Breaking the Ice (4 page)

A small smile flitted over her
lips.  “He asked where my parents were.  I told him they were unavailable.  Later
that day, he showed up at my house with a wheelchair, said to baby the hip when
I could.  His wife cut all the kids’ hair.  I was…broken when Susan died a
couple of years ago.  Bob would walk the property, talk to the hands, and move
things along.  I love him to death.” 

Diesel was quiet for a long time
and MacKenzie turned to look at him.  “Don’t do it, Diesel.”  Her teeth were
gritted and she looked suddenly furious. 

“Don’t do what?”

“Don’t you
dare
feel sorry
for me.  I don’t need it and I don’t want it.  Every single thing I’ve been
through made me stronger.  They’re smart and grounded.  Every one of them got
scholarships for college.  We could have all been losers.  Alcoholics, drug-addicted,
opening our legs for anyone who took an interest, stuck in this town and this
life.  I have one more baby bird to push out of the nest and then I’ll be
free.”

“That’s a lot of sacrifice…and
your life is on hold.  Don’t you resent it?”

“I resent my parents for popping
out child after child without a clue how to care for them.  I resent a town
that let my father drink and drive over and over again.  I resent the pitying
looks we got while people pretended there was nothing wrong in my house.   I
resent people thinking they know me, know my brother and sisters, simply
because our last name is Rhodes.  I will fight tooth and nail to get them out
of this town, into a life that will actually mean something.”

She suddenly climbed over him and
straddled his hips, her warm mound settled over the length of his cock and he
hissed air through his teeth.  “Enough conversation.  Condom?”

“Aren’t you sore, Kenzie?”

“Condom?” she said again more
forcefully.  He pointed to the side table drawer and she found them.  Ripping
it open she handed it to him and laughed as she added the wrapper to the dozen
already in the wastebasket.  “Wow, Diesel, I’m impressed.  Have you bought
stock in Trojan yet?” 

At his embarrassed look she said,
“I don’t care how many women you’ve been with or how many more you’ll be with
after tonight.”  She guided his cock into her body and he gasped.  His hands
settled on her hips.  “I’m not naïve, Diesel.  You’re a man, a LeBlanc, and fucking
is what you do.  You’re my first and will likely be my only for a long time.”

Kenzie planned on getting as much
from this experience as possible.  As she found her rhythm, working her body
over him, enjoying watching Diesel’s face under her, she knew she’d made the
right decision.  She’d had a crush on Diesel since
sixth grade
and there
was going to be serious heartache when this was over.

She’d always have the memory. 
Fuck the rest. 

She came twice before he let go
of his control and surged up into her hard, her name a groan on his lips.  He
pulled her down beside him when he caught his breath and wrapped his body
around her. 

She didn’t plan to but she pushed
back into him and fell asleep. 

In the middle of the night, she
woke to Diesel’s movements against her back.  She thought he was still asleep
when he entered her and slid his hand down her stomach to play over her folds. 
Already, she was wet for him.  His strokes increased steadily in strength until
she was coming hard, gasping his name as his own orgasm stole his control. 

It was only when his breathing
leveled and he drifted back to sleep that Kenzie realized they hadn’t used a
condom.  Fighting down the panic, she gave herself a mental shake and thought,
“God certainly has an unusual sense of humor where I’m concerned.” 

When she was certain he was
deeply asleep, she slipped from the bed and got dressed.  Allowing herself one
last look at his dark good looks against the white sheets, she smiled sadly.

Then she let herself out. 

Walking the mile back to her
truck, she called her brother.  Groggy at pre-dawn, she let him wake up a
moment. 

“Kenzie?  Where are you?”

“Hey there, Thad.  Can you bring
the dually and a tow chain?  I’m stuck on the main road.  I’m sorry to have to wake
you.”

Thad showed up fifteen minutes later
wearing sweats and sneakers.  She kissed his cheek then burst into tears.  He
hugged her tight. 

“What is it, Kenzie?  You never
cry…tell me what’s wrong.” 

She shook her head and wiped her
face.  Giving him a smile and a shoulder shrug, she hooked up the truck and
towed it back to her place.

