Stumbling into Love
Page 7
“I tried to text Fawn, but she hasn’t messaged back. She must still be sleeping.”
“Well, she won’t be sleeping for much longer,” I state drily.
“True.” Libby laughs.
“Are we all ready?” Dad asks as he folds himself in behind the steering wheel.
“Yep, all ready!” Mom sings as she gets into the passenger seat.
Dad starts up the car.
“Are you guys sure about this?” I ask.
Mom frowns at me over her shoulder. “Of course! Family should spend the holidays together.”
I know the look in her eye—it means there will be no changing her mind. I shake my head and dig my cell phone out of my bag. I send a message to Fawn, letting her know that we are all on our way—and to prepare Levi for a Reed-family Thanksgiving.
“Breathe.” I rub my hand down Fawn’s back as she attempts to suck in air with her head tucked between her knees. “It will be okay,” I insist. I have no idea if I’m right or not.
After we arrived—and after Levi finally answered the door, surprised to see his new girlfriend’s family—we settled in, put away groceries, and stared to cook. When I was making coffee, Levi told me to go check on Fawn.
His family had also decided to show up and surprise him for Thanksgiving, and she was freaking out. So here I am, trying to comfort my sister as she sits on the side of the bed, having a panic attack.
“His mom is here. Our mom is here. This means I might as well consider my relationship with him over and done. I have no doubt Mom is going to say something to Levi’s parents that will make them forbid him to continue dating me.”
“It won’t be that bad.”
“Do you not remember just weeks ago when Levi met our parents? Mom told me I should get knocked up by him!” She pauses and pulls in a deep breath before lifting her head to look at me. “In front of him!” she screeches.
“Levi thought that was funny,” I remind her as she assumes her previous position.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean his family would have! What if something like that happens again? Dinner is going to be a disaster. What if someone starts talking about gravy, and then Mom uses that as a double entendre for Levi’s baby batter?”
“Baby batter?” I frown, not sure what she means.
She lifts her head and blinks at me. “His sperm.”
“Oh . . . ohhhhh.” My face scrunches up.
She lets out a huff of air.
“Listen, whatever happens, you and Levi will be fine. His parents will love you, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Now finish getting ready, and come on.” I stand and pull her up by her hands. “Let’s go.”
“Right.” She shakes out her arms, then twists her neck side to side like she’s getting ready for a WWF match. “Let’s go.”
I follow her out of Levi’s bedroom and out of his apartment. In the hall, I stand back and out of the way while she meets Levi’s family. Seeing that she’s okay, I head into her apartment, where I find Libby hanging out watching TV with Fawn’s dog, Muffin. My aunts are busy working in the kitchen.
“Hey, girl.” I give Muffin a quick rubdown when she comes over to me, then lead her back across the room.
“Did Fawn finally come out of the bedroom?” Libby asks as I take a seat next to her on the couch.
“She did, but you will never believe what happened.”
“What?” She presses “Pause” on the remote, then turns to face me.
“Levi’s family showed up.”
“Shut up.”
“Cross my heart. They just got here.”
“Is she okay?” she asks, looking toward the door.
“Yeah. She was panicking, but she’s okay now.”
“Well, dinner is going to be interesting for sure,” she mumbles under her breath. I nod in agreement.
I have no idea just how true that statement is going to be.
“Mac!” Levi calls from across the room as soon as I walk into his apartment.
“Give me one second!” I shout back. I’m carrying a pie dish in my arms, so I take it into the kitchen and set it down on the counter.
“What’s up?” When I turn around, my entire world comes to a stop.
I’m face-to-face with Wesley.
“Wh—” I start to ask what he’s doing there, but Levi cuts me off.
“Mac, I want you to meet my partner, Wesley. Wesley, this is Fawn’s sister, Mac. Or Mackenzie.”
“Partner?” I whisper, staring at him while he stares back. I have no idea what to do. It’s so awkward after the way we left each other.
“Are you okay?” Fawn asks, touching my arm.
This snaps me out of it. I pull my gaze from Wesley’s to look at her.
“Yeah.” I blink and shake my head. “Sorry.”
I look at Wesley—or more accurately, I look at his ear—and mutter, “Sorry. It’s nice to meet you.”
I don’t offer to shake his hand. I don’t know what would happen if we were to touch again.
“You too,” he says.
I can hear the anger in his tone, and I fight back a cringe. I turn to face Fawn again.
“Mom said it’s time to get stuff set up so everyone can eat soon,” I remind her.
“Crap! The turkey!” she blurts out, turning to Levi. She rises up on tiptoe so she can kiss his cheek. “Get Wesley a beer,” she tells him. She looks at Wesley. “I’m glad you could come.”
“Thanks,” Wesley replies.
