Eraser Crimson (9 page)

He’d just wrapped up a conference call to the Australian office, when he looked up to see Mackenzie leaning against the door frame.  Her dark hair messed from sleep, the milky white skin of her breasts on display through an open shirt.  She was wearing his tie loosely around her neck.  His high sex drive went into
overdrive
around Mackenzie but he really needed to get to the office.  That call should have been made from there, he had so much to do today.

Mackenzie stalked over to him, the shirt hanging open to entice him. 
Completely fucking naked under there. 
His cock paid attention.  She didn’t say a word as she trailed her finger along the edge of his desk, she didn’t need to, the look of longing and desire on her face was impossible to ignore.  He shook his head, no, he didn’t have time for this.  Her answering pout quickly had his blood pumping harder regardless. 
She’s so fucking sexy.

“Okay,” he relented.  As if he could ever say no to her.  “But it’s gonna have to be a quickie.”

“Quick, long … I don’t care,” she sang, slowly moving closer to him, “You Sir, may have my underwear.”  She stopped with her hip against the side of his desk and spread the shirt she was wearing open wider.  She looked down at herself, biting her lip, before looking back at him seductively through long, dark lashes.  “Oh, will you look at that, I’m not wearing any.”

A devilish smile graced his lips.  He pushed his chair out from the desk, swivelling to face her.  He grabbed the tie around her neck and yanked her forward until she was standing with her long legs on either side of his.  He unceremoniously shoved a finger inside her and watched her gasp, proving that even when she instigated things he would remain in control.

“Cute poem, babe.  I like it when you’re playful.”

He slid in another finger and wriggled them both inside her.  Mackenzie tilted her head back on a moan.  He pulled his pyjama pants down to free himself.  Wrapping a fist around his cock he started pumping it up and down while he watched her.

Mackenzie righted herself, watching him as he pleasured the both of them with his hands.  Her eyes focused on his hand gripping his cock and tugging at it.  She could feel herself practically overheating at the sight.  He pulled his fingers from her, grabbed hold of her thighs and pulled her to a straddling position.

“I do aim to please you … Sir,” she said with a smile as she sunk down on him, his cock filling her to the hilt.

“Fuck … Mackenzie.”  Nate’s lips pressed against her neck as she rode him hard.  He bit her neck as he climaxed a short time later.

“I said I was sorry,” Nate repeated when Mackenzie held up the shred of material that used to be a pair of her panties.  He’d torn them off her last night and the white lacy scrap was now barely recognizable.

“But, just like the pair the night before, you didn’t mean it.”  Mackenzie laughed at his obviously proud look.

“You’re right, I didn’t.”  He smirked at her then disappeared into the closet, returning a few seconds later with a pair of grey boxer briefs.  “Here, wear these again.  I kept them aside for you.”

Mackenzie instantly recognized them as the ones he had loaned her the day they went shopping.

“I thought you must have thrown them out,” she said, taking them from him and putting them on.

“No, I put them in my pocket.”

She thought about that for a bit.  In the change room at the lingerie store, they were used to-

“Oh no!  I’ll never be able to face Hilda again.”

Nate laughed.

“It’s not funny.”

“Mackenzie, I do know how to do laundry, you know.”

“You do?”

“I washed them myself.”  Mackenzie’s comically raised eyebrow had him laughing again.  “Had to learn to fend for myself when I went away to college.  Hilda resides at the house and only comes here to clean once a week.  I really don’t mind cleaning up after myself.”

“I had noticed that,” Mackenzie mused.

She recalled how Nate had washed his own dishes at her apartment.  She looked around the bedroom they were standing in and noticed that, just like the previous morning, the toys from last night were gone and the bed was made.  Her clothes folded over the arm chair.  He must have done that while she took a shower after their office tryst.  She quickly dressed in her work clothes from the night before, mentally kicking herself for not bringing an overnight bag.  She had been too distracted yesterday to think of it.  And, if she was being completely honest, she had deluded herself into thinking she wasn’t going to stay all night long.  She didn’t want to give Nate the wrong impression by spending consecutive nights at his place. 
Of course, I caved.  Again.

