Mackenzie put the car into gear and pulled into a side road, stopping on the double yellows in front of a traffic warden.
“That’s going to get you a ticket,” I said.
“I have hundreds of fucking tickets from those assholes,” he said as he unclipped my belt.
I sighed at the instant relief, leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes. I angrily brushed a tear away.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“So am I. Can we get to the house, then you question me?” I could see them forming on his lips.
Why the fuck I should feel embarrassed, I had no idea, but I did. I was the hard-nosed career woman, wasn’t I? Isn’t that what he called me? I was the tough cookie, and yet a pang of nerves had my stomach knotted when we walked out of my apartment, that knot doubled when we walked out of the apartment building. Being nervous to leave my home embarrassed me. Holding my breath until I was safely in the car embarrassed me. Meeting my best friend, knowing I was going to break down and cry as soon as he saw my bruise, embarrassed me. They shouldn’t have, but they did.
We drove the rest of the way in silence.
Mackenzie opened the passenger door once we’d pulled onto his drive, and he crouched down beside me.
“I’m sorry. I just…”
I placed my hand on his cheek. “I know it’s totally irrational, but I feel embarrassed that somehow I allowed him to do that, I didn’t fight back. I should have. I’m not a weak woman, Mackenzie, but he scared me. For the first time in my life, a man scared me. That is what I’m embarrassed about. Not you, not us, not me being here.”
“I’m glad you also see that as completely irrational. No matter how tough you think you are, Lauren, you’re no match for a drunken man, who took you by surprise. I’ll postpone Jerry’s visit.”
I sighed and smiled at him. “Help me out the car, your fucking stunt driving has killed my hip.”
“I wish you wouldn’t swear,” he mumbled as he helped me.
“Says the man who wants me to say soaking cunt,” I said, somewhat surprised by his comment.
He laughed. “I wish you wouldn't swear because it turns me on.”
“Why?”
“There’s Lauren, the professional career woman, the upstanding pillar of community, and then there’s Lauren the dirty, devil on her shoulder, sexy as fuck woman. I lo…like them both, of course.”
I frowned at him, what was he about to say? Just say it, I said, no, shouted, in my head.
I was scared of reading too much into what he was saying, and I blamed Gabriella for putting the thought that he was in love with me into my head. How often had he said he wasn’t looking for a relationship? I tried to rack my brain for instances, while he grabbed my bag from the boot of his car.
He opened the door and left my bag at the bottom of the stairs. We walked through to the kitchen.
“I need to get some tea,” he said, as he fired up his coffee machine.
“Don’t shop just for me,” I replied.
“I want to. Now, rules. It might be the traditional thing here in the U.K. that the kitchen is your domain but it isn’t. It’s mine; all mine. I cook.” He smirked at me.
“I’m not going to argue with that. Any more rules? Can I use your toothbrush?”
“Since my mouth has been all over your body, I don’t have a problem with you using my toothbrush. Steer clear of my razor though. That might provoke a Mackenzie you haven’t seen yet.”
“A Mackenzie I haven’t seen yet? That sounds interesting.”
“Yeah, you might not like that Mackenzie. I cut my face because you blunted my blades? Won’t be a pretty sight.”
“Yet you have all this scruff,” I said, running my hand over his stubble.
“It can come off if you don’t like it.”
“I like it. Anywhere I’m not allowed to go, in this grand house of yours?”
“You can go wherever you want. I want you to feel at home here, Lauren.”
“It would be hard not to feel at home, I love it here.”
He smiled at my words. “Good, if you want to rearrange anything, go ahead.”
He talked as if I was moving in and not just spending a couple of days.
“Oh, don’t touch my cars, massive no on that one.”
“I can’t drive anyway, maybe you can teach me?”
“To drive my Aston Martins? Are you fucking crazy?” He laughed as he placed two coffees on the breakfast bar. “I’ll buy you some beat up Ford, and you can learn in that.”
“I was kidding, I don’t need to learn to drive.”
“Everyone needs to drive, Lauren. Maybe we should organise some lessons.”
“I live in London, I’m about to work a five minute walk away from where I live, well, where I live for now. I don’t need to drive.”
“What do you mean, where you live for now?”
“I’m going to sell the apartment. It’s not about the money, I just don’t want to live there anymore.”
“Because of last night?”
“No, I made that decision a few days ago. Because it’s lonely, because it holds memories I’d rather not have.”
“You’re lonely?”
“Of course I’m lonely. For the first time in my life, I’m on my own, Mackenzie. I haven’t gotten used to it yet. I’m sure I will, but I don’t want to do it in that apartment.”
“Where will you live?” he asked, his voice had lowered a little.
“I don’t know; depends what I can afford.”
“I’ll send a courier to pick up your laptop, is there anything else you need?” he asked, completely changing the subject.
“I’ll give Jenny a call, I’ll tell her I had a fall or something. Slipped out the shower.”
“I’m also going to report what Scott did to Gabriella, she needs to know so she can keep him off the premises. He’s supposed to be working his notice but that isn’t going to happen now.”
“Do you have to?”
