The Certainty of Deception (16 page)

“I didn’t do it for her.”  I watched as she clenched her jaw. 

She placed the beer on the counter and rested her shoulder against the wall.  “Either way.  I’m sure she’s happy.  So, can I get you something?  A soda perhaps?”

I raised my eyebrows up and down, smirking.  “Yeah.  How about you stop bogarting the smoke I know you have hidden.”

It was a good thing McKenzie hadn’t taken a drink at the moment because I was certain it would’ve sprayed the room.  “I, I, um, I have no idea what you’re referring to.”  She shook her head with each syllable. 

I stood up and stretched before inching my way toward her.  “Don’t play coy with me, Evans.  I know you have a stash here.  I can smell it.”

“Wait! What?  No!  That’s not possible.  I, um, I sprayed.”  Her arms flailed around her, as she tried to talk her way out of her deception.

“Rookie mistake number one,” I teased.  I stopped directly in front of her, my smile widening.

“How?  This isn’t possible” she repeated. 

“It is when you have a master here, woman.  How do you think I made it through law school?”  I reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, allowing my hand to linger on her face.

She tilted her head, pressing her cheek against my palm.  A soft moan escaped her as she relaxed at my touch.  “That’s comforting to know.”

“You can learn much from me, my young Padawan.”

McKenzie lifted her eyes to meet mine, and laughed.  “I’m certain I could, but no one rolls a joint like I do.”

“Care to make a wager on that?” 

“I’m not Gavin.  You can’t sucker me into shit.”

I leaned in, lightly brushing my lips across her ear, whispering, “Tell me where you keep your stash, and I’ll prove it to you.”

She blinked in confusion, her brow furrowed as she took me in.  “Um, pantry.  Second shelf with all the other spices.”  I wrapped my fingers around her shoulders, giving her a quick wink.

“Spice rack.  Nice.”  I stepped around her, swatting her butt as I passed.  She jumped and squeaked, turning around, following me with her eyes.  I chuckled, knowing she wouldn’t say a word about my juvenile behavior.  “Which bottle?” I asked, rearranging spices.

“It’s the oregano bottle with the blacked out
O
.  The papers are in the Garfield cookie jar.”

I located the bottle and the cookie jar and went straight to work.  With a butter knife, I crushed the already finely chopped hashish and arranged it along the center of the thin paper.  Pressing the reefer into the liner as I rolled, I made sure to make the fattest, tightest joint possible.  Satisfied with my handiwork, I placed the tip to my lips, reached for the lighter that McKenzie had placed on the counter, and lit it up, inhaling deeply.  I held the smoke in my lungs for a few seconds, letting the narcotic seep into my veins.  Almost instantly I felt calmed.  All thoughts of Gage and McKenzie melted away.   I leaned back against the stove, exhaled the smoke from my lungs and watched as it turned into a cloud haloing around me.

“Now who’s bogarting?” McKenzie teased.  Her fingers brushed the side of my hand, taking the joint from me.

I watched as she toked it.  I couldn’t remember the last time I smoked pot, but I could easily get used to the mellowing effect.  “How did I not know this about you?”

She grinned, taking another drag before handing me the joint.  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Andy.”

I cocked a brow at her, as I took a deep pull from the roll.  “Is that so?” I choked and snorted, exhaling the smoke from my lungs.

She extracted the joint from my fingertips, bringing it her lips.  “It is.”

Mackie bounded onto the bar in front of us.  She dropped down into a crouching position, ready to pounce me again.  “Hey, now.”  I wagged my finger in warning to the feisty feline.  “I have two boys at home that wouldn’t take kindly to you being mean to me.”  Mackie gave me the most defying look then dropped down to the floor in a huff.

McKenzie snorted, causing smoke to escape through her nose.  I laughed, taking what was quickly becoming a roach from her.  “You look like a dragon,” I wheezed through a puff of smoke.

