by A. K. Evans
Marley cocked an eyebrow. “Do you have some special request in mind?”
I feigned innocence and shrugged my shoulders. Then I shifted our bodies on the couch, and while keeping my arms around her, I stood up. When we were steady on our feet, I said, “You’re not suggesting that I would intentionally try to get you to make me breakfast.”
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”
I sighed. “Can you blame me?”
Marley let out a soft laugh, and the sound of it was like music to my ears. “Come on, Mack. Let’s figure this out.”
With that, she stepped out of my arms, took me by the hand, and dragged me into the kitchen.
It wasn’t like she had to try too hard, though, because I went willingly.
“Well, that was disappointing.”
I let out a laugh as I reached for the cloth bag. “I thought it was great,” I said.
Marley rolled her eyes at me. It was the first time she’d done that in years that it didn’t feel like a kick to the gut. This time, it felt fun and playful. I loved having it.
“Of course, you think it was great,” she shot back. “You won. I didn’t even know you knew all those words.”
I slapped my hand over my heart and winced. “Ouch. I thought you knew I was more than just good looks.”
Marley rolled her eyes again and shook her head as she reached out and started gathering the letters.
On the surface, Marley might have been acting like she was upset or annoyed, but I knew deep down that she was just joking.
While Marley and I were in the kitchen earlier this morning making breakfast—technically, she was doing most of the cooking; I was merely there for company and conversation—we discussed our plans for the day. It was clear, based on the way the snow was coming down and the wind was still howling, that we weren’t going to be going out riding.
Normally, that would have been a bummer for me. But today, it wasn’t.
Because now that we had cleared the air between us and I was well on my way to getting my best friend back, I didn’t mind that we needed to be trapped inside.
So, after having an incredible breakfast, the two of us had decided to play a board game. Marley was rather confident she could beat me at Scrabble. Evidently, I’d surprised her because my points continued to just add up with each word I put down on the board.
“You know I just got lucky, right?” I asked her.
“What do you mean?”
I jerked my head toward the board and answered, “With the game. I merely got lucky with the letter tiles I pulled out and how the words happened to fall on the board. I ended up with two triple word score bonuses as well. It was all luck.”
“You’re just trying to make me feel better,” she countered.
“Is that a bad thing?”
She held my gaze briefly before she shook her head.
We finished cleaning up the game, and once she put it back with the others, Marley declared, “Next time we play a game, you choose. I’m determined to win whatever it is.”
A sly grin formed on my face. I knew exactly what I was going to choose.
Twister.
The reason for that was partly because I was a glutton for punishment, but it was mostly because I would do anything to have my body against Marley’s.
“Fair enough,” I replied.
“So, what are we going to do now?” she asked.
“I have an idea,” I said as I stood and moved to pick up the remote.
“You want to watch TV?” Marley asked.
I shook my head. “Not just any TV,” I replied.
Something hopeful washed over her face, and I was convinced she knew exactly what I was going to do. Marley and I each sat down on a beanbag chair as I turned on the television and flipped to the channel I wanted on.
Ten minutes later, we were completely engrossed in a cooking show. Or, Marley was. I was only half paying attention. My focus was on her. She was so absorbed in what was being made, and there was a light in her eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time.
Marley must have felt my gaze on her because she tore her attention away from the television and glanced over at me.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“I forgot how much I missed this,” I said.
“Watching cooking shows?” she confirmed.
I shook my head. “No. Watching you watch cooking shows,” I corrected her. “I thought I remembered what it was like, but I forgot.”
Her features softened. “For what it’s worth, I found it difficult to watch them after everything happened,” she shared. “It just wasn’t the same watching them without you.”
As good as it felt to know that she enjoyed having that experience with me, I hated that she lost out on doing something that used to bring her so much joy. Not wanting to venture into a place that could result in her ending up in tears again, I redirected the conversation a bit.
“Despite all that happened, though, you still managed to create something incredible in your life,” I noted. “Your blog is incredible.”
“Thanks,” she replied.
“I never realized there were so many different ways to make chicken or pasta,” I declared. “And don’t get me started on all the dessert recipes you share.”
Marley laughed. “Considering your profession, is it safe to assume you’ve only stuck to the chicken dishes and steered clear of the desserts?” she asked.
“That’s partially correct,” I told her. “I’ve stuck mostly to the dishes I thought I was capable of making. I haven’t tried any of the desserts, but that’s mostly because I didn’t have the patience to try making them. I have spent an unhealthy amount of time drooling over the pictures of them, though.”
“So, are you saying that if I make some desserts while we’re here, you’ll eat them?”
“Absolutely,” I answered.
“Are we going to have to take one of your online fitness classes afterward?” she asked.
I wanted to laugh. Some things never changed.
Marley didn’t mind going out and exercising by doing something that she found fun, like snowboarding. But if it was about gym equipment or using weights, she was going to steer clear of it.