“Yes. I won’t have that man near my property.”
“I hope that doesn’t refer to me,” I said, with a laugh. He placed his coffee cup down and stood.
“I’d neither insult you that way, nor presume that you were mine. I have to make a call to the police, see what happened.”
I watched him walk from the room, holding his body tight. I’d been in his house no more than half an hour and already there was tension.
“We have to have that chat,” I whispered to his retreating back.
While he made his call, I decided to explore the house. I picked up my cup and started on the ground floor. The living room was vast, and I wondered if he’d used an interior designer. Two brown leather sofas faced each other in the centre of the room, a large low table sat in the middle. Although comfortable looking, it didn’t seem that he used it that often. Cushions were propped on the sofa at precise angles. The room was bright with two large windows looking out to the front.
Another room was set out as a cinema room, a huge TV screen dominated one wall and a less formal sofa faced it. I wasn’t sure if it could be called a sofa, it was more like a bed, such was its size.
There was a downstairs cloakroom, and the last door I opened held Mackenzie behind a glass desk. He looked up while still on the phone and smiled at me. He waved me in.
“Yes, she’s here now. Okay, hold on,” he said.
He handed me his phone. “Gabriella,” he said.
“Hi,” I said.
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry to hear what happened. My God, are you okay?”
“I am just a little bruised. Mackenzie is overreacting, but I’m sure glad to get out of the apartment for a day or so.”
“What have the police said? Have they charged him?”
“I expect to hear from them today. I gave a statement, and of course, Mackenzie beat him up, so I don’t know what will come of that.”
She laughed. “Another clue perhaps, to how he feels?”
I turned
my back slightly, not sure if he could hear.
“No, instinct. Anyway, I wanted to come into work, I’m perfectly fine…”
She cut me off. “You’ll do no such thing. Take the rest of the week off, start afresh on Monday. I’m sending Joanna, your replacement, over to meet your team today. I’d have liked for you to meet her first, but we might as well get it over with. Mackenzie tells me you need some things, how about you email Jenny, and we’ll have that couriered to the house?”
“That would be great, thank you. I can’t just sit here doing nothing for a couple of days.”
“I’ll see you at some point, and rest assured, Lauren. Scott will not be welcome here.”
“Thank you, I’ll pass you back now.”
I handed the phone to Mackenzie. “I’m taking a tour, is that okay?” I asked before he spoke.
“Of course it’s okay. Let me finish up and I’ll show you around.”
He placed the phone back to his ear, while he continued I pulled my mobile from my pocket and texted a message to Jenny.
“Gabby, sort out Lauren’s things for me and I’ll call you later.”
He didn’t say goodbye, just cut off the call.
“So, what have you seen so far?”
“The huge TV in that room, do you watch it?”
“I spend most of my time in the kitchen or here. Maybe we’ll watch a movie later. I called the police before Gabriella. They charged him with assault, he didn’t deny it and is out on bail,” he said. I nodded.
“So, tour?” he added.
I followed him back to the hallway. “Living room, I don’t go in there much, cloakroom, my office, kitchen that way, obviously, and TV room. That door there, takes you to the basement.” He walked towards it.
I followed and we descended a flight of stairs and into a gym.
“Wow, do you use all this?” I asked, looking at a range of high tech equipment.
“Yes, every day, usually. I like to keep fit, work out a little frustration. There’s a shower room through there,” he said indicating to a door.
“You’ll have to teach me how to use this,” I said.
I stood beside a weight machine with a leather bench underneath. He had running machines, cross trainers, weights, rowing machines, a spin bike, various sized core stability balls, a punch bag hanging in one corner, and in the other, an area of soft mats. To one side was a massage table.
“Do you remember what I told you?” he said, as he stalked towards me.
“When?”
“I said I wanted to fuck you in every room of this house, and I will.”
I raised my eyebrows at him, a smile formed on my lips. “I’ll make sure to mark my territory, Mackenzie, just in case you decide to bring another woman here when I’m gone.”
I heard his sharp intake of breath. “I don’t bring women here. You’re the first, and last. I like that little jealous streak you have.”
“Oh, I’m not jealous, I….”
Was I? I didn’t think I was. However, I didn’t like the thought of him having another woman at his house.
“I’ll also make sure to leave the odd pair of panties around, just in case,” I said, with a wink.
He laughed. “If I wasn’t so concerned about your hip, I’d start your marking your territory right now.”
“I’m not that precious,” I said.
“You are to me,” he whispered. Before I could respond, he took my hand. “Come on, rest of the house.”
We walked back up to the ground floor and then up the stairs. Mackenzie grabbed my overnight bag on the way. He took me to his bedroom first, I’d been there before, and he placed the bag on the bed.
“You can shift some stuff around in the closet, make some space.”
We then left the room. He showed me three more bedrooms, all beautifully decorated. I paused in one, the dressing table held cosmetics, female cosmetics. I guessed he’d seen me look.
“Gabriella’s room, when she stays. Well, I should say, Gabriella and Alex’s room. Although I need to shift them a little further down the hallway, they’re not the quietest of couples.”