Nate was already fully clothed and waiting on her.  He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her dress.  It was near impossible to look away.  She effortlessly pulled her hair into a neat pony tail and put on those sexy as fuck heels he’d specifically requested she wear again.  She collected her bag before swinging around to face him.

“You need to bring some of your clothes over here.  I’ll clear a space in the closet for you,” he said, striding her way.

It was nice of him to offer but she really didn’t intend on spending too much time at his apartment.  She looked around as they walked out to the elevator, it really wasn’t a welcoming space at all, and it didn’t suit the man she was falling for.  It also made her think of all the women from the bar she’d seen him with. 
Have they all been here?
  She didn’t know how to say any of that to him however, so she didn’t respond.

He helped her into her coat before they left the lobby of the building.  Simon was waiting by the car, he held the door open for her to get in.  Once the car was pulling from the curb, Nate turned to her.

“Simon will drive you home, but I need him to drop me at the office first.”  He took hold of her hand and pressed it to his lips before clasping it in his lap.  “Lunch today?”

“Oh, I have a few errands to run and I’ll be starting work at two o’clock.”

“What are your career aspirations, Mackenzie?”

“Aspirations?” she asked, absentmindedly.  Her eyes focused on his chest.

“Surely working in a bar isn’t your life goal.”

She snapped back to reality.  “It’s a perfectly respectable job!” she said defensively.
Of course, he had to have a go at her for something. 
Everything seemed too perfect this morning!
 

“It is, but you must want more from life,” he said, turning his body towards her, giving her his full attention.  “What did you want to be when you were a little girl?”

“A ballerina.”

“Oh?”  He raised his eyebrow.

“I can’t dance.”  She crinkled her nose at him and he chuckled softly.  “I like my job, Nate.  The Blue Room is the best place I’ve worked at.  It’s nice there.  Sophisticated.  I serve people and brighten their day a little.”

“So you live to serve, huh?  Come to think of it …” The slap she gave his chest was loud in the confined space of the car.

Mackenzie had always been a waitress.  Other than a couple of diners when she was younger, she’d always worked in bars.  She didn’t know anything else.  But out of all of the places she’d worked The Blue Room was by far the best and she didn’t appreciate Nate belittling it.  It was a job, it paid well and she enjoyed it.  What more could she ask for?

“Don’t pick on my job, okay?” she mumbled.  “I’ve worked in some real dives over the years and it’s the best one I’ve had.”

That comment put an image in Nate’s mind that he didn’t like one bit.  He shuddered.  Though he believed she could do better with her life than working at The Blue Room, he could definitely imagine far worse places to work.

His eyes wandered over her as she stared out the side window.  He squeezed her hand and caught her smile in the reflection of the window and he was instantly relieved that she wasn’t mad at him.  He’d never before cared so much about what one person thought of him.

Mackenzie knocked on Andrea’s door, coffee in hand.  Ever since Simon had dropped her off that morning she had ummed and ahhed about going to see her neighbor.  They weren’t close, but Andrea was still the closest thing Mackenzie had to a girlfriend.  She was about to walk back to her apartment when the door swung open.

“Mack!  Hey!  Come on in.”  Andrea held the door wide and Mackenzie walked through.  “Sorry, I was just getting dressed.  How’ve you been?”

Mackenzie watched Andrea walk back toward her bedroom.

“Is this a bad time?”

“No, not at all.  I don’t have anything going on today.  Hence the late morning shower,” she said with a smile, pointing to the towel on her head.  “Just give me a sec.”  She disappeared into her room.

Andrea was a freelance photographer.  She was very talented.  Her apartment walls were covered in some of the most beautiful pictures Mackenzie had ever seen.  She often had her work in the Chicago Times and she’d recently had a show at a local art gallery which had been a huge success.  Andrea appeared a few moments later, her hair damp and freshly brushed.  Mackenzie’s eyes flitted about the room.  Though she really wanted to talk about Nate, she suddenly lost her bravado.

“So what’s up, Mack?” Andrea asked, taking a seat at the breakfast bar.

