. That’s not okay.”
A sex addict with a heart. Damn, she was doomed.