The MacKenzies: Happily Ever After (The MacKenzie Family) Read online

  For the second time that day her hands trembled, and she hoped he didn’t notice as she worked at the button and zipper of his jeans. She pushed them past his hips and inhaled at the sight of him, thick and long and hard. The shape of him curved up slightly and the head of his cock was flushed red and swollen. She knew how he’d feel inside of her. How he’d make her scream.

  Her tongue flicked out, tasting the salty essence that had escaped, and he groaned as his hands tightened in her hair.

  “God, Cat. Don’t tease. Suck me deep.”

  She was too greedy to play and it had been so long since she’d felt this hunger, this need, building inside of her. Her hand wrapped around the base of his cock, but her fingers and thumb didn’t touch. She squeezed and felt the power rush through her when he groaned, his head dropping back against the door.

  “Take me in,” he demanded this time, his hips thrusting against her hand that held him captive. She’d missed his taste, the texture and heat of him. It had been too long.

  She stroked him once and watched him beneath lowered lids. He was right at the edge of his control and her tongue flicked out, teasing the sensitive head of his cock. His jaw tightened and his hand wrapped around her hair, tighter and tighter, until she had no choice but to do as he wanted.

  “Ahh, fuck.”

  Cat moistened her lips and opened her mouth, surrounding the enflamed head with the wet heat of her mouth. She felt her own juices gathering between her thighs and was tempted to relieve some of the pressure there, but she held back, knowing the release would be all the sweeter with him buried deep inside of her.

  He tasted like heaven—hot sex and all male. She worked her mouth up and down his shaft, using her tongue to moisten the way, and then she relaxed her throat and took him to the hilt. His fist tightened against her scalp and she tasted the salty essence of impending release.

  She flattened her tongue and made swallowing motions against the underside of his cock, and she reached up to cup his balls and felt them tighten in her hand. His hips thrust in short strokes against her mouth and she squeezed the base of his cock, stroking him with every thrust. He’d be coming before too long. She wanted to taste him, to drink him down, and remind him of what they’d once had.

  “Enough,” he said, jerking on her hair so she had no choice but to release him.

  Cat laughed, a seductive call that had his eyes going wild with lust, and she moved to take him again.

  “I said enough.” Thomas jerked her to her feet and pushed her back against the door. “I’m going to fuck you,” he whispered wickedly against her ear, making her shiver.

  Cat gasped as he tore the panties and cried out as his fingers plunged inside of her, her release slick and hot as it drenched his hand.

  “God, Cat. So wet.”

  “Please, please— I need you now.”

  Thomas’s mouth came down on hers, and the kiss had her whimpering against his lips as she felt his need in every stroke of his tongue as it mated with hers. He lifted her, so her legs were spread wide and supported by his arms, and then she cried out as he worked the head of his cock against the entrance of her still spasming pussy.

  “Fuck me,” he gasped, so it sounded like a plea. She felt his heart thud against her chest as he pushed deeper and deeper inside of her, until she was pinned against the door and he was buried to the hilt.

  “You feel so good.” He buried his face against her neck, nipping at the sensitive skin there before soothing it with his tongue.

  Cat couldn’t catch her breath. Wasn’t sure she wanted to. Her nails dug into his shoulders and she tightened the muscles of her vagina, making him swear.

  “What are you waiting for?” she managed to say. “Fuck me. Hard.”

  She was helpless to the pure animal strength of him as he kept her trapped against the door, her legs held wide, pummeling inside of her. Her head thrashed back and forth and mewling cries escaped her lips as she felt the orgasm rip from her womb and pulse through her entire body. His mouth clamped over hers to absorb her screams as she went liquid around him. And then she felt him swell within her and the hot splash of his seed against her inner walls.

  It was an out of body experience. One she hadn’t felt in a long time. She smiled against his mouth as he continued to kiss her and she didn’t want to let go as he released her legs so they dropped to the floor.

  Thomas pulled out of her, and she groaned at the tenderness of her muscles. And then she felt the satisfied smile spread across her face. Her breath heaved in and out of her lungs and perspiration cooled on her skin.

  She watched him out of drowsy eyes as he propped his arms against the door to hold himself up. His eyes were almost black and still hazed with lust, and his breathing was labored.

  Cat’s legs felt like jelly and she decided she’d earned a nice long soak in the whirlpool. She stretched, feeling more relaxed and satisfied than she had in a long time. But it was short lived.

  “What the hell was that?” Thomas asked, hitching his pants up and buttoning them.

  “What are you talking about?” She picked her panties up from the floor and slipped them back on.

  “It’s not a hard question, Cat. What the hell was that?”

  Her eyes narrowed and she felt her temper start to simmer. If she looked in the mirror she knew her face would be as red as her hair.

  “Well, I thought I was seducing my husband, but I certainly won’t make that mistake again.” She pushed by him and grabbed the lab coat to cover up, not wanting to have this fight naked. She felt vulnerable enough.

  “Don’t try to turn this around. You only get that look in your eye when you’ve been out on a job. And you only fuck me like that when you’ve stolen something. Considering you haven’t fucked me like that in two years, you can imagine my suspicion.”