I gasped and bit down on my lower lip. “You cannot say that.”
He laughed, “It's true.”
“Are all Americans so open about their sex lives as you are?”
“No idea. I’m forty years old, Lauren; I don’t have time to fuck about. I say and do what I want.”
Do you? I wish you did, I thought.
There was a large family bathroom and another shower room. We walked back downstairs and through the kitchen to a set of doors. The garden was laid mainly to lawn but had a large terraced area with sofas. We walked towards a brick building.
“Summer house, or whatever you call them here,” he said, as he opened the doors.
“Pool house,” I said, as I saw the sparkling expanse of blue water.
“There’s an apartment above that, I guess for staff.”
“Do you have help?”
“I have someone come in and clean a couple of times a week. Housework isn’t my thing.”
“No, I can’t quite see you being the domestic type. Who does the food shopping?”
“I do. I’m a modern man, Lauren. I don’t go to the store, fucking hate that. Do it online, or Kerry does.”
“Kerry?”
“The cleaner. Well, she’s probably more of a housekeeper since she sorts my laundry as well.”
“So other than cook, you don’t actually do anything a modern man does?” I teased.
He laughed, “I guess not. But I was halfway to impressing you, wasn’t I?”
“You impress me, full stop.” I kicked off my shoe and dipped my foot into the water. “Jesus, it’s freezing!”
“I don’t use it, didn’t seem any point in turning it on. I can, if you want, but I suspect it will take a few days to warm up.”
“No, don’t worry on my account.”
“What do you want to do today?” he asked, as we walked back to the house.
“I don’t know; you have to work, so maybe I’ll read for a while.”
“I don’t have to work, I can take a few hours off.”
“Then why don’t we see what’s in the box,” I said, with mock surprise.
He picked it up from the kitchen counter. “Lead the way,” he said.
Chapter Sixteen
Mackenzie placed the box on his bed. He stood to one side and looked at me.
“Open it, show me what you bought,” he said.
I tried not to giggle and my hands shook a little as I peeled off the sticky tape. I pulled back the lid and gasped.
“Oh, God. What was I thinking?”
“Show me.”
“No, I’m embarrassed.”
I turned to face him, keeping the box behind me.
“Embarrassed? Really? After what we’ve done? I watched you lick another woman’s cunt, Lauren. I watched you come in her mouth. There should be nothing in that box that’s embarrassing,” he said, as he took a step towards me.
“I wish you wouldn’t use that word.”
“What word?” he asked.
“The C word.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because it turns you on and that also embarrasses you?”
He was so close; I could feel his erection through his trousers.
“Yes. And it shouldn’t, it’s a horrible word,” I said.
“Horrible or not, it elicits the desired response. Trust me, it’s not a word I use in my everyday vocabulary. I like being vulgar with you. I like to see your pupils dilate when I say the word. Now, show me what’s in the box.”
I turned, feeling him press against my back. I lifted out the vibrator, removed it from its packaging, and held it in my hands. It felt silky, real. I ran my hand over it as Mackenzie placed his hands on my waist; he ground himself against my backside as he looked over my shoulder.
“I think we can have a lot of fun with th
at,” he whispered.
I placed it on the bed. The next thing I pulled out was the tube of lubricant.
“Good, always useful,” he said.
I showed him the vibrating eggs and he laughed.
Then it was the We-Vibe. It was housed in its own box. I opened that and took out the small black object and an instruction booklet.
“Now that I like. I can control it,” he whispered.
“I’ve never used any of these things,” I said.
“I’ll enjoy initiating you then.” He ran his hands up my sides, dragging my t-shirt over my head.
He unclipped my bra and slid it from my shoulders. He then reached around and undid my jeans. I wriggled out of them, pulling my panties down at the same time.
He reached around me for the vibrator and switched it on. I was thankful it had come with batteries already installed. I heard its gentle buzz and felt a tingle as he ran it down my spine.
“I like that,” I whispered.
“What do you want to experience, this weekend? It isn’t always about pain, Lauren. It’s also about sensual touch, having your nerve endings come alive with different sensations. Soft strokes of a feather, vibrations, or the harsh sting of a flogger or paddle.”
“All of that,” I said.
He ran the vibrator over my backside and I parted my legs slightly.
“One day, I want to fuck your ass,” he said.
“Never,” I replied, breathlessly as the vibrations shot through me.
He chuckled. “Never say never. It’s on my list, so has to be done.”
He placed his hand between my shoulder blades and gently pushed my top half to the bed. I swiped the boxes out of the way as I stretched out my arms in front of me. He kicked at my ankles and I parted my legs further.
He ran the vibrator over my clitoris and the vibrations reverberated through me. I gasped. He slid it back and forth, each time causing a moan. I heard a soft chuckle.
“You like that, huh?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
Whatever he did to increase the vibrations had me crying out for more. I clawed at the bedding, dragging it towards me.
He eased the tip inside me and I tensed a little. “Relax,” he said.
What I hadn’t expected was, when he pushed it in further, a small arm hit my clitoris vibrating against it.
The Facilitator Page 24
