Temporary Bliss (7 page)

Two hours and one cold shower later, where I became well acquainted with my detachable shower head, I’m decked out in my Bears hoodie with a big orange C in the front, with dark blue skinny jeans and tangerine chucks, and finished off with my awesome Chicago Bears purse I bought last year. I’m the poster child for a sexy, fun and free Bears fan.

Kate didn’t come home last night. She’s out with her latest man toy, Jeremy.

a.k.a. The Grunter

I mean seriously, I’m all for a man who can express himself, but not a gorilla man who grunts his way through a three minute horizontal mambo session from foreplay to finish. But he’s hot, and Kate’s happy(ish) so I’ll keep holding on to the hope that she’ll grow tired of him and his grunting.

Kate is more of a romance and flowers girl. She believes in love and love at first sight, or frequent sight as the case may be.

Except for when grunting Jeremy is on the other side of my bedroom wall!

I’m just finishing my makeup when I hear the doorbell. Trying not to act like an excited puppy ready to hump his leg, I make myself walk slowly to the door. I crack it open and find a smiling, fully decked out Daniel leaning against my door frame, a look of pure adoration on his face.

“Morning, gorgeous” He has the biggest smirk on his face, his gaze travels down to my orange clad feet and back up to the large C straight over my bust and his smile gets impossibly bigger. “Damn, you’re a beautiful sight in Bears’ gear.”

“I did tell you I was a fan, and a girl has to look fashionable while supporting them,” I reply with a grin, moving out of the doorway. “Come in, I’m almost ready.”

He closes the door behind him and takes a seat on a bar stool at the breakfast bar. I watch as he looks around our two story brownstone apartment. “Nice place,” he murmurs approvingly.

“We like it,” I reply, checking my purse to make sure I have the essentials: phone, wallet, and lip gloss. “Ok, I’m all set.”

Daniel has moved off the stool and is standing in front of me in the middle of the kitchen. He inches in slowly until our chests are almost touching, reaching up and gently sweeping a loose wisp of hair back behind my ear. “And how was your cold shower, Mac?” he asks quietly, his eyes showing just a hint of the fire I know is burning behind them.

“Warm and satisfying,” I reply smoothly, moving my hands to my sides, not sure exactly what to do with them...with him. Dammit! I’m not used to this kind of chemistry. It’s palpable. I’m seriously expecting sparks to start buzzing between us.

He puts his hands on my hips and leans in, gently kissing my cheek. “And the showerhead?” he whispers huskily in my ear.

“Daniel was very satisfying,” I reply breathlessly as I lift my arms up around his neck. How can this man affect me with one look, one touch, one swoon worthy brush on my cheek?

“Maybe one day you can experience the full Daniel experience,” he says before circling his tongue in the tender spot below my ear, causing my whole body to shudder against him.

“Play your cards right, buddy, and it might be your lucky night,” I say as I place both hands on his chest and ease him back away from me.

He stands up straight again, hands still resting on my hips. “I might just be the best damn cards player you’ve ever seen.” He moves his hands up my body until he’s cupping my jaw and slants his head to give me a spine tingling kiss that I feel from the top of my head to the tip of my little toe. “Now, let’s get tailgating before we come up with other games to play and never leave the house.”

We arrive at Soldier Field around 1 p.m., and with his arm wrapped around my waist, Daniel leads me towards the parking lot. I’ve been tailgating before so this is not new to me. As we head towards the parking lot and see the lines of parked cars, tailgates open, and the hordes of people surrounding them, I feel at home. The air is filled with the aroma of portable grills packed with food, and the laughter and ribbing of Bears’ fans as they prepare for the game.

“You alright?” Daniel asks me, quirking an eyebrow as I look around, taking the whole experience in.

“I’m perfect, Superman,” I say with a grin.

“Superman? I like it,” he replies, kissing the side of my head. “I like that a lot.”

I can’t wipe the goofy grin off my face. This is almost comical. Makenna, the relationship phobe objectifier of men, actually enjoying a second date, and not wanting it to end anytime soon.

Well, that is until Daniel stops next to a white Dodge Pick-Up and I look straight into the blue eyes of Dr. Noah Taylor. My Noah.

