Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
It was almost five and MacKenzie looked at the clock and almost groaned. It was too early. And there was no way she was ready to even think about getting out of bed, especially this bed.
Devin’s bed.
Holy. Hell. The man certainly knew what he was doing in here, and she felt sorry for any woman who was crazy enough to let him get away.
Like you’re going to do?
She yelled at her inner voice to shut up. She wasn’t ready to go there yet. Everything was still all sweet and dreamy and…yes, Devin’s hands were currently caressing her from knee to breasts and back again.
Best. Wake up. Ever.
She actually purred.
“I like the sound of that,” Devin murmured next to her ear.
“How about we make a deal? You keep touching me like this and I’ll keep sounding like that.”
He chuckled softly before leaning in and nuzzling her neck. “You’re on.”
You had to love a man who was so completely agreeable, she thought to herself. Well, that and the fact that he was clearly a man hell-bent on giving her pleasure. She wasn’t normally a morning person–for any reason–but with Devin’s hands stroking her body, MacKenzie knew she totally could be.
Somewhere beside them, Devin’s phone beeped with an incoming text, but they ignored it. It was early. Too early. And whoever it was trying to get in touch with him would just have to wait. If he stopped what he was doing to her right now, she just might cry.
It didn’t take long for her breath to quicken, her back to arch.
Devin was still pressed up against her back–his erection nudging her–but his hands and his mouth were doing all the work.
She wasn’t one for begging, but as he clearly intensified his efforts to bring her pleasure, MacKenzie cried out and told him explicitly what she wanted.
Devin gently rolled her onto her back and covered her lips with his.
This kiss was deep and wet and held all kinds of promises.
MacKenzie wrapped her legs around him and arched against him to bring him as close as she possibly could.
She smiled against his lips as he proceeded to follow through on all of her requests.
Some of them twice.
She let out a very loud sigh. A happy one. And if they never left this bed, MacKenzie knew she’d be a very happy woman.
A little later–it could have been minutes, it could have been hours - Devin rolled to the side and tucked MacKenzie in close beside him, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “Best alarm clock ever,” he murmured.
“I’ll say.” She snuggled close. “Who was texting you this early in the morning?”
“Oh, shit…I completely forgot about that.” Reaching over, Devin picked up the phone and tapped the screen to pull up the text. He chuckled and put the phone back down before getting comfortable beside her again.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, curious as hell to know who the message was from.
“Mm-hmm.” Devin hugged her and seemed in no rush to get up or even give her more of an explanation.
“Um…Devin?”
“Hmm?”
With a loud sigh, MacKenzie started to roll away, but Devin held her tight.
“It was Will,” he said, and then yawned.
She lifted her head and looked at him. “What did he want this early?”
A slow grin spread across Devin’s face. “You sure you want to know?”
Her mind raced. Was it bad news? Was he ill and not coming to work today? Wordlessly, she nodded.
Opening his eyes, Devin looked at her with amusement. “He told me to sleep in today since he figured I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night. He’s got everything under control at the shop and said you should probably come in late too. With me.”
MacKenzie’s eyes went wide and she felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “Oh my God…”
He laughed. “After the show we gave everyone in the parking lot, you didn’t think people were going to notice or say anything?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t even thinking about it at the time! I didn’t care what everyone was thinking then! And I certainly didn’t consider what they’d all be talking about today!” She buried her face against his shoulder and wanted to die of embarrassment.
“MacKenzie,” he began softly, “people have been grilling you about us all week. It will be no different today.”
“Yes, it will,” she mumbled against him.
“Why?” he asked, doing his best to maneuver so she’d have to look at him.
When she finally looked at him, she knew her cheeks were still red.
“Because now they know there’s something going on.
There’s no more speculation. I’m…I’m not used to making such a public spectacle of myself or being the talk of the town.
And yet…ever since I arrived in Sweetbriar Ridge, it seems like that’s all I’ve been.
” She sighed and lay back beside him, her head on his shoulder.
“Believe it or not, they’re not doing it to make you feel uncomfortable. We’re just all pretty close-knit around here. I guess I don’t even think about it because it’s all I’ve ever known.” He paused. “I’m sorry if it upset you. I’ll take care of it.”
