The Day He Kissed Her (13 page)

It was dark, filled with old tables and rickety chairs. The floors were perpetually sticky, there was always an odor of stale beer and greasy fries—but the music was always good and the memories, well, the memories, they were abundant.

Mackenzie strode inside the bar, a grin on his face when he spied Tiny, the big, bald bouncer. The guy wore a leather vest that was two sizes too small, and paired with a massive beer gut that hung about five inches over his belt, he looked about three Big Macs away from a heart attack.

Sweat poured down Tiny’s neck, and Mac winced when Tiny slapped him on the shoulders.

“Draper! Heard you were back in town!”

“You heard right,” Mac answered. “Jake or Cain here yet?”

“Jake walked in a few minutes ago, but I haven’t seen Cain.”

Mac nodded and slid through the crowd as he headed for the back, where he knew he’d find Jake. A quick nod here and a slap on the back there, and Mac felt as if everyone he knew was in the place.

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you.”

A soft, feminine hand on his forearm brought him up short, and Mac paused as Shelli Gouthro sidled up beside him. The blond looked good. Hell, her pipes were almost as cut as his, and judging from the amount of skin showing above her low slung jeans, he was guessing the rest of her was just as hard and trim.

He used to like that look.

She cocked her head, slick mouth open in a grin, and shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, which thrust her girls damn near up in his face. He couldn’t help it—Mac was a guy, and what guy wouldn’t at least take a peek?

But…nothing. He had nothing going on as he gazed down at what had to be a set of double Ds. They were too large for Shelli’s frame, too round, and he knew from memory that they were as hard as a goddamn basketball.

He thought of Lily and how sweet she’d felt in his hands, how soft and feminine she’d felt in his mouth—the accompanying pull in his groin woke him the hell up.

He shook his head, squared his shoulders, and gave Shelli a polite smile.

“What’s going on, Shelli?”

He looked over the top of her head, toward the back corner where he knew Jake was.

“I texted you, like, five times.” She moved closer and the hand on his forearm crept higher.

“Yeah. I’ve been busy.”

She pouted—what was with women and pouts? Did they honestly think they worked?

“Why don’t you buy me a drink and then maybe we can get out of here?”

A flash of silky blond hair caught his attention, and everything inside Mac kind of froze. His heart sped up a bit, and he cranked his neck in an effort to see around Shelli, but she was in the way.

“Can you ah…move a bit?” he said, taking a step to the side as his irritated meter began to rise.

“Sure, babe.” Shelli’s fingers slid to his chest, and she pressed her hard body up against him, grinding her hip into him suggestively. “Anything.”

“What?” He looked down at her with a frown.

Surprise flickered across her face. “Do you want to leave now? ’Cause I’m fine with that. I just kinda wanted a shot of tequila first.”

“Look, Shells. Maybe some other time, but I’m seeing someone right now, and well, I’m not looking to hook up with anyone else.”

The surprise in Shelli’s eyes turned dark. “Seeing someone?”

He nodded, still trying to catch a glimpse of that blond head.

“Since when does the fact that you’re dating someone else matter to you?”

Okay. He didn’t like the tone Gouthro was taking. He opened his mouth, intending to tell her that exactly, but she beat him to the punch.

“Last fall when you were home for a few days, we got together, and I know for a fact that you were seeing some stuck-up bitch from the city because she called when you were in the shower, and she and I had a nice chat.”

“Huh,” Mac said with a frown. So that’s why Christy had been in such a pissy mood and had canceled their plans to have Thanksgiving dinner together.

“It’s okay, Mac. I know what you’re all about. Every woman in Crystal Lake does. I know you’re not into relationships or anything.”

His frown deepened.

“I get that about you, and I’m totally fine with it. So why can’t we have some fun?” Her arm was on him again. “Honestly, you’re the best fu—”

“It’s not gonna happen,” he snapped.

Mackenzie pushed his way past Shelli and strode through the crowd, head turning in all directions. Where the hell was Lily?

He reached the booth, the one in the corner that he and the guys always sat in, and spied Jake pouring out three glasses of cold draft from the large jug in the middle of the table.

“Hey,” Jake said glancing up. “Cain’s not here yet.”

