Wyatt pulled his mind from Kimberly’s magnificent legs and delicious curves. He’d rather spend Friday night with her than with a ‘sweet, nice’ girl.
“Can’t you find someone else, bro?”
“There isn’t anyone else, Wyatt! I wouldn’t have asked you if someone else was available.”
With a frown, Wyatt scooped the legal pad off the desk. He scanned the page-long list of scratched-off names.
“You asked Fred? The security guy? And you asked him before asking me?”
“I told you I was desperate.”
Wyatt tapped the pad.
“Dude, my name isn’t even on here.”
Benjamin glared at him.
“Okay, what will it take? How much?”
“What? You’re bribing me now?”
A chuckle rose from Wyatt’s throat.
“Dude… you couldn’t pay me enough.”
“I’ve got it! Kimberly!”
Benjamin’s eyes widened. He moved toward Wyatt.
“You take Mackenzie to dinner, then get her to the party and I’ll put in a good word for you with Kimberly. I’ll even invite her to the party.”
Visions of Kimberly’s gorgeous breasts and rounded backside flashed through Wyatt’s mind. Anticipation raced through him.
How bad could one dinner with Benjamin’s little sister be?
Besides, he had lost most of his client base with the move, and Benjamin was giving him a chance to rebuild his career. He owed his old roommate. After another moment’s hesitation, Wyatt thrust out his hand.
“Okay, bro. You got yourself a deal.”
Relief flowed over Benjamin’s face. Even his hair seemed to relax. He clasped Wyatt’s hand.
“Deal! You take Mackenzie to dinner, then bring her by the house. My flight gets in around ten, but Estelle wants you two there at nine sharp. I’ll tell Mackenzie that Estelle’s coming to Boca with me and we won’t be back until Sunday. You can say you’re feeding… the dog.”
“The dog? Seriously?”
Wyatt narrowed his gaze.
“Dude, that German shepherd is a menace on four legs. The dog hates ALL men.”
Benjamin blinked.
“Jewel is part shepherd, and she doesn’t hate ALL men. She’s gotten used to me. She’s just protective of Estelle. Anyway, you won’t have to deal with her.”
“Right…”
With a nod, Wyatt moved toward the door.
“Wait.”
Wyatt stopped, then turned back toward his partner. Benjamin paused, staring hard at him.
“There’s something else you need to know about Mackenzie. She isn’t the kind of woman you’re used to.”
“I got it. You already told me. She’s the romantic type. Don’t worry, I’ll take her someplace nice.”
“Good.”
Benjamin’s jaw bunched.
“But that isn’t what I’m getting at.”
Wyatt drew an impatient breath.
“So… what are you saying?”
A cool warning slipped into Benjamin’s gaze.
“I’m saying that… Wyatt, my little sister is still a virgin. And I want her to stay that way.”
******
Mackenzie Swanson groaned. She yanked the wall calendar from its place beside an old fuse box and stared at the big squares representing the days of the week, zeroing in on the upcoming Friday… The thirteenth.
This Friday was the thirteenth.
What kind of day was that to have a birthday?
“This is a bad sign, Swanson,” she murmured to herself. “A very bad sign.”
The depression that had hovered over her for months descended. Everyone she knew was engaged or married and working on a second or third child.
Everyone… but her.
She plopped into the rickety desk chair she’d picked up secondhand to go with the metal desk she’d inherited when she bought this bookstore four years ago.
After a minute of searching through the pile of catalogs and order sheets on her desk, Mackenzie took the phone. She punched in a number, then waited through three rings.
“‘Hello?’” Helen Roberts, her best friend, answered.
“Life is passing me by, Helen.”
“‘Mackie?’”
“I know at sixteen I vowed to wait for the ‘One and Only’, but I thought I’d find love by now.”
Mackenzie closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Look at me! I’m sitting here and nothing is going on in my life. There’s no one to greet me at the end of the day.”
She swallowed hard.
“No hope of having a child… a family of my own…”
“‘Aw, Mackie… you can borrow one of mine? Or all of them?!’”
One of Helen’s daughters shrieked in the background.
“‘Excuse me a minute.’”
The phone made a clunking sound, then Helen yelled for her offspring to be quiet.
“‘Sorry,’” she said as she came back on the line.
Mackenzie shook her head.
“All I need is a jump start.”
“‘Tom has this new guy working for him…’”
“I’m seriously thinking of going for it… all the way…”
“‘What?’”
“Maybe it’s time I lost my virginity. Had a fling. Live a little.”
