Chapter Twelve

MacKenzie unpacked her things in the other room before grabbing a bottle of lotion, a book and a couple of personal things to place on his bedside table before she did the same with the closet. Sliding some of his shirts aside she hung a couple of her dresses up. She hardly wore dresses but she knew with these dinners coming up she would have to. She fingered the midnight blue silk shirt that was hanging there and wondered for a minute if it smelled like the Irish spring she’d smelt when she’d walked past him. She sighed and decided she should go and play house. She was damn hungry anyway. She walked back out to where he was self involved in pulling out the Chinese onto plates. "Done with the sulking?"

He looked up from the array of plates he'd put on the kitchen table. Without a word he gathered silverware and poured from the Pinot Grigio he kept in the house most often, filling half a glass for each of them. "I've been alone for awhile now, MacKenzie. I didn't mean to snap." He sat down, looked her in the eye and swallowed every sizzling bit of pride that was trying to climb out of his gut.

"I'm sorry." He picked up his fork and waved her to the table. "Dig in."

She nodded and sat down on the high back dining chair opposite him. She lifted the glass to her lips, "Apology accepted," she speared some chicken and waved it in the air. "I understand the alone thing, I've been living alone for quite awhile now too so if I get too relaxed let me know. I'm easy Jon," she nearly choked on her words. "Well you know what I mean."

He couldn't stop the laugh. Easy wasn't exactly the word he'd associate with her. Part of him wished she was...that he could just spend the weekend with her in his bed and get her out of his system, but she wasn't interested and now she was an employee. He had a feeling he'd be taking a lot of showers. "Yeah, well I have a maid for a reason. I'm not the neatest guy, but I'm not a slob either." He twirled noodles onto his fork and stared at the brown sauce dripping from it for a minute. "I'm not an easy guy," his lips twitched, "but just ignore me when I get snarky." He looked up and smiled as he tucked the lot of it into his mouth.

She smiled back and fought the urge to wipe away the little drop of sauce at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll remember that.” There was still so much to talk about, this wasn’t just a flatmate situation. “I think we do need some ground rules,” she took another long gulp of wine. “About what happens outside this house, versus what happens inside.”

"Groping outside, naked inside, right?" He said without a trace of guile.

She brought her glass back to her lips, holy crap. Don’t joke about that. She’d already weighed it up in her head, and it was a tempting proposition but her duty had to speak first. “Well…” She chuckled and continued, “All joking aside, I don’t mind in public if we… well… behave like a couple.”

"I hope you act better than that, MacKenzie. I know it'll be a hardship for you to have to bear my affections in public, but you'll have to pretend it doesn't." And maybe that was what fascinated him most about her. She didn't want him. He was so used to women tripping over themselves and anyone in the way to get to him. Not this woman. "People know I'm a touchy feely sort with those I'm involved with, so I'll have to keep to the standard in that regard."

He rolled his glass in his palm. "Women are meant to be touched, and I like to touch," he said quietly.

Was he kidding? A hardship for her to bear his affections? Maybe she was better at hiding her attraction than she thought. Which wasn’t a bad thing in this situation, it called for it. MacKenzie was sure it would be short lived, after living with someone, surely he’d have some annoying habit that would drive her mad.

She hoped.

Damn, she bet he touched real good too. He really didn’t have an idea did he? She was afraid it would be too easy to pretend, too easy that she’d want more. “We’re going to need to practice this all you know? Otherwise it will looked forced. And they pick up on that sort of thing.” She scooped the noodles into her mouth.

Jon stiffened, the easy smile slipping away. He stood and refilled both their glasses, jamming the bottle stopper back into the neck before putting it back into the wine fridge. "Looks like you'll be getting a goodnight kiss at the door after all." He looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll brush away the garlic before you get a taste."

She chuckled nervously "Looks like it," she tried to remember the last man she kissed like she meant it, and couldn't even drum it up quickly in her mind. Shit. What would he taste like? Wine and Sin? Oh god, this was going to be a disaster.

He pressed his knuckles onto the table. Her cool reserve was melting away and if he didn't know better, she was even nervous. Maybe he wasn't so repulsive to her? "Well, I didn't get to the garlic shrimp yet," he said and before he could stop himself he leaned in. He heard her quick intake of breath, using it to his advantage he angled, pressing his lips to hers.

Thank god for the back of the chair or she would have flipped back onto the floor out of shock. Her heart drummed hard against her ribs, holy shit. The kiss was like a small gunshot, simple, effective and just as deadly. His lips were softer than she ever expected, and he tasted like chow mein and wine. Her toes curled, and she couldn’t jam down the small moan that escaped her throat.

His fingers dipped into her hair, cupping the back of her head as he pulled her out of the chair into his arms. They were similar in height with her heeled boots versus his stocking feet. Part of him wanted to push for more, to show her that when she'd said no, it was a mistake. But the rest of him wanted to savor. There was only one first kiss. Even if it was make-believe.

He slid his arm around her waist, keeping his other hand right there in her hair, cupping her face as he tasted her. Leaving the kiss simple, he just brushed his lips over hers, swallowing the little moan she'd let free. He leaned back, their lips hovering for a moment before he went back for just one more taste. The tip of his tongue slid across her lower lip just before he stepped back, breaking the connection.

Her eyes fluttered back open at the loss of contact on her mouth, she was securely in his arms and one hand was hovering just about his belt line ready to slide on up into that chest she’d been thinking about. And the other, was sliding down over the curve of his ass.

Oh shit.

“Um...not bad….” For the lack of a better thing to say. She pulled back and her arms shook as she picked up her wine and took a very big mouthful. “Yup, that’ll work… just fine.” She slammed the glass back down on the table. “I think that will work.”

He hid the smile and grabbed one of the bowls with the garlic shrimp and vegetables in it and a pair of chopsticks. "I have to make a few calls." The satisfaction in his face would show. His poker face was currently being over ridden by the semi-hard on he was sporting. "Not bad yourself," he called over his shoulder and headed for the living room.

What in the hell? She’d signed up for guard duty not blow your brains off and leave you horny as hell, kiss duty. She jammed in another mouthful of Chinese, anything to get rid of his taste was still swirling around in her mouth. She was in big trouble, no scratch that. Massive trouble.