Mackenzie took a seat opposite.  “Nothing really.  What about you?  Had that talk with Henry yet?” 

“Not yet.  I’m thinking maybe tonight.  I’m going to lay it all on the line, you know?  See what he says.”  She grabbed the coffee jug from the counter and poured herself one.  “Top up?” she asked, waving it over Mackenzie’s mug.

“Ta.”  Mackenzie watched the black liquid fill her mug and then took a sip followed by a deep breath. 
Here goes. 
“Andrea, you know how you always complain that I’m not the girlfriend you want me to be?”  Andrea nodded with a smile.  “Well, I need it now.  Please.  I need your advice.”

“Really?” the girl practically screamed, “I’m all ears!”

“I’ve started seeing someone.  He’s … I’ve never felt like this before.  God!  I just have to be near him to be physically aching.  I want sex like all the time.  I’ve become obsessive.  And now I think I could, no … I think I
am
falling for him.  What do I do?”

“Go with it.  Sounds perfect to me.”  She grinned over her coffee.  “Tell me more.”

Mackenzie was astounded to find that once she started talking about Nate, she couldn’t stop.  She told Andrea how they’d met at the bar and that she’d originally thought it would only be a one night stand.  Without going into detail, Mackenzie told her how Nate challenged her physically and that she’d been exploring some of her deepest desires with him.  She told Andrea about his player past and the fears that brought.  She also told her a little about her lack of relationship experience.

Andrea was a really good listener.  She had no idea how comforting it could be to have someone to talk to.  She didn’t judge Mackenzie’s naïvety when it came to relationships and offered sound advice, telling her to stop being so afraid and to stop thinking about his past.  Andrea also spoke a little more about Henry and her own insecurities.  It put Mackenzie at ease to know that they faced some similar fears.

It turned into quite the conversation and more than an hour had passed by the time Mackenzie got ready to leave Andrea’s apartment.  She opened the door, empty mug in hand and turned back to look at her new friend.  A real kinship had been formed today and Mackenzie’s heart felt enlarged because of it.  She gave Andrea a big grin.

“Thank you for opening up to me,” Andrea said, giving her a hug.  “See?  It wasn’t so bad!  I told you we could be besties!”

Mackenzie’s arms wrapped around the woman and she laughed.  “Thank you so much for not giving up on me.”

She turned into the hallway and caught a glimpse of a dark-haired man knocking at her apartment, two doors down.

“Nate?”

Nate turned to see Mackenzie walking down the hallway, a petite blonde trailing her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I couldn’t stay away.  Thought I’d give you a lift to work.”  He put one arm around Mackenzie’s waist and held his other out to her friend.  “Hi, I’m Nathaniel Pierce.”

“Andrea.  Nice to meet you, Nathaniel.  Well, he’s better looking than you made out.”

Mackenzie’s face reddened in embarrassment and she scowled at her friend.

“I can see your dilemma, Mack.”

“What dilemma?” Nate asked, looking back and forth between the two women.

“Oh well, we were just having a coffee and Mack here was telling me how hard to resist you were.”

“Was she now?”  He chuckled, pulling Mackenzie closer to his side.  “She’s pretty damn irresistible herself.”

“Right.  Well, that’s enough embarrassing Mackenzie for one day.”  Mackenzie pulled herself from Nate’s hold and walked back to her apartment.  “Good bye, Andrea!” she called, opening the door.

“What else did she say about me?” Nate asked with a wink.

“Good bye, Nathaniel,” Andrea said with a smile, shutting her door in his face.

Nate laughed, then followed Mackenzie into her apartment.  He took a seat on her sofa when she called from her bedroom, “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

“Did you get all your errands done?” he called out but didn’t get a reply.

When she returned to the room in her work clothes she was unable to meet his eye.

“You didn’t have any errands did you?  What’s going on?  Do you want me to go?” he asked, standing and preparing to leave.

“No!”  Mackenzie held her hand to his chest.

“Well, what then, Mackenzie?”  He sighed with frustration and ran his fingers through his hair.  “You need to be honest with me.”