Spin the Bottle (15 page)

Mac had stopped talking when her skirt dropped but he found his voice long enough to snap into the phone, “I’ll call you back.”

He disconnected the call and shut his laptop as he stood. With a roughness that thrilled her, he pulled her against him. Caught by her top and his arms now wrapped around her, Lil leaned into him and rubbed her breasts on his chest, making her nipples tingle and tighten. His mouth crushed hers. Lips parted and tongues stroked in hard lashes that spoke of desperation. She clawed at his back, tugging at the cloth separating his skin from her touch. Scrunching the fabric in her fists, Lil pulled the shirt from his pants, wadded the material into a ball and finally put her fingers on warm flesh.

Lillian tore her mouth from his. “Off. Take it off.”

Mac abruptly let her go and stepped back. He crossed his arms over his abdomen and gripped the hem of his shirt. In a flash, he had the top off and tossed aside. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her onto the table. The cold surface against her bare skin stole her breath and sent a shiver up her spine. But she didn’t have time to protest before Mac’s head descended, his mouth laying claim to hers again. Their kiss was no less frantic than before. Driven by a desire restrained for hours, neither of them could hold back now.

Tongues duelled. Hands and fingers explored. Lil parted her legs and Mac stepped between her spread thighs, bringing the bulge straining for release in his pants in contact with her sex. She ground against him, sought relief from the fire building inside her. He rocked into her, his cock stroking along her slit, pressing on the knot of nerves swollen and pulsing with need. Blood rushed through her veins, bells rang in her ears, and Lil clung to the edge, desperate to let go.

The ringing intensified and Mac jumped back, breaking all contact, leaving her crying out in frustration. His chest heaved as he dragged in air, the harsh rasp of his breath filling the room. Lil’s lungs struggled to catch air and goose bumps broke out on her skin in a wave that rolled from head to toe. It took a moment for her to realise the ringing in her ears was the doorbell and Mac’s phone buzzing at the same time.

“Shit!” Mac ran the fingers of one hand through his hair while reaching for the phone with the other. “Dammit, I didn’t want to do that.”

Didn’t want to what? Kiss her? Touch her? A chill swept through her and she crossed her arms over her breasts.

He glanced at the screen before dropping the phone back to the table. “We shouldn’t have done that. It’s not what I want.”

Mac didn’t want her? “But I thought—”

He glanced her way, confusion and lust swirling in his eyes before they widened in panic.

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant.” He stepped forward and slipped his arms around her. “I want you, there’s no denying that, but I want to get to know you before we jump back into bed.”

“What?” Was the man insane? Did he honestly think they’d be able to stay out of bed now that they’d been there? “You can’t be serious?”

“Very. I don’t want sex interfering or confusing things.”

The doorbell buzzed again and Mac let her go once more. “Let me get that.”

Lillian didn’t have time to argue and her state of undress meant she couldn’t follow either. She hopped off the table and pulled her top back into place. Bending down, she scooped her skirt from the floor and stepped into it. As she fastened the button, Mac returned carrying a box piled high with an assortment of groceries.

“What’s all this?” Lil asked as she walked over to the counter where he’d begun unpacking fresh vegetables, a packet of steaks and what looked like chicken breasts, wine.

“Dinner.” Mac opened the fridge and started putting away the food. “I was planning to take you out, however, after seeing all the media coverage of the McDermott siblings across all medium of broadcasting, I decided it would prove too difficult to enjoy a quiet get-to-know-you meal. So I decided to bring the fine dining to us.”

Lil sighed. “We already know each other, Mac.”

He spun around and, using the bunch of asparagus in his hand, he pointed at her. “No, we don’t. I don’t know your favourite food, what movies you like to watch, what your favourite book or colour is. Do you like summer or winter? Baths or showers? Do you sleep naked or clothed?”

“Strawberries dipped in chocolate, romantic comedies, can’t pick one book, but romance is my favourite genre. I’m partial to blue, no particular shade. I love all seasons, the change in colours and clothes as much as lying on the beach or sitting by a roaring fire. I love scented baths but rarely have time to indulge. I sleep naked at home and have a favourite shirt I wear when away.”

