For Her Pleasure (The Pleasure Series Book 2) (6 page)

His chest tightened as he remembered the mandatory fire training course in New York he had to attend. Ryan insisted Anika go with him, but four months pregnant she hadn’t been feeling up to traveling. He’d never forget her ruffling his hair and him kissing her round stomach before heading out to his car. When he lay in bed at night with his eyes closed, he could still see Anika standing on the porch waving goodbye. Two days later, she and his unborn child had been killed by a hit and run driver. According to the police, Anika had just stepped out of her car when a teen driver, who was racing another vehicle, had run her over. By the time the police had been alerted, it was already too late.

Ryan cleared the lump in his throat, tossed two sugar cubes in his mug,
then
stirred. It had been three years, and yet ever since her death, he’d buried himself, working long hours at the firehouse, taking on multiple shifts. Once he decided to start dating again, it was fast and furious. Dozens of one-night stands, but no one took him away from the pain he felt. Relationships always had to end. Other than the very few people who really knew him, he didn’t allow anyone to get close. He never dated the same girl for more than two weeks and even then he alternated with someone else. If there was one thing he didn’t want was a woman getting over-emotional and acting shocked when it was obviously time to end the
relationship.
The last thing he wanted was an emotional involvement and run the risk of experiencing what he had felt with Anika. It had been three years, and he’d been doing a good job of keeping his heart out of it, but after last night, he wasn’t so sure.

As he took a sip, he walked to the head of the table and took a seat. He took a sip, then another and scowled. Mackenzie had managed to get inside his head. Or rather, she had always been there and he just hadn’t realized how much until now.

As he brought the mug to his lips again, he thought about the years he had known her. Watching her go from a pesky little cousin to the beautiful woman she was today, he had always been fond of her. Even loved her the way he would if he’d had a little sister, but it wasn’t until he was attending a family dinner party and she had walked in that he had suddenly seen her as a woman. His eyes wandered over her figure, catching every luscious curve he hadn’t even realized she had. That was the same day she had cut off her long hair to the short style that emphasized her beauty and showcased her spunky maturity. But what amazed him most was the jealousy that brewed its little head at the sight of the young man who stepped inside the house behind her. The thought of someone being with Mackenzie had bothered him on so many levels, and even more when he found out they had been dating for months. Every touch, made him
want
to grab the guy and fling him out the door. But, by the end of the evening, he had chalked it up to a big brother being overprotective. The same way Charlie had reacted the other night at seeing the two of them together.

Ryan leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. He could still picture her lush mouth swollen from his kisses. He couldn’t wait to hear her screaming out an orgasm, to feel her hips rocking to meet his deep strokes. Damn, why couldn’t he get her out of his head? He had never been consumed about a woman before.
So why now?
He dropped his head and chuckled. His lust for Mackenzie had gotten way out of hand.

“Hey, Lieutenant.”

His eyes whipped to the door and he had to blink twice and thought maybe she was a figment of his imagination, but she was still there.

“Did you hear me, silly boy?” she said and sauntered toward the table looking petite, soft and curvy. There was nothing unusual about Mackenzie coming by the fire station. Only it felt different. Very different, now that he knew what it felt like to have her nails clawing at his
back.

“Of course I heard you. What are you doing here?” he said and rose slowly from the chair. Why did he suddenly feel like his equilibrium was off? The blouse she was wearing enhanced her complexion and the low neckline was intriguing, taunting a man to come and see what lay beneath. Oh, he was staring, but thankfully, she didn’t notice as she sauntered into the kitchen.

“I thought I would come by and surprise you with these.” She held up a bag.

He instantly recognized the logo on the side. “Is that cinnamon rolls?”

Baiting him, she let the bag swing from side-to-side. “I don’t know, you tell me,” she teased. He reached for the bag, but she jerked it out of reach.
“Not so fast, buster.
You have to pay the toll first.”

“What toll is that?”

She gave a saucy grin. “That’s for you to figure out.”

As he came around the table, she put the bag behind her back. His heart turned over in his chest as she licked her bottom lip in anticipation.

He moved his hand to her soft cheek and caressed. “I think I have a pretty good idea what it is you want.”

“Who said I wanted anything?”

“Me.” Ryan leaned in and kissed her. “Am I right?” He dragged her close and wrapped an arm around her.

“I think you’re getting warm,” she purred and leaned toward him, her lips parting slightly in invitation.

He swooped in and lowered his mouth over hers and slid his tongue along the seam until her mouth relaxed,
then
he took possession of exactly what he wanted. Oh, he’d tried to remember how sweet her mouth was, however, he hadn’t even come close. Today was far, far better. She tasted good. Like hazelnut coffee with cream. He felt a tug at his midsection and his cock hardened. Mackenzie lips were clinging as he took her in a long, deliberate kiss. She placed a hand to his chest, and he reached for her waist, encircling his arm around her and pulled her close. With a soft growl, he cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss and within seconds she molded her body to his.