Back to her
real
life.

When Diesel woke hours later,
sunlight was on the bed…Kenzie wasn’t.  He knew she’d left because she didn’t
want there to be awkwardness between them.  He probably knew more about her
than most people; he doubted she’d like that vulnerability. 

He reached out to touch the place
where her head had been, stroking the indentation. 

As he pulled back the blanket to
get up, he knew something wasn’t right.  He’d obviously had sex with Kenzie
again during the night but there was no condom to be found.  Surely, he
hadn’t…he
never
did that. 

You fucked up real big, Diesel. 
Go fix it. 

He showered and changed, snatched
his keys off the table.  It was then he realized Kenzie had
walked
back
to her truck.  Most likely before the sun came up.

You suck on so many different
levels right now.

Diesel drove over to her house
and one of the hands said she’d gone skating.  The pond was a good fifteen
minute drive and he used the time to think about the night before. 

He’d taken her virginity.  That
was no small thing. 

He called his older brother
Douglas and started the conversation with, “Which Rhodes girl tried to get you
to take her virginity?”

“Dude, not cool.  Where the
hell
did you hear about that?”

“Digger, it doesn’t matter.  I…I slept
with MacKenzie Rhodes last night.  It surprised the fuck out of me when she
turned out to be a virgin.  She didn’t give me a word of warning.”

Digger sighed heavily.  “You
what
? 
Oh, hell.  Kat…Katya.  My god that was the most difficult decision of my life. 
I don’t think anyone could possibly understand the temptation involved.  She
was,
is
, so gorgeous.  They grow women real pretty in that family.”

“I know they do.  Cristiana made
the attempt with Damien, I’m assuming?” Diesel asked bluntly.

“Oh,
fuck me
, did
MacKenzie tell you that?  What did she
say
?  What did
you
say?” 
His brother groaned.

Diesel laughed.  “I had no idea
how to respond to much of anything she told me last night.  She said she didn’t
tell me because LeBlanc men don’t deflower virgins.  She said two of her
sisters could attest.  Since Kat and Cristi are twins, makes sense they’d try
to tag team the two of you.” 

Douglas and Damien were twins,
the oldest LeBlanc siblings at twenty-seven.  They lived in Green Bay and ran an
auction house. 

“Jesus…man, it was a bad scene. 
We
did
assume they were experienced, though I’m not proud of it.  We
took them up to the cabin.  Kat was more responsive than any other woman I’ve
been with.  I still remember how good she smelled.  When we found out,
everything came to a grinding halt, and they were humiliated.  We handled it
all wrong.”

“Sounds like it.”

“We drove them home.  No one said
a word but Damien and I knew we’d hurt them.  When they got out of the car they
told us quietly that they thought we’d be a perfect match sexually…two women
with morals with two of the morally bankrupt LeBlanc men.”

There was a long pause, “Diesel,
I’ve thought about it for the last six months and the two women I’ve slept with
were nothing more than white noise.  Damien is the same.  Those Rhodes women
are pretty memorable.”

Diesel was quiet for a moment,
“Yeah, I think you might be right about that.  We should warn Dean about
Jaqueline…if they consider us the safest bet for losing their virginity, Jackie
might hone in on him.”

He pulled into the pond parking
area and watched Kenzie skate.  She was wearing leggings and a sweatshirt.  She
was beautiful, graceful. 

“Later, Digger.  I’m looking at one
of the Rhodes women now.” 

He flipped the phone shut and got
out with his skates.  Sitting on the log to lace up, he knew the moment she
noticed him.  Her movements stilled and she gathered herself primly with her
hands crossed. 

“Good morning, Kenzie.  Why
didn’t you wake me up before you left?”

MacKenzie raised her eyebrow
mockingly.  “I bet you
never
ask that question the morning after.  You
have no reason to treat me any differently than your other…whatever they are.” 

She started skating again, moving
fast and making dizzying circles. 

Diesel stood and skated out to
her, catching her as she passed and pulling her to him.  “Did I take you
without a condom, Kenzie?”

