The Day He Kissed Her (11 page)

“Jake told me I could find you here,” Cain said.

“This a social call or do you need something?” Mac grinned.

“No. I…” Cain’s wide, easy smile moved past Mac, and Mac had to hand it to him, Cain managed to hide his shock at the sight of his sister.

“Wow! Little Becca?” he said.

“Hi, Cain.”

Mac watched as his sister played with the loose strands of hair that fell out of the clip, drawing them forward as if that was going to hide the damage to her face. Cain didn’t say a word, but Mac caught the question in his eyes.

“You’re all grown up.” Cain cocked his head and grinned. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Becca’s here for the summer with her kid, Liam.”

“Really?” Cain replied. “How old is your boy?”

“Uh, he’s ten.” Becca moved closer to Mac.

“Shit, Becca. You look like you’re barely out of college. How the hell can you have a ten-year-old?”

His sister blushed and glanced away, suddenly embarrassed, and there were a few awkward moments until Cain cleared his throat and tugged on Michael’s arm.

“Well, Becca. This here is my son, Michael, and he will be ten in a week.”

Michael’s smile lit up, and he shoved his hand toward Becca. “Hi,” he said, although he wasn’t as good at hiding his thoughts as Cain was. His face puckered up as he studied Becca, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Cain beat him to the punch.

“Is that your son?”

They all glanced back at the house as Liam hopped down the steps and paused, surprised to find a crowd in the driveway. He got his bearings and sauntered over to them as if he had all the time in the world. Mac watched the kid closely. He saw the attitude. The swagger. And he knew that if he looked closer, he’d probably find the pain.

Damn kid reminded Mackenzie of himself.

“Liam,” Mac said when the boy reached them. “This is one of my oldest buddies, Cain, and his son, Michael.”

“Hey,” Liam said, lifting his chin. He didn’t sound real friendly, but he didn’t exactly sound disinterested either. He was caught somewhere between wanting to know more and not being willing to ask.

“Hey,” Michael answered, shuffling his feet in the dirt.

Mac lifted an eyebrow and tried not to laugh at all the male posturing.

“Liam,” Becca said excitedly, “Cain is the guitarist and singer from BlackRock. Remember I told you? He’s been on the cover of
Rolling
Stone
and he’s played with Bruce Springsteen, and—”

“I don’t know those guys,” Liam said. “But I might have heard of BlackRock.”

“He’s not really a big deal,” Mac said, grinning at the look of horror on his sister’s face.

“That’s exactly what my wife would say,” Cain replied.

“So, what did you need?” Mac asked, glancing back at the fence that wasn’t going to get done unless he got his ass in gear.

“I’ve got a favor to ask,” Cain said.

“Anything.”

Cain laughed. “Don’t you want to hear it first?”

“As long as it’s not illegal, I’m good.”

“Nah. Those days are behind us. I need an assistant coach, and since you’re here for the summer, I thought you could help me out.”

“Coach?”

Cain grinned and ruffled Michael’s russet curls. “Yeah. Baseball coach. Brad Kitchen was helping me out, but he’s got stuff going on and quit last week. Seems as if he’s trying to get back with his wife, but after stepping out all over town with Lori Jonesberg, Cindy is really giving him the gears. Jake suggested you.”

“Did he now?”

Cain nodded. “We have a practice tomorrow night and a game on Friday. So what do you say?”

Mac rubbed the back of his neck. He didn’t really have a reason to say no even though the thought of coaching a bunch of ten-year-old boys wasn’t exactly at the top of his list. God, he remembered what ten-year-old boys were like. The maturity gene was still a long way off.

“Um, can Liam…” They both glanced at his sister and she froze. Becca cleared her throat. “Liam loves baseball. Is it too late to add him to the team? He’s Michael’s age.”

Cain shook his head. “We can make it work. What position do you play?” The question was directed at Liam.

The kid shrugged as if he didn’t give a crap, but Mac saw the interest. “I pitch.”

“No way!” Michael said. “My buddy Timmy broke his arm jumping from the dam into the river, and he was our number one pitcher.”

“Dam?” Liam asked.

“No way, mister.” Becca looked stern as she gazed at her son. “The dam is off-limits.”

