Page 10 of Street of Dreams
“Forget the tea. Throw on some clothes. We’re going out to breakfast.”
They ended up at Reilly’s, a diner that had been run by three generations. Over eggs and bacon, Skylar talked about the new guy in her life.
“We ended up by the river, watching the stars and talking all night. He goes to the University of Illinois, and he’s an advertising major.” She sat back in the booth. “Can you believe it? He’s into advertising, and I’m into marketing.”
“You two were made for each other. When are you going to see him again?”
“We’re supposed to go to dinner tonight.” She finished her omelet and pushed her plate away. “Enough about me. How do you feel after that killer show last night?”
It was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to Mac, but he wasn’t stealing the spotlight from Skylar and the intoxicating high that had her up all night. “It was great. Maybe Mateo will come to next weekend’s show too. I’m really happy for you, Sky. He seems like a nice guy, even though I only met him for a few minutes at the club last week.”
The waitress came with the check, and Mac took care of it before Skylar had a chance to open her handbag.
“Why’d you do that?” Skylar asked. “I have money.”
“It’s the least I can do for all the work you put into making sure last night’s show was a success, not to mention all the business you brought into the pub. I haven’t seen my father that happy in a long time.” Mac stood up and put on his hoodie. “You should get home and get some sleep.” In truth, he was the one who needed more sleep. Skylar seemed as if she could continue straight through to dinner without going to bed.
As they exited the diner and started toward the car, the hard muscle of a broad shoulder hit Mac in the deltoid like a rubber mallet. Annoyed, he clucked his tongue as he rubbed his arm and turned to glare at the asshole who just rudely walked into him without apologizing. His breath froze in his throat and his heart galloped out of control as Jake King’s eyes burned into him.
“Watch where the fuck you’re going, Mackenzie.”
Mac shifted his gaze to the twins, snickering in the background, and then back to Jake. He waited for a warning glare, cautioning him not to say anything about what transpired between them, but there was nothing. Jake wore the same cocky grin and stood with the same taunting stance – hands on his hips, one leg positioned slightly forward – just as he always did. Only this time, Mac had to fight the urge to smile.
There was no explosion as he had predicted. Jake was acting as if nothing had changed, except . . . something did. There was a twinkle in Jake’s eyes, and they were . . . warm.
The initial shock at seeing Jake vanished, and playfulness took its place. Mac wanted to return the nudge to Jake’s shoulder and, for a moment, actually contemplated doing it. But he quickly realized that he couldn’t act differently in front of the younger King siblings. So he decided to respond exactly how he would have before the two of them slept together, and he pursed his lips to the side with annoyance. “Why don’t you watch where the fuckyou’regoing?”
Jake raised his brows and acted surprised by Mac’s comeback, just like he always did. “When are you gonna learn not to talk back?”
“I’m not afraid of you.” Mac couldn’t contain his smile any longer, and it bloomed on his face like a flower in a time-lapse video. “Deep down, you’re not so scary.”Deep down, you’re hot as fuck. Mac raised an eyebrow, mischievously. It was a dangerous game, but he couldn’t help himself.
The remark was said a little too lightheartedly for Jake, and panic sparked across his face for a split second before his jaw clenched. He rushed at Mac and grabbed him by the front of his T-shirt, just like he’d been doing since they were in grade school.
“Stop fucking around,” Jake whispered, low enough so no one but Mac could hear.
The chuckle just slipped out of Mac’s mouth. It was an involuntary laugh that he didn’t expect, but he immediately clamped his lips together in order to control his growing smile. He couldn’t laugh in Jake’s face. They had an audience, and appearances needed to be maintained.
“I won’t say anything,” Mac whispered back. “You can trust me.”
Apparently, Mac’s lips got too close to Jake’s ear, because he abruptly jerked his head back, but their bodies were still only inches apart. “Watch it, Mackenzie,” Jake snapped, loud enough so everyone heard. “I’m not going to warn you again.”
Mac’s body hummed at the close contact. He was close enough to smell Jake’s breath. It was a mixture of tobacco and chewing gum, and he inhaled the scent deep into his lungs. It was exhilarating and sent a shiver down his back. He felt himself hardening and closed his eyes and counted to three. When he opened them, he saw the twins watching from over Jake’s shoulder. If they wanted a show, he’d give them a show. He snarled at Jake and shoved him away. “Get the fuck off me!”
Caught off guard, Jake stumbled, and then looked down at his feet as if they betrayed him. When he looked up at Mac, there was a wildness in his eyes. “You’re fucking dead, you Scottish prick.”
They lunged at one another at the same time, grabbing each other by the neck in some sort of erotic wrestling hold. With their eyes locked on one another, heat blazed between them, and they ended up rolling on the ground. Adrenaline coursed through Mac like a wildfire. Their bodies touched from all angles as they grappled. Jake’s breath huffed into Mac’s ear, hot and heavy, filling him with a pheromone-induced high. They rolled again, and their hips knocked together. For a brief moment, their erections touched, and Mac grunted. It made Jake tug on Mac’s shirt harder and they rolled again. This time, they came to a stop with Jake lying the full length over Mac’s body. They stared into each other’s eyes, breath coming in heated gusts from the exertion, and their shafts pressed together.
Panic and lust filled Jake’s eyes, but he remained still.
“Get the fuck off me!” Mac yelled, but he didn’t mean it. He wanted Jake exactly where he was. He took advantage of their position and yelled again. “Get off me!” But this time he bucked his hips to accentuate his words and knocked their erections together.
The crazed mixture of desire and anger behind Jake’s eyes made him look like a wild animal ready to eat his prey, and it made Mac’s blood boil with want for this insanely complex man.
A crowd had gathered, and Mac heard voices. Skylar yelled, “Stop! Stop!” while the twins yelled, “Hit him, already!”
“Yeah, hit me already,” Mac snapped, tauntingly.
Jake suddenly sat back on his knees, straddling Mac, and punched him across the jaw. It shocked the hell out of Mac. His hand went to his cheek, and he stared at Jake with surprise. It was a weak punch, clearly for appearances only without much force at all, but it still made Mac’s head snap to the side. And it was hot as fuck.