The abruptness of her stop and
the question had her blushing hot.  “Yes, but its fine.  I’m on the pill if
that’s what you’re worried about.  I’m sure you’re normally careful but if I
need to get tested or something, let me know.  I think you can feel pretty
confident that I’m not carrying anything.” 

She yanked her arm and he
released her.  She skated backwards away from him and he felt the insane urge
to chase her, take her,
possess
her.

As she moved, so did Diesel.  He
mirrored her until she grew frustrated.  “What do you
want
, Diesel?  You
got what you wanted even if it wasn’t under conditions you would have liked. 
I’m not going all clingy and desperate, not asking you for anything, so what
is
it?”

“I have no idea,” he said
honestly.  She skated to a stop and came toward him.  Going on tiptoe, she
pulled his head down for a kiss and everything about her mowed him down from
the inside out.  What was it about this woman?

She broke the kiss and said
against his lips, “Diesel, you have a great future in front of you.  Go enjoy
it and don’t worry about me.  I expect nothing from you.  I knew what I was
doing when I told you to take me home with you.  I have no regrets.  Not a
single one.”

The feel of her fingers in his
hair made him want to beg but he didn’t know for what and he didn’t want her to
think he was weak.

“I knew you’d make my first time
memorable and you did.  You expected to use me, Diesel.  You figured we’d play
until you left and when I didn’t give in easily, it made you want me more…but
your reasons didn’t change.  You wanted my body…not my heart or my mind…and my
body is exactly what you got.”  Her smile was sincere though a little sad. 

“I hope one day you see the
fairness in the fact that I used you a little, too.”  She kissed him again and
went to remove her skates. 

He followed and stopped a few
feet away, his hands on his hips.  “Will I see you again before I leave
tomorrow, MacKenzie?”

She looked up and smiled.  It
didn’t reach her eyes.  “Sure, you can dance with me tonight if you want.  Then
I’ll wish you luck and tell you goodbye.”  Kenzie stood in her boots and smoothed
her hand over the flannel shirt that covered his chest.  Then she leaned in and
kissed him over his heart. 

“Thank you again.  I appreciate
how you treated me more than you can understand as a man.  I wouldn’t have
trusted anyone else.”  She stroked his cheek then walked quickly to her truck. 

He felt confused and twisted up
inside as he watched her drive away.

Later, he watched Kenzie in the
bar, waiting for the right moment to dance with her.  He was crossing to her
when
Stupid Boy
started to play and he thought that for some reason, in
this situation, it was a fitting song.

She put down her tray and let Diesel
lead her to the dance floor.  He gathered her close as they moved together, his
arms holding her tighter than necessary but he couldn’t make himself loosen
them. 

At one point, she sighed and he lifted
her chin to see her face.  Not understanding what he saw there, he kissed her
gently. 

When the song ended they stopped
in the middle of the dance floor. 

She put her hands on either side
of his face and whispered, “You’re a good man, Diesel.  Make sure you remember
that when you’re a famous hockey player.  Be happy.  Be safe.”  She lifted and
gave him one more kiss.  “Goodbye, Diesel.” 

She stepped away and he let her
go, fighting instincts he didn’t know how to interpret…and didn’t know if he
wanted to.  Kenzie was gorgeous and smart – sex with her had been the best of
his life – but they were young and he had too many plans to let himself get
derailed by a girl from his hometown.

He watched her wave to Bob as she
ducked down the hall to the employee parking lot out back. 

Diesel wanted to
go after her
. 

He didn’t.

Present day…

MacKenzie watched riveted when
Diesel’s team took the NCAA Conference Championship his senior year of college,
screaming and cheering for him with Thad by her side.   She’d bought the DVD of
Wisconsin’s season and watched it sometimes when she felt like touring memory
lane. 

She’d worn Badger colors proudly even
after they moved to Boston.  He’d been drafted by the Devils and she’d followed
his career; happy his dreams were coming true. 

Thadias scored so high on his
SATs he’d gotten into Harvard and she moved with him to Cambridge.  He made it
clear it was the only way he was going.  There was no way he was leaving her alone
in their hometown.  He told Kenzie that if she really wanted him to get the
best education possible, she’d better pack.