Page 8 of The Fun Part
She left out the one fact that most people find interesting about me, that I was a ball player. Maybe she doesn’t find it interesting. It was a relief not to have to share over and over how my knees got screwed up and I had to quit. I’ll probably have to get knee replacements at some point, but I’m putting it off as long as I can. Not my favorite topic.
In short, she’s irresistible, and I want to give her whatever keeps that bright smile on her face.
I follow her in the back door of Happy Endings, carrying a stack of catering dishes, through a kitchen with three workers, and into a large supply closet. She turns on the light and sets her dishes on a back shelf. I put mine next to hers.
She turns, locks the door behind us, and whispers, “Kiss me.”
I pull at the collar of my button-down shirt. “Here? We’re doing this here? There’s workers, and isn’t this your family’s restaurant?”
She wraps her arms around my neck and presses her body against mine. I’m rock hard in an instant. “It’s just a kiss.” She goes on tiptoe but can’t quite reach me.
I lean down and give her a soft kiss. She opens for me, her tongue teasing, sending lightning down my spine. The kiss turns carnal. She tries to climb my body, her leg wrapping around mine, seeking contact with urgently aching parts. I pick her up by the waist, and she wraps her legs around me. Raw need consumes me. I don’t care that there’s people right outside. I press her back against the door, lost in sensation. Oh God, she tastes so good, like mint and sex. I need more.
She pulls back to look at me, running her finger along my jaw. “You passed the kiss test.”
My mind tosses that strange comment aside in favor of another kiss. She puts her hand on my chest and pushes. I lift my head. “Yeah?”
She lowers her legs and slides down my fully aroused body. I stifle a groan. She takes my hand. “Cal, I want to be crystal clear. This is a one-night event. Just casual fun. Agree?”
I stare at her luscious lips, so soft.More, more, more.
“Okay, Cal? Nothing serious.”
I snap to attention. “I just ended a live-in relationship. It’s not like I’m going to propose after meeting you.”
“That’s perfect because I don’t believe in love. At least not for this stage in my life.”
“Sure,” I murmur, stroking her hair back from her face, leaning down to kiss along the column of her throat. She tips her head back with a sigh.
There’s a knock at the door. I jerk back.
A male voice calls, “Mackenzie, we’re closing soon.”
“Be out in a sec.” She takes a deep breath, then opens the door. The workers are cleaning up the kitchen. “Bye, everyone!”
“Hi, how ya doing?” I say to the guys, careful to keep Mackenzie in front of me to hide the obvious.
“I didn’t know you had company in there,” a middle-aged man in a chef’s hat says.
“No one needs to know, Pete,” she returns.
He puts his hands up. “I won’t tell.”
She pulls me at a near run to the back door, laughing, and out to the lot where she parked. Pure exhilaration fires through me. There’s something fun about sneaking out and heading to our next clandestine location. She unlocks the car remotely and gets in the driver’s side while I slide in the passenger side.
We’re not even out of the lot when she asks, “Do your knees hurt doing different, uh, activities?”
Is she asking about sex positions?
I have a feeling what you see is what you get with Mackenzie. I like that straightforward honesty, even if it’s awkward to dive into sex talk before we get to bed.
Before I can answer, she peels out of the lot so fast my head hits the headrest. She says, “I’ve got a roommate. Where’re you staying?”
“I’m about twenty minutes from here in the Ethan Allen hotel.”
“Got it. So, back to those knees, do they bother you on rainy days or in certain positions?” She lets out a small laugh. “You lifted me, and I’m no lightweight. Just trying to make sure no one gets hurt.”
“You’re light to me.”
