Playful Hearts (A Rocky Harbor Novel Book 4) Read online

  Needing the upper hand with the second go-around, Mackenzie pictured coffee beans and the new espresso machine she needed to buy. She couldn’t succumb to his hotness so soon. Placing both hands on his chest, she pushed him until the backs of his knees hit against the bed.

  “This time,” she purred as she shoved at his shoulders until he fell, “I’m running the show.”

  “Babe. You ran the show last time. If I had my way I would have licked and sucked and tasted every inch of your body before—oh.”

  She couldn’t let him sweet-talk her again or she’d be a puddle of goo at his disposal. To shut him up, she crawled up his body and licked his nipple while she gyrated her hips over his. Coming close, but not quite touching him the way she knew he wanted to be touched.

  “Mack.”

  “Mackenzie.” She bit his nipple and he shrieked like a girl before pulling away.

  She couldn’t help but laugh at his response as he massaged his chest.

  “That hurt.”

  “Don’t call me Mack.”

  “Your dad does.”

  Which was exactly why Blake couldn’t. It was too special, too personal, and she and Blake were in it for the sex.

  “Do you want to chit chat like a bunch of girls or do you want round two? Or can’t you…get it up so soon after?”

  “Feisty, aren’t ya?” Blake sat up so Mackenzie was straddling him. She wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him in. “Round two’s gonna end before you know it if you keep that up.”

  “Maybe I want it to end so I can go to sleep.”

  “Babe,” he warned. “You’ll be begging to sleep by the time we’re done.”

  And once again he stripped the power from her and she became putty in his hands as he did what he’d promised. Kissing and licking and sucking.

  Every. Single. Inch.

  It wasn’t until the moon was full and bright in the dark sky that she’d finally been able to rest.

  And when she woke a few hours later, Blake was gone.

  ***

  The Sunday morning rush kept her sore and tired body busy, but wasn’t a distraction enough to keep her thoughts from the sexiest, tightest ass she’d ever seen, much less touched.

  Blake Riley’s body was made for loving. He wasn’t overly built like his brothers Colton or Luke, and wasn’t super tall like Graham. Instead he was…Blake. Perfectly proportioned. With a chest and arms defined by years of working outside and legs strong and muscular from running his crazy races, and abs so washboard amazing she bet her mother would want her scrubbing laundry against them.

  And those hands. Big and warm and callused, yet gentle and knowing exactly when and where to touch at just the right time.

  “Late night?” Maggie asked as she propped her elbows on the counter.

  “What? No. I didn’t see you come in.” Mackenzie stacked paper cups she’d gotten from storage on the shelf and reorganized the lids. For the ninth time.

  “Good date?”

  “No date.”

  “Ah. I see. Good sex then? Someday I’d like to actually meet one of these infamous guys you go out with.”

  Yeah, so would Mackenzie. She used to go out all the time, had no problem meeting men and having a good time. Then Maggie met Graham and Rachael met Jake and everyone else around her fell for a nice guy who was good in bed and good for the heart.

  Mackenzie had tried that a long, long time ago with less than stellar results. She was truly happy for her friends, but seeing their happiness every day made her not want to hook up with the one-night stand guys.

  Until last night. Blake had enough charisma and energy to make an espresso look like a glass of water.

  “Blushing. Interesting. Grab a scone and meet me at the couch. I expect details.” Maggie reached down for Katie’s car seat and claimed a place at the couch where they’d had many heart-to-heart talks over the years. Funny that they rarely hung out in Mackenzie’s apartment. They’d have nachos and a bottle of wine at Maggie’s from time to time, but usually they’d do their girly talk at Coast & Roast. The brown leather sofa was symbolic in a way.

  The Sunday morning foot traffic had slowed so Mackenzie had sent Diane home. Maggie knew when the rushes and the lulls were and timed her visits perfectly.

  Mackenzie usually controlled their conversations, making Maggie the center of them. While she wasn’t shy and had no problem being the center of attention, Mackenzie didn’t like baring her soul.

