Spin the Bottle (2 page)

“What are you looking for? You just walked through checking everything.”

“Have to keep your eye on the ball. Something could go wrong at any moment, and it’s my job to make sure nothing ruins your party.” She turned to look at Lil. “I take my job very seriously, even when the client is a friend and doing me a very big favour.”

“I was more than happy to be your first.” Lil grinned. “Besides, it’s not often I get free rein of the house without either Mackenzie or Lachlan around to nag about what I’m doing.”

“I thought you said they were due in tonight?”

“Mac’s plane doesn’t land until after nine, and I’m not sure about Lachlan. No one in his office could give me a definite answer, and as usual he’s not answering his phone. It won’t matter because by the time either of them arrives it’ll be too late to stop the fun.”

Cassie shook her head. “Why do you do that?”

“What?”

“You know what.” Cassie gripped Lil’s hand. “You’re not the supermodel party girl you pretend to be. I don’t understand why you go out of your way to project this superficial image while you hide who you really are.”

Lil sighed. She couldn’t explain it, this compulsion to live up—or down—to everyone’s expectations. It all started with her mother, but then didn’t every child blame their parents? She shrugged. “It’s what they expect.”

“And what about what you expect? What you want?”

“I’m getting it. This is only a small part of my life, Cassie, you know that.” Lil squeezed her friend’s hand. “I’m done with this world after tonight. This party is my big hurrah.”

“You’re quitting?”

“Shh.” Lil glanced around to check no one had heard her friend. She leaned close to whisper in her friend’s ear. “I quit. Months ago actually. This last job was personal.”

“Are you going to make an announcement?” Cassie asked.

“No. I was planning…” Lil’s gaze snagged on a head of tousled blond hair across the room.
Mackenzie.
“Oh shit. Gotta go. Talk later.” She turned and fled before Cassie could say another word.

Weaving through the partygoers, Lil quickly made her way out of the room. She glanced over her shoulder as she cleared the doorway. Mac was no longer in sight and she breathed a sigh of relief, but she wasn’t taking any chances so kept moving. What was he doing home already? His flight wasn’t due in until ten past nine. She’d double-checked this afternoon with his secretary to be sure he wouldn’t arrive before the party was well underway. Dammit. The last thing she needed was an angry Mac in her face.

She headed for the kitchen. If she could manage to dodge him for a few hours… Oh, who was she kidding? He’d be pissed off no matter how much time passed. He wouldn’t let her small fib about the size of the guest list go without a lecture. Lil checked on the food supply only to discover one of Cassie’s staff had it under control. Waiters and waitresses made their way back and forth to the party rooms with trays of finger food. Everything ran with smooth efficiency and Lil had no doubt her friend could run a country with as much skill and make it look easy.

Nothing had been left to chance, every detail checked and double-checked by a member of Cassie’s team. So far Lillian hadn’t done a thing, and from what she’d seen over the last two hours, it wasn’t likely she would all night. Which was good, because this was her farewell bash, of course no one knew that but her and her closest friend, Cameron. And now Cassie. Why she’d let that bit of information slip was beyond her. She’d had no intention of telling anyone anything. Her plan had been to fade quietly into oblivion, and as long as she didn’t let her tongue get away from her the rest of the evening, she’d still be able to pull that off.

Lil smiled. The thought of finally doing what she’d always wanted gave her butterflies in the pit of her stomach, but all the years she’d sacrificed to a modelling career she had no taste for had paid off. Her bank account looked healthy even with the big chunk she’d used to start up her Lilli Pond label of children’s clothing. Of course, this last twelve months of being in the black meant she no longer had to model to earn money. She glanced around the kitchen once more as she headed out into the dining room.

“Lillian, darling.”

The smile slid from Lil’s mouth. There was no mistaking that high-pitched voice. Plastering on her game face, she turned to greet the woman Lillian was one hundred percent positive had not received an invite to the party.

