I walk over to the bed and kiss her head, pushing her mass of red hair off her face. “Hey, gorgeous, I gotta run.”
“Mmm, I know.”
“I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay. I left you something on the table by the door.”
“What?”
“You’ll see.”
I bend down and kiss her lips. “I hate leaving you.”
Mackenzie smiles. “You’ll be back soon enough.”
“Yeah, but no naked yoga this morning.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Alright.” I kiss her once again. “I’ll see you later.”
“Yep.”
I pull the sheet down so I can view her naked body once more. Running my hands over her tits, I smile. “Am I ever gonna get my fill of you?”
“I hope not.”
“Me, too.”
I make myself stand and leave. When I walk out into the living room, I grab my things and then look for what she left me on the table. Sitting there is a shiny gold key and a note that says to use it anytime I want. This is major. I stand still, holding it in my hand and thinking about what this means for our relationship. It’s progressed further than I imagined it would with no signs of slowing down. I like everything about her and I want to be wherever she is. For the first time in my life, I’m not afraid of where this relationship might go. I feel comfortable with it and excited about the future. I’m not scared. I’m…happy.
I shove the key in my pocket and smile.
In the office, I sit through three meetings back to back. Finally at lunch time, I get a break. I cannot wait to walk through the department and see Mac again. I’ve learned to keep my distance at work, but tomorrow is the big Majestic pitch. Since Matt had his baby and took a month off, it will be just me and her. Alone. I’m definitely taking her somewhere to fuck before we go back to the office.
I press the elevator button for my floor. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I turn it back on. It starts buzzing with a million notifications I missed while I was in all those meetings. I scroll, looking for the ones I need to respond to first. Stepping off the elevator, I quickly say hi to Macy then head into my office to call Mac.
I dial her cell phone. “Hello,” she answers.
“Hey.”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing. Just saying hi.”
“Hi.”
“Are you ready for your meeting tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. Are you?”
“Yes. I just wanted you to know that afterwards, I’m going to take you somewhere and fuck your brains out.”
“Ooh, that sounds romantic.”
“Do you want romance? Cuz I can give you that.” Can I? What the hell do I know about romance?
“Is that so?”
“Yeah, it is. I would like to.”
“Who’s stopping you?”
“You seem like you don’t want that.”
Mackenzie is quiet for a minute.
“Are you there?” I ask.
“Yes.”
I take a deep breath. I don’t know where some of these thoughts come from, but she brings out a different side of me.
“Sometimes, I want to make love to you. Not just fuck,” I say.
“It’s all the same, isn’t it?”
“Maybe I should show you.”
“Is that what you want?”
“Yeah, it is. I want all of you. Not just your body.”
“You have all of me.”
“No, I don’t.”
“I gave you my key.”
“Yeah, now what about the key to your heart?” As soon as I say that, it sounds like possibly the dumbest thing ever.
Mackenzie laughs. “What are we, in some romance novel all of a sudden? Who says shit like that?”
“Listen to me. Don’t you think that means something? You make me lose my cool and say stupid corny shit. You make me want that.”
“Stop it,” she whispers. “We shouldn’t talk about this here.”
“You’re right. We’ll talk about it tonight.”
“Okay.”
“Will you talk to me?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Hey,” she says just before I hang up.
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“For what?”
“Putting your guard down and trying to help me with mine.”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.”
After hanging up, I return numerous messages and try to keep myself busy, but my mind won’t stop racing. What made me say that to Mac? Do I want to make love to her? Do I want romance and all that shit? I’ve never wanted it in my life. I always went for the easy prey. The women who didn’t make me work for it. The women who didn’t expect anything from me, but now, I want more. Maybe there is something in me that really does want to settle down. Is Mackenzie the one?
The intercom on my phone buzzes from Macy.
“Hey, Macy.”
“Hello. Sydney from automotive is here to see you.”
“Oh, cool. Send her in.”
Sydney walks in my office holding a small plastic bowl. “Hi. I hope I’m not bothering you.”
“Not at all. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good. I made these vegan cookies last night that came out pretty good so I thought I’d bring you some. I have way too many.”
“Vegan cookies, huh? Are you trying to convert me?”
“No.” She laughs. “I just thought you might like them. My team did. Even Keith, who hates anything healthy.”
“Alright, I’m up for adventure. I’ll try one.” I open the lid and take one out. Staring at it suspiciously, I finally take a bite. “It’s not bad. It tastes like a normal cookie.”
Sydney smiles. “I thought so. I’m flirting with making the transition to full vegan, but there is still the whole bacon thing. Pork fat is truly amazing.”
I laugh. “Yeah, definitely. So how is work going? Sam treating you alright?”
“Yes. He doesn’t like you, you know? I told him I was coming up here and he told me to hold on to my panties.”
“What a fucker. He has no right saying that to you. He’s just mad because of some intern he lost.”