Now she felt bad. “No, no, no…and besides, it’s not like it’s going to be forever. I’ll be leaving soon, and I’m sure with the rest of the reunion weekend and then the festival and everything, they’ll find something new to talk about.”
Was it her imagination, or did Devin seem to tense up beside her?
Swallowing hard, she forced herself to speak. “Don’t you think?”
He made a non-committal sound and then they were both silent. MacKenzie wasn’t sure what she should do–go back to sleep? Get up and make coffee?
The decision was taken from her hands when Devin hugged her and maneuvered them so she was on top of him.
“Devin? What…?”
He silenced her with a kiss.
And it was noon before they made it to the shop.
For the first time in years, Devin didn’t want to be at work. He couldn’t focus on what he was doing and he couldn’t care less about engine issues.
He wanted to be back in bed with MacKenzie.
The woman had turned his entire world upside down and he couldn’t find the strength to care.
Except…she was still leaving. Not that he thought one night of incredible sex was going to change that, but…
okay. He kind of did. When she had mentioned that she was leaving soon, Devin’s heart had stopped. It wasn’t rational, but there it was.
They hardly knew each other.
She had plans for her life and so did he.
It just sucked that those plans involved two completely different locations.
With a sigh, he finished tightening the bolt on the Mustang’s radiator, the last bolt.
The last…everything. Her car was fixed. It was as if the universe had conspired against him because all the parts came in sooner than expected.
And because of his work ethic, he’d given the damn car 100% of his time and energy, just like he’d promised.
As much as he’d wanted to delay the work so he’d have more time with MacKenzie, he wasn’t that guy.
It just wasn’t in him to be dishonest. And after hearing her say–again–that she was leaving, he knew fixing the car quickly was the right thing to do.
And it was fixed to his standards–and not just to make it to Oregon or wherever it was MacKenzie was heading.
He’d done the extra work and absorbed the cost himself–not that she needed to know that.
This was who he was, a man who helped people.
Besides, Devin had a feeling she’d be pretty pissed off if she found out he’d done all the work they had originally talked about without talking to her about it first.
He looked toward the office and smiled. He could see her through the sliding glass window that divided the spaces. She was talking to someone at the desk–he couldn’t see who–and she was laughing. God, she had a great laugh! And a beautiful smile. And…
“Man, you have it bad.”
Devin turned and looked at Will, who was grinning like a loon beside him. “Excuse me?”
“You,” Will said simply. “You have it bad for her. I didn’t really expect you to come in today at all.”
“Really?” Devin replied sarcastically. “Because I’m so prone to taking days off for no reason?”
“Normally, I’d say no. But today was going to be a semi-short day because it’s a Saturday, and we’re all going to the reunion tonight. There wasn’t anything here that couldn’t wait.”
“The radiator…”
“Dude, you totally had a reason–multiple reasons, actually–and no one would blame you. Hell, you’d be doing us all a favor by staying home.”
Devin looked at him in confusion. “How is that?”
“You’re distracted. She’s distracted. I’ve had to go into the office about a dozen times because MacKenzie’s jammed the printer or she’s forgotten how to do even the simplest of tasks. It’s kind of amusing.”
Annoyance and then anger filled Devin–he didn’t want anyone making fun of MacKenzie. He could handle it about himself, but after their conversation this morning, he certainly didn’t want anyone making stupid comments around her that were going to upset her. “Don’t you dare say…”
“This is what I’m talking about,” Will interrupted. “You’re not a defensive guy, Devin. Hell, you go with the flow. Nothing ever upsets you. But ever since MacKenzie arrived, you’ve been a little more…on edge. I would have thought last night…”
“Shut up,” Devin growled.
“Devin…”
He stepped menacingly close to Will and had to refrain from grabbing him and shaking him. “I don’t want you or anyone around here talking about MacKenzie or about anything that happened last night. Do I make myself clear?”
Will’s eyes went a little wide and his grin slowly faded.
He took a step back. “Crystal.” He cleared his throat.
“I didn’t mean any harm, Dev. Honestly. I…
” He held out his hands helplessly. “I just thought it was great. You deserve to be happy and…well…it looked like MacKenzie was the girl to make that happen. I’m sorry.
” And then he turned and walked away, leaving Devin feeling like shit.