McKenzie roared, clawing at the air.  She accepted the joint back, as she leaned against me.  My gaze drifted down her body, taking in the way she looked pressed against my side.  She appeared so comfortable and relaxed now.  Entirely different than how she’d been only moments earlier.  She handed me the joint, closing her eyes and exhaling the smoke into the atmosphere.

“You Evans’ brood are bad influences on me,” I teased.  “First your dad and now you.  Where did you come up with the oregano bottle idea though?  That’s pretty ingenious.”

She giggled.  “I accidentally learned it from Jackie.”

“Accidentally?”

“Yeah.  I was cooking dinner at her place one night, and I went for the oregano.  I noticed two bottles, but didn’t think anything of it.”  I covered my mouth in laughter.  I could already see where this was going.  “Word to the wise,” she snorted pointing at me, “get it?  Wise.”

I rolled my eyes, nudging her.  “Yeah.  I get it, silly woman.”

She waved her hand in front of her face, tears from laughter rolling down her cheeks.  “Don’t put weed into spaghetti.  Contrary to popular belief, you can’t cook it in everything.”  McKenzie snarled and shuddered.

My head fell back in laughter which was suddenly cut off by the pain that radiated on my back from my earlier assault.  “Ow!” I mumbled, thrusting one arm behind me, while holding the joint out in front of me.

“Oh, let me take a look at that.”

I turned my back to her, shivering as she lifted my shirt.  Her fingers traced the marks on my back.  “She got you good.  We should probably put something on it.”

I shook my head, taking another drag.  “Nah,” I gulped, holding the smoke in my lungs.  I felt so calm, yet at the same time, I felt as though pure energy pulsed throughout my body.  The scratches burned, but the pain disappeared the instant McKenzie touched my bare skin.

“What’s this?” she asked, lifting my shirt a little higher.  She caressed my left shoulder blade.  I gasped, releasing the smoke from my lungs.  “When did you get this?” 

Her fingers moved along the dark lines of my tattoo.  It was a tribute to the two people in this world who mattered most to me.  On my shoulder resided
an anatomical heart, broken and bleeding, encompassed between angels’ wings.  One wing was long and flowing, elegant in beauty.  The other wing was shorter, more cherub-like.  The wing of a little girl wishing she could fly.  They represented my two girls, McKenzie and Autumn, and the broken heart was me.

“About a month ago or so,” I replied. 

“It’s beautiful.”  Her warm breath washed over my skin.  I shuddered hard.  Having her touch me like this was almost unbearable.  There was this ache inside me that had existed since the moment I lost her.  It had been with me every second of every day since she left, but the instant she touched me, that ache was gone.  Almost like when you have a song stuck in your head.  You sing it over and over, trying desperately to get it out of your mind, and finally one day it’s gone.  You’re free.  I felt free again.  There was no pain.  Everything was as it should be.  This felt right.

“Thanks.” 

The mood shifted between us.  She placed her hands on my hips and turned me to face her.  She leveled me with her gaze.  I knew this look.  God, how I knew this gorgeous expression on her face.  It haunted my dreams, both sleeping and awake.  Her fingers stayed on my bare skin, slowly moving up, under my shirt.  She brushed the tips of her thumbs over my achingly hard nipples, sending sweet shivers down my spine. 

“Fuck, I’ve missed you,” I mumbled.

The corner of her mouth twitched, as her tongue darted out over her lips.  “How much have you missed me?”  She didn’t give me a chance to reply, before her hand dropped down to my crotch, cupping my firm erection.  I gasped in response.  “Mhm, you
have
missed me.”

“Yes,” came my guttural reply.

McKenzie leaned in closer to me, her mouth brushing the shell of my ear.  “Has there been anyone since me?”

I gulped, shaking my head.  If she only knew how much she consumed me.  No one could ever replace her.  “No,” I managed.

“Good.”  She grabbed my wrist with her free hand, pulling the roach to her lips, while sliding her other over the outline of my erection.  I groaned as I watched her take a long drag.  “Finish this,” she uttered, letting the smoke escape her lungs into the air above us.

“What about you?” I barely mumbled, because my mind was too focused on the hand that was teasing me.

