As she left Jason and Libby’s house, Christa thought about texting Mack and decided against it. She would send him a message just before she boarded the plane. That way she wouldn’t have to respond to him. She still wasn’t sure what she wanted to say about Tina.
Chapter 13
Mack was on his way home from work when his phone vibrated in his pants. He waited until he was at a red light to pull it out.
Hey. Got called in to take an extra flight. I’m boarding now. I’ll be in Denver tonight. It will be late when I get to a hotel.
Mack’s shoulders dropped and the car behind him honked, making him lift his gaze and resume driving through the intersection. He’d stared at that disappointing text so long the light had turned green.
When he got home, he dropped his computer bag by the back door, flipped on the kitchen light, and then stopped moving. For a moment, he thought someone had broken into the house. There was glass everywhere on the tile in front of him.
After a quick perusal of the rest of the room, he realized someone had dropped a glass baking dish. A large chunk of it was still intact.
There were plastic grocery bags on the counter and a package of mozzarella. What the hell?
Christa hadn’t mentioned a word of this. She could have gotten called in to work and had to leave in such a hurry that she couldn’t clean it up, but she surely would have told him in her text.
The sound of a knock behind him had him spinning around. He pulled the door open and found Tina standing there. “Hey.” He backed up and let her in. “Watch out. There’s glass everywhere.”
“Oh.” She looked surprised, her eyes wide, her hand going to her chest. “Christa didn’t clean it up,” she muttered.
“Do you know what happened?”
She licked her lips and hesitated, meeting his gaze. “I dropped the baking dish this morning. I came over to make you a lasagna and accidentally dropped the dish. I’m so sorry. I’ll clean it up now.” She started to rush past him.
Mack grabbed her arm. “No need. I can do it. Stay over here before you cut yourself. You have on flip flops.”
She glanced down and winced. “Right. Ugh. Sorry.”
He reached over and dragged a barstool closer. “Sit. Get your feet off the ground while I sweep it up.”
She jumped up onto the stool and crossed her legs.
Mack stepped gingerly through the glass until he could grab the broom that was leaning against the counter. Someone had at least started to sweep it. “So what happened after you dropped the dish?” he asked as he reached under her stool with the broom, making sure no shards extended that far across the room.
“I didn’t know you still had a house guest, and I guess I woke her up. I nearly jumped out of my skin when she came into the kitchen. Scared me to death.”
Mack glanced at her. “I told you she was staying here until she could find another apartment.”
“Yeah. I guess I didn’t think she’d still be here. I wasn’t thinking.” She licked her lips again. “I think I interrupted her sleep.” She winced. “Please tell her I’m so sorry when she gets home. When I realized she was trying to sleep, I apologized and left. I didn’t want to continue to bother her.”
Mack nodded. Sounded reasonable. And apparently, Christa got called in to work before she had a chance to come into the kitchen again.
“She said she works nights. Is she already at work now?” Tina asked.
“She’s a flight attendant, and yes. She was off tonight, but she got called in.”
“Oh.” Tina sat up straighter. “Well, I could finish cleaning this up and make the lasagna I intended to cook earlier if you want.”
Mack shook his head as he swept the last of the shards of glass onto the dustpan and then dumped them in the trash. “Honestly, I’m exhausted. I’m just going to make a sandwich and watch television for a while. I need sleep.”
“Okay.” Tina hopped off the stool. “Again, I’m so sorry about this morning. Please tell your friend I said I’m sorry.”
“I will.” He met Tina’s gaze and wondered if there was any merit to what his friends had said about her. Surely not. She was just a girl. His neighbor. She liked cooking. She’d told him so herself. She’d said she was considering culinary school and needed someone to be her guinea pig. He sure wasn’t going to turn down delicious home-cooked food from an eager student who needed someone to try out her concoctions.
He followed her to the door and held it open for her.
“I promise I won’t come in without knocking again while your friend is here. How long do you think she’ll be staying?” She tipped her head back and met his gaze, her eyes big.
“She’s more than a friend, Tina. I’m dating her. And she can stay as long as she likes.” There. If there was any merit to the idea that Tina was into him, he’d squashed it like a bug.
“Oh, right. Sorry. I didn’t realize.” She fiddled with her necklace as she backed up.
He needed to confront her. “Listen, Tina, Christa seems to think you’re interested in me romantically. Are you?”
Tina’s eyes went wide and then she took another step back. “No. Of course not. We’re like family. Goodness, I’ve known you my entire life. You’re like my big brother.” She smiled. “One who lets me use him as a guinea pig for new recipes.”
“That’s what I told Christa, but I wanted to make sure.” He stared at her, wondering if there was any merit to everyone’s suspicions. He had to take Tina at her word though. Why would she lie?
She shrugged. “With our parents in Florida, we’re like the only family we have locally. We have to take care of each other.”
He nodded. She was right. He felt bad for confronting her like this. There was no reason to believe Tina had any interest in him beyond that of a big brother. Other than the fact that she tended to hang around a lot, he had no other evidence. He assumed she missed her parents and liked spending time with him. She had roommates, but it wasn’t the same as family. She’d never once hit on him.