  She jerked back as if he’d slapped her and she felt the blood drain from her face. “That’s not true. I’ve always wanted you that way. You’re the one who stopped touching me as soon as I retired. What? Am I not exciting enough for you anymore? You can’t have it both ways, Thomas. You wanted me to quit and now all of a sudden you want nothing to do with me any more. You just watch me like I’m some freak. And a boring one at that.”

  Thomas’s voice got very soft and she knew that was a bad sign. He very rarely got this angry.

  “You’re avoiding the point.”

  “Me telling you that I’ve wanted sex like that for the last two years is not avoiding the point,” she yelled.

  “Keep your voice down. I’d prefer not to have this argument repeated all over town.”

  She gritted her teeth but knew he was right. “The point is that you look at me differently now that I’m just Cat MacKenzie. I’m just your wife and a mother who bakes fucking cookies all day and volunteers around town like a respectable boring citizen. But you don’t want that Cat.”

  His eyes bored holes all the way through her and she realized she’d gone numb somewhere along the way.

  “Answer the question, Cat. Do you think I’m stupid? That I wouldn’t recognize that look in your eyes? The way you wanted me just now? Did you, or did you not, work a job before you came here?”

  She couldn’t lie to him. There’d been omissions during their marriage, but never lies. “Yes.”

  He nodded and finished straightening his clothes before grabbing the clipboard he’d dropped. He moved to his desk as if she weren’t there.

  “Now answer my question,” she said, her voice shakier than she’d have liked. “Do you love the woman I was or the woman I am now? Because I honestly don’t know the answer.”

  “I’ve got calls to make and patients to see. We’ll talk about this later.”

  “I see.” She felt the first tears fall and hurried to the connecting door that led to the main house before he could see them.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Thomas knew he’d just made a terrible mistake. He’d seen the tears in Cat’s eyes, and the thought that he was the
reason made his heart ache. All he’d had to do was reassure her that he loved her. But he’d withheld it from her because of his own hurt. She’d lied to him. Maybe not directly, but she hadn’t been honest in telling him she’d resumed her old life as a thief.

  He still had a waiting room full of people, and his personal life would have to wait a few hours. They both needed time to cool off. And he needed time to think. What had happened to their marriage? He loved Cat without a doubt. That wasn’t the question. But whoever said love conquered all sure didn’t know much.

  His appetite had vanished, but he did drink some coffee while he called the pharmacy over in Myrna Springs. And while he was on hold with them an idea began to form.

  If he looked at the problem logically—and he was always logical, unless it involved his wife—it was obvious he and Cat hadn’t been communicating the way they should have these past two years. He wasn’t afraid to admit that his worry stemmed from the fact that he wondered if it was the thrill of being in danger and the leftover adrenaline that had made their marriage burn so hot over the last ten years. Maybe that was true to an extent. There was nothing wrong with adding a little spice to their sex life.

  And it wasn’t like he’d continued to liven things up after she’d retired from thieving. There had been plenty of times when he’d been the one to catch her off guard and instigate their lovemaking. Why had he stopped? He couldn’t answer the question.

  It had obviously made her insecure, because she’d asked if he loved the woman she’d been or the woman she was now. It should have been a question she could’ve answered with confidence. That was his fault, and to his way of thinking, he’d failed her.

  “Dammit.” He rubbed his temple where the headache that had been brewing earlier had turned full-blown. He finally got through to the pharmacy and arranged for his brother Riley to pick up prescriptions, and then he immediately dialed another number before he could talk himself out of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures. He’d do whatever he could to make Cat happy.

  “MacKenzie,” his cousin said when he answered the phone.

  Declan had opened his own security firm several years before, after spending a lot of years doing work for the government in a capacity he could never talk about. He had offices in Washington D.C. and in Dallas, and Thomas’s other cousins worked for him as well. They were all as close as brothers instead of just cousins, and Thomas knew Declan would come through for him, whatever he asked.

  “I’ve got a problem.”

  There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Dec sighed and answered. “Is this about Cat?”

  “Right the first time.”

  “I told her you’d find out. I’ve got to tell you though, she’s the best person for the job. No one can get in and out like she can. I’d hate for you to make her quit.”

  Thomas pretended he knew what the hell Declan was talking about and wondered how many of his relatives knew Cat had been doing jobs for Declan. Probably all of them.

  “I don’t want her to quit. That’s not why I called.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “I swear to God if you tell anyone about this you’ll regret it.”

  “Hey, man. Pretend I’m like your priest. Whatever you say will stay between you and me.”

  “The thought of you as anyone’s priest is scary as hell,” Thomas said, smiling for the first time in a while. He couldn’t think of anyone less priest-like.

  “There are scarier things. Believe me. What’s up?”

  “I need you to send Cat on a job. Something that will give her a challenge, but that’s not too dangerous.”

  “Oh, sure. Let me whip something right up.”

  “It’s a belated anniversary present. And whatever job it is, I need you to make it so I have to go with her. “

  “Jesus, Thomas. You’re not asking for much. Is this one of those kinky things where you just want to get laid?”

  “It’s an anniversary present. I’ll owe you one.”