  Only to Maggie. And very rarely. Mackenzie picked out two cranberry scones from the shelf and made her way to the couch. Why was she so nervous? It wasn’t like she needed advice or anything.

  Once seated, Mackenzie squeezed Katie’s little fingers and placed a light kiss to her sleeping cheeks.

  “She’s so darn cute, Mags. She still sleeping well?”

  “Better than me. Katie started rolling over and Graham is worried she’ll flip to her stomach and suffocate. He gets up every few hours to check on her and when he comes back to bed he…likes to wake me up. I’m exhausted.”

  “Uh, just say no?” Mackenzie tore a piece of her scone and popped it in her mouth. She knew if Blake woke her in the middle of the night, no matter how exhausted, she’d say yes. Over and over again. Kind of like she did last night. She’d dozed for a few minutes only to be woken with Blake’s lips on her ear or her neck. Or her toes. The man had a fascination with her body, that’s for sure.

  “Would you mind?”

  Realizing Maggie had asked her a question that she’d totally missed, she shoved another piece of scone in her mouth. “What?”

  “Wow. You have it bad. I asked if you could watch Katie for an hour or so next weekend. I want to take Graham out for a birthday dinner. We won’t be out long because I’m still nursing every seventeen minutes.”

  “That’ll be one quick dinner.”

  “Okay, every few hours. Anyway, are you available?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good. Now that we have that out of the way, who’s the guy?”

  “What guy?” Not having any scone left to occupy her mouth, she stole Maggie’s water bottle and chugged a few gulps.

  “Since when do you hold out on me?”

  “I’m not. There’s no guy.” Maggie was a successful therapist and the best bullshit detector around. “Okay, there’s a guy.”

  “I know.”

  “You don’t have to sound so smug about it. It’s just sex. Panty-dripping sex. But it’s over now.”

  Maggie stretched her arm across the back of the sofa and steeled her therapy eyes at Mackenzie. “Bullshit.”

  “Maggie Riley. Such a filthy mouth, and in front of the baby.”

  “Avoidance.”

  “Nothing to tell.”

  “Defensive.”

  “I am not.”

  “You’re in love.”

  “Oh, hell no!” Mackenzie wiped the crumbs from her chest. “Just because you and the Riley clan are all ga-ga over some guy or some girl doesn’t mean every sexual encounter I have with a guy is about love.”

  “Okay. You’re in like.”

  “That’s not a big deal.” Mackenzie cleaned up the pile of magazines and Coffee Table books, avoiding eye contact with her annoying BFF.

  “You don’t like a lot of people.”

  “I’m in the service industry. I like everyone.”

  “Well, that’s good to hear,” a deep, familiar voice said behind her.

  “Hi, Blake. How was your run?”

  Blake leaned over the back of the couch and gave Maggie a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Good. Your husband’s getting slow in his old age.”

  “I’m sure you told him that already.”

  Blake rounded the couch and sat on the coffee table, his knees bumping against Mackenzie’s. His gaze locked with hers and intensified into something she couldn’t name. And then he winked those freakishly long, gorgeous lashes at her. He had to stop doing that.

  “Hey, Mackenzie. You loo
k tired. Not enough sleep last night?” He grinned like a foolish schoolboy playing a trick on his teacher.

  “I had plenty. Now if you don’t mind, Maggie and I were having a private conversation.”

  “About the service industry. I heard that. From what I’ve seen so far, you’re pretty good at servicing others. A little bossy at times, but you balance it out well by putting out…great coffee.”

  Mackenzie could feel her face burning. The arrogant asshat was goading her right in front of Maggie. He infuriated her with his cute smile and pain-in-the-ass mouth.

  “May your chair produce a sound similar to a fart, but only once, such that you cannot reproduce it to prove that it was the chair,” she hissed at him before getting up and storming off into the kitchen.

  His loud laughter echoed through the nearly empty coffee shop, causing shivers of lust down her spine.

