He got in and sat close to me, lifting one of the lids off the box. “You have got to try this.” He pulled the cake out of the box and lifted it to my lips. I didn’t have the courage to say no to him, so I just opened my mouth and let him feed me.
I closed my eyes, as I slowly tasted the perfect combination of chocolate and creamy mousse.
“Mm…” I savored it a beat longer than necessary, but I was enjoying it too much. “God, that’s amazing.”
I opened my eyes and saw as he stuffed his own face with it, leaving behind a trail of chocolate on his face and lips. Instinctively, I almost reached up and brushed it off, but I quickly caught myself and yanked my hand back before he noticed.
“Isn’t it the best?” he asked with half a mouth full.
I laughed at his goofiness and mess on his face. “It’s incredible.”
He offered me another bite, but I shook my head. It didn’t feel right with William back at the apartment waiting for me. It didn’t feel right being this comfortable with him again. I knew the moment we got back, it’d be awkward again.
“Thanks for showing me your special place,” I said as we walked back into the building and headed for the elevator. I smiled genuinely at him. I was hoping this was his peace offering. I didn’t want to have this awkward tension between us, especially since he’d be living in the apartment while he looked for his own place.
“You’re welcome,” he responded happily. “My mom would take me every Sunday after lunch when I was younger. It was like our own little getaway for an hour or so. It was my favorite part of the weekend.”
I nodded in understanding. I didn’t know much about the late Mrs. Lancaster. William didn’t freely talk about her, but I knew she had battled cancer at a young age and once she had Alex, they were unsuccessful in having any more children. I’ve tried to get William to open up about her, curiosity building up inside me when I first moved in, but it only pushed him away, so I stopped asking.
“Sounds lovely,” I said as I leaned against the gold bar of the elevator. He was across from me, staring at me. I dipped my eyes to the floor to break the eye contact. It was too intense, and I hated that he had that effect on me.
“It was. Dad worked a lot—as you know—and Mom kept busy with her charities, but it was the one day she set aside for us. It was meant to be a family day, but after a while, Dad stopped joining. That’s when it became a day just for us two.”
We were almost to the apartment, but I knew if I were going to bring this up, it’d have to be now, and not when William could overhear. “He talked a lot about you,” I blurted out. “When we first met and even after I moved in, he talked about you. I know he may not show it, but he loves you.”
“No offense, Mac, but you don’t know shit. My dad and I have a complicated relationship.”
“Yeah…I’m starting to realize that. Nevertheless, I thought you should know,” I replied softly just as the elevator dinged and opened up.
We stayed quiet as we walked in. I took the cake boxes to the kitchen where I found William sitting at the breakfast bar with an open newspaper. “I brought you back something delicious.” I smiled as I approached him from the back.
He swung around, dropping the newspaper on the counter. “As long as you’re around, darling, I’ll always have something delicious.” He grinned and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I sunk into his chest, inhaling his scent of oak mixed with spice. It was a perfect combination of him, and I drunk it in.
“Well, in that case, I guess we can skip the cake,” I teased.
He pulled the boxes from my hands and grinned suspiciously, setting them on top of the bar. “Let’s take the cake and a couple glasses of milk into the bedroom.” He leaned in further and whispered, “I plan to eat a different dessert first.” He lowered his eyes down in between my legs before bringing them back up. I gasped; surprised to hear that he wasn’t heading to bed the second his cake was eaten. It was a pleasant surprise.
Before I could respond, I heard Alex clear his throat behind us. I blushed knowing he had probably seen and heard all of that.
“I’m going to head in, finish some unpacking and then pass out.” He looked over me as he spoke to William, ignoring my presence altogether.
“I’ll see you when I get back then.”
Alex nodded in response before turning to walk away.
“Alex, wait!” I heard myself say. He spun around and finally brought his eyes to mine. “Don’t you want to finish your piece of cake?”
“No. You have it.” He flashed a small smile before ducking his head and walking out of the kitchen. I watched him walk away and a rush of sadness overcame me. I wish I understood their relationship, but I also knew it was none of my business. Whatever happened was before I even came into the picture.
William suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me with him as he speed-walked to our bedroom. He began tearing my clothes off before we even made it to the bed. His mouth was on my neck before I had a chance to realize what was happening.
“Let’s skip the cake…dessert now.”
I loved when William acted like this. Sometimes he’d get this whole macho vibe and just take control as if he couldn’t stand to wait a second longer. Normally, I was all for it. I let him take control, rather I encouraged him to, but now—something felt off.
“William,” I whispered as his mouth devoured my neck and shoulders, and his hands were fighting with the zipper of my pencil skirt.
“Soon, darling.”
“William, wait—” I put my hands on his shoulders to push him away, but it hardly fazed him.
“I can’t, sweetheart. I’ll be gone all weekend. I need to have you now.”
“But…he’s in the house,” I finally spat out. I couldn’t believe this was happening. I was in love with my fiancé, who was nearly throwing himself at me, and all I could think about was Alex being able to overhear us.
“So? He’s across the apartment. He won’t hear a thing.” And then added, “Unless you decide to scream louder than usual,” he said with a hint of amusement.
