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CHAPTER 17
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 18
Mackenzie ran her finger along the salt-coated rim of her glass.“I think adventure might be exactly what I want.” Matthew let loose a small sound of excitement.“I have been searching for such an adventurous woman since I arrived here. I have been searching for someone who dares to leave the beaten path, who makes her own rules, regardless of what society dictates. I have been searching for a free, untamed spirit…” She laughed.“Believe me, I have definitely not traveled the beaten path.” He and Deborah shared a knowing look. Mackenzie straightened, feeling a little self-conscious. Had they guessed she referred to her long stint as a virgin? A waitress, a young woman with a deep tan and sun-bleached hair, approached their table. While she took Deborah’s drink order, Matthew leaned in closer to Mackenzie. He held her hand and rubbed his thumb along her palm.“And this urge to take the unbeaten path, does it apply to all areas
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 19
He’d come for her… Mackenzie couldn’t believe her eyes. She smiled and shifted closer to Wyatt as the crowded elevator carried them up and away from the poolside bar. She inhaled his arousing scent, trying to remember how to breathe. The elevator stopped, emptying most of its occupants onto one of the floors. A wonderful exhilaration filled her. Why hadn’t she seen it? Wyatt cared for her. He had to. Why else would he have followed her on this trip, arriving like a knight in shining armor to save her from that mortifying situation she’d just gotten into? This chivalry of his explained everything. Fool that she was, she’d let him think she wasn’t interested. Mackenzie hadn’t dreamed the wonder in his eyes as they’d made love. He’d felt it too. She wanted Wyatt. She wanted to explore every gorgeous, magnificent, divine inch of him, to touch, taste and feast on him. She wanted to know again the feel of him filling h
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 20
Something bright against her eyelids dragged Mackenzie from her slumber. Yawning, she slowly stretched. Sunlight flickered in through the open curtains. A weight across her middle and warmth at her back brought memory flooding in. Heat crept up her cheeks as she rolled carefully to her other side. Wyatt mumbled something in his sleep and tightened his hold. His half-erection pressed against her thigh. She smiled, in spite of herself. Her lover just kept going and going. Seems he was going again in his dreams. She closed her eyes as details from the previous night spun through her mind. Embarrassment filled her. How was it she could act so brazenly, so unlike her around him? It was as though he was some mind-altering drug that had her doing and saying things she dared only dream of in her normal world. Now, here in the morning light, her actions played out for her. She’d lost her virginity to her brother’s best friend, a known
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 21
She beamed in delight, then preceded him across the wooden walkway to the beach. Wyatt averted his eyes from the sight of her hips’ supple sway and started thinking about future businesses he needed to attend to once he'd got back home until the tightness in his groin eased. The sun beat down on them. Sand crunched underfoot. He whipped off the jacket, tugged his shirt over his head, then slid off his shoes, dropping the items in a pile on the beach. He glanced longingly at the water. “This day is so lovely…” Mackenzie kicked off her sandals, untied her sarong, then spread it on the sand. After digging in her bag, she extracted a small wallet. “Can you carry this for me? I don’t have any pockets.” Wyatt swept his gaze over her scant attire… A few scraps of fabric held together with string. No, she didn’t have any pockets. But she had a lot of things he wanted… His pulse raced but he held out his hand. “Sure.” She placed the wa
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 22
“How about that one? Don’t you think it looks like a looks mouse chased by a cat?” Wyatt pointed to a puffy cloud above them. They’d made it back to the spot where they’d left their belongings. Mackenzie lay stretched out on her sarong, while Wyatt used his jacket to protect his head and back from the sand. As considerate as he’d been all day, Mackenzie couldn’t seem to shake a feeling of melancholy. Her enthusiasm just dimmed. She cocked her head. The wind shifted the clouds.“Well, I think it looks like the cat being chased by a dog... That one is too big to be a mouse, don’t you think so?” she replied smiling lightly.“Ah… it could be… Yeah…” Casting him a sideways glance, Mackenzie pointed to an indiscriminate puff.“And that one looks like a unicorn… See there? The head and the horn...”“Yes, I see it too.” Turning to her side, Mackenzie faced him. She had to get out of this slump. It wasn’t fair to Wyatt. He was trying so hard to pamper h
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 23
Wyatt winced as he pricked himself again with the razor. He blew out a breath, concentrating as he guided the blade around his jaw.“You’re just going to keep her company, dude, cheer her up, that’s all… This is not a date. And you’re definitely not having a fling.” He frowned at his reflection. The truth was, he didn’t trust himself alone with Mackenzie, not with the memory of her sweet body haunting him. Wyatt gritted his teeth and forced away the vision. Mackenzie wasn’t sure if she wanted him, and whether or not she’d admit it, she didn’t really want a fling. Mackenzie wanted what he couldn’t give her… a happy ending. Wyatt rinsed the razor, then set it aside, mopping his face with a towel. She’d been so down today. Somehow, meeting Bloom and her baby brother had extinguished the light in her eyes. He’d felt odd himself, standing beside Mackenzie and peering at that baby. He hadn’t really noticed babies before. The little rascal ha