“Why did you never sleep with any of the men you dated?”

Wow. Where did that come from? “I didn’t think you wanted to go there.”

“Changed my mind.” Mac turned and put the asparagus in the crisper drawer.

Lillian shrugged. “Never wanted to.”

“But you’ve been to bed with some of them?” he asked as he shut the fridge.

“Mac.” Why was he pushing this now? He’d already voiced his disinterest in her previous partners.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “Did you wait for me?”

Mac held his breath while he waited for Lilli to answer. He didn’t know why he’d asked or why he wanted to know so badly. Didn’t even know what he wanted her to say.

“No.” She shook her head. “Not consciously anyway.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve had a crush on you for ten years, Mac.”

“You never said anything.”

“If I had, what would you have done? What would you have said, Mac, to a teenager crushing on her older brother’s best friend?”

“I don’t know.” He couldn’t quite get his mind around the fact they’d both wanted and missed out on so much because neither of them could be honest, with themselves or each other. Sure, she’d been a teenager at first, but what about the last five years? Why hadn’t she said anything before now? He’d be damned if he’d let anything hold them back from now on. “No more hiding. I don’t want to miss out on any more time. And I hate knowing you put your life on hold waiting for me.”

Lilli smiled. “Don’t flatter yourself, Mac. My feelings obviously affected my choices, but I didn’t deliberately set out to save myself for you. No one ever inspired the level of desire you do, and what they did was never enough to take that last step. But don’t be fooled into thinking I’ve gone without. I’m far from sexually deprived.”

Mac held up his hands. He didn’t want to hear details. “Enough.”

Lilli’s laughter filled the air. “I wasn’t planning to give you a blow-by-blow account, Mac, same as I’ll never ask about your previous bedmates.”

He didn’t have to worry about that. His last girlfriend, if a two-week relationship earned her the title, was long gone. Seven months gone. Come to think of it, the last few years had been barren on the dating front, but then he’d put his life on hold to help Lachlan with the takeover and re-shuffle of McDermott Media Corp when the senior McDermott was removed from power. Mac didn’t want to be on pause any longer. Life with Lilli waited, and he planned to enjoy every moment of it.

“There wouldn’t be much to tell anyway. Like you, I’ve spent most of my time on my career. McDermott Media has taken up a lot of time and energy, but then you know that.”

“Yes, I do. The question is whether you’re able to fit dating me into your busy schedule.”

“I’ll make time.” His phone chose that moment to ring. “Starting with switching off my phone.”

He walked over to the table, but before he could stop himself he glanced at the screen and saw Lachlan’s smiling face. “Well, shit.”

“What?” Lilli came to stand next to him. “I’ll answer it.”

“No.” He was too slow. Again. She had the phone to her ear before he could stop her.

“Hey, big brother, what did you screw up now and where is Cam?”

Mac couldn’t make out Lachlan’s end of the conversation, but Lilli’s gave him a pretty good idea about his best friend’s lack of success when it came to Cameron Winters.

“Exactly,” Lilli yelled into the phone. “You caused the problem, now you have to fix it!”

Thinking better of hanging over Lilli’s shoulder while she and Lachlan got into it, Mac went back to sorting through the box one of Lucas’s men had delivered. He’d given Lucas a list of things he wanted and true to form, the man had come through. Mac put the bottle of white wine in to chill and left the red on the countertop, he’d open that later depending on whether he cooked the chicken or the steak. Lilli’s voice had softened and he knew whatever anger she’d had towards her brother had ebbed away. They never stayed mad at each other for long.

After everything was put away, Mac took the empty box to the laundry. He was reminded of Lilli’s altercation with the drunken Aaron Watson and made a mental note to send the guy a bill for her damaged dress. The torn dress made him think of her bruises and the fact he hadn’t checked to see if they were worse today. She hadn’t appeared to be in any pain, so Mac could only assume her injuries were minor, although the one on her hip worried him. A soak in the hot tub might help any lingering aches, and Lilli did say she was partial to scented baths. The tub wasn’t quite the same, but maybe he could convince her to relax with a glass of wine before dinner.