“Oh, Meredith? Yeah, everyone knows about that. They were going to hire her as soon as she graduated.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m never gonna live that one down. It wasn’t even my fault this time.” I run my fingers through my hair. “Anyway, your panties are safe with me. I’ve reformed my ways.”
“I wasn’t worried,” she says softly. “How are things going?”
“Really well. A lot of exciting stuff happening. You?”
“I really like it here and Tory says I’m doing well. So far, so good.”
“Personal life treating you well?”
“Yeah. I’m dating a nice guy. You?”
“It’s looking up. I met someone with promise.”
“I would imagine that isn’t hard for you.”
“What?”
“Finding women who are interested in you.”
“I do okay. You never were, though, back in high school.”
“We ran in two different circles.”
“True.”
Sydney stands. “Well, I won’t take any more of your time. I’ll be sure to inform Sam my panties and my dignity are still firmly intact after spending time with you.”
“Fuck Sam.”
“No, thank you. That doesn’t sound appealing at all.”
I laugh heartily. “Hilarious!”
She grins. “See you later.”
“Bye.”
After Sydney leaves I walk out and hand Macy the plastic bowl. “Vegan cookies.”
“Are they good?”
“Kind of.”
“She brought you cookies?”
“She knows me. We went to high school together, of all things. I bumped into her one day in the elevator.”
“Small world.”
“Definitely. You know what that asswipe Sam said to her?”
“Oh boy. What?”
“To hold on to her panties if she was coming to see me.”
Macy laughs and I glare at her. “Come on, it’s funny,” she says. “You kind of deserve it.”
“That was the past.”
“You’ve been a good boy for what, a few months? You were a bad boy for years. It’s not going away overnight.”
“Clearly. I think Sam is jealous of me.”
“Of course he is.”
“Anyway, it’s annoying.”
“Don’t let it ruin your day. You had a cute girl bring you cookies. That’s a good day.”
“Yeah, even if they are vegan.” I laugh. “I’ve got work to do.”
“Yes, you do.”
The end of the day finally comes and I start to feel excited that I’ll be seeing Mackenzie soon. As I make my rounds saying goodnight to everyone, I notice a bounce in my step that was missing for a while.
I head out and decide to stop at some nearby shops. Mackenzie needs a little romance in her life. I buy a bouquet of flowers, a box of some chocolate truffles, and a bottle of champagne. A salesgirl approaches me.
“Excuse me, sir. It looks like you have a nice evening planned. Can I suggest you add this gift pack to it?” She hands me a basket that has candles, bubble bath, and some kind of oil in it. “This is massage oil.” The girl smiles.
The thought of Mackenzie naked with oil all over her runs through my mind. “Sold. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
I walk to the counter and pay for my purchases. I think Mackenzie is going to be surprised. I just hope it’s in a good way. That girl has a wall around her heart like Fort Knox. I wonder what happened to her to make her that way. Maybe she’ll tell me someday. Maybe tonight.
As I drive to her place, I start to have that weird feeling like I’m being watched. I look out my window and see nothing odd then I shake my head. I’m being ridiculous. Still, it takes a few minutes to rid myself of the feeling. When I pull up in front of Mac’s, I look around before getting out of the car. Nothing unusual. I shrug my shoulders and hand my keys to the valet attendant.
I knock softly on her door and wait. When she opens it, a smile immediately spreads across my face.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I say.
“Hey, yourself. What you got there?”
“Romance.”
She steps to the side. “Really?”
“Yeah, really. Flowers for you.” I hand them to her. “Chocolates, champagne, and bubble bath. Then a little rub down for later. How does that sound?”
“Like you’re trying to seduce me, but you’ve already done that.”
“Your body, yes. Your heart, not yet.”
She smiles. “Oh, so you didn’t forget that I agreed to talk?”
“You don’t have to, but you can’t stop me from treating you the way I want to.”
“True.” She smells the flowers. “They are really pretty. Thank you.”
“You are really pretty. I couldn’t wait to be alone with you again.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Good. I’m glad my obsession with you isn’t one sided.”
“Not at all.”
“What do you want to do tonight? Besides relax while I feed you truffles.”
“That sounds like a good place to start.”
I follow her to the kitchen and open the champagne while she gets two flutes out of the cabinet. I pour the drinks and feel Mackenzie’s arms wrap around my waist. She lays her head against my back, causing me to freeze for a moment. It’s a sweet gesture, with no sexual overtones at all. I twist her around and pull her into me, wrapping my arms tight around her. Kissing the top of her head, I enjoy the fruity scent of whatever she puts in her hair. She looks up at me and kisses my chin. I open my mouth to speak, but she puts her finger over my lips.
“Let’s just have this moment,” she whispers and rises up to kiss me softly. I hold her for several minutes. There is no talking, only breathing, and unspoken emotion. I don’t know what she’s thinking, but I really wish I did.
“Mac,” I whisper in her ear. “Tell me what you’re feeling right now. I want to know.”
“Do you?” she says against my chest.
“Very much so.”
