Wicked End (37 page)

Then she discovered three red roses tied together with a ribbon. There was a card attached to the bow. Her hands shook as she turned it so she could read Brandon’s handwriting. “I hope the tie that binds us never comes undone.” A few tears fell. He rarely was poetic with her. Things were changing fast for them, maybe too fast. She was nervous he was about to propose She wasn’t ready for that yet.

A door suddenly opened, and she turned around. “Brandon!” She hugged him, amazed. Showered and changed, he looked so handsome. “I love that cologne.”

“I know,” he whispered, then caressed her cheek. “This night is all about you.”

She gazed into his eyes, confused. “Why?”

“Because I wanna do this for you.” He smiled at the three flowers she still held, one for each word he had been holding in for so long.

His mouth found hers and the conversation was over. It was going to be hard to stick to the plan, and he knew it. She was trying to get him down on his back already, and his cock was hard as ever. The car was shaking a bit as they traveled to their first destination. He hoped he could make her understand.

When she started to open his pants, he put his hand over hers. “Not yet, Tink. I want you to remember tonight.”

“I remember every night I have with you.”

“Please, let me do this.”

“OK,” she relented, trusting him. She laid the perfect roses on the unused seat next to them.

Brandon moved over and took out glasses. “Try not to get drunk, OK?”

Then he smirked as he recalled the last time they got drunk together. It was in New York City. They stupidly decided the boulders in Central Park were secluded enough to have sex on. The cop watched for a few minutes as Mackenzie rode him buck naked, before Brandon noticed him standing there. Then they were arrested for public indecency.

“No more public drinking, OK?” Mackenzie giggled at the same memory. “Good thing Jake had so much cash on him.” Then she burst into laughter. “At least he waited until you came to handcuff us.”

Brandon handed her a glass of amber liquid. “True. Having blue balls in jail would’ve sucked.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “We been through a lot together. You stuck by me through everything, no matter what.”

“You did the same for me,” she reminded him and touched his face.

He smiled. “Yeah, but I did a lotta stupid things. You were always there to help pick up the pieces.” His hand cupped her chin then he leaned in and kissed her lips softly. “You deserve better.”

“I don’t want someone else.” She pursed her lips and closed her eyes, scared he was ending it already. Teary-eyed, she pled, “Please don’t say that.”

He gasped, understanding. “No. I meant that I need to do better, treat you better. I need you in my life always.” Proposing came to mind again, but he quickly quashed the thought. He took a deep breath. “Things are gonna change. Our lives are gonna change.”

The words were on the tip of his tongue.
Can I actually say them?
The limo stopped, and he relaxed. That meant he didn’t have to, not yet. He had no idea if he would lose her once he said them.
Will anything be the same again? Will she say it back?

Mackenzie took his hands in hers and tried to read his expression. He looked scared and a bit overwhelmed. She wanted to ask what was going on, but knew he had to say it in his own time. Rushing him would make it come out wrong or not at all.

“Relax, baby,” she said soothingly. “Whatever it is, take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”

He felt all the tension leave his body. Only she could calm him when he worked himself up. “Thanks, Tink. I
will
tell you, though. I promise.”

“I know you will.” She kissed his lips. “Take a drink. It’ll help.”

He sat back and slowly drained his glass as she did the same. They held hands as they both allowed the alcohol to work. Just before the door opened, he lifted their hands to his lips and kissed hers. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“You wanna take the chance of getting recognized?” She was surprised. He hated being hassled in restaurants. Some accommodated him, though.

He gave her a crooked smile. “Not part of the plan.” The driver soon climbed in the back and set “to go” bags from a chain restaurant they frequented on the table across from them.

Mackenzie smiled at Brandon. She should have known. “You’re too cute you know.”

“I know,” he joked. “I got your favorite.”

Her mouth watered at the thought of a bacon cheeseburger. She was as simple as he was. Then she wondered if it was too messy.
What’s wrong with me? This is Brandon!
He never judged her, and she never judged him either.

Soon they were eating and wiping grease off each other’s chins. They kept laughing, which relaxed them both even more. Brandon was starting to think she would be OK with what he wanted to say to her. He was glad he planned several things that night. By the end of the night, she would understand just how he felt and how much she meant to him.

