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“One drink,” she said as she turned and opened the door.
Mackenzie followed her into the house, and she waited for him to doff his running shoes, which left him barefoot as well. She wasn’t petite by any means, standing just over five feet six inches, but he had to be at least six three or four, and his frame towered over hers.
She proceeded down the hall and took a left into the kitchen, not realizing he hadn’t followed her until she turned around. Stepping through the dining area, she leaned against the door frame that faced the large family room she’d made into a studio and watched him as he stopped in front of her easel. She had several sketches strewn around the room, but he’d homed in on her current piece.
It was a stark, simplistic winter landscape of Crystal Lake, with bare trees, angry skies, and footprints in the snow that led nowhere.
Palms damp once more, her heart skipped when he looked up and caught her watching.
Her work was so personal. And truthfully, the only person she’d shared this stuff with had been her brother, Blake. Her father had scoffed at her idea of being an artist, and though he’d paid for her education, not once had he expressed interest in her work. Not even Jake had seen the stuff she was working on.
Mackenzie ran his hands through his still-damp hair and leaned down to get a better look at a large sketch leaning against the fireplace. The muscles along his back moved as he bent forward, and she found herself mesmerized by the play of shadows across him.
He was beautiful.
There was no other word to describe him. Everything perfectly balanced and in proportion. She’d love to sketch him.
Suddenly embarrassed and unsure, Lily escaped back into the kitchen. What the hell was she doing? Mackenzie Draper wasn’t a young boy that she could control. He was a grown man with appetites and desires and, contrary to her reputation, a hell of a lot more experience than she had.
Lily had always been a great actor, able to hide behind walls so thick she could be anybody. But she had a feeling that he’d smash through those walls pretty quickly if she wasn’t careful.
“You’ve got a lot of talent.”
She froze when she heard his voice.
“Thanks,” she said softly, cocking her head to the side. “What do you want to drink? I’ve got wine or beer or…tequila.”
Mackenzie moved beside her and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“So you’re a tequila girl.”
A faint smile touched her lips. Tequila reminded her of Jake and Texas.
“You could say that. But I only drink it on certain occasions.”
His eyebrow shot up. “Such as?”
She shrugged and opened the fridge. “Tequila is for forgetting, and it usually involves some backward Honky-Tonk, Texas, and Jake Edwards.”
Lily grabbed two cold beers and tossed one to Mackenzie. He grabbed it, popped open the lid, and raised the can in toast. “So, this is good then.”
“Good?” Lily took a sip, watching him warily.
“Sure,” he said. “I don’t want to be the guy you forget.” He winked. “Trust me, you don’t want me to be that guy.”
“How do you know I’ve not forgotten everything about you except the fact that you’re incredibly arrogant and full of yourself?”
Mackenzie set his beer down on the countertop and rolled his shoulders before glancing back at her. “When I look into your eyes, I see New Year’s Eve. I see every moment of that night, and you remember every single bit of it as much as I do.”
Damn, there went her heart again, speeding ahead and making her feel more than a little dizzy. Lily gripped the chair in front of her, glad that she had something to lean on for support.
Mackenzie trailed his hands across the dark granite counter, his forearms glistening with golden skin. “I look at this counter and I see you bent over it.”
Okay, her knees were going to give way if she didn’t get a hold of herself. Flashes of naked skin, of masculine shoulders, and of her fingers gripping the edge of the granite—of Mackenzie behind her, his hot, sweaty, and naked body sliding into her—made her weak, and she took a step back.
She felt as if they were dancing around the entire New Year’s Eve thing, and frustrated, she shook her
head, her voice not as controlled as she would like.