“Well, I’ll see you around soon then.” She turned and left through the open garage he’d failed to shut when he got home.
Mack watched her until she stepped out of sight. Never once had he considered she might think of him as more than a brother slash friend slash neighbor. Was he a fool? Or was everyone else reading into this?
He hoped Christa wasn’t too mad about finding Tina in the kitchen again this morning. That would have been awkward now that he thought about it. Then again, she would have texted him right then if she’d taken issue. Right?
Mack shut the garage door, locked the door to the kitchen, and headed for the refrigerator. He was so damn tired that he didn’t even want to make a sandwich, but he knew he’d be hungry in the middle of the night if he didn’t.
After slapping cheese and turkey on bread, he headed for the living room and dropped onto the couch. He flipped through the channels for a few minutes while he ate and then settled on an old movie. If he didn’t force himself to stay awake for a few more hours, he would be screwed and totally out of whack at about two in the morning.
His mind went to Christa. He hoped she’d gotten enough sleep. He didn’t have a clue what time Tina woke her up. Thank God Christa wasn’t flying the plane.
He hated that she wasn’t going to come home tonight. Apparently, she would be sleeping in a hotel in Denver. The house was too quiet. He smiled as he thought about her. It wasn’t as if she talked his ear off. She was rather quiet and soft-spoken most of the time. But he’d enjoyed having her in his house.
He’d enjoyed having her in his bed even more. His cock jumped to attention at the memory of her sweet body in his arms. The way she came from him stroking her clit. He hadn’t even stuck his hand inside her panties.
And damn, she was a firecracker. Her entire body pulsed with her release, quivering for several minutes afterward. It was a wonder he hadn’t come in his shorts.
Mack ran a hand through his hair. He really
liked her. She was nothing like any woman he’d ever dated before. She was sweetness and innocence. He needed to keep himself in check. She would run for the door if he let his true instincts loose and fucked the daylights out of her.
Would she ever be up for something like that? He wondered if he could control his inclination to dominate her and be the vanilla boyfriend she needed. What if she needed that forever? Shit. He wasn’t certain he could change that much for anyone. But maybe for Christa.
Eventually, Mack turned off the television and dragged himself down the hallway. He dropped his clothes in the hamper in his bathroom and pulled on a pair of shorts. It was disappointing to think his sweet woman wasn’t going to climb into his bed in the early hours like she did this morning. He really needed to rein himself in. He was getting carried away. He had no way of knowing if she felt as strongly about him as he did her.
After dropping into bed, he lifted his phone and composed a text. She would get it when she landed.
Missed you tonight. Sorry you got called in. Guess I better get used to weird hours if I’m going to date a flight attendant. I’m probably going to fall asleep before you get to the hotel, but I’ll leave my phone on if you want to call. If not, sleep well.
He read the message several times before hitting send. He didn’t want her to feel pressured by him, but he wanted to say enough for her to know he was interested. She wasn’t just some woman staying at his house because she didn’t have any place else to go. She meant something to him.
He didn’t care if she was even looking for another place. He kind of hoped she wasn’t. He liked her in his home. Maybe it was too soon and he was out of his mind, but he didn’t care. He would continue to tread carefully and hope she was falling as hard for him as he was for her.
Chapter 14
Christa pulled into Mack’s driveway at five in the afternoon. She left her car outside the garage and used the keypad to open it. His car wasn’t there. She hadn’t expected to find him at home this early.
As she entered the kitchen, she closed the garage, leaving her Civic in the driveway. Tina-the-Crazy couldn’t claim she didn’t know Christa was in the house if her car was visible. And Christa needed a nap. Even fifteen minutes would refresh her enough to stay up most of the night again.
When she’d lived with Libby, it had been easier. They both understood each other and kept a calendar on the fridge with their work schedules. That way any time one of them came home, the first thing they did was check the calendar so they would know if the other was upstairs sleeping or not home.
It would be perfect if Christa lived with Bex. The two of them worked the same flights most of the time. But Bex had been living with Shayla for several years, which was how Christa now found herself in need of a single apartment.
She headed to the guest bedroom first, kicking off her heels almost before she was inside the room. Her uniform was next. She even removed her bra. After dragging a T-shirt over her head, she set her alarm for half an hour later and climbed under the covers.
It seemed like she’d just hit the pillow when her phone blared, making her jerk awake. She flopped onto her back. She could easily go back to sleep, but then she’d be a hot mess and her sleep cycle would be completely out of whack.
There were no noises in the house. It was safe to say that Mack wasn’t home yet. She didn’t think he got off until six, so she still had over half an hour before he would arrive. What she really needed was a bath. It would bring her back to life and wash off the gritty feeling she got from flying.
She slid from the bed, ditched the T-shirt and panties, and wrapped her favorite silk floral kimono around her. It barely covered her butt. Who cared? She padded across the hallway and stepped into the guest bath, but then hesitated. The bathtub she’d seen in the master bathroom had been much larger with jets.
