Mack set their new drinks on the closest bedside table with a wink. “Mom was a guest at Wendy’s wedding a few years back. She knew everything.”
Kayla flopped back on the bed and stretched her legs out in front of her. Her knee was aching from being bent underneath her for so long, but she was more focused on the sinking of her stomach. “Damn. I was about to say that we should hang out like we did back in high school. Only now I’m realizing we didn’t hang out as much as I thought we did.”
The bed creaked and shifted beneath her as Mack dropped onto it. She wrapped an arm around Kayla’s neck. Kayla immediately dropped her head down to rest against Mack’s shoulder. Her body was the same—warm and comforting—but it was more now. Kayla couldn’t help remembering how good that arm had felt wrapped around her waist, pulling their bodies flush.
Mack said, “I would love to hang out more with you. This week has been great.”
“You really think so?”
“Of course. I hadn’t realized how little time we’ve spent talking about life these days.”
Kayla curled in closer, burying her nose into Mack’s neck. The short hairs of her undercut tickled, but it was worth it to bury herself in that Mack smell. She rested her hand on Mack’s distractingly muscular stomach. “Things are a lot more complicated these days. I thought life was supposed to get easier when we got older.”
Mack laughed, the sound reverberating through Kayla’s body. She slipped her leg across Mack’s thigh because she couldn’t stop herself from moving closer. Mack’s thumb traced a line up and down her forearm. “I don’t think life ever has or will be easy. It just gets complicated in a different way.”
While she wanted to focus on how good it felt to curl into Mack, there was something in her voice that broke the spell. Kayla looked up to see a worry crease between her eyebrows, and suddenly her heart was breaking. “Hey. What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“Seriously. Talk to me. Maybe I can help. How are things complicated for you these days?”
“Other than the fact I just made out with my best friend? I can’t imagine.”
Laughter loosened the tightness in Kayla’s chest. “There is that. But still. This week with you hasn’t felt complicated at all.” Her heart rate picked up as she looked into Mack’s riveting eyes. “In fact, it’s felt really comfortable. It’s felt right.”
Mack didn’t look away. She didn’t even blink. Was she thinking the same thing as Kayla? Was she thinking that surely that meant something? Because now that Kayla was thinking it, she couldn’t think of anything else, and that felt deeply complicated. It felt like maybe she shouldn’t be spending all her time chasing Skye after all. But she loved Skye, didn’t she? It suddenly occurred to her that, apart from the quiet moment when Mack had been in the bathroom, she hadn’t thought of Skye once since her morning meltdown. What the hell was that all about? She had spent a shocking amount of money when she didn’t really have to chase Skye down here to paradise to stop her wedding, and now she wasn’t even thinking about her much less chasing her.
The thought terrified her, but she quickly shook it off. Clearly, Mack had done a good job of distracting her. That was all. It didn’t mean anything that this had been the best day of the week. Best day of her month. Okay, if she was honest, this had been the best day she could remember in years, including when she was with Skye. Mack had been focusing on making her relax rather than fighting something she couldn’t control, and she was doingan amazing job. It had nothing to do with developing feelings for Mack. She was just doing what a best friend did.
Kayla rubbed circles with her fingertips across Mack’s bicep. “Thank you so much for being here. For making things easier. It was a lot to ask, to come out here and pretend to marry me so I could get Skye back. It’s the kindest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me, and I really appreciate it.”
Tears welled in Kayla’s eyes, but she willed them not to fall. She didn’t want to break the electrical tether of her gaze to Mack’s. If she looked away, she may never reestablish this connection, and she wanted nothing more than to live inside this moment. This cocoon with just enough room for her and Mack.
Mack whispered, “You’re welcome. I’d do anything for you.”
One of those stubborn tears fell without permission. “People say that all the time, but you really mean it. You’re a wonderful person. I’m lucky to have you.”
Mack’s smile somehow hurt more than it cheered. There had never been a more genuine smile, but it was laced with the knowledge of the future and the past. The complicated bits and the beautiful bits and all the bits that might never be. She guided Kayla’s head back to rest on her shoulder, then bent down to press a kiss onto her forehead. “You’ll always have me.”
Lying there in Mack’s arms, listening to the quiet patter of raindrops against the window and rocking gently on the rise and fall of her chest, Kayla fell into the most peaceful sleep of her lifetime.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kayla ran along thebeach. The sun was hot against her skin, and the ocean was cool as it lapped against her bare toes. Her body felt lighter than it ever had. Her knee was strong and painless thanks to the soft, sandy surface. She could run like this forever and never tire.
Joy bubbled in her like warm champagne, and she laughed from the center of her soul, though she couldn’t hear the sound over the crashing waves. She was so warm and so comfortable, living entirely in her element.
She was so distracted by her joyful state that it took a long time to recognize the warmth of another person beside her. She knew it was Mack even before she looked over. Mack looked just as happy as Kayla felt. The wind whipped loose strands of hair into wild shapes around her face. She turned her crooked smile to Kayla, and fires erupted in her soul. She laughed, and the sound sent a wave of electricity across Kayla’s flushed skin.
Distantly, Kayla recognized just how much of her skin she could feel. Not only the usual arms and calves, but also her back and shoulders were warmed by the skin. And other places. She looked down at herself and discovered she was completely naked. It was just the sand, sun, and sea on her skin. But she was on a public beach, in full view of hundreds, maybe thousands of tourists sharing the resort with her. She should not be naked here.
Instead of being self-conscious, however, the realization made her euphoric. Shocked by her own recklessness. She had never once in her life let herself be this free. It made her giddy. Who would have ever thought she would be so risqué?
She turned back to Mack to share her feelings of freedom. Of course she would. She shared everything with Mack. But as she looked over, she realized Mack was naked, too. Gloriously, amazingly, tantalizingly naked. They had seen each other in swimsuits this week, and that had awakened an appreciation in Kayla that she didn’t know she’d held. They’d seen each other in just underwear once or twice in high school, but that had been when they’d run track together. They had both been timid with their locker room nudity, as most kids their age were. This was not the same. This carried a humming undercurrent of desire. This was very much an adults naked together feeling. Adults who had kissed, who were now naked together.
As soon as she thought of the kiss, Kayla stopped dead. She certainly couldn’t run while her knees wobbled and her body surged with lust. Mack stopped, too. Neither of them was laughing anymore, and the roar of the ocean faded as the roar of her blood picked up. She stared at Kayla without the laughing or the teasing or any of the other walls they’d put up between them in the past. She was looking at her with a hunger that brought a stab of need to Kayla’s core.
Mack stalked toward her with an intention that was impossible to ignore. She was a powerful, seductive creature, and she was clearly intent upon seducing Kayla. Kayla was very interested in being seduced. Mack’s movements showed off her lithe body to its best advantage. Her muscles and curves were mouthwatering.