Not likely.
“I know…but it feels weird. What if he’s walking around and he—”
“Stop worrying about it, Mackenzie. He’s going to be here a while. Guess he’ll have to get used to it.”
My eyes bulged out of my head as he pulled my skirt down to my ankles. “How long is that exactly?” I asked nervously. I thought this was just a temporary thing…
“Probably six months. Maybe a year.”
“William!” I gasped, pushing away so he’d finally talk to me. “You never said he’d be staying that long. Isn’t that a bit long?”
He shrugged, not bothered by it. “He needs to get a job, Mackenzie. He just returned from grad school and will need to save up some money.”
“What about his…trust fund?” We didn’t talk about money much, which seemed weird now that I was thinking about it, but he had just always handled everything. The small amount of money I made from my job went into my checking account, untouched, and accumulated interest. Since I moved in, he insisted on paying for everything. I had tried telling him I’d pay half and that it was only fair, but he said that’d be ‘silly’ and he was going to be taking care of me. I couldn’t deny the way that made me feel, especially growing up the way I did. Having someone take care of me for a change was something I had never even thought was possible.
“He has one…but he still needs to work if he wants to continue having money. The way kids spend money these days, trust funds don’t last very long,” he said as he pulled my shirt up and over my head. Kids? Alex and I were the same age…I tried to push any overanalyzing thoughts out of my mind since William was standing in front of me naked.
When did he get undressed?
“On the bed, darling.”
He kissed me hard as he walked us backward. My knees buckled once they hit the edge of the mattress. He pulled me up, setting me in the mid
dle of the bed before crawling over me.
I don’t know what it was, perhaps the too-serious conversation we were just having, or the fact that I felt insanely awkward knowing Alex was in the apartment, but I couldn’t concentrate as William feathered kisses up and down my body. His lips always captivated me, but right now, I was somewhere else.
I moaned as his mouth landed in between my legs, hoping I could get myself in the mood. I closed my eyes and raked my hands through his hair. He dug his fingers into my hips as he licked and sucked, doing everything I love.
I heard a loud slam and my eyes widened, worried someone had walked in on us—that Alex had walked in on us. My body jolted, but William’s hand brought my chest back down.
“I heard a noise,” I explained, feeling foolish that I was acting this uptight.
“It’s just the front door, sweetheart. Alex probably had a date or something.”
I swallowed, closing my eyes again as I tried to get the thoughts and distractions out of my head. That was what I wanted, Alex leaving, but now I couldn’t feel more out of the mood if I tried.
William sank deep inside me, covering his mouth over mine. He was always so sweet, so caring. We made love, his body on top of mine as he kissed me lightly on my lips, jaw, and neck. He always made sure I came before he released, but no matter how hard I tried to get Alex out of my head, I couldn’t and it was ticking me off.
“I’m so close, darling,” William whispered, gripping the back of my neck. I felt him tighten up and I knew it was now or never.
I clenched my legs together and moaned, bringing my hips up to greet his thrusts as he released inside me.
It was the first time I had faked it with my fiancé.
I was officially pissed.
Chapter Nine
William fell asleep instantly, leaving me to drown in my own thoughts. I wondered why Alex had left, where he went, and if he had heard us. I found myself wondering if he was mad and then realized I shouldn’t care about any of that.
Given the circumstances, I do feel bad. He woke up to a one-night stand to a girl who had no memory of him and then days later found out she’s engaged to his father.
It was four a.m. and I had another hour before my alarm would go off. William woke me up to kiss me goodbye and now I lay here wide awake. I decided to get up and shower since it was Friday and it’d be a crazy, busy workday anyway.
Just as I was rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, I heard the bathroom door creak open. I spun around and made eye contact with Alex, who was standing in the doorway staring back at me. The shower door was completely see-thru, but his eyes were glued to mine.
“What are you doing?” I whispered although he couldn’t hear me over the streaming of the water and the fan above me. I watched him intently, his face tense and his jaw tight. He looked ready for a fight.
I opened the door, concealing myself as much as I could, but it didn’t matter. His eyes were burning into mine as he began walking toward me. I pulled in a sharp breath as soon as his hands gripped my hips, wet and bare.
“Mac…” His voice was strained, pained even, and it was when I noticed how vulnerable he looked. “I need to touch you.”
He inched closer, bringing his mouth close to my face, centimeters from my jawline. I inhaled and smelled liquor on his hair and body.
“You’re drunk,” I said, swallowing hard around the lump in my throat.
“Not anymore.” He nuzzled his nose deeper, pressing my wet body against him. The steam from the shower filled the room.
“Is your heart beating for me?” he asked. “Do you feel that?” He grabbed one of my hands and pulled it to his chest. “Feel what happens to me every time I’m around you?”
I hung onto every single word, my heart beating rapidly as his body stayed pressed against mine.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” I said barely above a whisper. I knew I needed to push him away, but I couldn’t find the strength.
“Then tell me to go,” he challenged, pressing his lips to my ear.
It was that easy. Just tell him to leave…but I couldn’t.
I might not be able to remember the exact events of last weekend, but my body does. Those few flashes reminded me enough to know what we did had been mutual and wanted.
