The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)(81)

But Mac didn’t let her get waylaid, his steady hand guiding her toward the cars.

‘Are you two leaving?’ Kira called from her spot by the fire.

‘We have to check on the kittens!’ Annie called back.

‘Is that what we're calling it now?’ Kira said with a laugh. ‘Enjoy!’

‘Worried about being the topic of town gossip tomorrow?’ Mac asked, leading her toward his car.

‘Not particularly,’ Annie said, pulling her coat tighter around her. She had her strappy heels in her hand and a pair of boots on her feet to trudge through the snow. ‘Just don’t embarrass me.’

Last time at least no one knew what had happened between her and Mac. She didn’t know if she could handle it if it was town news this time.

Mac turned to face her. ‘I don’t intend to,’ he said.

‘And what do you intend to do?’

Mac stepped closer until her back was pressed against the side of his car. His breath was hot on her neck, his hands tracing the curves of her hips.

‘I thought we’d start with a kiss,’ he said, and Annie realized that even with all their fooling around the past two days they hadn’t kissed. It had been over a decade since they had, and suddenly, she wanted that more than anything. She stared at Mac in the moonlight, caught in his gaze, waiting.

But he didn’t make her wait long. His mouth was on hers before she could second-guess it. And once it was there it was like it had never left. Kissing Mac was the most natural thing she'd ever done.

His lips were insistent and hot, pressed to hers in the cold night. Years of heartbreak melted away. She let her hands slip into his hair and his grip tightened on her hips. Soon his tongue was sliding against hers, urgent and wanting. He pressed her harder against the car, his hands roving over the dips and curves of her body, like he couldn’t wait to get her inside before he touched every part of her, like he had to do it now.

‘This damn dress,’ he growled into her mouth, lifting one of her legs and pushing the dress up over her thigh, wedging himself there. Annie clung to him, her hands fisted in his suit jacket, years of tension and hurt and longing finally surging to the surface.

‘Mac,’ she gasped as he pushed against her, sending sparks of pleasure through her body.

‘I’ve wanted you for so long. I’ve wanted you forever,’ he said, sucking the delicate skin of her neck, her ear.

It wasn't until they heard boots crunching in the snow toward them that Annie paused, pressing her hands against Mac's chest.

‘We can’t do this here,’ she hissed. ‘We have to go.’

Mac blinked like he was returning to reality, only now realizing they were in a snowy field between parked cars.

The night sky was cold and dark behind his head.

‘We have to go,’ Annie said again.

He kissed her again one more time, quickly, and when he pulled back his face was lit up like the stars.

‘Yeah, okay, let’s go.’ He went around to the driver side while Annie got in. Luckily, they weren’t blocked in by anyone and were able to maneuver out of the field pretty easily. Annie snuck a peek at him in the driver seat, and he glanced back with a smile.

‘Don’t chicken out now, Annabelle,’ he said, putting a hand on her thigh. He left it there, tracing little circles with his fingers.

‘I’m not chickening out,’ she said as his fingers inched higher.

‘Are you really not wearing panties?’

Annie swallowed hard. ‘I told you I can’t with this dress.’

‘Show me.’

Annie’s heart rate ratcheted up, her pulse quickening, her blood turning molten hot.

‘I can’t. You’ll drive off the road and kill us both.’

Mac let out a low chuckle and Annie wasn't sure how she had resisted him for this long, because right now she felt like she couldn’t wait another second.

‘Okay, then I won’t look.’

Annie made no such promise and watched as Mac pulled up her dress little by little, his fingers tugging up the fabric while his eyes stayed on the road. When the hem was high enough, he slipped his hand under her dress, and she gasped at the sensation of his skin on hers.

That hand traveled up her thigh until it met the crease between her leg and her hip. The place where Mac discovered she was not lying.

‘Jesus, Annie,’ he rumbled ‘Completely bare.’

Annie’s whimper echoed through the car. She didn’t look at Mac's face, couldn't meet his eye, but she kept her focus on his hand. His hand that had now found the apex of her thighs, one finger dipping down to where she was wet and aching. She squirmed in her seat.

‘Spread your legs for me,’ Mac rasped.

And she did. Didn’t even fight about it. Didn’t even want to fight about it. It was nice to not have to think about it, to not worry about what the next step should be. She just did it.

And was rewarded with Mac’s fingers on her clit. She grabbed onto his forearm. He pressed harder, his fingers making tight circles, winding her up.

‘I’ve dreamed about this,’ he groaned.

‘You dreamed this exact thing?’ she asked, incredulous even in her pleasure.

‘Annie, I’ve dreamed about having you in every possible way,’ he said, quickening his pace.