Fuck!

Daniel, not noticing my body go stiff as a dead body in the snow, lifts his chin to his friends before introducing me. “Mac, this is Thomas, Cade, and Noah. They’re old college buddies of mine. And this is Mac,” he says with a huge grin.

Thomas steps forward first, offering me his outstretched hand for a handshake. I put my hand in his and he startles me when he lifts the back of my hand up to his mouth and kisses it softly. “Nice to meet you, Mac.”

“Watch it, Tom. She’s my date,” Daniel says in jest as I stifle a giggle.

“Just greeting the lady, Danny Boy. No need to get jealous,” he responds with a grin and a wink towards me.

I try not to meet Noah’s gaze, which hasn’t left me since we turned up. I can feel his eyes burning into me, though, so I burrow myself closer into Daniel’s side, earning a chuckle and a squeeze from him.

“They won’t bite, gorgeous,” he murmurs into my hair as he gently kisses my head.

“I’m not too sure about that,” I mutter. I think back to a few months ago when Noah got a bit carried away, leaving a hickey the size of Mt. Rushmore on my neck. I had to wear a turtleneck underneath my scrubs for a whole week to hide the thing.

I sneak a glance at Noah; he’s standing there with the biggest smirk on his face, gently nodding at me. I’ve known Noah for two years, so it’s safe to say we know each other fairly well, in and out of the on call room, so he knows that I don’t do strings. Hell, I usually don’t do second dates.

I gasp when I see him step forward. “Dan, my man. Long time no see!” he says, clapping Daniel on the back. “And Mac, haven’t seen you in a while.”

“You two know each other?”

“We work at the same hospital,” I say as cheerfully as I can.

Daniel smiles, “Wow, small world then, huh? And where have you been Taylor? Haven’t seen you around.”

“Out of town for a training course. Haven’t really seen anyone lately,” he says, clearly taking a dig at me.

“Nice work while you can get it then. You seeing anyone these days?” Daniel asks him, oblivious to the discomfort I’m feeling right now.

“Not right now. Still seeing that nurse from work I told you about. It’s a friend’s with benefits arrangement. It works well,” he says warmly.

I still can’t look at him, and I can feel my blood pressure starting to boil. Noah may be a friend and yes, we’ve screwed each other like rabbits off and on for the past two years, but to talk about it right here in front of my date, my Daniel. It’s infuriating.

“Sounds grand,” I say through gritted teeth.

“What’s that?” Daniel says as he turns away and starts talking to another one of the guys. I take the opportunity to give Noah a stare designed to rock his soul, but he just smiles his panty dropper grin back at me, riling me up even more.

I put my hand on Daniel’s chest, rising up on my toes to give him a soft kiss on those delicious lips of his. “Nothing, I’m going to go get a soda from the cart over there. Do you want anything?” I ask, wishing that a sink hole would turn up right now and swallow me...or Noah!

“I’m good. I’ll grab a beer from the cooler. You want me to come with?”

“It’s okay, I’m a big girl, Superman. I’ll be back,” I say over-enthusiastically as I give him one more peck on the check and wiggle out of his hold before turning on my heels and walking away from the group.

As soon as I’m out of sight, I pull my phone out to call Kate. This is our thing. Whenever one of us is freaking out or having issues, we call and vent. We let everything hang out, usually talking way too fast for the other person to even hear every word we say, but it works, every time. Lately it’s been me on the receiving end of these kind of calls from Kate, but now it’s my turn. This time I know she’s gonna laugh her head off at me. She’s always said that my little arrangements would come back and bite me in the ass.

“Hey, Mac. Shouldn’t you be on your date?” she asks as soon as she picks up the call.

“I am on my date. Just happens that Noah is here too!” I spit out quickly. I have a habit of talking fast when I’m worried or pissed off. Right now, I’m a mixture of both.

“WHAT? You’ve got to be shitting me! How does that work?” she questions. I can hear both shock and amusement in her voice. Of course, she finds this situation hilarious. Maybe I will too, once I’m home and drunk.

“Old college buddies supposedly, but get this. Dan asked Noah about his love life, and he said that he still has that arrangement with the nurse, but he hasn’t seen her in a few weeks. Seriously, Kate, I could have died. And he would’ve been turned into stone had he bothered to glance my way at that exact moment. The fucker even kept a straight face.”