I’d always loved exercise, movement, and keeping my body in shape. I worked out every day because I liked the way it made me feel. And because I was good at it, I’d decided to turn it into a career.
When it came to getting into shape and starting an exercise program, many people were often too nervous to go to a gym for fear of being embarrassed. So, I put together programs to help people train at home.
It took off.
And over the years, I’d tailored the content I provided to meet the needs of those who had become subscribers. As it turned out, there were a lot of people who also enjoyed working out in the gym but never knew exactly how to train for the best results. I provided guides to help individuals get the best results, no matter where they exercised.
Marley was just one of those people that would never formally exercise. She’d never step foot into a gym or lift weights. And that was completely okay with me.
“Only if you want to,” I promised her.
She scrunched up her face. This time, I couldn’t hold myself back from laughing.
When I settled down, she shared, “It’s never been my thing, but I’m really proud of you, Mack. I’m proud of you for doing so great and becoming so successful. You deserve that.”
I’d always been proud of myself for accomplishing what I did in my life. But there was something about hearing Marley tell me she was proud of me that hit me somewhere deep.
“Thanks,” I replied, my voice sounding a bit huskier than usual.
“Maybe when we can get out of this house, we can take a trip down to the grocery store at the bottom of the mountain, and I can pick up some special ingredients for one of those desserts you want to try,” she suggested.
“I’d
love that.”
She beamed at me. “Me too.”
With that, we both settled in and returned our attention to watching the cooking show.
Truthfully, Marley settled in to finish watching it. I glanced at it occasionally, but I kept my eyes on her for most of it.
Fourteen
Marley
You meant the world to me.
The words Mack had said to me early this morning replayed in my head. It wasn’t just the words, though. It was the way he said them. He meant them, and it was almost as though his heart was broken at the mere thought that I believed any differently.
It was now late; the sun set hours ago, and I was currently in bed. This was the first time all day that I had the chance to give myself time to process all that had happened.
What a day.
Making the decision I did this morning to finally talk to Mack, to tell him where things went wrong between us, I wholeheartedly believed we were going to go to bed tonight not speaking to one another again.
I never expected that we would end up having the day that we did.
It was fun, easy, and filled with laughs, sweet conversations, and appreciative glances.
On more than one occasion, I found myself feeling tempted to go after him and kiss him, especially when we decided to sit down after dinner and watch a movie together.
Several times throughout the movie, I looked over at him. Initially, I believed it was just the nostalgia hitting me. I had him back. After all this time, he was here with me, and there was nothing lingering between us. It was all out in the open, and we’d gotten through to the other side.
Or, we were finding our way to that other side. And that felt really good.
But after my fifth or sixth glance at Mack, I realized it wasn’t just about the recollection of memories that was causing me to look at him. What had started out innocent enough turned into something else.
It was about the inspection of his lips, the perfectly shaped lips that I’d only just once had the privilege of kissing. I began recalling that memory and desperately wanted to recreate it. Only this time, I wanted so much more to go along with it.
I wanted to kiss him, but that wasn’t all.
I wanted to feel my body against his. I wanted to feel that with no oversized sweatshirts getting in the way, either.
But I had to stop and wonder if that was even an option for us.
Did I have a second chance with him? Not just as friends, but as something more.
You meant the world to me.
Too much time had passed. We’d lost so much. Now I was in this bed in a room down the hall from where Mack was, and I was wasting more time.
I couldn’t do this again.
It was entirely possible that I’d regret this, but if there was even a small chance for us, I didn’t want to waste a second. It might end up being a foolish choice, but it could also turn out to be the best decision of my life.
And I thought Mack was worth taking a chance on.
On that thought, feeling a bit daring, I threw the blanket back from body and got out of the bed. I crept down the hall toward the room Mack was in, knocked gently on the door, and waited a moment before opening it.
I had taken two steps inside, the barest hint of light from the hallway lighting up his room, when Mack sat up in the bed and asked, “Is everything okay?”
The blanket had fallen to his waist and revealed his naked and perfectly sculpted chest, shoulders, arms, and abdomen.
He was exquisite. Absolute perfection.
Focus, Marley!
“Do you think it’ll ever be like it was?” I questioned him, coming to a stop just inside the door.
“What exactly are you referring to?” he countered.
I swallowed hard past the lump that had formed in my throat, feeling the nerves build inside me, and clarified through a rasp, “Do you think I could ever be your whole world again?”
For several long seconds, Mack didn’t say anything. He simply stared at me, unmoving and giving no indication of what was going through his mind. I started to think that perhaps his silence was his answer and was immediately regretting the stupid decision I made to come in here and put our friendship at risk.
“I… I’m…” I stammered as I shifted back and forth on my feet.
“Come here,” he ordered.