How many times had he thought about kissing her… holding her in his arms?
he
thought with a groan.
More times than he cared to remember.
And now she was here at the firehouse on the verge of starting a two-alarm fire. Immense heat swamped him and his groin tightened. Ryan growled against her mouth. He had always been a weak man when Mackenzie was involved. And today was no exception. He reached down for her curves. His hands followed the indention of her waist and the flare of her hips, then around to squeeze her ass.

Arching forward, she pressed the swell of her breasts against his chest. And the feel of her hardened nipples were enough to bring him to his knees. Images of her large, perky breasts burned in his mind. He remembered the way they felt, the way they tasted, and how beautiful her breasts were to look at.

He could feel the rapid beat of her heart as he backed Mackenzie toward the counter with the sudden urge to stroke and tease her until she purred.

“You’re driving me crazy,” he whispered her name,
then
rained kisses along her neck and jaw as he buried his fingers in her hair. Mackenzie gasped and drew his mouth back to hers. The kiss was hard and persistent.

Her legs parted, cradled him and all rational thoughts evaporated. Consumed by desire, Ryan slipped his hand along her hips and over to cup her ass again, lifting her slightly off the ground so she could feel his erection.

There was a thump and then cussing coming from the other room that jerked him back to reality.

Mackenzie leaned back and stared at him, eyes wide with surprise. “What was that?”

“Sounds like one of the men fell out of their cot. Probably Tomas,” he added with a chuckle.

“Are you serious?” she asked and then laughed.

Ryan nodded in the direction of the other firefighters. “Yep, it happens all the time.” He kissed her once more, and as he released her, he snatched the bag she was still holding in her hand.

“Hey, give me that back!” she cried out with laughter, and went for the bag, but he was way faster.

“I think one of these has my name written on it.” Ryan chuckled as he moved over to the table. “Sit.” He pointed to the chair across from him and lowered back onto his seat. She pulled the soufflé out the bag and handed him one.

“I have a request,” Mackenzie said, as she reached for a plastic fork.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Since this… this thing is going to be for two weeks, I was
thinking
I could milk it for everything that it’s worth.”

Ryan couldn’t resist a laugh. “What do you have in mind?”

“I need a date.”

He took a bite and said, “And you want me to go?”

“Yes.” She took a sweet roll from a plastic container as she explained, “It’s a fundraiser. I was supposed to go with Allen, so if I don’t go he’ll think it’s because of him.”

All she had to say was Allen, and he would have been onboard. “I think we can arrange that.”

Mackenzie leaned back on the seat and took a bite of her roll. “Cool. Dating you might turn out to be worthwhile.” She laughed as he reached over and allowed his fingers to dance along her arm. What was it about this woman that he found so tempting?

“And what do I get in return?”

She slipped out her tongue to lick the icing from her fingers. “What do you want?” The smirk on her lips meant she knew what she was doing. Oh, she was such a tease.

“After I give it some thought I’ll let you know.”

Her eyes lit up. “I think that can be arranged.” Her eyes swept the room. “It’s quiet in here.
Long night?”

He nodded.
“House fire a few hours ago.”

Her eyes widened.
“Everyone okay?”

“Yes, but if you don’t mind, a few of the guys and I would like to solicit some donations outside the restaurant on Wednesday.”

“As long as you promise to wear your hat, I’m game.”

“Cool.” He shrugged. “We want to do what we can to help the family.”

“Absolutely.”
She took a bite. “I never knew you would grow up and become so amazing,” she said with a wink.

Ryan smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

Mackenzie gave a rude snort. “I’m just trying to live one day at a time like the rest of us.” After a quick glance at the clock on the wall, her nose wrinkled. “I better get out of here and open the bar. I’ll see you later.”

He nodded. They bowled every Thursday. “I’ll be over to pick you up.”

She frowned as she rose from the table.
“No way.
I need to go home, change and make it cute.”

“It’s always cute,” Ryan said and playfully swatted her on the butt. “I’ll be by the bar to pick you
up,
otherwise we’ll lose our lane at the bowling alley.” Since they’d saved the bowling alley from an arson attempt a year ago, the owner reserved a lane every Thursday night for Fire Station 3. But if there wasn’t someone there by seven the lane was opened up to the public.

Mackenzie made a face and took another bite of the roll before she moved toward the door. “I’ll be ready.”

A sly smile curled his lips as she disappeared around the corner. “We’ll see.” And he wasn’t referring to bowling.

FIVE

“Are you and Ryan dating?”