  It wasn’t long before she heard the bell above the door chime, hopefully signaling Blake’s exit. Funny that she didn’t hear it when he came in earlier. A little warning would have had her more prepared to face him.

  Mackenzie stepped behind the counter and looked around the shop. Only Maggie and Katie remained. Thank god.

  “Are you going to tell me what that was about?” Maggie asked as she made her way to the counter.

  “Your brother-in-law is an arrogant asshole.”

  “Arrogant, yes. Asshole, I’m not so sure. You two seemed at each other’s throats last week at Rock the Gym, but Rachael said you all had a nice dinner at Doreen’s the other night.”

  “For being a nice girl and a reputable therapist, you sure know how to lay on the passive aggressive.”

  “I’ve learned from the best.”

  “Sorry I didn’t tell you about four-wheeling. It sort of slipped my mind.”

  “Liar.”

  “Is this how you treat all your patients?”

  Maggie leaned her elbows on the counter and grinned. “Nope. Just my best friend.”

  “It was a spur of the moment thing. Blake made me go four-wheeling and Doreen forced us to stay for dinner.”

  “I believe the Doreen bit. No one escapes her clutches without a home-cooked meal. Rachael learned from the best. The bit about Blake making you go four-wheeling intrigues me. No one makes Mackenzie Pratt do anything.”

  “You can shove that therapist license up your ass anytime now.”

  Maggie laughed. “So what’s going on? Blake’s not…forceful or anything like that, is he?”

  Mackenzie turned so her all-knowing and ultra-observant BFF wouldn’t see the reoccurring blush. Yeah, forceful, but only when Mackenzie demanded he be.

  “Oh. My. Word. You slept with Blake. How could I be so obtuse? He’s been pining away at you forever. And then your outburst last week at the gym—”

  “I didn’t have an outburst. I could have had a concussion.”

  “And Blake turned ashen white when he thought you were hurt.”

  “Because he didn’t want a lawsuit.”

  “Because he cares about you.”

  Mackenzie picked up a rag and wiped down the spotless counter. “He doesn’t know me well enough to care about me.”

  “Why did he come by today?”

  “For coffee. Just like everyone else.”

  “He didn’t get a coffee. You guys slept together. Last night. That’s why he was glowing and you were in a sex-crazed stupor until he showed up. Did it not end well? Seems like he’s much happier about whatever took place than you are.”

  “Whenever I tried to get you to kiss and tell about Graham you’d tell me to mind my own business.”

  “So it’s that serious?”

  “No!” Mackenzie tossed the rag aside and banged her forehead on the counter. “The sex was awesome. Beyond a girl’s wildest imagination, and it wasn’t like we did anything kinky or had sex anywhere fun. Straight-up bedroom sex. But…shit. Mags. Wow.”

  “And the problem is…?”

  Mackenzie picked her head up. “He’s a Riley.”

  “I married a Riley. And if I remember correctly, you hit on Colton and were cursing Sage under your breath when you met Luke.”

  “Yeah, the Riley brothers are hot.”

  “And good men.”

  “Sure.”

  “And the problem is?” Maggie stroked Mackenzie’s hair and waited for a response. “You’re starting to have feelings for him.”

  “No. It’s not that. I mean, we’re having, or rather we had, some amazing sex but I don’t want that to get in the way of our friendships. He’s going to be your brother-in-law forever. And he’s Rachael’s brother and—”

  “And Ellie’s brother-in-law. Yeah, yeah. I get that, but it doesn’t have anything to do with what’s going on between the two of you.”

  “See? That’s the problem. We both agreed we don’t want a relationship, that it’s just a sex thing between us, but the rest of you will make it out to be a bigger deal.”

  “So you’re both in agreement to the no-strings sex and don’t want to get the family involved.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Yet you look as torn up as my daffodils after a spring wind storm.”

  “Exactly.”

  Chapter Seven

  Mackenzie

  “I need your help.”