“What?” I replied, freezing on the spot.
“Come here, Marley,” he demanded.
I swallowed again and moved slowly across the room until I was standing at the side of his bed.
Once I was there, he reached his hand out to me. I placed mine in his and barely had a moment to appreciate how good it felt when he yanked me into the bed with him. Startled by his reaction, I let out a gasp.
Mack’s arms came around me as he effortlessly placed me in his lap. More seconds of silence passed before I felt the gentle caress of his fingertips on my arm. They drifted up toward my shoulder, over to my collarbone, and right to the dip at the base of my throat.
Tingles shot through my body as the anticipation built. Was he going to do this? Was he going to make a move?
“Breathe, Marley,” he whispered.
I tried to do what he asked, but it required a lot of effort. When I managed to do it with a bit more ease, Mack shared, “There isn’t a day that’s gone by when I didn’t wish things had gone differently between us. There were days when I was angry and days when I was sad, but there has never been a day when I didn’t want you to be right where you are at this very moment. When we sat outside last night, all I could do was sit and wonder how I could get us to this place.”
“Mack…” I trailed off, my voice just a touch over a whisper.
“I want to kiss you, Marley,” he said gently. “I want to show you that it only took a matter of a few hours yesterday for you to become my whole world all over again.”
I wanted to cry at his words.
But I couldn’t do that.
Because more than I wanted to do that, I wanted him to kiss me.
So, I begged, “Kiss me and show me, Mack.”
He didn’t say another word. What he did do was allow his hand to curl around the side of my neck as he leaned forward to touch his lips to mine. As Mack’s thumb gently stroked up and down along the front of my throat, he kissed me.
It started off sweet and tender, but before I could get used to that, his tongue darted out and demanded access to my mouth. I parted my lips and instantly moaned at the feel of his tongue against mine.
My hands firmly gripped his shoulders. I’d managed to hug him a few times over the last couple of days, but it didn’t even come close to the feeling of his warm, solid skin beneath my fingers.
Mack’s arm clamped down on my waist, and I couldn’t help but notice the feel of his hardened length beneath my ass.
Mack Slater was turned on by me sitting in his lap. That knowledge made me feel beyond powerful.
So, I did something about it.
Careful not to break the connection of our mouths, I leaned my torso into his chest as I lifted my ass from his lap. I did that only long enough to be able to swing my leg over him. Then, my thighs were straddling his hips and the most intimate part of my body was pressed against the most intimate part of his body.
I couldn’t control the urge I felt and rolled my hips over him.
Mack groaned as he tore his mouth from mine. He cradled my face in his hands and allowed his eyes to roam over every inch.
“Marley,” he rasped as his fingers pressed in deeper.
“Mack,” I returned.
He didn’t hesitate to share, “I want to do a lot more than just kiss you.”
A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “I want you to do that, too.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
I’d been in love with him for as long as I could remember. Even when I thought I hated him, deep down, I knew I still loved him. If I didn’t, it wouldn’t have hurt so much. So, of course
, I was sure I wanted this with him.
“Yes,” I answered.
Not wasting another minute, Mack drove one hand into my hair, allowed it to settle at the back of my head, and tugged back gently on my hair to expose my throat. The next thing I knew, his mouth was trailing over the delicate skin there. He alternated between nipping my skin with his teeth and licking it with his tongue.
My body buzzed to life all over again, my belly beginning to tremble with excitement.
His other hand had drifted down from the side of my face to my collarbone. His fingers found the thin strap of my camisole and traced down the front of it until he reached my breast. Mack cupped me firmly there before allowing his thumb to stroke back and forth over my nipple.
My legs clamped tighter against either side of his body as a guttural moan escaped from the back of my throat. There was so much happening, so much that felt so good, and I was terrified I’d miss something.
“Mack,” I breathed.
He pulled back and looked at me. “Fuck, that was sexy,” he said. “You sitting here on my lap, moaning like that. I didn’t think it was possible to be even more turned on than I already am. And then I hear you say my name like that. That was unbelievably sexy.”
Sexy.
Mack liked the way I said his name.
I loved that, but I also wondered if I could give him more. I wondered if I could give him something else that he hadn’t been expecting. It would take me a little out of my comfort zone, but I was with Mack. I’d always be safe, no matter what.
So, I went for it.
“Is that a challenge?” I asked.
He cocked an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
I crossed my arms in front of my body, allowing my hands to settle on the hem of my shirt. Before making any more movements, I explained, “I was just curious if it was possible to make you even more turned on.”
For a brief moment, Mack simply held my gaze. Then he whispered, “Marley.”
With him giving me that, I knew the answer to my question. And because I couldn’t wait to do that for him, I shot him a seductive grin and began to lift my camisole up. As I pulled it over my head, I felt Mack’s hands begin to grip me tighter on either side of my waist.