  “You sure as hell will. You’ll know when I’ve got something.”

  Declan hung up without saying goodbye and Thomas stared at the door Cat had walked through, blowing out a breath. This was a hell of a way to spend an anniversary.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  In ten years of marriage, Thomas had never spent more than a night or two without Cat sleeping beside him in their bed. But two weeks after their argument, Cat was still sleeping in the guest room and the chasm between them was growing wider.

  He’d received a special package by courier the day before that had arrived from the MacKenzie Security offices in D.C. The note attached didn’t say anything except, You owe me one, and inside was a thick file folder and a wrapped box.

  He had no idea what Declan had concocted for them, but he trusted that he’d come through. You could always count on family. All Thomas had to do now was convince Cat to go along with the plan. But first he had to get her to speak to him. Hell, he’d be happy if she even looked at him while they were in the same room together.

  The flu epidemic had finally started to subside, and for the first time in a while he had the morning free without having to be in the office early. He and Cat acted like nothing was out of the ordinary for the sake of their kids, and they went about their normal morning routine where he took care of breakfast and Cat made lunches.

  “I don’t want the marshmallows. Take them all out,” Mitchell, their five-year-old, demanded.

  “It’s Lucky Charms, Mitch,” Thomas said. “The marshmallows come with it.”

  “They’ll make me throw up. You gotta take them out.”

  “Better listen to him, Dad,” Griff, their oldest son at nine, said with a resigned look. “When he says he’s going to barf, he usually does.”

  “Right.” Thomas sighed and started picking marshmallows out of the cereal bowl. “Killian, don’t throw that tennis ball in the house. We’ve had enough broken windows this year.”

  “Aunt Mary said you and Uncle Riley used to play ball in the house all the time,” Killian said, looking like he wanted to throw the ball just to see what would happen.

  “Did she also tell you that Uncle Riley ended up with seventeen stitches in the side of his head when he knocked the table and lamp over, and that we both ended up with sore backsides from the whooping we got?”

  “Nope, she left that part out,” he said, showing a gap-toothed grin when he smiled. He dropped the ball to the floor and their golden retriever, Gus, snatched it in his mouth and ran out of the room.

  The morning was chaos and as close to normal as it got. There was a quick knock at the back door and it opened with a gust of wind that sent napkins flying off the table. His nephew, Jayden, stepped inside with an apologetic smile and closed the door behind him.

  “Sorry about that,” Jayden said. “The wind is fierce today.”

  Jayden was twenty-one and had just finished his final semester of school. He’d been on a full scholarship to the best art school in New York, and he’d recently been invited to study in Paris for the next year. He was only visiting for another week before he flew overseas.

  Jayden looked almost identical to his father, Dane, who was Thomas’s second oldest brother. He had dark blond hair that he wore a little too long and his eyes were hazel with flecks of green. He had the MacKenzie height, but he was still lean and had some filling out to do. But he certainly had the MacKenzie reputation with the ladies. Every time Thomas went into town or saw some of his younger female patients, they were asking when Jayden was going to be home.

  “Thanks for taking them to school,” Cat said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do when you leave for Paris.”

  “Be heartbroken and desolate like all the other women in town, I’m sure,” Jayden said, winking and leaning down to kiss Cat on the cheek.

  “Get your lips off my wife,” Thomas said.

  Jayden ignored him and spun Cat around, dipping her low so she laughed. “You want to come to
Paris with me? Leave this stuffed shirt for a younger man?”

  Thomas scowled. “Or I could remove vital parts of your anatomy with my scalpel.”

  “Or that.” Jayden released Cat and grinned. “Sorry, darling. I need those parts for the other special ladies in my life.”

  “You MacKenzie men are all the same,” she said, chuckling.

  “Let’s go, Jay,” Griff said, grabbing his backpack. “I’ve got to be at school early this morning to work on a project.”

  “See you guys later,” Jayden said, holding the door open for his three cousins as they ran outside. “Try to stay out of trouble.”

  As soon as the whirlwinds that were their children left the kitchen, Thomas felt the tension enter the room. He cleared the dishes from the table and wiped it down, while Cat tossed stuff in the crockpot for dinner. It was all very normal. Except not. It was awful.

  “Cat, we need to talk,” he finally said.

  “I think you pretty much said all you need to.”

  “No, I didn’t. I was angry and I didn’t handle the situation as I should have.”

  “Well, I’m still angry. And I’m not ready to talk about it.” She was chopping onions with the rage of a thousand men, and he hoped to god he didn’t have to reattach a finger by the time she was done.

  “Fine, you don’t have to talk. But you can listen. I love you. I love the woman you were and the woman you are now. You’re the same to me. And that love will never change. I should have told you that sooner.”

  She stopped chopping and he saw her take in a deep breath before she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. He hoped she was crying because of the onions and not because of him.

  “I guess if I’m being completely honest with you, I felt used.” He leaned against the counter with a defeated sigh. “I know the adrenaline rush you get from your—other activities. And I used to feel like I gave you that same kind of rush. But when you stopped going on jobs, I kept waiting to see if that hunger we had for each other would stop too. And I think, because I expected it to, that it did stop.”