He brought his face up to mine, locking eyes with me once again. It was his way of asking for permission or waiting for me to deny him.
His eyes were hungry, desperate. I could see the desire in them and for a moment, I forgot everything. He gripped his hand on my neck and pulled me to him, letting our mouths collide and bodies mesh as one. He squeezed my hip with his other hand, pushing my body against his hard erection.
I moaned in his mouth, allowing myself to get lost in him, in us. My hands were against his chest, squeezing the fabric of his shirt in my fists, gripping him close to me. He pushed us back against the shower wall, not caring that he was getting drenched in his clothes. He kissed me with passion and heat, desperate and eager. The taste of him, a satisfying reminder of how he’d made me feel last weekend when I left his hotel room. I hadn’t expected it, but I hadn’t pushed him away either.
His hands roamed up and down my sides. He moved them to cup my breasts and then down to squeeze my ass with both of his hands, pulling me into his erection. I reached up and pulled his hair, pulling him in deeper, firmer against me. The desire came as instinct; my body felt on fire and seemed to remember everything about that night.
“Mac…” he whimpered, parting his lips and kissing down my throat and neck. I arched my back, giving him easier access. “God, I want you. I want you so bad, Mac.”
He brought his hands back up and wrapped one arm around my back and the other against the shower wall. His mouth landed on mine again as I fought with his belt. Once I released it, I unbuttoned his jeans and yanked the zipper down. A shiver ran down my spine and somersaulted in my stomach as I reached in and pulled him out. I gasped as I felt him with my hands, hard and hot, wrapping one hand around him, and stroking gently.
“Jesus Christ…” he growled, sending a harsh shiver down my body. He dropped his head on my shoulder as I palmed him and he pressed his body into mine. “I-I fucking want you, Mac. I can’t help it.”
His voice was rough, low. It sounded sad almost and it was then reality came crashing inside me. I was only hurting him more, leading him on to think this would change things. It wouldn’t. I couldn’t. Not to William.
What the hell am I doing?
“Alex…” I began, dropping my hands and looking up at him, but he wouldn’t look at me. “I can’t…” I pushed against his chest, his eyes finally locking on mine. “I’m sorry. You have to go.”
“Mac, please…” He adjusted himself and zipped his pants back up. He was soaking wet and begging me to give in—to give in to my feelings that I couldn’t justify.
“No…get out. Please. This is wrong.”
“How can what we feel for each other be wrong?”
I shook my head, suddenly feeling the need to cover myself up. I pushed him a little rougher, telling him to go. “You’re drunk and have no idea what you’re doing, Alex. I can’t be what you want. Just go, please.” He released me and stepped out of the shower. He looked at me, hurt and pleading and it nearly split my heart in two. “I’m sorry.”
He gave me a light nod, his lips firm and tight. He grabbed the nearest towel and shook his hair out before turning around and leaving, slamming the door behind him.
Oh, god…what had I just done?
I SOBBED HEAVILY into the steam of the water that had now turned cold, but I didn’t care. I deserved it.
I let reality slip for a moment and gave in to how I was feeling, not even bothering to care how this would change everything. How this would affect living under the same roof as the man who I apparently couldn’t control myself around.
This was hell.
I rushed getting ready, needing to get out of there as soon as possible. I couldn’t risk ru
nning into him, not before I had to go to work. I needed to clear my head and busy myself with the day’s tasks.
I left the apartment successfully without running into Alex. I’d hoped he went to bed and slept off his hangover. At least I knew what he was doing last night and apparently, he was just coming home when he heard me in the shower.
Would he even remember it? The thought sickened my stomach for a moment before realizing I really hoped he wouldn’t. Perhaps it would just be a secret that I knew, and I’d never tell.
I was going to try much harder at this avoiding him thing. He had just moved in and I was already failing miserably.
“Good morning, Mackenzie,” Laura greeted with a half-smile.
“Morning, Laura. You’re here early today.” I looked up at her and smiled as I set my things down on my desk.
“It’s Friday,” she reminded me. Not that she needed to. I was counting on the chaos to distract me today. “First meeting is at eight sharp.”
“See you then.”
I had stopped for coffee and a bagel before coming into work. My assistant, Chelsea, wasn’t even in yet, but that didn’t prevent me from getting started right away.
The entire day went smoothly, but I was slammed. I hadn’t been able to stop for more than ten minutes to eat lunch until two p.m., and by then, I was starving. Chelsea made sure to keep me hydrated and even gave me one of her Nutrigrain bars. I didn’t usually work nonstop like this, but it kept my mind busy enough to not think about this morning.
“Are you all right, Mac?” she asked. “You’ve been going all day today and I’m starting to get worried.”
“Yes, I’m all right.” I flashed a smile in her direction. “Just got a lot going on, that’s all.”
“Okay.” She nodded and then continued, “Have plans this weekend?”
I sucked in a sharp breath, remembering I’d be stuck in the apartment with Alex all weekend, and I was going to have to come up with some plan to avoid him. If I hadn’t already humiliated myself this morning, I would just tell him to stay away, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t work anyway. Alex was a very determined person.
Dangerous Temptations Page 8