She takes a deep breath. “I’m very happy you’re here. Very.” She kisses my chin. “I’ll probably tell you more someday, but not yet.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Mackenzie smiles and it melts my heart. “You’re going to wear me down one day, dammit. That’s not what I signed up for.”
“What did you sign up for?”
“Sex and power. Not romance and shit.”
“Sometimes you get more in life than you were expecting.”
“Yeah, sometimes.” Mackenzie unbuttons her blouse, successfully redirecting my attention. “Why don’t we run that bath now?”
As we walk down the hall to the bathroom, she glances back at me.
“Maybe if you tell me some of your secrets, I’ll tell you some of mine.”
“I don’t have any.”
“Really? Well, I’ll see if there is anything I can coax out of you.”
“If anyone can, it’s you.”
“Bath time.” She turns on the faucet and begins to fill the tub, pouring in the bubble bath I bought.
“That looks nice,” I say.
“Do you like it hot?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
She starts to undress, ignoring me like I’m not in the room. When she lets her skirt fall, my breath catches at the sight of her thigh high stockings. She continues undressing as if she’s alone and I feel like I’m peeking through a window. She lets her bra drop and pulls her panties off, then proceeds to put all that luxurious hair up in a bun on top of her head. I would kill to be able to take a picture of her to capture this moment. I would stare at it for days.
She puts her leg up on the counter and slides the stocking down, pulling it off from her toes, before repeating the other side. Finally, she looks up at me and acts like she just realized I was watching her.
“Are you going to get undressed?” she asks.
“Hell yeah.” I strip down in record time and stand over the bathtub, holding her hand while she slides down into the water. I climb in across from her.
“This water is burning my balls.” I chuckle.
“You said you wanted it to be hot.”
“I do. I plan to be in here for a while so it’s good.” I lift her foot from the water and kiss the bottom of it.
“That feels nice.”
“I want you to always feel nice.”
“You’re doing a good job.” She lifts a truffle out of the box and takes a bite of it. “Tell me, what finally wore you down to hook up with me?”
“Besides the obvious attraction?”
“Yes. I know you were thinking about it.”
“Yeah. I’ve had some bad luck with women lately and I was worried that would carry over to you and things would go badly. I had visions of my career going down in flames because I couldn’t keep it in my pants. I didn’t know you would be so good at being discreet.”
“Bad luck? In what way?”
“Well, I had a few bad dates. Like, really bad. I was starting to feel like I’d lost my touch. Then you came along and reminded me I could have someone really incredible.”
“That’s nice to hear. Sounds like you’ve had quite the love life.”
“Yeah. It’s no secret. My own sister described me as a man slut. And you’ve heard about my intern problem.” I shake my head. “I spent my life chasing after easy women. Some of them I didn’t even remember their names. It was disgusting. I even had a nightmare that all these women were pregnant by me because the condoms broke.”
Mackenzie laughs softly. “That is nightmare worthy.”
&nbs
p; “Yeah.”
“So then you picked me. Or I picked you rather, but you gave in. There’s no one else you’re interested in?”
“I don’t want to be anywhere but here. Since we hooked up, all I think about is you. All I crave is your touch. Every day I wait for the time when we can be alone again. Trust me, I am wrapped up in you. I couldn’t want another woman if I tried.”
“That’s sweet of you.”
“Mackenzie, listen to me. You always say that, but I’m not being sweet. I mean every word I say. I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I’m all fucked up over you. You’ve got me thinking about things I never have before. I bought you flowers, for fuck’s sake.”
“You don’t buy every girl flowers?”
“I don’t even buy dinner for most girls. You’re special.”
“Why?” She drags her foot down my chest. “What is it about me?”
“It’s everything. If anyone could get me to fall in love it, could be you.”
“There’s that word again.”
“What’s wrong with talking about love? I never thought I would, but the longer I’m around you, the more I think about it.”
“I don’t know why.”
I grin. “You’re my Cleopatra.”
“That was a stupid metaphor on my part. The story didn’t end well for anyone she loved.”
“We’ll make our own history.”
“I wish you would stop winning me over with your sappy, romantic words. I like being bitchy and aloof. It suits me.”
“Yeah, it does. At work.” I push her legs open and slide up her body, kissing her neck. “But, we’re here now, alone, just you and me. You can let me inside the walls you’ve built up.”
“How do I know that you won’t hurt me as soon as I do?”
“You don’t. You just have to follow your heart.”
“Hmm, I’m not comfortable with that.”
“Maybe we can get you there. Remember what you said to me when we met? I don’t take no easily and I don’t back down from what I want. I want you, Mackenzie.”
“I’m giving you everything I’m able to.”
“I’ll take it for now.”
She smiles. “What else will you take?”
“This.” I rub my hand between her legs. “And these.” I bend my head down and nibble on her nipples. She moans softly. “Definitely this.” I kiss her lips and then slide my tongue inside her mouth. Pulling her closer, I can feel my cock hardening with just her kiss. “You’re so sexy. So perfect.”
Chasing Desire Page 20