After a while, they looked into each other’s eyes. The atmosphere turned serious again. “I never have fun like this with anyone else,” Brandon admitted.

“Neither do I.” Mackenzie looked up at him. He had ketchup on his lower lip. She couldn’t resist kissing him to get it off. “This is great you know.”

He bit his lip. “It’s only the beginning, Tink.” He planned to romance her every day of their lives from that point on.

After the leftovers were in the mini-fridge, they sat back and held hands again, both with a drink in their other hand. When Mackenzie emptied her glass, she laid her head on Brandon’s chest. “Can we live like this forever? No fans, no jobs, no insanity.”

“I wish sometimes.”

He put his arm around her back, glad she wasn’t attacking him again because he wanted to wait until their final destination to take her. He had something on her list he needed to give her, something he wanted just as bad. When a few minutes had passed, he realized she had fallen asleep. He caressed her hair and back, relishing the closeness of their position.

The limo stopped, and Mackenzie jumped. Brandon held her close. “Sssh, it’s OK. We’re here.”

“Where?” She lifted her head off his chest and looked around.

He held her face and kissed her lips. “At my next surprise.” He smiled and pulled her through the open door. She had always liked sea creatures, so when Noelle of Winter Winds suggested he rent the Aquarium for a romantic night tour he booked it.

Mackenzie’s heart beat faster when she noticed where they were. “Is it open?”

“Only for us,” Brandon replied and led her to the front gate.

“Good evening, Mr. Knight.”

Brandon nodded at the man who stood waiting for them. When they entered, he took her hand in his and pulled her to the coral reef exhibit first. He knew it was one of her favorites. Seeing her mouth drop at the first tank made his heart swell. He loved when she was fascinated.

“Baby, look at that!” She pulled him to the next window where a small shark had come out of hiding. “Wow, this is so amazing.” Mesmerized by the beauty and diversity in the huge tank, she touched the glass expecting to get wet. She giggled at herself. “Thank you!”

He had to take a step back when she threw her arms around him. He recovered fast and held her tightly, stroking her hair. “Anything for you, Tink.” That was how he felt. He would do anything to make her happy.

Eventually, they moved on. Almost an hour later, they were at the shark tank. That was Brandon’s favorite. He usually timed his visit to see them fed. They had gone to the local aquarium back home many times, and the shark exhibit was amazing. The one in Boston was different, but still cool.

Sometime later, as they walked through the Rainforest section, Mackenzie glanced at Brandon. “What made you do this today?”

He stopped and wrapped his arms around her. Taking a deep breath, he debated how much to tell her. “Well, truthfully, since you…” He grit his teeth, trying not to get emotional. “Since I pulled you out of the water…” He sniffled. It was hard to hold back the pain. He held her head to his chest so she didn’t see the tears. “Tink… when you took your first breath after, after…”

“I know when.” She ran a hand up and down his back, shedding a few tears. “You thought you lost me.”

He nodded and gulped air for a few seconds. “Yes,” he softly agreed. “You were dead, Tink. You drowned. Scott and I…” The memory of screaming her name made more tears fall. “I knew you meant a lot to me before that day, but now… now, it’s so much more.” He clung to her as he took in a shaky breath. “You mean the world to me, Mackenzie.”

They stood there, in silence for several minutes, both crying. Neither of them had ever brought up how much that day changed their lives until then.

“Don’t ever leave me,” Brandon whispered in her ear.

She sniffled. “Never, and don’t you either.”

“I can’t.” He took a deep breath, finally calm again. “Without you, I’m just a guitar player.”

After checking out the rest of the Aquarium, they headed back to the limo.

Brandon turned Mackenzie so her feet were on the floor and knelt next to her. “Next on my list…” He glanced at her sideways. “Close your eyes and open your mouth.”

She laughed. “A blowjob now?”

“Well now that you bring it up.” He got to his feet, bent over her and opened his pants. Then he grinned. “Just kidding.” He redressed and got to his knees again.

Mackenzie stared at him. “You’re not gonna propose, right?”

