He twisted around, his heart leaping when he spotted Mackenzie crossing the narrow street, each step she took heavy with determination. Her lush mouth was set in a firm line, her pale blue eyes flashing.
Seconds later, she threw open the door and stormed into the bar.
“You’re an asshole, Will Charleston!” Mackenzie flung the insult at him like a live grenade, her cheeks burning with anger.
He lifted one brow. “Am I?”
Ignoring him, Mac turned her attention to Holly, who seemed to be fighting a smile. “You should know that you’re dating an insensitive jerk.”
Holly echoed Will’s reply. “Am I?”
“Did he tell you he slept with me last week?” Mac demanded.
The bar grew quiet. The three patrons at the long chrome counter swiveled their heads in the direction of the booth. Even the waitress eyed them curiously.
But Mac was oblivious to the nosy stares, and that said a lot—she always cared way too much about what the people in town thought of her. “Will and I had sex last week. Did you know that?”
“No,” Holly said with a shrug.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” Mackenzie snapped.
“Why should it?” Casually, Holly took a sip of her beer. “If it had meant anything, he’d be with you right now, not me.”
Will hid a smile.
“It meant something! It meant everything.”
He was stunned to see her eyes fill up with tears. “Mackenzie—”
“No,” she interrupted. “I don’t want to listen to you anymore. I get it, you’re done with me. Fine. I’m done with you too.”
She spun around and hurried out the door.
“Go,” Holly said with a sigh.
Will shot out of the booth and took off after Mackenzie. He caught up to her just as she reached her car. “Don’t even think about running,” he ordered, digging his fingers into the sleeve of her shirt.
“Leave me alone,” she protested, trying to free her arm.
He tightened his grip and dragged her to the narrow alleyway that separated Paula’s general store from the hair salon. A single bulb bathed the alley in a pale yellow glow, revealing Mac’s wet cheeks and eyelashes that were spiky with tears. Her gaze flitted all over the place, landing on everything but him.
“Look at me,” he demanded.
“No.”
He edged closer, slowly backing her into the brick wall, one hand still on her arm, the other now on her chin. He forcibly made her look at him. “What the hell do you want from me, Mackenzie?”
She let out a small sob. “Nothing.”
“Bullshit. What do you want?”
A few more tears spilled out of the corners of her eyes. “I don’t want anything to change.”
“Too bad, it has.” He wiped the tears away with his thumb, then rubbed her bottom lip. “Everything changed the moment you kissed me. Not when I showed up at your house during the storm, not when I slid my cock into you, but when you kissed me.”
“I already told you, I was upset about Dan and—”
“You were attracted to me,” he cut in. “You’re still attracted to me.” He dragged his fingers along the slender column of her throat, across her collarbone, down to the enticing vee of her chest.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
He dipped his fingers and stroked the upper swell of one breast. “Don’t pretend you want me to stop,” he whispered back.
She gasped as he moved his palm underneath the lacy cup of her bra and cupped her. “This isn’t right.”
“It’s right,” he disagreed. “Baby, it’s always been right.”
He let go of her arm, moving his other hand underneath her shirt. He cupped both breasts, stroking, running his thumbs over her nipples. Her breathing quickened, her blue eyes darkening with arousal.
Anticipation coiled inside him, tight and urgent like a rattlesnake about to strike. With a groan, he lowered his head to those enticing tits, nuzzling one stiff nipple before catching it in his mouth and sucking deeply.
Mac gasped with pleasure.
“You like that, don’t you?”
She didn’t reply, only released a little moan, and it was all he needed to hear. With his tongue still licking a nipple, he slid his hands down to her ass and squeezed. His cock jerked when Mac’s fingers found their way into his hair, tugging on the dark strands, keeping him trapped against her breasts. Fuck, he would never get enough of this woman.
He moved a hand to the button of her jeans, skillfully popped it open, and let his fingers go exploring. He rubbed her pussy through her panties, the heat of her searing his fingertips. His groin clenched. Fuck, he could come right now if he let himself, just from the feel of her under his palm. Mac started rocking against his hand, urging him on with soft little sounds, thrusting her tits into his face.
With a strangled groan, he shoved aside the crotch of her panties and found her clit, applying pressure with his thumb.
Mac threw her head back and climaxed, a rippling explosion that covered his fingers with moisture and made every inch of him ache with raw, uncontrollable desire.
“I’m taking you home,” he ground out, barely able to breathe, let alone speak. “Right now.”
She looked up at him with glazed, sated eyes. “What?”
“I’m serious, baby. I need to be inside you.” He took his hand out of her panties and quickly tugged her bra and shirt back into place.
“But…” She shook her head as if trying to snap out of a trance. “What about Holly?”
It took him a second to realize who she was talking about. His supposed new girlfriend. “You don’t need to worry about Holly. Just get in the car and drive home. I’ll follow you there after I talk to her.”
“Will—”
He cut her off with a harsh kiss, his tongue filling her mouth. Just as she began to respond, he pulled back. “Go home, Mac. And you better be naked when I get there.”