“I know.”

But Mac’s eyes were no longer on the table. He turned in a circle, his gaze moving over the entire bar. “Why the hell is it so goddamn busy in here? I can’t see shit.”

“Half-priced wings.”

“Whatever,” he muttered.

“Who you looking for?”

“No one,” Mac replied. Maybe he was seeing things, because the Coach House didn’t exactly look like the kind of place that Lily St. Clare would frequent. And if Hubber was stupid enough to bring her here, well, that said a lot about the guy.

“You’re looking in the wrong direction.”

“What?” he snapped back to Jake.

His buddy leaned back in the booth, took a good, long sip of his beer, and nodded toward the bar.

“She’s over there.”

Mac slowly turned and followed Jake’s gaze. He caught sight of Sal, his round, chubby face grinning from ear to ear as he leaned over the bar toward a sexy blond perched on the edge of a barstool. Her back was to him, but as she rose up a bit and bent forward to whisper something into Sal’s ear, there was no mistaking who that sweet, round ass belonged to.

Or the fact that nearly every male at the bar was taking a good, long look.

Mac took a step forward but paused when Blair Hubber walked up to her and placed his hands low on her back. Sal was nodding at whatever the hell they were talking about, and then she twirled around in her seat, a smile on her face.

A smile that slowly slipped away when she caught sight of Mackenzie. She moistened her lips, nodding absently to whatever the hell Hubber was saying.

Mac felt like everything was stretched thin and tight. He might have fisted his hands. Or maybe growled like an animal.

Because something hot and electric passed between the two of them as they stared at each other—something that traveled across the bar like a conduit. It hit him hard and he saw the exact same reaction in her eyes. So why the hell was she here with Blair Hubber when she could be with him?

“Have a seat, Mac. You’re making me nervous.”

Mackenzie ground his teeth together but managed to calm himself the hell down. He slid into the booth across from Jake.

“And Jesus, reign in the alpha crap, will ya? Sal will kick our asses out of here if you get into it with Hubber, and Raine will have my ass if we get into fight. From what I can see, you’re looking for trouble, but Blair is not the kind of trouble you want to look for. He’s the goddamn mayor.”

Mac didn’t give a crap if Hubber was the president of the United States, the guy was homing in on his woman, and damned if he was gonna stand by and let the slick son of a bitch win.

Jake gave him a strange look. “Is this thing with Lily gonna bite all of us in the ass?”

“Nope.”

“It better not.”

Again with the warning. Mac turned to Jake and pinned his buddy with a look that said “don’t fuck with me.”

“Lily’s a big girl, Jake. She doesn’t need you looking over her shoulder.”

Jake took another sip of beer. He paused a few seconds before answering. “It’s not Lily I’m concerned about.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Jake shrugged. “It means that you’ve never met a woman like her before, and let’s move past the physical aspect. I’m talking real-life stuff. Lily can take your shit and shovel it right back in your face. She’s no pushover. If you think you can get involved with her and have no problem walking away from that, then good. I don’t know many guys that could.”

Christ. Jake was getting all philosophical on him, which irritated the hell out of Mac. Just because his buddies had found “true love” and were happy to settle down with one woman didn’t mean that Mac had any of that in his future.

And it sure as hell didn’t mean that he wanted it either.

“Jesus, Jake. I just wanted to come out for a drink and chill. What’s with the Dr. Phil?”

“I’m just looking out for you,” Jake replied, raising his mug in the air.

Mac did the same. “Thanks for the concern, but I’m good.”

He took a swig of cold beer and glanced back over to the bar. Jake was right about one thing: he needed to dial it down. He needed to come up with a plan.

He needed to figure out how to get under her skin.

With a grin, Mac settled back in the booth and, for the first time in hours, relaxed.

Chapter 13

Lily wasn’t exactly sure what Sal and Blair were saying. Were they still talking about the staff needed for the following weekend? Or had they moved on to decorations?

No. Sal had nothing to do with decorations—he was donating his staff for the evening. Decorations were on Lily’s list, and they’d already discussed them.

Okay. Focus.