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 24
Wyatt dipped his head to taste her. Mackenzie moved against him. The sexy sounds she made sent sheer desire surging through him. Making love to her was always so good, so fulfilling, but this time it was breathtaking. The way she responded to every touch, every stroke of his tongue was so overwhelming. He loved her with his mouth and his hands, seeking her hidden treasures as he savored her sweetness. Mackenzie shifted her hips, and his finger slipped inside her.“God… You are so tight…” he murmured. He glanced up. Her eyes were wide, and her lips parted. He pulled out the finger, sucked it, and then pushed it again into her, even further than the first time, reclaiming her, exalting in the knowledge that no other man had touched her this way. Wyatt pressed a kiss to the inside of her thigh. Mackenzie sighed as he moved his mouth back over her, teasing her with his tongue and teeth. He slipped a second finger inside her to join the fir
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 25
Mackenzie rolled to her back and stared up at the ceiling. Damn that man! How could he have walked out on her like that? Her heart contracted. ‘I care about you, Mackie…’ Yeah, right… How could he care about her and leave? She didn’t need him to protect her... She needed him naked beside her… deep inside her. Mackenzie clutched her pillow and moaned. To think she’d let him touch her, kiss her… everywhere. Sure, he’d given her orgasm after orgasm. Having sex with Wyatt had surpassed her wildest fantasies. Yet, he’d left her wanting more… Sighing, Mackenzie smacked the pillow into the mattress. “I want a man to care about me, to put my needs above his, to want to make me happy,” she said slowly looking at the ceiling. Wasn’t that exactly what Wyatt had done? From the start, everything he’d done had contradicted the picture she’d held of him before they met. Wyatt, the ladies’ man, couldn’t have had a chivalrous bone
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IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 39
Wyatt paced to his front window and stared blankly at the maple tree in his yard. His temples throbbed. So much had happened lately, he hadn’t had time to assimilate it all. Yesterday, his father phoned to say his mother had called and they were getting together to talk. Wyatt’s trip to the mountains had paid off, after all. Maybe he wasn’t a stupid Cupid after all. Maybe this was a good sign. If his parents could come to terms, he, too, had a chance of mending things with Mackenzie. Jackson should have made it to her shop by now. Maybe Wyatt should have gone along to see how things worked out. He glanced nervously at the flickering candles he’d scattered throughout the house. He’d placed them in every room, anticipating Mackenzie’s wonder when she saw them. Surely, she would come to him… Soft music played on the stereo in the front room. Wyatt shook his head. If she didn’t show, he’d feel like the biggest fool for creat
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 38
Jackson Daniel Kingman glanced up and pointed across the room.“I can still see this place as it was back then… There was a long counter over there. I used to come by after work with my buddy and sit and drink cup after cup, just to watch her, just to hear her… It took me nearly three weeks to work up the nerve to ask Judi out. I knew I was a goner when she poured that cup of coffee in my lap.”“But… what happened?”“She tried mopping it up with a towel.”“No, I mean… Uhm… Why didn’t you two marry?” He shook his head.“It was a stupid thing, really.” His eyebrows furrowed.“We got into this stupid fight… The church double-booked us. I wanted to elope, but Judi wouldn’t hear of it. She had to have her church wedding.” Jackson paused, dragging his ragged hand over his face.“I thought she was getting cold feet… That she was stalling or something. All the churches around were booked solid for months.”“And what happened next?” Mackenzie asked.“My
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 37
With a scowl, Wyatt adjusted his sunglasses. Summer had hit the state with a vengeance, rolling in with record-breaking highs. The sun beat down on him. Heat shimmered off the road as he peered across at Mackenzie’s shop. He’d been a dedicated cynic for most of his adult life… So, how on the hell was he going to change into a true romantic overnight? Pacing the length of Benjamin’s office, while racking his brain hadn’t gained him anything but his partner’s frustrated glare. Wyatt had meant to escape to his favorite thinking spot, the roof, but lost in thought, he’d stepped onto an elevator headed for the street level. Wyatt exited, then kept walking. He hadn’t realized where he was headed until he arrived at this place. Somewhere along the way he’d lost his tie, and rolled up his sleeves. In spite of that, sweat soaked his shirt. All that walking, and he still hadn’t come up with a fail-proof, knock-her-socks-off kind of plan. He squi
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 36