Mackenzie squared her jaw. Saying the words out loud sent a wave of satisfaction coursing through her. She pulled her finger free, shaking the blood back into it.
“‘Sweetie… you’re not going to do anything hasty, are you?’”
Mackenzie laughed.
“I’m twenty-five and I’m the oldest virgin I know… What’s hasty about that?”
“‘You know what I mean. Who is he? Do you love him? Why haven’t…’”
“I don’t know who he is… or will be, Helen. The way I feel, the next available male I come across might get lucky.”
“Mackie?”
Jimmy Smith, a high school student she’d hired to work afternoons, poked his head around the office door.
“Could you cover the front? I need to take a break.”
“Sure, Jimmy. Just a minute.”
He smiled his thanks, then withdrew. Grimacing, Mackenzie turned back to the phone.
“Okay… Well, maybe the next available male…”
“‘Look, Mackie…’”
“I’ve gotta go. Thanks for helping sort this out, Helen.”
“‘Wait, don’t…’”
She hung up. Nothing Helen could say would change her mind. Besides, Helen was no paragon of knowledge. Look at the mess she’d made of her own life. Mackenzie sighed and shook her head.
Poor Helen…
At sixteen, they’d cried together when she discovered she’d gotten pregnant by Tom Roberts, her first ‘real’ boyfriend. To Mackenzie’s horror, Helen, with her runway model looks, tossed aside her future working in fashion to marry Tom and have his baby.
Nine years and three children later, Helen was still stuck in Atlanta, still stuck with Tom. Mackenzie’s heart twisted. Sure, Helen loved being a mom, but what a life she could have had…
How many nights had they stayed up planning her career as a top model, her New York apartment, and her picture on the cover of Vogue?
Mackenzie stood. For herself, all she’d ever wanted was a career, a husband who loved and appreciated her, and children. Professionally, she was doing exactly what she wanted, but her personal life was lacking.
Sure, she’d dated, always on the search for the ‘One and Only’.
Helen’s tragedy had taught her not to settle for less. Unfortunately, it never took long to realize when a man wasn’t what she needed, so her relationships tended to fizzle before developing into anything serious.
With one last glare at the calendar, Mackenzie pushed away from her desk.
“Friday the thirteenth!” she exclaimed. “Of all the days to have my birthday!”
She paused at her office door. She needed to do something to get out of that state. Closing her eyes, Mackenzie imagined herself basking in the sun along crystal-white sand.
That was it!
She’d go to her favorite resort in Florida, and treat herself to her own birthday celebration.
As Mackenzie pushed through into the shop, her mind raced with the list of things she had to do to prepare for the trip: make sure the store was covered, call the resort, and schedule her flight. With luck, she’d have everything set by the end of the day.
The resolve firm in her mind, she went to relieve Jimmy. The front door of the shop stood open, catching the spring breeze. Sunlight flooded the row of floor-to-ceiling windows that graced the shop’s front.
With a sound of relief, Jimmy raced for the back room, leaving the small bookstore empty, except for Mackenzie and Judi Voight, one of their regulars. A flowered scarf held Judi’s dyed red curls back from her face. She stretched to reach a high shelf in one of the many bookcases.
“May I help you?” Mackenzie asked.
With a wave of her hand, the older woman dismissed her.
“Don’t mind me, honey. I’m fine. I know you’ve got work to do.”
Mackenzie smiled a small smile. She was so distracted right now, she’d hate to inadvertently snap at the dear woman. Picking up a watering can from behind the counter, Mackenzie went to work on her plants. Caring for them usually calmed her. She left Judi who started browsing amongst new and old books.
Though Mackenzie had grown fond of the elderly woman, she sometimes wondered if Judi was becoming senile. She often talked non-stop with other customers, wavering in and out of a long-ago past.
Done watering, Mackenzie pulled out her customer request notebook to check it against her recent book shipment. She still carried a generous assortment of a new product, though with all the mega-booksellers moving into the area, she’d expanded her used section. She needed an edge that allowed her to compete.
Benjamin had been appalled when she’d told him she was veering in that direction, but otherwise, she wouldn’t last long against that kind of competition. So far, her strategy had paid off.
Jimmy emerged from the back, heading for a carton of used books on the counter.
“Mackie, I’ve logged these already,” he said, scooping up an armload. “Some of this old stuff is pretty cool.”
He hummed something Mackenzie didn’t recognize as he disappeared down a book-lined aisle. Judi made a sudden beeline for the counter. Mackenzie braced herself.
