What She Wants

from the anthology
For Her Pleasure

Available September 2007
from Berkley HEAT

 

 

Excerpt

Travis “Mac” McKenzie pushed back his Stetson as he stepped into the Two Step Bar and Café. He scanned the smoky interior from left to right, taking in every person, looking for anything out of the ordinary. But all he saw was the usual crowd, mostly locals out having a good time.

The jukebox blared the latest rowdy country tune, and three couples navigated the center floor in a jerky rendition of a two-step.

As he stepped further into the bar, a few of the drunker customers sat up and took notice of his uniform. But he wasn’t there to bust anyone for disorderly conduct. He was there to make sure Kit didn’t have any trouble.

His eyes traveled to the back of the room where Kit Townsend was busy pouring drinks. Her back was to him, and he took in her curvy ass, outlined by a pair of too-short cutoff jeans.

His body reacted to her even across the room. It was easy to imagine those shapely legs wrapped around him, his hands cupping her perfect breasts. He curled his fingers into fists to ease the ache. He’d waited a long time for her. She was worth it, but he wasn’t going to wait any longer.

She stopped every once in awhile and glanced furtively around as if she didn’t trust someone not to jump out at her when she wasn’t expecting it. And who could blame her after what had happened six months earlier?

His gut tightened uncomfortably, and he flexed his hands as the familiar anger surged through his veins. Someone had done his best to take Kit away from Mac, from any chance he had of making her his. She was running scared now, a fact she tried to hide, but Mac saw the shadows in her eyes every time he looked at her.

He glanced to the corner where his buddy Ryder Sinclair sat nursing a beer. He lifted his brow in silent question, and Ryder shook his head.

Mac started over in Ryder’s direction. Since the attack on Kit, the two had made damn sure one of them was close by at all times. They’d been taking care of Kit since they were kids. Only they’d failed her in a big way.

“How’s it going?” Ryder asked lazily, tipping his beer in Mac’s direction.

Mac took off his Stetson and dropped it on the table, then settled his large frame into a chair. “Busy night or I’da been here sooner. Everything okay around here?”

Ryder shrugged. “Same ole, same ole.”

Mac watched as Kit surveyed the room as if she were looking for someone or something. Her usually expressive green eyes were shadowed, reserved. Her entire demeanor had changed for the worse. The outgoing, sassy, fire-breathing spitfire he and Ryder had known all their lives had been replaced by a girl neither of them knew. Or knew how to handle.

She was afraid. And that pissed Mac off to no end. He’d love to find the bastard who had taken her spirit and kill him with his bare hands.

“Still no leads, huh,” Ryder mumbled.

Mac shook his head. “We’re dumbasses, Ryder.”

“Yeah well, tell me something I don’t know.”

“If we hadn’t fucked around, played stupid games, she’da been at home in bed with us instead of where she was that night.”

Ryder crooked his lip and nodded before tipping back his bottle again. “We couldn’t have known. Hell, we were all having fun. Flirting. Just like old times.”

“I may have fucked up any chance I have with her,” Mac muttered. “She didn’t have a whole lot of trust in her system to begin with, and after what happened…” He let his thoughts trail off. He knew he and Ryder were the only two people Kit trusted, but had that survived in the face of her attack? He didn’t know, and he was afraid to press her.

Ryder arched his brow then leaned forward, his beefy arms resting on the table. The serpent tattoo on his upper arm bulged and flexed as he gripped his beer bottle.

“Wait a minute. Just how serious about her are you?”

Mac gave him a dark look. “Come on, Ryder. You’re not stupid. Just because I entertained a threesome with you and her doesn’t mean she was a cheap lay.”

“I never said she was,” Ryder said mildly. He ran his hand through his hair and shoved it behind his left ear, baring a row of earrings.

Mac shook his head. He liked to give Ryder hell about the earrings and the tattoos, of which there were at least three, but secretly, he envied his give-a-shit attitude. And Kit was every bit the rebel Ryder was.

Growing up with the two of them was an experience in daring. Kit and Ryder had decided to go out and get tattoos one night during their senior year in high school. They’d dared Mac to get one, but he’d gone along for the ride only. Between them, they embodied a lot of the traits Mac wished he possessed himself. Maybe it was why he had gravitated toward them in their younger days.

He still remembered the night Kit had shown them just where she’d gotten her tattoo. It wasn’t something he was likely to forget in this life time. He could get a raging hard-on just thinking about it.

She’d be a firebrand in bed, and even though a threesome had been on his and Ryder’s mind for a long time, Mac knew it wasn’t enough for him. Ryder was okay with good times, great sex, and easy friendship, but Mac wanted more. He wanted Kit.

“Look, I’m just pissed because we fucked around and didn’t act on an attraction that was obvious. She wanted us. We wanted her. And because we sat on our hands for too long, some fucking psycho hurt her. I don’t like how it’s changed her.”

Ryder stared over at Kit, his dark eyes hooded. “No,” he said slowly. “I don’t like it either.”

“We’ve waited long enough. I wanted to give her space to deal with what happened, but what I really want is to make sure no one ever hurts her again, and I can’t do that unless she’s home with me, in my bed.”

Ryder sat back and stared at Mac for a long moment.

Mac frowned. “I don’t like it when you look at me like that, bro. It usually means you’re overtaxing that pea brain of yours.”

Ryder grinned crookedly. “I just don’t want to step on any toes. I get the feeling you’re not into this for the sex only.”

“She wants us,” Mac replied. “She knows our history. She didn’t pull the idea from the air, that’s for damn sure. But I won’t lie to you. In the end, I want to be the one she comes home to.”

Ryder shrugged. “Fair enough. As long as we know where we stand. Given her attitude about relationships, I’m surprised you’d even entertain that notion.”

Mac followed Kit’s progress across the room. “I aim to change her mind.”