“You in?” Cain asked.

Mac glanced from his nephew to his sister. The hope in her eyes and the I-don’t-give-a-crap-even-though-I-really-do in Liam’s made up his mind.

“I’ll warn you boys: I mean business when it comes to sports. I’m not a pussy like Mr. Black here.”

Michael laughed and moved past Mackenzie, Liam following him until they stopped a few feet away. He heard Liam ask Michael if the guy with the long hair was really Cain Black, from BlackRock.

Michael nodded, hands shoved into the front pockets of his jeans. “Yeah. He is.”

“Wow,” Liam replied, sneaking a look back.

Michael shrugged. “He’s just like any other dad though. My mom says he pees standing up like the rest of ’em and usually forgets to put the seat down.”

“Nice,” Mackenzie murmured with a smirk.

“Talk to me when you start living with a woman,” Cain said.

“Yeah. That will never happen. Who the hell wants to worry about whether the toilet seat is up or down?”

Cain shot a smile toward Mac’s sister. “Nice to see you again, Becca. I think the boys are going to have a fun summer.” He turned to Mac. “Practice is at six thirty, tomorrow night. See you at the park.”

“Sure,” Mac replied. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do. Like get busy with a certain blond who’d pretty much starred in his pornographic dreams the night before.

“Hey,” he said quietly, following Cain to the truck. “You wouldn’t happen to have Lily St. Clare’s number, would you?”

Cain’s eyebrows rose. “You’re really going to go there? Jake will have you by the balls if you screw with that woman.”

“Don’t worry about my balls.”

Cain shrugged. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He opened the driver’s door. “I don’t have her on speed dial or anything, but she’s renting Raine’s cottage.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Cain stared at him for a few seconds. “Doesn’t she have something going with on with Blair Hubber?”

“Not anymore.”

“Shit,” Cain murmured. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

Michael ran to the truck, and Mac took a step back as Cain maneuvered the large SUV out of the small driveway. With a wave, the rocker pulled onto the street and disappeared from view.

“Who’s Lily?” his sister asked.

“A friend of Jake’s,” he answered absently, his eyes still on the road.

“Sounds like she could be trouble if you ask me.”

He moved past his sister toward the fence and grinned, glancing back at her just before inserting his earbuds.

“I sure as hell hope so.”

Chapter 11

Monday morning came way too early for Lily. God, it felt as if she had just gone to bed and already sunlight was poking through her window and hitting her square on the face.

With a groan, she rolled over, slid out from beneath the duvet, and stepped on something furry.

She let out a shriek just as a yelp split the air.

And then nearly landed on her ass.

“What the—?”

Large, brown eyes looked up at her, and a long, fluffy tail thumped the floor excitedly. Oh. Right. She was dog-sitting for Raine.

Raine had brought her golden lab, Gibson, over the night before because she was heading out of town for a few days, shopping with her girlfriend Maggie. With Jake busy at the development across the lake, Raine didn’t want to leave the dog alone, because the last time they’d done that, the dog had eaten several pairs of shoes as well as Jake’s favorite football.

“Come on, Gibson. I’ll let you out.”

With a yawn, Lily glanced at the clock on the table beside her bed, surprised to note that it was later than she thought. She was usually up at seven, but it was half past.

Padding on bare feet, she moved through the silent house, stretching her arms over her head in an effort to get the blood moving. She opened the front door, let the dog out, and then headed into the kitchen, coffee the only thing on her mind.

She grabbed the can and measured out enough grinds for two cups before adding the water and turning the machine on. After grabbing a cup from the cupboard, she reached for the sugar and then headed to the fridge for the—Crap.

With a groan, she stared into fridge. Into the fridge that had no cream.

Her fingers rested on the milk container, but she made a face because milk and coffee just didn’t make sense. She needed two generous scoops of sugar and a healthy dose of cream—and not that diet cream either. Hell no, she wanted ten percent not five.

Slamming the door shut, she glared at the coffee machine as it brewed a pot she would never use.

Gibson barked.

She ignored him. If she was gonna spend the morning in a pissy mood, the dog was going to have to wait.

The dog barked again and still she ignored him, her eyes on the brewing pot of useless coffee.