“Mackenzie, has Jackson called for me?”
Sighing, Mackenzie mustered a smile.
“No, Judi. I’m sorry, but no one’s called for you.”
The woman’s hopeful expression sagged.
“Well, he will. He promised,” she said in her usual raspy voice.
Mackenzie squeezed the woman’s hand. Without fail, they played out this scenario whenever she came to the shop. Normally, Mackenzie controlled the inevitable tug on her emotions. Today, however, her heart lurched and her eyes stung.
What had happened to Jackson, Judi’s man?
“Yes, Judi,” her voice caught. “He will, I’m sure.”
She blinked back embarrassing tears. This ridiculous birthday disaster had her tied up in knots. Judi shook her gnarled finger.
“My Jackson… He’s incredible between the sheets, you know.”
Mackenzie straightened. This wasn’t part of the routine.
“Really? Wow… Okay…”
“He has all the right moves.”
“How… how nice for you.”
“He plays his guitar,” Judi rasped, “and I do this dance. I’ll show you.”
“That’s not necessary.”
Mackenzie glanced around. No other customers had come in and Jimmy was probably lost in the bowels of the sci-fi area.
“I wouldn’t want you to go to any trouble.”
“Oh, yes, honey. You must learn, so you can try it on your own young man.”
She threw her hands in the air and swiveled in what she must have meant to be a seductive motion. The music curled around them.
“This dance gets men in the mood, you know…”
Not sure how to handle her, Mackenzie cleared her throat, then came around the counter, and reached futilely toward the woman.
“I don’t… I don’t have a young man, Judi.”
“No? Maybe that’s because… you don’t do… the dance…”
Judi’s rasp intensified and her breathing became labored.
“Judi… please, sit and rest a minute.”
“You must dance! Now!”
Mackenzie frowned. The woman looked ready to have a stroke and seemed determined enough to keep at it until Mackenzie joined in.“Okay, Judi,” she replied, raising her arms and swaying. “Just for a minute.” She glanced around again to ensure no one saw.“Move those hips!” Judi’s hips pivoted in exaggerated circles. Mackenzie chewed her lip in concentration. After a few moments, her muscles warmed and she smiled. The music flowed over her. Her body moved in tune with the sax’s sultry strains.“There! I think I’ve got it, Judi.”“Oh, you’ve got it all right,” a deep masculine voice sounded from behind her. “The question is, are you giving any of it away?” Embarrassment flooded Mackenzie as she swung around to face a tall stranger. He stood a few feet inside the shop’s door. The light breeze ruffled his dark blond hair. His eyes, as green as the summer sky, shone with undisguised admiration. His gaze ran lazily over her hips, then up, pausing a lon
Music played softly overhead as Mackenzie looked a bit stunned at the price tag of a clingy black dress. She sighed and glanced at Helen, her shopping companion. Thank goodness her friend had come along to help. Nothing in Mackenzie’s assortment of flowing skirts and dresses would do for her date with Wyatt. She needed Helen’s discerning eye to pick just the right outfit. She pulled the black dress from the rack, then draped it over her front.“Sexy... That’s what I want. No flowers, no pastel tones, and no ruffles or fringes.”“Well, mercy me, Miss Thang! I never thought I’d see the day when my best friend in the whole world would throw away those Barbie dresses and go for black…” Helen exclaimed laughing. Helen held up a wine-colored sheath for Mackenzie’s inspection.“If sexy is what you want, sexy is what you gonna get.” Mackenzie nodded. Helen added the dress to the pile on her arm.“So, tell me more about Mr. Breathtakingly Gorgeous,” Hele
The sun filtered through the garden window of Mackenzie’s kitchen, showering light on her plants. A curl of steam drifted up from her big coffee cup. She glanced up and frowned at the date on her kitchen calendar. Friday the thirteenth… Her big day… Mackenzie lifted her mug in salute.“Happy birthday to me.” Ignoring a vague sense of impending doom, she focused on the night to come. The phone rang. She swallowed the hot brew and smiled when she saw the ID of the caller.“Morning, Mom.”“‘Happy birthday, my darling. You aren’t moping about, are you?’” Serena Swanson’s voice held its usual note of censure.“Actually, no. I was just toasting the grand occasion.”“‘Mackie, it’s nine in the morning… Surely, you’re not drinking…’”“No, mother! It’s just coffee.”“‘Decaf?’” Mackenzie grimaced.“No! Ew!”“‘That caffeine will age you, baby girl, mark my word! You’re such a beauty now. And young. Oh, to be young again… To hav
‘Did he really say that? Please, God… let me die now!’ Blood pounded in Mackenzie’s ears as Wyatt sank back into his seat. His chair creaked in the sudden silence. George ran his hand down the front of his white dress shirt.“I’ll… Uhm… I’ll get you some fresh rolls… give you the time to decide…” He looked curiously at Wyatt, then scuttled away without a backward glance. Slowly, the tables around them returned to their former buzz. Mackenzie stared at her date in stunned silence. ‘He knows... Dammit, Benjamin!’ Her brother had no right to divulge such personal information. Heat climbed her neck. Anger and embarrassment warred in her. Was her virginity the reason for Wyatt’s brusque behavior?“I’m… Mackenzie, I’m really sorry. I don’t know why I said that…” Wyatt heaved out a breath.“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to cause a scene.” Not trusting herself to answer, Mackenzie pursed her lips and counted to ten.