She smiles at him, then grabs my hand. “I need your help.”
“Sure.”
I follow her out of Levi’s place, breathing a sigh of relief that I wasn’t forced to be around Wesley for much longer. He fills me with too many mixed emotions.
I don’t know if I want to curl myself up against his chest or kick him in the shin. Who am I kidding? I definitely want to do both.
Chapter 3
MINE!
WESLEY
Grinding my teeth, I fight the urge to walk across the room and kiss the woman who has been haunting me for the last week. I can’t get her out of my head no matter how many times I kick my own ass all over the place. I still want her when I know I shouldn’t. She’s made it perfectly clear by taking off on me twice without looking back that she doesn’t want anything more from me. Unfortunately, my dick hasn’t gotten that memo.
Pulling my eyes from her, I try to focus on what Aiden is saying. Aiden, who also happens to be her dad. Fuck . . . How the hell did I end up in this situation?
I try to think by running my hand through my hair. I obviously had no idea when my partner, Levi, invited me over for Thanksgiving that I would be spending the day with Mackenzie’s family. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have shown.
Who the hell am I kidding? Of course I would have come—because I’m a fucking idiot who enjoys self-inflicted torture. There is something about Mackenzie, or Mac, as her family calls her, that I can’t get out of my head. It’s not that she’s beautiful, even though she is. No, it’s something else. She’s a mystery I want to solve. I want to find out what kind of woman she really is. Is she the sex kitten I met the first night, or the sporty girl standing a few feet away from me now, wearing worn jeans that fit her like a second skin and a long-sleeve top with the Mets logo on the front of it?
Taking a swig from my beer, I lock eyes with her. Her cheeks get pink across the room before she looks away. When her sister Fawn introduced us earlier, I could tell she was shocked to see me—and worried I’d disclose that we had met before, which annoys me since that’s exactly what I wanted to do.
I wanted to kiss her, to touch her in some way. But I had to hold myself back from doing just that. I have never felt a connection to another woman like the one I feel with her. Yes, the sex was unbelievable. The best I’ve ever had, but that’s not why I want her.
There’s something vulnerable about her, and that vulnerability calls to the protector in me. From the first moment I saw her in the bar, looking alone and lost, I gravitated to her. Then, after spending two hours talking and laughing with her, I knew I wanted more. More of her laughter, more of her wit, and more of her time. A hell of a lot more time. Which is why I chased after her when I woke up alone after the night we shared.
“Well, she won’t be sleeping for much longer,” I state drily.
“True.” Libby laughs.
“Are we all ready?” Dad asks as he folds himself in behind the steering wheel.
“Yep, all ready!” Mom sings as she gets into the passenger seat.
Dad starts up the car.
“Are you guys sure about this?” I ask.
Mom frowns at me over her shoulder. “Of course! Family should spend the holidays together.”
I know the look in her eye—it means there will be no changing her mind. I shake my head and dig my cell phone out of my bag. I send a message to Fawn, letting her know that we are all on our way—and to prepare Levi for a Reed-family Thanksgiving.
“Breathe.” I rub my hand down Fawn’s back as she attempts to suck in air with her head tucked between her knees. “It will be okay,” I insist. I have no idea if I’m right or not.
After we arrived—and after Levi finally answered the door, surprised to see his new girlfriend’s family—we settled in, put away groceries, and stared to cook. When I was making coffee, Levi told me to go check on Fawn.
His family had also decided to show up and surprise him for Thanksgiving, and she was freaking out. So here I am, trying to comfort my sister as she sits on the side of the bed, having a panic attack.
“His mom is here. Our mom is here. This means I might as well consider my relationship with him over and done. I have no doubt Mom is going to say something to Levi’s parents that will make them forbid him to continue dating me.”
“It won’t be that bad.”
“Do you not remember just weeks ago when Levi met our parents? Mom told me I should get knocked up by him!” She pauses and pulls in a deep breath before lifting her head to look at me. “In front of him!” she screeches.
“Levi thought that was funny,” I remind her as she assumes her previous position.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean his family would have! What if something like that happens again? Dinner is going to be a disaster. What if someone starts talking about gravy, and then Mom uses that as a double entendre for Levi’s baby batter?”
“Baby batter?” I frown, not sure what she means.
She lifts her head and blinks at me. “His sperm.”
“Oh . . . ohhhhh.” My face scrunches up.
She lets out a huff of air.
“Listen, whatever happens, you and Levi will be fine. His parents will love you, so you have nothing to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Now finish getting ready, and come on.” I stand and pull her up by her hands. “Let’s go.”
“Right.” She shakes out her arms, then twists her neck side to side like she’s getting ready for a WWF match. “Let’s go.”