“Chantal.” One look at the man on the other woman’s arm told Lil how she’d found out about this evening. “Aaron, so lovely to see you both.” She wasn’t sure why she’d invited Aaron after the way he’d leaked the photos of her sunbathing topless at his private estate. A long history of friendship and politeness seemed the only reason, but he’d just guaranteed himself no further niceties from her.

Chantal leaned forward and delivered air kisses to either side of Lil’s face. A cloud of nasal-clogging perfume threatened to choke her, and Lil tried not to cough.

“I’m assuming my invite got caught up in the mail, Lillian. If it wasn’t for Aaron here, I wouldn’t have known a thing about your party.”

There was no love lost between them and Lil had no intention of letting Australia’s latest starlet think otherwise. “I never sent you one, Chantal. I had no idea you were out of rehab yet.” She’d raised her voice just enough to be heard by the people around them and a second of gasped silence held them all for a moment.

Aaron flinched as Chantal’s talon-like nails dug into his arm. Chantal narrowed her baby blues, leaned forward and spoke through clenched teeth. “I wasn’t in rehab. I was involved in a car accident and spent time in the hospital recovering from my injuries.”

As a cover story, it wasn’t bad, not that anyone inside the industry believed it, but the general public pretty much took gossip mags as gospel. Lil had no doubt the press were being fed exactly what Chantal’s management wanted them to print.

“I’m glad to see you’re fully recovered. If you’ll both excuse me, I need to speak with the party organiser.” Lil turned and pushed her way through the growing crowd. With any luck, she wouldn’t cross paths with Chantal again. Why the other woman had made them sworn enemies still eluded her, but Lillian wasn’t about to let it spoil tonight. She’d have Chantal removed before it came to that.

Lillian paused in the doorway to the living room. The hired DJ had set up in the far corner with a number of wireless speakers strategically placed around the house so that every room could be blasted with music. Cassie had explained that the volume would be turned down once the games really got going, but for the first few hours the loud beat of the latest hit songs would be played. There wasn’t a game set up in this room yet, but Lil knew Cassie had planned for an adult version of musical chairs. She couldn’t wait to see what kind of twist her friend had put on a childhood favourite.

“Hey, Lil.”

She turned to see Mac’s brother, Alec, heading her way. Glancing around, she made sure Mac wasn’t with him. “Hi, Alec, glad you could make it.”

“Um, this isn’t exactly what I expected.” He dragged his hand through his too-long blond hair. “Mac said a few friends, some food and a couple of beers.”

“Well, Mac was wrong. Besides, it’s my party not his, and when did you talk to him about it?” Lil asked, curious to know when Mac had found the time to speak to Alec seeing how he hadn’t tried to ring her in two days. Not that she would have answered his call.

“He rang me from Melbourne just before he boarded an earlier flight.”

Damn. No wonder he was already here. “I didn’t know he’d changed his plans.”

“I was a little distracted, but I think he mentioned working with idiots and having had enough.” Alec laughed. “I guess he bashed some heads and came home early. Although I’m not sure he’d be happy to be home with all this going on. He was pretty adamant it would be a quiet evening relaxing with close friends. His description was what convinced me to come.”

“Sorry, it was never going to be a quiet gathering, but please don’t go.” She could see Alec wanted to leave. “I saw Mac before, so he’s around here somewhere. Why don’t you grab a beer and go find him. I’m sure you’ve got some catching up to do.” Lil nudged him farther into the house, towards the bar.

“I promised I’d show so I need to at least talk to him, I guess.”

“Yes, you know Mac will never let it go if you don’t at least find him.” She gave Alec another push just as she spotted a familiar blond head. “Go, enjoy. I’ll catch you later.”

Lil turned in the direction of the backyard. She greeted people as she passed but didn’t linger. She had to put as much distance between her and Mac as possible. Each room Lil looked into appeared more packed with bodies than the last, and Cassie gave her two thumbs-up and a wave as they passed on either side of the kitchen. The huge games room led to the back deck and the full wall of open sliding doors let in a light evening breeze, but it wasn’t enough to cool things down. Summer in Sydney had been a scorcher, and today had hit the high thirties with minimal reprieve when the sun went down.