Heat again filled Mackenzie’s cheeks.“Well… We finished early.” Her traitorous stomach announced its emptiness at that moment. Whether or not Estelle heard the rumbling over the loud music, she took Mackenzie’s arm to lead her to a table laden with food.“Try these crab cakes, Mackie. I’m working with a new caterer, and I need your honest opinion…” Mackenzie turned to Estelle.“This is too much… I can’t believe you had the time to plan this party with the wedding next weekend…”“I didn’t want your birthday to get lost in the shuffle… It is a very important day in the Swanson family. And I’m going to be a part of this family quite soon. You see, I never had a sister, Mackie. I wanted to get us off on the right foot.”“Thank you… From the bottom of my heart…” Mackenzie’s gaze swept the room, while unwanted emotion clogged her throat.“All this was so… so very thoughtful of you.” Guilt tightened her chest. Maybe she hadn’t given Estelle
Wyatt’s attention swept over Mackenzie’s scattered admirers. What the hell had gotten into them? The lot looked as though they’d escaped a stint on death row.“I won the challenge? What are you talking about?”“There you have it, Mackie.” A guy with red hair peeked over the back of the couch.“I told you he should be the one to show you.”“Show you what? Can someone please tell me what is going on?” Wyatt demanded. A devilish spark lit Mackenzie’s eye. She stood, then moved around the coffee table, stopping inches from him.“We were discussing the most effective means of seduction…” Wyatt narrowed his eyes. A wave of irrational anger swelled in him.“The hell you were!”“Oh, yes…” Mackenzie leaned toward him. Her palm grazed his chest. His pulse kicked into gear.“You see, we talked and talked and it seems that the answer is exactly what Cher is saying in her song: if you wanna know if he… wants you so, it’s in… his
Wyatt gripped the steering wheel and glared at the red traffic light. The air had grown heavy. Moisture swirled around the streetlights, distorting their glow.“Dammit!” he said slowly squeezing the wheel. “Dammit!” Guilt gnawed at him. He couldn’t stop thinking of her. The memory of the look on Mackenzie’s face as she confronted him tightened his gut. When he’d made that deal with Benjamin, he hadn’t thought of the consequences. He hadn’t thought of Mackenzie. At the time, she’d been a faceless chore, a means to his selfish ends, not a flesh-and-blood woman.“Dammit!” exclaimed again hitting the wheel. The light changed. Wyatt whipped into a parking lot, then circled around toward her apartment. He had to see Mackenzie… He had to apologize to her and somehow, explain how all that had changed once they’d met. She must know that Kimberly meant nothing to him. She must know that any fleeting attraction he may have felt for that woman van
His answer made Mackenzie smile and relief rolled over her. Her own boldness amazed her, but she’d never yearned for anything more in her entire life. Wyatt had instilled a great hunger in her, making her body ache with pure need and lusty thoughts.“Good… Then let’s go to bed,” she said and took him by the hand. Wyatt didn’t protest as he followed her to her bedroom, stopping her only when they reached the big bed. After pulling back the covers, he turned to Mackenzie, then brought his lips down again on hers. He reclaimed her mouth with the steady thrust of his tongue, kissing her while he lowered her gently to the mattress. His hands kneaded her breasts, rubbing their erect buds until Mackenzie moaned with pleasure. She tugged at his shirt, pulling it from his waistband. Wyatt broke away to whip the garment over his head. Sighing, Mackenzie let her gaze drift over his sculpted torso. Her pulse quickened. His shoes and slacks joined his shirt