“My mouth is needed elsewhere.”

I put the remainder of the joint to my lips, taking one last pull, as I watched my beautiful girl drop gracefully to her knees.  She unbuttoned my shorts, maintaining eye contact, as she pushed them and my boxers down my legs.  I steadied myself, holding on to the lip of the stove as her mouth enveloped me.  Lost in an oblivion of Mary Jane and McKenzie, I closed my eyes and exhaled.

Gentle rays of sunlight danced into McKenzie's bedroom, casting a soft glow of warm light over her silky skin.  Unlike when I first arrived, McKenzie appeared relaxed.  Content, almost.  A gorgeous shade of red painted her plump lips.  Golden eyelashes fanned over her cheeks.  Her furrowed brow was now smooth and even as I once remembered it. 

I leaned up on my elbow, admiring the beauty that rested beside me.  Last night hadn’t gone at all as I expected. Although sleeping with McKenzie was definitely a happy circumstance.  At first, I was a little surprised and very confused.  The way she treated me, it almost felt as though she was using me.  Not that I minded.  What man would say no to a hot woman using him for sex?  So, I kept my mouth shut, figuratively speaking, and simply obeyed her commands.  If that’s what it took to break down the powerful walls she’d built up around her then she could exploit me as much as she needed. 

And my perseverance paid off.  When the walls finally crumbled, my darling girl reemerged, slaying the ferocious woman who needed to dominate me.  We spent hours making sweet love.  All of the pain I’d harbored evaporated in her arms.  I felt renewed.   When she whispered her plea for me to stay, as she drifted off to sleep, my heart rejoiced and broke simultaneously.  That one little word ‘
stay’
echoed through my mind while I slept.  There was so much power in that single word.

McKenzie let out a tiny moan and turned toward me.  Her hair fell across her eyes.  I gently pushed it back, careful not to wake her, and fanned it over her pillow.  She was such a rare beauty that she could’ve easily been a fairytale princess, and the fact that she didn't realize it only enhanced her charm.

My princess
, I thought to myself, lightly tracing the lines of her lips with my fingertip. Was the princess really meant to save the prince from a life of damnation? Every fairytale I remember had the prince rescuing his princess. So McKenzie couldn't be a princess. No, instead she had to be, "An Angel," I whispered under my breath. 

My beautiful Angel.

Prior to this moment, I hadn’t really thought about the implications of using an angel’s wing to depict McKenzie in my tattoo, but now, I couldn’t imagine her being depicted by anything else.  A lump formed in my throat and my heart sank in my chest.  I had searched for someone like McKenzie my whole life.  Someone who understood me, accepted me, and cared for me without rhyme or reason.  Someone who saw past the Wise legacy, and saw me as a man with passions, wants, and needs.  I yearned for that type of love, and thought I’d found it with Rebecca, but I had been sorely mistaken. 

The thought of Rebecca was another reminder of why I’d come to McKenzie’s apartment last night.  She was one of the many topics I needed to discuss with McKenzie.  There was so much I needed to tell her; so much I wanted to say, but in those wee hours of the morning all I wanted to do was love her.  We had time.  She’d listen now.  My heart and my head both agreed on that point.  No more secrets.  I’d tell her everything.  Even if it meant my father would disown me.

As I gazed upon my sleeping angel, I shifted my weight, rolling forward a little so my arm wouldn’t go numb.  A furry head bobbed up from the foot of the bed in dispute to my movements.  Mackie’s bright green eyes scolded me for disturbing her slumber.  This was a look I knew all too well from my own boys.  She opened her tiny mouth in a wide yawn as she pawed at my ankles.  Most of the night she’d remained scarce.  Lucky for me, she didn’t try to attack me in my sleep. 

Mackie stood up, stretching out her paws in front of her.  Her slender back sank low and her fine dark hair lifted from her body.  She scraped her claws along the comforter over my ankles, reminding me of whose bed I was in.  I wanted to hate this cat, which was unusual for me because I’d always loved animals, but there was something in Mackie’s personality that reminded me of McKenzie.  Mackie was protecting her owner, and I had nothing but respect for this tiny feline, even if she had clawed the hell out of me.