* * *
Mac was fully clothed when Will walked through her front door nearly half an hour later. During the drive home, and the subsequent wait for Will to settle things with the woman he was currently dating, Mac had had plenty of time to think and ask herself a few important questions.
The main one being, what the hell was she doing?
It was bad enough that she’d let Will bring her to orgasm in public, but agreeing to spend the night with him again? It was crazy. And foolish. Without the haze of sexual attraction fogging up her brain, she had a clear line of vision to the reason she’d always kept Will safely in the friend zone. Sex was temporary, but the friendship she and Will had wasn’t something she was willing to give up.
And considering what she’d seen, she couldn’t allow sex to complicate their fragile relationship. If he died in that crash—she refused to use the word when—then she didn’t want their remaining time together to be messy and complicated. She didn’t want to fight with him.
She wanted the familiar. Stable, comfortable Will, her best friend.
But…what if he did die? Shouldn’t she allow herself one more night with him? She’d already decided to tell him about the vision, a goal she’d lost track of between watching Will kiss another woman and then letting the attraction distract her in the alley. She’d planned on doing it now, but suddenly she was reconsidering.
One more night in his arms, in his bed. Didn’t she deserve at least that before she informed him of his impending doom?
Her heart pounded as he kicked off his shoes and shut the door. The stark desire on his face took her breath away. No man had ever looked at her like that before, as if she were his entire world.
“You didn’t listen,” he said huskily, moving toward her with catlike grace.
“W-what?” she stammered.
He reached her, his strong arms encircling her waist. “You’re still dressed.”
It took every ounce of strength to shrug out of his seductive arms. “What happened with Holly?” She kept her
voice firm, determined not to let him steal her common sense the way he’d done less than an hour ago.
Will seemed irritated by the question. “I told her I was coming home with you.”
Mac gaped at him. “And, what, you left her alone at Harriet’s B&B, in a strange town where she doesn’t know a soul? God, Will, you really are an ass!”
The callousness of his actions was just what she needed to get her brain in check. It was far easier to be angry with Will than to lust over him.
“No, I didn’t leave her alone.” He sighed. “Her boyfriend is on his way to pick her up.”
Deafening silence filled the room.
Mac stared at him in shock, the implication of his words whipping around in her head until an uncharacteristic growl ripped out of her mouth. “Her boyfriend?” she exclaimed. “You brought her here…kissed her…and she’s not even your girlfriend?”
“Nope.”
His cavalier tone added to the jolt of betrayal in her belly. “You tricked me? Why the hell would you do that?”
He shrugged. “To make you jealous.”
She’d known the answer before he even said the words, and she suddenly felt like a total idiot for playing right into his hands. Of course Will wouldn’t have fallen into bed with someone else a day after he’d slept with her. He wasn’t that kind of man. Will was loyal to the core, ridiculously stubborn, dead-set on getting what he wanted, and for fifteen years, he’d wanted her. So much so that he’d resorted to juvenile tactics to get her.
And he’d succeeded, that son of a bitch. Mac knew without a doubt she wouldn’t have let him touch her in that alley if Holly hadn’t been in the picture. The sight of Will with another woman had made her insane with jealousy and driven her to give Will exactly what he wanted.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” he said dryly. “You would’ve done the same thing in my place.”
“Maybe in the sixth grade,” she huffed. “Damn you! It’s not fair to play with people’s emotions like that.”
He moved closer again, the spicy, masculine scent of him filling her nose and weakening her resolve.
She held up a hand. “Don’t you dare come any closer. I’m furious with you.”
Another shrug. “Good. Angry sex can be damn hot.”
She swatted at his outstretched hands. “I’m not having sex with you.”
“Yes, you are.” His voice was smoky with heat and seduction.
Almost immediately, her mind cleared of everything but the desire she felt for this man. She forgot about the vision of his helicopter, her anger about his lie, everything.
Damn it, she wanted just one more night with him.
Mac’s muscles clenched in anticipation as he thrust his hand in her hair and angled her head to accommodate his approaching mouth. The kiss was electrifying, molten hot and deliciously erotic. His tongue pried her lips open, delving into her mouth and flicking determinedly against her own tongue.
Then his lips moved, and he was exploring her neck, nibbling her flushed skin. “You are going to have sex with me,” he rasped. “Tonight, tomorrow morning, tomorrow night, and the night after, and the one after that. I’m going to fuck you every second of every fucking day, until you won’t remember what it’s like not having my cock inside of you.”
She whimpered.
His mouth returned to hers, his tongue tracing her lower lip. “Now take off your clothes. I want to look at you.”
She feared he might’ve cast a spell on her, because she found herself doing precisely what he’d asked. She stripped off her shirt and bra, then wiggled out of her jeans and panties. Just like that. He commanded, and she obeyed. She should hate herself for her weakness, for how easily she gave into this man’s husky orders and persuasive hands.
Will’s dark eyes studied every inch of her exposed body. Each time his gaze lingered, flames licked at her skin. She was unbearably hot. Painfully aroused.
Damn him.
Features strained, Will unceremoniously ripped his shirt over his head, then tackled his jeans. After he’d shucked his boxers, he stepped toward her. Naked, beautiful, his cock jutting out eagerly.