Mackenzie’s stomach lurched as she swung her head around. “Why’d you ask that?”

Porsha raised her eyebrows, her expression one of keen interest. “Because he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off of you since he arrived.”

She blushed,
then
gave a dismissive scowl as she reached for a clean martini glass. “We always bowl on Thursday nights.”

The pretty bartender wrinkled her nose. “Uh-uh, I know the two of you have been friends for years, but today there’s just something different about the way he’s looking at you. Almost as if he’s finally seeing you clearly. See for yourself,” she added with a tilt of the head.

Mackenzie was almost afraid to look over at one of the tables near the window where Ryan had been sitting since he had arrived at
Spanky’s
. She spotted him, staring off at the evening rain dotting the windows. As soon as her eyes landed on him, her heart palpitated. It had never done that before. Ryan looked even better and she wasn’t sure how that was even possible.

She was used to seeing him in his uniform. In fact, she had even seen him covered head to toe in smoke, but this was the look she enjoyed most. He was deliciously dressed in a pair of jeans and
a button
-down, blue and white Polo. Fresh white sneakers were on his feet. Damn! All that swag! His chiseled features were a perfect blend of masculinity and beauty, but it was his confidence that women were attracted to, that drew her to him.

The bar was relatively busy for a happy-hour crowd and yet it appeared almost every woman in the bar had noticed Ryan. Not that she could blame any of the women who were trying to get his attention. Smiling, batting eyelashes, and even sauntering over to where he was sitting only to return to her chair shortly after. Anyone of those women was hoping to take him home with them, and instead he was spending the evening bowling with her. An unfamiliar feeling of possessiveness caused her insides to churn.

Last night she’d had his hands everywhere, his mouth on hers, his hands caressing her breasts and then his magnificent penis buried inside her. She remembered rocking her hips taking him deeper until the moment escalated and her climax was close. He’d instructed her to wrap her legs around his waist just as their bodies convulsed in invigorating pleasure.

Heart pounding, she dared to look at Ryan again and sighed. How could she be so lucky? She scowled at that thought because luck didn’t have anything to do with it all. They were friends. Nothing more, yet when Ryan shifted on the seat and suddenly their eyes collided, she realized Porsha was right. He was staring, eyes dark, intense and hungry.

Mackenzie swallowed as a quivery sensation shot down her body to settle low in her belly. She’d never had a man look at her like that with all his hunger and need reflected in his eyes. Stunned, she couldn’t move or break the spell. Instead she was locked in by the flash of need that fluttered like nothing she had ever felt before right smack at her core.

“Do you see what I’m talking about?” Porsha said, and Mackenzie was thankful she had broken the trance.

Her face was burning, and she knew she was blushing like crazy. Dropping her head, she mumbled, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” With that, she laughed and moved down to the other end of the bar and took a beer order. As she popped the cap from the top, she stole another glance in his direction. Ryan held up his wrist and pointed down at his watch.

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered under her breath. “I’m almost done.” The evening shift had arrived and was preparing to clock in.

Mackenzie went back to working, and she wasn’t surprised fifteen minutes later when Ryan was at the bar leaning toward her. Her lips parted slightly at his dominant presence.

“Do I have drag you out from behind that counter?” His eyes were so dark and intense she wasn’t sure if he was playing or serious. Either way she laughed.

“I’m coming.”

“Five minutes, Mack,” he warned.

With a roll of her eyes, she headed over to the other end as far away from his piercing stare and sexy, low authoritative voice. As a shiver raced down her spine, she was starting to think that maybe she was totally out of her depths with him.

*
 
*
 
*

He was totally off his game.

“Yes!” Mackenzie screeched when all five pins went crashing to the ground.

He had just come off a twelve-hour shift and after two meetings and another emergency call, he should have been tired, but instead he was wildly awake. His body was actually energized, awakened by the twin peaks of her breasts and the swell of her round ass. They were on their second game, and Mackenzie was kicking his butt, yet for once Ryan didn’t even care. Instead he was more interested in the way her lush hips moved in those jeans. When she turned and caught him staring, he shifted on the bench and said, “I’m off my game tonight.”

Her laughter was so desirable. “No, you’re just getting that butt spanked and you should just admit it.” Her eyes were sparkling, softening her features, making her look even more feminine and sexy.

Ryan rose and reached down for his bowling ball. “It’s not over yet,” he reminded her. Grinning, Mackenzie stepped to the side. He moved into position, took a deep breath and sent the ball sailing down the lane. The pins exploded.
“Yeah boy!”

She gave a dismissive wave. “Whatever,” she mumbled playfully.

“Huh? Did you say something?” he teased.

“I said get out of the way. It’s my turn.” She pushed him with her hip and when his arm brushed her breasts, he felt that all too familiar tightening at his gut.