I brushed my fingers down along McKenzie's jaw. Her long eyelashes fluttered opened and a sweet smile appeared on her lips.  She squirmed under the covers, stretching her limbs quite similar to how Mackie had only moments earlier.  Mackie bounced up to her, nuzzling her nose against McKenzie’s hand, purring rather loud.  "Good morning," she whispered. "How’s my little girl?”

McKenzie scratched behind Mackie’s ears.  The cat cut her eyes to me with the smuggest expression.  I chuckled at the way this little kitten taunted me. 
Little Diva.
It was safe to say, I liked this cat.

I reached over and tenderly trailed my fingers along McKenzie’s jaw.  She purred nearly as loud to my touch as the cat had to hers.  “Good morning, Beautiful.”

A tender smile appeared, lighting up her eyes.  “Good morning to you too.  You stayed.”  She sounded almost surprised by that notion. 

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“I know.”  Her smile faltered. 

Wishing to reassure her that I wasn’t leaving, I brushed my thumb across her lips, drawing them to mine.  Her fingers curled into the hair at the nape of my neck. The sweet, innocent kiss ignited with fire and passion in a matter of seconds. She gently traced my bottom lip with the tip of her tongue as her body moved closer to mine.  My heart started to beat wildly in my chest, as I opened my mouth inviting her inside.

McKenzie didn't hesitate. Her soft tongue slipped between my lips. My hands reached up into her golden locks as I fused my mouth to hers. I pulled her closer to me as the hunger for her ignited inside of me once more. If she only realized what she did to me. How a single touch of her lips caused me to lose all control.

Our bodies moved toward each other as though gravity was pulling us together.  She pressed her chest to mine, as my hands moved down her back, cupping her firm ass. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Mackie, bounding off the bed in a huff.  Serves her right for flaunting her morning affection in my face. 

My fingers travelled back up McKenzie’s body, sliding over the curve of her hip and along her thigh.  I pushed the covers away from her body as though I was unwrapping a delicate present intended only for me. She placed her hands on my chest and pushed me to my back.  Her lips trailed down my neck as she crawled on top of me.  There was nothing more beautiful in the world than a naked McKenzie.  All I wanted to do was touch her.  Slowly, I explored her gorgeous curves, savoring the feel of her warmth pressed into my stomach.  She cupped my face in her hands, pressing a passionate kiss against my lips.  

"My beautiful angel," I whispered between kisses.

She pulled back, looking deep into my eyes.  An obscure thought, more like a feeling, went through my mind.  It screamed at me to proceed with caution.  She was trying to rebuild her walls.  I couldn’t allow that.  I pulled her back down to me, kissing her with every ounce of love and passion I could muster.  She melted against my chest.  Whatever had bothered her was gone now.  She cupped my face in her hands, returning my kiss with fervor.  Just as I was about to claim her again, someone pounded on the door.

McKenzie pulled away, a look of chagrin on her face.  “What time is it?” she demanded in a panic.

I glanced over at the alarm clock sitting on the nightstand.  “A little after nine.”

“Fuck!”  McKenzie threw her legs off of me, landing on the floor. 

Another knock came from the door.  “Mick, open up.  I’m already late.”  Jackie’s muffled voice reverberated through the door.

“Shit!” Mickie hissed.  “Where the hell are our clothes?”

I moved out of the bed, wrapping my hands around her shoulders.  “Calm down.  We left them in the kitchen last night.”

McKenzie yanked herself from my grasp, rushing into the kitchen.  “Just a sec!” she called out.  I entered the living room only to be slapped in the face with my clothes.  “Stay in my room until I tell you to come out.”

Suddenly, I felt like a teenager who’d been caught having sex for the first time.  I slipped into my boxers, and watched as McKenzie frantically got dressed. 

“Mick, c’mon.  I ain’t got all day,” came Jackie’s impatient plea.