Moisture pooled between her legs. She wanted every inch of him buried deep inside of her.
“Spread your legs,” he ordered.
She did as he asked, shivering wildly as he sank to his knees and kissed the inside of her thigh. His big hands rested on her butt, drawing her toward his waiting mouth.
Mac threw her head back and cried out when his tongue found her clit. The sensations swirling through her body were too much, too fierce and too hot and— “More,” she gasped. “Give me more.”
He did, burying his face deeper, sucking harder on her clit until she couldn’t stay upright anymore. He tugged her down to the floor and repositioned her so that she lay flat on her back, legs wide open, her pussy exposed and aching for him.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said gruffly. “I want to eat you up, baby.”
“Do it then.” The bold words slid out before she could stop them.
He gave a faint half-smile and dipped his head. Her hips surged toward him, and she rubbed herself against his mouth, desperately taking every bit of pleasure he had to offer. He brought his tongue back to her clit, licking gently, while two long fingers worked their way inside her hot channel. The resulting orgasm sent a bolt of lightning up her spine, seizing her body and lighting it on fire.
She heard her moans fill the room, but the reckless, blissful sounds seemed to be coming from far away. All she could hear, see and feel was Will, and his tongue, his fingers, his hot breath on her clit.
Mac barely had a chance to come down from the orgasmic high when Will grabbed a condom from his discarded jeans, climbed up her body, and drove his cock inside her. There was nothing gentle about his movements. The hardwood floor beneath her back was cold and unforgiving, but it only added to the rising urgency, the rough, unrestrained thrusts and desperate groans.
It had never been like this with any other man. So good, it was so damn good. Her arms tightened around his muscular back, nails digging into his sinewy flesh. Will let out a harsh curse, muttering, “Too fast,” even as he was shuddering over her, jerking wildly as he came.
His breath came out in pants, his shaft pulsating inside her, and Mac found herself smiling as she looked up at his sexy, dark eyes. She liked seeing Will lose control. He was always so serious, his emotions never quite reaching his eyes, but not now. Now, she could see everything he was feeling. The raw desire, the tenderness, the love.
Love.
The notion made her stiffen, but Will quickly captured her mouth and kissed her. “No,” he ordered against her lips. “You’re not pulling back from me again.”
She tried turning her face away from the possessive kiss, but he wouldn’t have it.
“No,” he said again, and before she could blink, he withdrew, lifted her to her feet, and carried her into the bedroom.
7
It only took two days for Will to accept that he would simply never get enough of Mackenzie. He wondered, as he strode out of the bathroom on Sunday night, if this was even natural. He and Mac had stayed in bed since the night of the carnival, only getting up to grab a quick bite or take a shower, though both activities had resulted in yet another round of hot sex.
The only downside was that he sensed there was something on her mind. Every now and then she’d grow silent, bite her bottom lip, or look at him with a troubled frown. He hadn’t pushed for answers, though. The last thing he wanted to do was remind her of her previous reservations about him. About them.
“Your phone rang again,” Mac told him as he resettled on the bed.
Her raven hair was tousled, and the sight of her rosy cheeks brought a smile to his lips. She’d come only moments ago, and he loved seeing the remnants of climax on her flushed face.
Drawing her warm, naked body toward his, he absently stroked her bare shoulder as he reached for the cell phone si
tting on the dresser. The missed call was from Carson.
Will sighed.
Next to him, Mac peered at the phone and laughed. “Oh, call him back already. He can’t kill you when you’re here and he’s all the way in San Diego.”
“Wanna bet?”
“At least check your messages, then. Maybe he’s not even angry.”
“Again, wanna bet?”
Still, he punched in the code for his mailbox, then pressed the speakerphone button. A moment later, they heard Carson’s voice.
“You kissed my girlfriend? My fucking girlfriend? I don’t give two shits if you’re my superior. I’m kicking your goddamn ass, Charleston!” Click.
Will glanced at the naked woman in his arms. “See?”
“Let’s hear the next one,” she said with a laugh.
He hit delete and moved to the next message.
“Holly just told me you had your hands on her ass. I swear to God, I’m tearing your throat out.” Click.
“Had enough?” Will grumbled, about to toss aside the phone.
Laughing uncontrollably, Mac grabbed the cell from his hands. “One more,” she begged.
Carson’s voice again. “Okay, I may be starting to calm down. Holly just reminded me that I fucked my best friend’s wife not so long ago and—”
“What?” Mac’s eyebrows shot to her forehead.
“—a kiss isn’t as bad as sex. Nevertheless, asshole, it’s still pretty bad.” Click.
“He had sex with his best friend’s wife?” Mac demanded.
“Threesome,” Will answered, as if that explained everything.
“Okay.” She studied him curiously. “Have you ever had a threesome?”
“Nah, I’m a one-woman guy.” He grinned. “I’d rip the head off any man who tried to touch you in front of me.”
“Interesting. I’m in bed with a barbarian.” She tilted her head. “Does that mean I can rip Holly’s head off?”
He snorted. “Not unless you want to contend with Carson. Besides, that kiss meant nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “So you didn’t get hard?”
Out of Uniform Box Set: Books 1-3 Page 19