She’s full on laughing down the phone at my predicament. “Sorry, Mac, but you have to admit that this is kind of funny. So where are you now?”

“I said I was thirsty, so I left to go buy a soda. What are the fucking chances, Kate? I mean, really. Delicious Daniel and Dr. Noah knowing each other? Holy flying shitballs, Batman!”

“Okay, Mac, take a deep breath,” she says calmly, thankfully getting over her giggling fit as I follow her advice and breathe in and out. “Okay. You need to decide if you’re gonna stick this date out, or make a cowardly escape right now?”

I think it over. I’ve been looking forward to this date with Daniel all week, and I’m not going to let Noah ruin it. If he tells Daniel I’m the nurse, I’ll explain everything to him. That will be after I’ve kicked Noah in the junk and left him in a sobbing pile of douchness on the ground.

“Thanks, babe. I knew you’d talk me round. See you when I get home?” I ask, hoping that I’ll be able to debrief with my best friend tonight.

“I should be home, but I’ll let you know if I’m not,” she explains, sounding way too cheerful for someone not getting laid.

“Oh my God, Kate. You got laid!” I exclaim down the phone, earning a few strange and intrigued looks from people milling around me.

“Did you just announce that to Soldier Field, Mac?”

“Maybe,” I say before cracking up. “Sorry, but you did, didn’t you?”

“I plead the fifth. Now go play nice with Noah and Daniel and I’ll see you later, man-eater,” she says, not hiding the laughter in her voice.

“I’ll try,” I grump back to her before hanging up.

Shit this is going to be the worst date in history, and none of it will be my actual date’s fault! Of all the freaking people in the world Daniel had to know! Argh! I look like a crazy woman as I stomp towards the vending cart.

Now, I can’t wait for this date to be over. It’s got nothing to do with Delicious Daniel, but everything to do with the men my vagina has chosen to play with. Just my luck!

Thankfully, the rest of the date is uneventful. I swallow my pride and my anger, and play nice with Noah, who behaves for the rest of the day.

We get back to my place around eight o’clock, and when I invite Daniel inside, he declines in the nicest way possible, telling me has an early start in the morning.

“And if I come inside with you, in that hot Bear’s get up, I might not want to leave, and as much as that is what I want to do, and I mean
really
want to do,” he adds with a growl, “I think we’ve had a perfect day, and you have your three date rule.”

I groan with disappointment and pout like a petulant child. He throws his head back and laughs. “You’re even cute when you pout. How is that even possible?” he asks with a head shake. Turning towards me in the passenger seat, he leans over, gently brushing a wayward curl back behind my ear. “Gorgeous,” he murmurs, looking at me intently. “I can give you a goodnight kiss though.”

Cupping my cheek with one hand, he glides the other into my hair, and nips my bottom lip, requesting entry. I comply immediately, wrapping my hands around his neck and pulling him as close as I can, stroking his tongue with mine, and losing myself in the moment.

I’ve always loved kissing. I may not do strings, but kissing is a must have. It’s intimate, it’s hot when done right, and Daniel seems to be an expert in it. I mean of course he is! I’m starting to wonder if there is anything this man can’t do well.

I move my fingers through the back of his hair, applying just enough pressure to show my enjoyment. I hear a growl rumble deep in his chest, and I know he’s getting close to the breaking point. I feel his hand move down my arm, the slight roughness of his fingers tracing an invisible line of lust down my body. He cups my breast, rubbing his thumb across my now erect nipple, straining against its lace prison, and begging to be released. I move my hands, raking my fingers down his back and reveling when I feel him arch against me. We’re lost in a frenzy of mouths, lips, tongues and hands, neither one of us wanting to stop. All of a sudden, the car jolts as a dog jumps up against the side of the now fogged up car, forcing me to scream in shock.

We pull apart slightly, and I rest my head on his shoulder as I erupt into a fit of giggles. I feel a light peck on my cheek before he whispers, “I’m starting to think you might be the superhero, Mac. You make me lose my mind.”

“Right back at ya, Superman.”