MacKenzie Fire(85)

Andie starts laughing and then her laughter turns to tears again.

I shake my head in pity at my friend. “Don’t worry, sweetie. As soon as I’ve got Sarah imprinting on me, I’m going to Google that baby blues thing and get you all fixed up.”

Andie laughs through her crying jag. “Thank you, Doctor Candice, Internet M.D.”

I smile back at her, happy now that she’s acknowledging my skills. “You are very welcome.”





Chapter Thirty-Nine





I’M IN MY ROOM AFTER my fat nap looking at the meager offerings my suitcase holds when Ian comes in and shuts the door almost all the way.

“What are you doing in here?” I ask, turning around to face him. I’m instantly on fire, but there’s no way I’m going to touch him in his parents’ house. I hold onto the back of a chair behind me for strength.

He clears his throat. “I came to see if you want to go out with me tonight.”

I blink a few times, letting that sink in.

“On a date,” he clarifies.

I go all tingly inside and suddenly I’m feeling kind of shy. “Sure. I’d like that a lot.”

“In ten minutes.”

I frown, no longer suffering that little shyness problem. “Are you joking?”

“No, I’m totally serious.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “Do you have any idea how rude that is? To just assume I’ll drop everything and go out with you … like I don’t already have plans?”

“You were sleeping earlier.”

“So?”

“And I thought you wanted to confront Ginny, but if you don’t …” He turns to walk out the door.

I run across the room and grab his arm. “No! Wait.”

He grins. “That’s what I thought.” His head tips down and he steals a kiss before I know what’s coming. “Be ready to go out to a bar.”

“Out to a bar? It’s not even dinner time yet.”

“Dart tournament. Ginny’s entered to play. We should get there before too many people are eliminated. She’s not that good.”

“How’d you know she was doing that?” I go over to my suitcase and pull out the black cashmere sweater I was saving for a special occasion, wondering if a dart tournament qualifies.

“Got a text from Hannah, of all people.”

I snort. “She’s sucking up. She probably wants to sit on your gear shift and spin or whatever.”

Ian comes up behind me and presses his whole body up against mine, so I can feel him practically from head to heel. “I was kinda hoping I could convince you to do that.”

Half of me wants to throw him out of the room for being so rude and the other half wants to go ahead and shove him down onto the bed so I can ride him like a bronc.

Instead, I do neither. I ignore his obvious invitation and hold up the black sweater. “Do you think this will work?” I ask.

“Sure.” He nuzzles my neck.

“What about this?” I ask, holding up a nightgown.

“Sure. Perfect.”

I sigh. “Ian, these are pajamas.”

“Whatever. You look hot in anything.” He’s too busy sucking my neck to make any sense.

He tweaks my nipple and I jump. Spinning around, I detach myself from his grip, speaking in a loud whisper. “You’re terrible! This is your parents’ house!”

“So?” He comes at me with his hands open, like he’s going to grab me by the waist. “They’re grownups. They know what other grownups do.”

“Not in their house!”

“Oh, you prefer the barn?” He’s getting closer and I’m running out of room to escape.

My legs bump up against the bed. “No, I don’t, as a matter of fact. I’m still fishing pieces of hay out of my hair.” The heat is building up inside me and my panties are getting wet. Life is so unfair. All he has to do is look at me like that with those crazy intense green eyes of his and I go nuts inside.

He stops just in front of me and rests his hands gently on my hips. “Kiss me.”

“Just once,” I say in my best bossy tone. “Then no more. You have to leave my room.”

“Okay, but it has to be a good one.” He grins.

“All my kisses are good ones.” My hands slither up his chest to go around his neck. We fit so perfectly together, like he was made for me and I was made for him.

He lowers his head and says, “I’ll be the judge of that,” just before he presses his lips to mine. His mouth is so soft, not asking me for anything but making me want to give it to him anyway.

We draw apart after just a couple seconds.

“There,” I say, completely unsatisfied, but acting like everything is exactly how I wanted it. “Now you need to go.”

He shakes his head. “Nope. Sorry. The deal was a good kiss.”

“Excuse me, but that was a good kiss.”

He screws up his face and shakes his head a little. “Naaah, not so much.”

“What? How dare …” I huff out some air. “Fine. You want a good kiss? Here’s a good kiss.” I grab his head and pull him down to me, ready to make out with him like nobody’s business.