  Mackenzie had just returned from yoga when Blake called. All the stretching and new positions the other night had her body aching for days. It was a reminder she hadn’t used up all her yoga classes on her punch card at In Motion studios. The owner was Sage’s sister and had given her a card good for ten classes.

  Mackenzie needed to get back into her single life. Riding the coattails of her married friends was depressing. And boring.

  Now limber and refreshed, she lounged on her couch, channel surfing like an old maid. Maybe she should adopt a cat. Ten of them.

  “Mack?”

  She tried to pretend the deep tenor in his voice wasn’t the reason for her sudden chills and the ache between her legs.

  “Other than getting your rocks off, I’m not sure how I can help.” Better to sound indifferent than needy and wanting.

  Blake’s chuckle at the other end of the line made her scowl. “Soliciting for sex over the phone is illegal in Maine.”

  “As opposed to in person?”

  “No, that’s frowned upon as well.”

  “Been busted for it before, have you?”

  “As I was saying, I need your help. Are you off tomorrow?”

  “I own a coffee shop. I’m never off. Some people run a real business and actually work during the day.”

  “Sounds like someone needs to get laid.”

  “Excuse me?” Mackenzie shot up and paced her living room. “You call me begging for my help and then start spewing out insults? You’re one twisted soul, Blake Riley.”

  “See, and then you start talking dirty to me. What’s a guy to think?”

  “I didn’t say anything dirty.”

  “You said sp—”

  Mackenzie quickly recalled her last words. “Oh. My. God. You’re like a twelve-year-old boy.”

  “Cupcake, nothing about me says twelve-year-old boy.”

  “See? You turn everything I say into a sexual innuendo.”

  “It’s because you’re hot.”

  Mackenzie closed her eyes and laughed. It was either that or cry. The man was non-stop on his game whether it be physical or verbal banter. She needed to step up her own game or he’d be in control of every conversation. Of every physical activity.

  “What do you need help with?”

  “I’ll pick you up tomorrow at four.”

  “Okay.”

  “In the morning.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t you get up around that time for work anyway?”

  She wanted to spit out a stream of curses but he’d already hung up. Mackenzie could call him back, but that would only lead to more flirting and she knew he’d twist her words around into something sexua
l.

  Maybe she wouldn’t answer her door in the morning. Only knowing Blake, he’d use that as an open invitation to break into her apartment and crawl into her bed and…oh, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. No, he’d have the upper hand again.

  Curious about his favor and wanting to prove she could handle whatever it was he needed help with, she called Diane and Brandy to make sure they were all set with opening Coast & Roast in the morning and headed to bed.

  A solid six hours was all she needed to function, but she had a feeling she’d need a few extra hours of sleep to handle whatever it was Blake had in store for them.

  ***

  Something buzzed by Mackenzie’s head. She rolled over and glared at the red glowing numbers on her alarm clock. Three twenty-five in the freaking morning. Her phone buzzed again. Reaching out her arm, heavy with sleep, Mackenzie grabbed her phone and brought closer.

  Two texts. From Blake.

  Rise and shine gorgeous. Wear comfortable layers. Hiking boots or sneakers.

  The second one read:

  Coffee’s on you

  He added a few emojis, one with a smirk, one with devil horns. Even at three in the morning the man could infuriate and turn her on. Knowing an extra five minutes of sleep wasn’t going to make a difference, she turned off her alarm and moaned into her pillow.

  She had no idea what to expect with Blake. He probably wanted her to test out the obstacles on the Mud on the Rocks course, but why so early? Or maybe he was going to follow through with the ride in the woods scheme and bury her body?

  Or he needed sexual favors. Those, she could handle. Just in case, she took a quick shower, shaving the necessary areas and lathering on her crème brûlée lotion, paying special attention to the places Blake liked best.

  The knock on the outside door had her looking down at her phone. She still had ten minutes but didn’t want Blake thinking she needed time to prep herself for him. Tugging on a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra, she rushed down the stairs then waited, calming her breath, before opening the door.