The mayor’s gala was less than a week away, and with so much to think about, Lily didn’t need a distraction like the one sitting across the bar from her. She’d been insane—that was it. Temporarily insane to even consider getting involved with Mackenzie Draper right now. Especially considering she had to leave for Boston in the morning. She needed her head screwed on tight for that one.

“Right, Lily? We’re good to go on that issue?” Blair asked.

Lily nodded absently, eyes on the floor as she tried to process the depth of her reaction to Mackenzie Draper. She’d felt his gaze as if he had touched her. As if he had slipped his hands around her body and drawn her up close against him.

God, she could feel his heat wrapped around her—could feel his fingers deep inside her. Squirming on the barstool, she swiveled back around, heart beating faster than a drummer on crank.

“Hey, is everything alright?” Blair leaned his elbows onto the counter, and it was concern she saw in his eyes.

She nodded. “I’m fine. I just…I didn’t expect to see Mackenzie is all.” He’d called her earlier in the day, and when she’d told him that she had plans with Blair, he hadn’t seemed concerned.

Not even one little bit.

He’d told her that he was busy with his nephew anyway and they would catch up later in the week. They’re conversation had been very adult. There’d been no drama. No, “you can’t go out with Blair, you’re with me” kind of thing. There’d been no sexy innuendos about the hot interlude.

There. Had. Been. None. Of. That.

And maybe it was juvenile—which was funny considering she’d accused him of that very thing—but Lily was annoyed. She just figured there would be more of a reaction, considering they’d basically agreed to an exclusive, sexual relationship.

Mac had ended the call before she could tell him that she was leaving for Boston in the morning.

And that was that.

Until now.

Until his searing gaze had cut right through her jeans and settled between her legs. Holy. Hell. What was happening to her?

Blair studied her for a few moments. “We can discuss this stuff another night. I don’t mind.”

“No.” She shook her head. “We’ve only got a few more details to iron out, and since I won’t be back until Saturday, we need to finish it up. It’s fine.”

At the look in his eyes, she plastered a fake smile to her face. “I’m fine, really.”

“Well, we can leave if you want. Go someplace else. Someplace more quiet, with less”—he nodded toward the general area behind her—“people.”

“And miss out on wing night? Hell, no!” She grinned.

“Okay, so Miranda, Janice, and Kim can help out Saturday night along with everyone else. Is that all you needed from me?” Sal asked as he handed Lily a glass of red wine, a delicious cabernet/merlot blend he’d started to stock, specifically for her. He really was a sweetheart.

Lily glanced to Blair, and he nodded, shaking the bar owner’s hand. “Sounds good, Sal. Thanks for helping out. We appreciate it.”

Sal winked at Lily. “Well, when a beautiful woman asks.” He shrugged. “It’s hard to say no.”

Lily took a sip of wine, hypersensitive to the general area behind her. Or rather, the general area being the booth in the back corner where Mac was. She set her glass on the counter and reached for a chicken wing from the basket between her and Blair.

“Okay, so I just need to touch base with Mrs. Avery about the flower arrangements for the tables, and your secretary has the caterer in hand.” She tore at a piece of chicken, savoring the extra spicy sauce, and then frowned. “Did we ever confirm the DJ? I know the Las Vegas Revue was confirmed but…”

Blair helped himself to a chicken wing and nodded. “Yep. It’s all done.”

“So we’re good?”

“We’re good. I gotta say, this idea of yours, for a Vegas-themed gala, should raise a lot of money to fund some of our local projects. The silent auction items are impressive, but have you seen the list of items to be bid on?”

She nodded. The list was extensive, and the locals had been more than generous.

“I’m glad I listened to you.”

“I didn’t do anything special,” she replied. “We did something similar for my family’s foundation a few years back, and it was a huge success.”

Blair tossed the remains of his wing onto a plate beside the basket. He turned around, facing the room behind her, and leaned back.

“So,” Blair said slowly. “Mac Draper? Really?”

Oh God. Not him too? She’d had a pretty blunt discussion with Jake about the idea of Mac and her together, and was surprised at how strongly Jake had advised her against getting involved with him. Especially considering Mac was one of his best friends.

A soft smile touched her mouth and she shrugged. “He’s…I don’t know. I find him interesting.”