“No, just shut your eyes.” He waited until she did. Then he squeezed her cheeks in. “I said open your mouth.”

She held it open and waited, nervously. Then she felt something cold touch her lips and tasted chocolate.
The strawberries!
She wished she hadn’t been snooping, but she wouldn’t let on she had known.

“Take a bite.” Brandon smiled as she did then laughed as chocolate pieces dropped onto her exposed chest. “You like?” As she nodded, he licked the crumbs off her skin. “Mmmm, so do I.” He then took a small bite of the strawberry. “These are good.” He fed her some more, before kissing her sweet lips.

Mackenzie smiled and opened her eyes. “You’re too much.” She caressed his face. “How in the world did I ever find you?”

“Math class.” He was joking, yet serious. That was where they met, in their sixth grade math class.

She laughed, loudly. “You brat, I know that!” She thought about that day. He sat behind her and started pulling her ponytail. She thought he was just a jerk until he offered to carry her books to her next class. “That day started it all.”

“My favorite day is when I popped your cherry.” He smirked. “Getting my dick in that tight-ass pussy wasn’t easy, but so worth it.” He looked into her eyes and knew she felt the same. “I have to remember to thank your mom for putting you on the pill. Cumming deep inside you blew me away.” He put a hand on her cheek. “I’ll never forget that feeling. It’s still the same you know, every time. You still take my breath away.”

Shocked, she didn’t know what to say. He was mixing humor and serious feelings. She had no idea which direction the conversation was about to turn.

He looked away. He had not wanted to be so sentimental, but he couldn’t help it. In order to think, he fed her another strawberry, this time with whipped cream on it. She stayed silent as well, which made him a bit nervous. He couldn’t let it get to him because he had to tell her, no matter what.

When they stepped out of the limo for the last time, Mackenzie looked up at the expensive hotel. She was surprised. They had not stayed in a place like that yet. Hand in hand, they went up to the room Andy had reserved for them. Nervous, she gripped his hand tight once they were in the elevator.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Brandon pulled her close. “It’s just a hotel. I wanted to spoil you a bit; nice bed, big bathroom, room service, a spa on the first floor. It’s gonna be fun.”

She smiled and let all her anxiety go. “OK.”

He leaned down and kissed her lips then again and again. Getting carried away, he backed her into the wall and grabbed her ass. His dick was hard again, and he wanted relief so badly. His plan was crumbling as he hiked up her skirt and lifted her right leg.
Just a quickie! Please!
his cock begged him.
Yes!
He heard in his head as she yanked his pants open and caressed his stiff shaft. Then he suddenly came to his senses.

“Shit!” They were both out of breath. “We can’t, not yet.”

She met his glassy eyes and smirked. “You started it.” She was disappointed. He had gotten her so worked up she was close to desperation. She gripped his erection and pumped it several times. “Who cares if we fuck in here?”

“Please.” He forced her hand away. “Trust me.”

The elevator door opened and another couple got on. When the woman giggled, Brandon realized his pants were still open. He blushed as he quickly closed them. He was relieved when they got off at the next floor.

Mackenzie was breathing hard. Her entire body yearned for an orgasm. She could feel the heat and wetness growing while Brandon almost ignored her. He wanted her, that much was obvious, but why wait? She had to trust him like he asked, but it wouldn’t be easy.

As soon as they were in their room, Mackenzie grabbed Brandon’s shirt and kissed him deeply. “I need you now!” Waiting was no longer an option.

He greedily held his lips to hers, teasing her with his tongue. His cock was growing even harder, adding to the passion. He led her back, towards the bed, desperate to get relief. Then he suddenly pushed her back. Panting, he looked at her. She was obviously over the edge already. He felt bad, but she needed what she was about to experience.

“I’m sticking to my plan, Tink. Sorry.” Taking her hand, he led her to the suite’s king-sized bed.

She smirked, thinking he was joking. “Looks like your plan is the same as mine.” Her eyebrows rose. She reached out for his pants, but he grabbed her hand.

“We’re doing this my way tonight.” Slowly, he opened the buttons on the back of her dress. “Have some patience, please. I promise you’ll enjoy this.”