The air was warm and sticky already, and with the house packed full of laughing, talking, drinking partiers, things were heating up fast. Lillian checked the control panel and switched the air conditioning down a few degrees. It wouldn’t be as effective with all the doors and windows open, but she’d take all the air circulation she could get. A game of twenty-one started up in the corner and Lil watched as everyone was dealt cards. The first guy busted and picked up a shot glass filled with clear liquid, probably tequila, and swallowed it in one gulp.

Each player, one after the other, took a card. All of them went above twenty-one and took a shot. A second round started up quickly and Lil stood off to the side to watch. She was enjoying the game when someone pressed into the back of her. Thinking the person wanted to get past, she stepped forward only to be stopped by an arm around her waist, a strong grip that pulled her back against the solid hot wall of muscle behind her.

Warm air fanned over her ear and neck, sending shivers down her spine. His scent filled her nose, and he didn’t need to speak for Lil to know who had hold of her. Mac. He gripped her hip, splayed his fingers and urged her to take a step backwards. Her body was never her own when he was around, and she let him lead her where he willed. He moved them out of the way and stepped them into the corner of the room.

In a second, Mac spun her around. He pushed her into the corner and caged her in, his hands flat on the wall either side of her waist. In her five-inch heels they were eye to eye and she could see the swirl of emotion in his blue gaze. She’d gone too far with tonight’s party, but that wasn’t what had her worried. No, what made her anxious was the look on his face that said he wanted to kiss her. They’d been there and done that with disastrous effects. Lillian didn’t know if she could survive a second time.

“You can run, Lilli, but you can’t hide forever.”

Chapter Two

Mac waited for the explosion. He didn’t for one second think she’d let him get away with pinning her in a corner. No, Lillian McDermott never let anyone limit her. She took what she wanted when she wanted. It galled him to think she’d turned out exactly like her mother. That woman had a lot to answer for, the least of which was her absentee parenting. He shuddered. The last person he wanted occupying his mind was Gabriella McDermott. He’d much rather concentrate on her sexy daughter.

The one who drove him nuts but pulled him closer with every breath he took. He’d tried to stay away, tried to ignore the gut-burning need to see if the kiss they’d shared was a fluke. His gaze dropped to her mouth. Slightly parted, her cherry-red lips beckoned, a siren’s call he knew he couldn’t refuse—didn’t want to deny. Mac leaned forward, his lips a breath from hers.

“Mac?”

His name on her tongue, the puff of warm air that blew over his chin and the tremor of her lips made him smile. “Lilli.”

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“I thought that was obvious.” He didn’t pull away but moved his body closer to hers, his chest barely touching the tips of her breasts when she sucked in a breath.

“You can’t.”

“Can’t?”

“N-no.” Her lips brushed his. “It’s bad, remember?”

Mac pulled back a fraction to focus on her eyes. “What?”

“Kissing me.” She licked her lips and sent his blood pressure soaring. “When we did it before, you said it was bad.”

For a second, he hadn’t a clue what she meant, and then it clicked. “Oh, no, it wasn’t the kiss that was bad, Lilli.” He lowered his head, brought his mouth back within touching distance of hers. “I’ll prove it.”

He slanted his mouth across hers. Thrust his tongue between her parted lips to plunder. Mac didn’t ease into the kiss. He dove deep, headfirst. She tasted of champagne and cherries. Of lush decadence that spoke of untold pleasure. The party faded away, lost in the mating of their mouths. Nothing existed but the woman now in his arms, her body plastered to his, her soft curves cradling his hard edges as he devoured her.

Her breath hitched when he sucked on her tongue, and the gaspy little moan that followed the caress of his hand down her spine dragged him further into the most sublime kiss of his life. His cock throbbed, his balls ached and every nerve ending sizzled with the need to take her.

Here.