I follow her out of Levi’s bedroom and out of his apartment. In the hall, I stand back and out of the way while she meets Levi’s family. Seeing that she’s okay, I head into her apartment, where I find Libby hanging out watching TV with Fawn’s dog, Muffin. My aunts are busy working in the kitchen.
“Hey, girl.” I give Muffin a quick rubdown when she comes over to me, then lead her back across the room.
“Did Fawn finally come out of the bedroom?” Libby asks as I take a seat next to her on the couch.
“She did, but you will never believe what happened.”
“What?” She presses “Pause” on the remote, then turns to face me.
“Levi’s family showed up.”
“Shut up.”
“Cross my heart. They just got here.”
“Is she okay?” she asks, looking toward the door.
“Yeah. She was panicking, but she’s okay now.”
“Well, dinner is going to be interesting for sure,” she mumbles under her breath. I nod in agreement.
I have no idea just how true that statement is going to be.
“Mac!” Levi calls from across the room as soon as I walk into his apartment.
“Give me one second!” I shout back. I’m carrying a pie dish in my arms, so I take it into the kitchen and set it down on the counter.
“What’s up?” When I turn around, my entire world comes to a stop.
I’m face-to-face with Wesley.
“Wh—” I start to ask what he’s doing there, but Levi cuts me off.
“Mac, I want you to meet my partner, Wesley. Wesley, this is Fawn’s sister, Mac. Or Mackenzie.”
“Partner?” I whisper, staring at him while he stares back. I have no idea what to do. It’s so awkward after the way we left each other.
“Are you okay?” Fawn asks, touching my arm.
This snaps me out of it. I pull my gaze from Wesley’s to look at her.
“Yeah.” I blink and shake my head. “Sorry.”
I look at Wesley—or more accurately, I look at his ear—and mutter, “Sorry. It’s nice to meet you.”
I don’t offer to shake his hand. I don’t know what would happen if we were to touch again.
“You too,” he says.
I can hear the anger in his tone, and I fight back a cringe. I turn to face Fawn again.
“Mom said it’s time to get stuff set up so everyone can eat soon,” I remind her.
“Crap! The turkey!” she blurts out, turning to Levi. She rises up on tiptoe so she can kiss his cheek. “Get Wesley a beer,” she tells him. She looks at Wesley. “I’m glad you could come.”
“Thanks,” Wesley replies.
She smiles at him, then grabs my hand. “I need your help.”
“Sure.”
I follow her out of Levi’s place, breathing a sigh of relief that I wasn’t forced to be around Wesley for much longer. He fills me with too many mixed emotions.
I don’t know if I want to curl myself up against his chest or kick him in the shin. Who am I kidding? I definitely want to do both.
Chapter 3
MINE!
WESLEY
Grinding my teeth, I fight the urge to walk across the room and kiss the woman who has been haunting me for the last week. I can’t get her out of my head no matter how many times I kick my own ass all over the place. I still want her when I know I shouldn’t. She’s made it perfectly clear by taking off on me twice without looking back that she doesn’t want anything more from me. Unfortunately, my dick hasn’t gotten that memo.
Pulling my eyes from her, I try to focus on what Aiden is saying. Aiden, who also happens to be her dad. Fuck . . . How the hell did I end up in this situation?
I try to think by running my hand through my hair. I obviously had no idea when my partner, Levi, invited me over for Thanksgiving that I would be spending the day with Mackenzie’s family. If I had known that, I wouldn’t have shown.
Who the hell am I kidding? Of course I would have come—because I’m a fucking idiot who enjoys self-inflicted torture. There is something about Mackenzie, or Mac, as her family calls her, that I can’t get out of my head. It’s not that she’s beautiful, even though she is. No, it’s something else. She’s a mystery I want to solve. I want to find out what kind of woman she really is. Is she the sex kitten I met the first night, or the sporty girl standing a few feet away from me now, wearing worn jeans that fit her like a second skin and a long-sleeve top with the Mets logo on the front of it?
Taking a swig from my beer, I lock eyes with her. Her cheeks get pink across the room before she looks away. When her sister Fawn introduced us earlier, I could tell she was shocked to see me—and worried I’d disclose that we had met before, which annoys me since that’s exactly what I wanted to do.
I wanted to kiss her, to touch her in some way. But I had to hold myself back from doing just that. I have never felt a connection to another woman like the one I feel with her. Yes, the sex was unbelievable. The best I’ve ever had, but that’s not why I want her.
There’s something vulnerable about her, and that vulnerability calls to the protector in me. From the first moment I saw her in the bar, looking alone and lost, I gravitated to her. Then, after spending two hours talking and laughing with her, I knew I wanted more. More of her laughter, more of her wit, and more of her time. A hell of a lot more time. Which is why I chased after her when I woke up alone after the night we shared.