When Gibson barked for the third time, she whirled around and stomped toward the door, swearing and using every nasty-ass word she’d ever learned. She yanked open the door.

And then froze as she stared up into clear green eyes.

Clear green eyes that were staring at her in amusement.

Clear green eyes that were attached to the sexiest man alive.

Mackenzie’s hair was combed back, the ends damp at his collar as if he was just fresh out of the shower. Judging from the clean, fresh scent that drifted in the air, that was a pretty good bet. He hadn’t bothered to shave, but then the stubble on his chin and jaw added a sexy, dangerous edge to him.

He was dressed casually, although no jeans today. A crisp, white button-down shirt open enough to show off a bit of skin and rolled up his forearms. Paired with green cargo pants that fit his long legs very nicely and heavy boots, he was incredibly male.

Incredibly hot.

“Like what you see?”

Her eyes flew back to his and she scowled.

Incredibly arrogant.

“Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.”

Lily opened her mouth, a biting retort on her lips, when she spied the bag in one hand and the tray of—“Is that coffee?”

Mackenzie nodded. “Are you going to invite me in?”

“Is that the only way I get my coffee?”

“Sadly, it is.”

“I take double cream and sugar.”

A slow grin curled his mouth. “I know.”

Lily hesitated—but only for a second—and then she moved out of the way, holding her breath as he walked into the house. He was so…vibrant.

It felt as if the house itself had shrunk.

She walked ahead of him into the kitchen and felt the heat of his gaze on her back. It was like a physical touch, and every hair on the back of her head felt as it was standing on end. Electrified. Alive.

“Tinker Bell?”

She whirled around, the countertop between them.

“What?”

Mac’s eyes crinkled. “Your pajama top.”

Lily’s eyes flew to her chest, and she bit her lip in an effort to eat the groan that sat at the back of her throat.

“I didn’t take you for a Disney princess kind of girl. Kind of pictured you as more of a Wonder Woman fan.”

“Technically, Tinker Bell isn’t a princess,” she mumbled.

“Boston, I don’t give a rat’s ass whether Tinker Bell is a princess or not. She looks hot flying across your chest.”

Lily’s nipples hardened and she fought the urge to cover them up. When Mac’s grin widened even more, she plunked her butt into a chair and pointed to the tray in his hand.

“Can I have my coffee now?”

He handed it to her and settled himself across from her. Then he opened the bag and brought out two mouthwatering hot biscuits.

“Jean’s café?” she asked.

“Is there anyplace else?”

He offered her one, and she accepted it, tearing off a piece and popping it into her mouth.

The two of them sat together like that for a few minutes, no words between them, though their eyes did a lot of talking.

Lily had been in a sexual haze of lust ever since she’d left him on her deck Saturday night, and it irritated her that he hadn’t stopped by the day before. She’d kinda sorta expected him to. Heck, she’d even run to town and bought a lasagna and a couple bottles of red wine.

But he hadn’t shown, and then she’d started to think that she’d misread everything. Maybe Mackenzie wasn’t looking for what she needed.

And yet, here he was.

Her stomach clenched.

And there was that hot spear of lust still sitting low in her belly, and the reason she’d tossed and turned all night.

“So, Boston,” he said slowly, wiping away a crumb from the corner of his mouth.

She took a moment, tried to clear her throat in a way that didn’t tell him she was nervous as hell.

“Are you ever going to call me by my name?”

He shook his head. “I like Boston.”

“Why are you here?” she asked. It was time to cut through the bullshit because her poor body couldn’t take much more of it.

“I thought about what you said the other night.”

“Apparently. And it took all day yesterday?” Lily wanted to kick herself. She sounded like a petulant ten-year-old.

He slowly nodded, though the grin that had been there was long gone. “Yeah. I thought about it all day yesterday and most of last night.”

Mouth dry, Lily took a sip of coffee and played with the corner of her biscuit. She was too nervous to eat. Hell, she didn’t know what she was, but it was a lot more than nervous. Throw a little bit of anxious and fear into the mix and that came a bit closer to describing what it was she was feeling.

Her body flushed hot and she felt the burn of it on her cheeks.

There was also that…the lingering, burning desire that she couldn’t quite seem to shake.