After glancing at her phone, she decided she could easily use Mack’s bathroom and be back in her room dressed and refreshed before he got home.
Five minutes later, she was submerged in hot water, the jets beating into her back perfectly. He didn’t have bubble bath, but it didn’t matter. It had been years since she’d had a bath this luxurious. Large enough to stretch out, deep enough to cover her up to her neck, and the jets were just an added bonus.
She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. The churning water teased her nipples as she let her mind wander. She pictured Mack sitting in the tub with her, behind her, his legs parted to allow her to lean her back against his chest. She squeezed her legs together at the thought of him parting them, draping them over his thighs, holding her wide open. He would pin her hands to her sides and slide his palms up and down her body, stroking her breasts before reaching between her legs…
“Remind me to come home early more often.”
The sound of Mack’s deep sultry voice made her nearly jump out of her skin. She jerked her head up and found him leaning in the doorframe. “Shit. You’re early.” Her voice was gravelly. Heat rose up on her cheeks. She hoped she hadn’t acted out any of the fantasy she’d been enjoying. She didn’t think she had.
He grinned. “Yes.”
Her heart raced. She swallowed a few times before finding her voice again. “I hope you don’t mind me using your tub. It was irresistible.” She glanced down at her body and decided he couldn’t really see much with the jets on. Even without bubble bath, the jets were stirring the water up enough to distort his view. Besides, did she care if he saw her naked? Not really. Maybe it would entice him to take things to the next level.
“Of course not. Use it any time. Coming home to find a sexy woman in my tub will never disappoint me.”
Her cheeks heated further, but she was probably already red from lying in the hot water. It felt awkward having him watching her in his bathtub, but she didn’t want him to think she was a total prude, so she cleared her throat and made small talk. “How was work?”
“Okay. I was tired. I didn’t get enough sleep the night before. I’m still dragging.” He winked at her. “How about you? Your sleep must be a mess from working that weird shift.”
She shrugged. “I’m okay. Took a power nap when I got here.”
He stared at her for a few moments, his gaze roaming down her body and back up. “Yeah, I’m gonna leave this room before I go with my baser instincts and end up joining you.”
She swallowed. Her entire body came alive at his suggestion. “Maybe you should.” She sure wouldn’t mind acting out her daydream.
He groaned. “Do not tempt me, woman. I may look strong on the outside, but on the inside, I don’t have the strength to keep my cock to myself.”
Yep. She could flush deeper. She considered telling him he didn’t need to keep his cock to himself, but she’d already used up her ability to be forward for the day. Any further discussion would make her feel like she was begging him, which would be totally embarrassing if he continued to turn her down.
Mack groaned as he left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Christa’s body was heated way beyond the effects of the water. Her nipples were hard points, and her sex was clenching at nothing. She smoothed her hands up to cup her breasts and let her thumbs flick over her nipples. She considered reaching between her legs, but what if he walked back into the room? She’d be mortified. So instead, she drew in a deep breath, turned off the jets, and released the water.
After drying off with an oversized towel from his linen closet, she put her silky robe back on and padded from the bathroom.
She jumped when she found Mack pacing just outside the door. He stopped in his tracks and faced her. He was breathing heavily, and he ran his hands through his hair.
Was he pissed? “Sorry. I didn’t mean to, uh…”
He closed the distance between them in two seconds and flattened her to the door, his lips coming to hers as his fingers threaded with hers at her sides.
Her already-aroused body zoomed from seven to ten in seconds, especially when Mack lift
ed her hands above her head and clasped both her wrists in one of his. He never broke the kiss though. Not even for a moment. If anything, he deepened it, making her brain short circuit.
Christa was vaguely aware of her robe falling open, making her shiver as her nudity was exposed to the room. His knee came between hers, keeping her from moving.
She moaned at the sheer dominance. The power. A taste of what she craved from him.
But he wasn’t out of control. He was gentle. Caring. He had her trapped, but his movements were calm and calculated. His free hand came to her waist and eased up to cup her bare breast.
She moaned into his mouth, unable to form a single coherent thought. All her blood had rushed to her nipple and lower.
She arched her chest forward when he stroked her nipple in the same way she’d done minutes ago in the tub.
“You drive me to distraction, Christa,” he murmured against her lips.
How was she supposed to respond? He confused the hell out of her. One minute he was telling her he couldn’t join her in the tub because he wouldn’t be able to control himself. The next minute, he had her plastered to the door with his hands on her naked body. How was this different?
He released her breast and smoothed his hand down her body so slowly she nearly screamed from the suspense. When his fingers found her sex and dragged through her wet folds, he froze.
He was panting as he stopped kissing her to meet her gaze, his lips curling up in a smile. “You shaved.”
She didn’t move a muscle. Did he like it?
“How will I know if the carpet matches the drapes?” he teased.
She moaned, partly because he was tormenting her, and partly because his joke was so cheesy.
He stroked through her folds several times, drawing out her arousal and using it to circle her clit. He kept his gaze on hers, not resuming the kiss.
She felt vulnerable and exposed. “You’re dressed.”
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