He stood back, staring at her round ass as she moved toward the lane. Desire crackling between them. Mackenzie bent over and the jeans tightened over her curvy behind. Damn, she was sexy!

She’s always been sexy.

True, but now he noticed her more than he had ever before. The entire time he’d sat in the bar, the only time he had taken his eyes off of her was when some female came over to proposition him. He was polite but for the next two weeks the only woman he ached to be inside, filling her—was the woman who had just landed another strike.

“You gotta be kidding?”

Mackenzie swung around, sending her breasts bouncing right before his eyes. “I told you I got skills.”

“It’s going to take more than skills to beat me tonight,” he said competitively.

“Oh no!
Keep thinking that lover boy.”

Laughing, Ryan reached for a size fourteen ball and headed back up the lane, but just as he sent the ball rolling, she came up beside him and bumped his arm. His ball went right over into the gutter.

“What the…”

Mackenzie was laughing uncontrollably, her entire face lit up and she looked so desirable she took his breath away. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist.”

He moved to her and put her in a fake headlock. “You know that’s cheating.”

“I know…I know!” she cried with laughter.

Chuckling, he released his hold and then dragged her into the circle of his arms. “You know you’re gonna pay for this later.”

She looked up at him with a saucy grin. “I’m counting on it.”

“I told you I would win.” She was bragging all the way from the bowling alley.

Ryan took his eyes briefly away from the road and nodded in agreement. “Yes you did.” He would never tell her that he allowed her to win. One, because she was such a sore loser, and two, he just felt this unfamiliar need to make her happy at any cost. “How about we celebrate?”

He saw her eyes twinkle as she suggested, “Ice cream on the boardwalk?”

“Ice cream it is,” he agreed softly.

The rain had stopped, and yet, thickening clouds slid across the sky, foretelling more rain. He parked the truck near the boardwalk, then climbed out and helped her from the vehicle. He was a gentleman, so nothing about that was unusual. What surprised them both was that he unconsciously reached down and clasped her fingers with his. She looked up at him, eyes wide with surprise and then smiled. Never in a million years would he have imagined something feeling so right.

“What are we doing?” she asked after they had both gotten waffle cones loaded with rocky road ice cream.

He stared down at her blankly. “What do you mean?”

“We’re walking along the beach, holding hands, eating ice cream. We’ve never done that before.”

She was right. They hadn’t. Usually they got ice cream and then he dropped her off at home. Instead his long fingers were linked with hers, their bodies brushing with each step.

Ryan licked his ice cream and gazed out over at the waves caressing the sandy beach as he replied, “We’ve never dated before either, but now we are.”

Mackenzie ate her ice cream and didn’t bother to respond.

While they continued to stroll down the long tourist pier lined with specialty shops and delicious fast food, Ryan caught her frowning. As she stared down at the ground those long lashes of hers were sweeping shadows across her cheeks.

“Is something wrong?” he asked between licks and he noticed the way the cool winds ruffled her hair.

“No, not at all.
And that’s the problem. Hanging out, spending time with you feels so natural,” she admitted in a deep gravely voice.

Ryan stopped walking, turned, cupped her chin gently and turned her face to him and those deep-set eyes pinned him. “That’s because you’ve known me half your life.”

He was happy to see the smile had returned to her lips as she said, “Is that what it is?”

Nodding, he yanked on her hand, drawing her to him. “Yes, that’s it,” he said slowly. “The only thing different between now and a week ago, is that after we get done eating our ice cream, I’m taking you home with me to bed.”

Leaning forward, he met Mackenzie halfway. The kiss was so long and deep, he didn’t know where he ended and she began as his tongue moved with hers in a sensual dance they managed to do quite well. Ryan flicked and teased until soft whimpers escaped her parted lips. The sound caused his body to tighten and pulse.

“Mack,” he murmured, his hand stroking along the curves of her body. While his lips continued to tease her like a sensual whirlwind, his thoughts shifted to making love to her… waking up to her and sliding inside her body. When he finally ended the kiss, he rested his chin on the top of her head. She breathed heavily and placed her cheek to his chest and clung to him while Ryan tightened his hold and focused on how well they fit together in more ways than one.

 
I want her in my bed now.

With a shuddering breath, he inhaled the salty air as he pulled back to look at her. Fire and desire were dancing in her eyes.

“Let’s get out of here,” Ryan said then took Mackenzie’s hand and led her toward the truck.

* * *

They arrived at his townhouse located on a private golf course. Once inside, Mackenzie stepped into his spacious living room that she had been begging him to let her decorate. It was a contemporary design that suffered from no personal touches.
A big couch, entertainment center, and a dated recliner.
In the kitchen, a plain table and two
chairs
. “I see this place still looks like a man lives here.”