When he returned to the kitchen, Lilli was nowhere to be seen. He headed to the back deck with the aim of switching on the tub before going in search of her. Only he didn’t have to look far. She sat at the top of the stairs leading off the deck. Her elbows were braced on her knees, her fingers twisted together while she stared off into the distance. The way she’d hunch in on herself had him a little concerned, and he wondered if everything was all right with Lachlan and Cameron.

Mac sat beside her and mimicked her pose. “Everything okay?”

She didn’t look at him. “Mother came out of the woodwork.”

Ah. He wondered when she’d bring up Gabriella’s appearance. “I know.”

“Why does she do that? Why does she have to make everything sordid or about her? Can’t she just disappear forever?”

“Lilli, she’s your mother. You don’t really want her to disappear.” Mac reached over and placed his hand over hers.

Lilli laughed, but the sound wasn’t a happy one. “Yes, I do.”

She turned to face him. “She never wanted me, Mac. She got pregnant to trap Dad. Everyone knows that. And he never wanted me either. I was an inconvenience, a situation to be dealt with, and everyone knows how Roland McDermott fixes things. Throw a heap of money on it and if the problem won’t go away at least it’ll be happy for a while.”

“Why the sudden self-pity? You’ve never let either Gabriella or Roland taint your life before.” Mac understood she might be upset by her mother’s press conference, but he had to be honest and point out it was typical Gabriella behaviour. “I actually think it was tame compared to previous instances of attention seeking by Gabriella.”

“I guess. She certainly could have made it a lot more sordid.”

The knowledge behind Lilli’s words made Mac pause, but she continued before he could question her.

“From the minute Lachlan reached eighteen and she knew Dad had started divorce proceedings my wonderful mother has been trying to crawl her way into my brother’s bed.” Lilli shuddered. “God. The woman disgusts me.”

Lilli shot to her feet and charged down the stairs. Mac bounded after her. She’d made it halfway across the yard before he caught up. “Wait. Where are you going?”

“For a swim. I need to cool off.”

Mac grabbed her arm and spun her around. “You can’t go swimming when you’re this upset.”

“Upset doesn’t begin to describe how I’m feeling about my mother’s latest attention-grabbing performance. If I don’t get rid of some of this energy, I’m going to do what I’ve wanted to since I saw Gabriella’s little TV appearance.”

He pulled her into his arms. “You have every right to be upset but try—”

Lilli pushed from his embrace. “I’m not upset. I’m furious! I’d like to find her and yank out every last bleach-blonde strand on her head!”

She threw her hands in the air and stormed off. Mac watched her go. He’d got it wrong. It wasn’t self-pity. It was frustration and anger at the person Lilli should have been able to trust most. How Lilli had turned out normal was beyond him. With parents like hers, she could easily have turned out like Aaron Watson. Pampered and privileged. Instead, she’d built a business, had a successful modelling career and kept friendships from school. He owed her an apology for all the times he’d accused her of being spoilt and selfish.

Sighing, Mac followed Lilli. He reached the edge of the yard just in time to see her strip out of her skirt and enter the water wearing only her skimpy tank top and thong. His heart slammed against his ribs as he glanced up and down the beach. The stretch of sand was private and only accessible to those living along the water’s edge, but that didn’t mean it was secluded enough for Lilli to swim in her underwear. And with the McDermotts in the spotlight, he wouldn’t be surprised if a photographer lurked close by.

God, she was going to be the death of him. If she wasn’t making his heart race with arousal she was doing it with fear. One thing Mac was certain of was life with Lilli would never be dull, and up until now his life had been as boring as living in a cardboard box. He glanced down the beach once more. No one was around, but that didn’t mean it would stay that way. Lilli continued to swim out deeper. Did he dare?