“Just one more second,” Mickie cried out. 

McKenzie turned to me, as I pulled my shirt over my head.    “Room.  Now,” she demanded, pointing toward her bedroom. 

“What’s the big deal?” I slipped my legs into my shorts.

“They don’t need to know my business, okay!” she snapped.

I raised my hands in defense, stepping backwards toward her bedroom.  “All right.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t realize my being here was such a huge secret.”

My words stopped her in her place.  She sighed and finished pulling her hair through a rubber band before walking over to me.  “I’m sorry.  I just don’t...” - she paused, placing her
hand on my cheek - “Never mind.  Just trust me.  Her not knowing you spent the night is better for us both.”

I leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose.  “If that’s what you want.  I’ll disappear.”

“Thank you.”  She pulled my glasses out of thin air and slid them over the bridge of my nose.  “I really do like you in glasses.  They make you look -”

“Hot,” I finished for her.

She chuckled, shaking her head.  “Sophisticated.”

“And hot.”  I tweaked her nose.

Mickie giggled, swatting at my hand.  “And hot,” she agreed.

“McKenzie, c’mon.  Norma’s probably foaming at the mouth already,” Jackie yelled.

“You better get that.”  I placed a light kiss to her lips and disappeared into her bedroom, closing the door behind me.

Perched in the middle of the bed was none other than her highness, Diva Mackie.  She extended her paws out in front of her, stretching her tiny body to its full length.  I chuckled and sat down on the end of the bed.  She pranced over to me, nudging her head underneath my hand.  “Oh, now you want to be my friend,” I observed, as I obliged the kitten’s request; scratching her behind her ears.  When she was finished with me, she nudged her wet nose to my hand and bounced off the bed.  “I feel so used,” I proclaimed.  Mackie snorted at me, then lifted her tail in the air and walked away.

Outside the room, I could hear the muffled sounds of Jackie and McKenzie talking.  I struggled to make out what was being said, but failed in my attempts.  Bored, I did what any sensible guy would do - I snooped. 

Each drawer of her dresser was stocked with fresh panties, socks, bras, and all those other lacey things women use to drive us men wild.  I didn’t find anything really interesting, until I got into the nightstand beside her bed.  McKenzie hadn’t lied.  She didn’t have a vibrator.  She did, however, have a dildo.  A massive, flesh colored monster that would make any man feel as though he had a micro penis in comparison.  I withdrew it from the drawer and waved the thing in front of my face, sputtering and snorting, trying everything in my power to keep my laughter under control.  “Damn, Mickie.  I knew I had a bad girl on my hands but this,” - I shook it harder, watching as it flopped back and forth - “is more than I bargained for.”

I couldn’t resist the opportunity of getting a picture with this thing.  I patted my shorts pockets, searching for my cell phone.  All I came up with was my keys.  That’s when I remembered I was phoneless.  Disgruntled, I dropped the dildo back into its resting place and returned to my excavation of her privacy.  She’d kill me if she knew what I was up to, but this was far too much fun to worry about her lopping off my dick if I was caught.

Deep into the back of the drawer my hand went, searching for other secrets to be revealed.  What I came across next was anything but funny.  My fingers brushed over a hard, rectangular shaped box.  I pulled it out, thinking maybe it was a diaphragm, only to discover it was a pale blue
Tiffany & Co.
jewelry box.  My heart lunged into my throat, pounding in rapid succession. I lifted the top off the box to find the diamond necklace I’d given her nestled inside. 

I staggered back, dropping down on the bed.  This necklace lying inside this box was a reminder to me that everything was
not
okay between McKenzie and me.  Even if last night had been a breakthrough, there was so much we needed to discuss.  There was a lot for us to work on, and a single night of passion wasn’t enough to fix the damage done.  We still needed to talk, and work through why she left me in the first place.  Not only that, but it was time for McKenzie to know about my past.  If she chose to make this work between us, and if last night was any indication that she would, then she had the right to know everything there is to know about me.  Starting with the monster that I truly was.