Page 18 of Sustain

“I’m not doing anything.”

“Yes, you are. And you know it.” She still can’t meet my eyes, and it’s delicious.

“Fine. I won’t say another word.” I move as if zipping my lips shut and throwing away a key, but I don’t stop watching her squirm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Mackenzie unsettled like this before, and it’s intriguing. Something about knowing she has a delicate side is so fucking attractive. Underneath that hard shell is a softness I didn’t know she possessed.

I want to see more of it.

She straightens her shoulders as if steeling herself against her own answer. It’s completely quirky, and perfectly Mackenzie. “Well, other than the obvious,” her eyes lower, but don’t focus on anything in particular, but I get the gist. “I would say my neck.”

Her fingers seem to automatically go to the spot, and my willpower disappears. I reach out and graze my fingertips slowly along the skin just below her ear, reveling in the softness of it.

“Here?” I ask. My voice is rougher than normal as my throat tightens.

Goosebumps rise on her skin, and she shivers as she closes her eyes at my touch. A small gasp escapes her lips, and I’minstantly hard. Knowing that one simple touch from me can get someone like Mackenzie aroused is more than a turn-on. It’s the stuff wet dreams are made of. And not just‘someone like’Mackenzie, butactuallyMackenzie. It boggles my mind.

Her sharp intake of breath emboldens me. I trace light circles, documenting her reactions. Each new swirl pulls a whispered gasp from her lips. I’m drunk on this power, on the headiness of reducing steely Mackenzie Roberts to putty with a mere caress.

My fingers linger, and she doesn’t move away. I don’t want to stop touching her, but as I see her braced leg out of the corner of my eye, I know this is an unusual situation. She might still be under the effects of morphine, and not clear in her thoughts. I don’t want to do something she’ll regret in the brighter light of day.

Part of me warns that I’m taking advantage, that this intimacy is only born of extenuating circumstances and medication. But another darker part whirls in exhilaration at this first crack in her armor, this glimpse beneath the surface at the warm, wanting woman within.

Reluctantly, I pull my hand back. “Sorry,” I whisper. “I couldn’t help myself when you pointed out the spot.” I don’t really have a good excuse for why I touched her other than I couldn’t stop myself, and that’s not an excuse at all.

Her eyes open slowly, and she seems to come out of a trance as she focuses on the fire. “No, it’s fine. Really.” She won’t look my way, and I don’t know what to make of that. Maybe I did go too far. “I should probably get some sleep. I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes open.”

I study her for a second, looking for a lie, but not seeing one. Of course, she’s probably exhausted. I need to get my mind out of the fucking gutter, and back into reality.

Getting up from the couch, I jump into action. “Right. Wait here. I’ll get everything ready for you.”

“But--”

I don’t let her finish her protest, and hurry to the bedroom to prepare the room for her. Knowing she doesn’t have any of her luggage with her, I lay out one of my T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants with a drawstring waist. In the én suite bathroom, I double-check that there are toiletries she can use and a toothbrush.

When I emerge, I’m surprised to find Mackenzie in the middle of the room on her crutches, a scowl on her face.

“Are you okay?” I ask, rushing over to her to assist if she needs it.

She waves me off, clearly exhausted. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I just hate being an imposition. You rented this nice cabin, and here I am taking your bed. It doesn’t seem fair.”

I force my mind to skip over the short list of risqué retorts it was instantly planning to let loose and stumble into modesty.

“Don’t even think twice about it,” I say, helping to usher her into the room. “As I said, I’m glad I can be of assistance.” I watch her carefully as she moves around, making sure she seems steady. “Do you want me to stick around or help you with anything?”

I shove my hands in my pockets, trying not to appear as awkward as I’m feeling at the moment.

She surveys the room quickly and shakes her head confidently, finally meeting my eyes. “I’ll be okay. Thank you again for everything, Ian.”

The sound of my name in her voice stirs something in me that I haven’t tapped into in a very long time, and I can only nod. I don’t entirely trust my voice.

Finally, after an extended beat, I back out of the doorway. “Goodnight, Mackenzie.”

“Goodnight.”

What an interesting evening.

eleven

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