A light breeze ruffled Wyatt’s hair as he paused inside the threshold of Mackenzie’s shop. So many memories… He glanced toward the space in front of the long counter, where he’d first laid eyes on Mackenzie, and closed his eyes.“Hi,” a friendly voice broke his reverie. A sturdy brunette approached, bearing a plate of sweet-smelling cookies. She extended the plate.“Would you like one?”“No, thanks.” She shrugged, then nodded toward a far corner.“We always provide a little something for our readers to nibble.” Wyatt followed her gaze to a cozy sitting area, furnished with numerous mismatched, but comfortable-looking chairs. Nearly a dozen women filled the area, all chatting at once. A center coffee table already held a tray with a pitcher and glasses of pink lemonade.“Our reader’s group,” the brunette supplied without his asking. He nodded, quite impressed. Not only was Mackenzie a knockout, she had a good head for business.“Is your
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 35
The constant murmur of voices mingled with the clink of silverware against fine china. Mackenzie set down her water glass and pasted on a brave smile for Kenneth.“What will I do until you get back?” He reached over to squeeze her hand.“You’ll be just fine. You’re tough.”“I wasn’t so much this week. I’m not usually so mopey.”“You had your moments. But were just moments. I saw fire in your green eyes. I know who you are.” Mackenzie pulled her hand from his to fiddle with her fork.“How long will you be away?”“I don’t know. But I’ll be back before you know it.” Her throat tightened.“I’ll miss talking to you, Kenneth.” His eyes warmed.“I’ll miss you, too. But you’re not getting rid of me. We’ll still see each other when I get back.” She nodded as sadness settled over her.“Mackie, may I ask you something?” The serious look in Kenneth’s eyes sent a ripple of apprehension through her.“Of course.” He scoo
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 34
“No! Absolutely not!” Mackenzie shook her head. “You can’t do that. You two love each other. You are the definition of true love…” She pointed to her mother. “You always said she was your Little Dove.” Serena took the handkerchief Hank offered. She blew her nose with a hardy blast. “It’s true, darling.” Her eyes glittered. “I’m sorry. We didn’t want you to find out this way. We were going to tell you and your brother sometime after the wedding. We didn’t want to spoil things.” “Spoil things?” Mackenzie’s throat burned. She blinked, but this time her tears refused to be tamed. They spilled down her cheeks in hot torrents. “My God! You’re ruining everything!” She was acting like a spoiled child as she turned, then ran from them. All Mackenzie wanted to do was throw herself onto her bed, then kick and scream until she had no breath left in her. How could they? Had the world conspired to prove to
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 33
Wyatt’s heart thudded as Mackenzie moved down the aisle. Why was it that now that she was so beyond his reach, she’d become even more beautiful? His gaze swept over her slim form in the satin dress. Mentally, Wyatt caressed each hollow, each curve of her luscious body. Benjamin coughed beside him, jolting Wyatt back to the present. Good God, he stood before the altar of a church, lusting after Mackenzie. If there was a hell, he’d just gained entrance. She stepped up onto the raised platform, then maneuvered into place beside the petite brunette. Once Georgina joined them, the organist broke into the ‘Wedding March’. Estelle appeared at the back of the church, radiant in a pearl-colored gown, her father at her side. Clamping his mouth shut, Wyatt stood stiffly beside Benjamin as Estelle approached. The ceremony itself proceeded in a blur. Concentrating on the nuptials proved impossible for Wyatt when all he could thi
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 32
The next morning dawned sunny and bright. Kenneth called to say he’d be a little late, but they’d make it in plenty of time. Just hearing his voice was balm to Mackenzie’s aching heart. He’d shown up for the rehearsal dinner and she’d made it through by keeping her smile plastered on and nodding and agreeing with everyone. She’d left as soon as politely possible, feigning a headache. Kenneth arrived close to the time he’d promised. They’d just entered the vestibule when they ran into Mackenzie’s parents. Serena fussed with her husband’s tie.“Why did you wear this one? I had a nice one picked out for you. I don’t think this tie is right for this outfit?” With an impatient grunt, Hank batted her hands away.“This is a perfect tie. Sonia bought it for me for my birthday. At least she had the decency to celebrate with me.”“I was ready to celebrate with you. You just chose to go off with that floozie trainer of yours before I got back from my group
IT HAD TO BE YOU CHAPTER 31
Mackenzie forced her feet in the direction of the main doors of St. Thomas’s Church. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she headed up the wide steps guarding the front. Her legs wobbled unsteadily and she wished desperately that Kenneth was by her side. Dread filled her at the prospect of seeing Wyatt again. Fresh pain seared through Mackenzie at the memory of finding Kimberly at his door, dressed in nothing but his robe.“I’m such an idiot…” she murmured. Humiliation filled Mackenzie at the thought of all the times she’d thrown herself at him. She really thought he cared for her. In his own way, Wyatt probably cared for all the women he slept with. He’d never made any promises and had been honest about his intentions. Like a fool, she’d let her emotions get all blown out of proportion, convincing herself he simply hadn’t yet realized his true feelings. She paused before the double wooden doors. Why had she l
