Page 17

J enny rolled over when she heard a shower turn on. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She was actually in Mac’s bedroom.

She glanced around the huge room, trying to learn as much as she could about the man she was quickly falling in love with.

Besides the large bed, there was a sofa and a chair on the other side of the room.

The area also had a television and what appeared to be a small bar.

She could see him in the space after a long day of work with a glass of something, stretched out in the chair, watching the news.

Her head jerked around when she heard the bathroom door open. The air lodged in her lungs when Mac walked out in nothing but a towel and used another one to dry his dark hair.

Jesus, there wasn’t anything about the man that wasn’t attractive. His chest was broad, and the muscles were clearly defined with just the right amount of hair in the middle. His arms were muscular from the long hours he spent working on the ranch.

The top half of him was a teak color from the sun, while the bottom half was a few shades lighter. The muscles in his legs bulged, and she thought his thigh was as big around as her waist. Even his feet were sexy.

“Woman, if you keep looking at me like that, you won’t get fed anytime soon.”

She inhaled, nodded, and kept her eyes on his. “I ... I’m not that hungry.” She almost gasped. Oh, Lord, she hadn't meant to say that out loud.

His hands went to his waist. “You’re killing me, Sweetheart. I want to make this good for you, but you keep doing shit like that.”

She bit her lip to keep from grinning at the petulant tone of his voice. “I’m sorry.”

His eyes narrowed, and he growled. “No, you’re not.”

She laughed.

“We’ll make a compromise,” he said.

One of her brows rose. “Really? What’s that?”

“I’ll have a tray sent up to us with snack food, that way, we don’t have to get dressed, and we won’t go hungry. If we’re still hungry later, we can go down to the kitchen. Lucia always has food if I get hungry.”

Her heart picked up at the innuendo in his words because she knew what “later” meant. She cleared her throat. “Lucia?”

“I guess you’d call her my housekeeper, but she pretty much manages the whole house. She has girls come in a few times a week to clean because she likes to stay in the kitchen.”

“Has she been here long?”

“My whole life. She worked for my dad before me. She’s more like a part of the family than anything.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“I’ve got a great group of people here.”

“You’re fortunate.” She couldn’t believe they were so casual about the fact that he was about naked, and within minutes, they’d be having sex for the first time.

He picked up the phone on the bedside table. When he was done talking, he sat down on the bed by her hip and faced her while he braced himself on one hand that he planted on the opposite side of her as if to hold her in place.

Her heart felt like it was about ready to gallop out of her chest.

He raised one hand and smoothed the hair from her face. “I can see how nervous you are, Sweetheart, and I don’t want you to be. Everything’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

“It’s just that I don’t have much experience.”

He nodded. “I know that. That’s why we're going to take it slow.”

She reached out and placed her hand on his chest. He closed his eyes, and his head tilted back in bliss. Her fingertips traced over his chest, around his nipples, and then down to his abdomen.

He moaned. “I love when you touch me, so don’t ever stop.”

That was good because she loved touching him as much as she loved his hands on her.

A knock at the door startled her.

“Easy. It’s just our tray.” He got up, walked to the door, and opened it a little. He said a few words and then closed and locked it. When he turned, he held a tray laden with food and a bottle.

“She even brought wine?” Jenny asked.

Mac grinned. “She usually thinks of things I don’t. Why don’t you move up and lean against the headboard, and I’ll put the tray by your legs?”

She did and crossed her legs under her before he set the tray on the bed. “Oh, my.” There were small sandwiches, crackers, cheese, fruit, cookies, nuts, and wine. How in the world had the woman put this together so quickly?

He grinned and handed her a sandwich. “Try this. She makes the best chicken salad I’ve ever tasted.”

Jenny took one bite and hummed. It had a few spices in it she couldn’t decipher, but it was the right blend of mayo, meat, and it even had cut-up grapes in it.

“This is delicious.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes. All that time, she had to fight to keep her gaze above his waist instead of the towel that was still wrapped around him and the apparent erection that tented the material.

“Do you want any more?” he asked.

She took a last sip of wine and handed it to him. “No, I’m full. It was delicious.”

“You’ll have to tell her that when you meet her.”

Jenny watched as he stood and set the tray on the dresser. She swallowed when he came back and sat down next to her with only a foot of space between them.

“How are you doing?”

She made herself release the grip she had on the blanket. “Nervous.”

“That’s understandable, but I don’t want you to be afraid. There is nothing I will do to hurt you.”

“I know that.”

“Good. Now, give me a kiss.”

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, and desire immediately consumed her thoughts, and her body heated.

They reached for each other at the same time, and before she knew it, she was across his lap and having the breath sucked out of her, and it didn’t seem to matter.

He took her mouth like he was starving for her. Nipping, licking, and tasting every part he could reach as one of his large hands cradled the back of her head, and the other was sliding up and down the side of her body from her armpits to her upper thighs.

Mac raised his head and looked down at her. “Jesus, woman, you’re so beautiful.”

At that moment, she felt beautiful and desired, and she never wanted the feeling to end.