Free For Her Pleasure (The Pleasure Series Book 2) by Angie Daniels

make more of this than it really is.”
    “But I—”
    She held up her hand. “No buts. We’re good. And I’m sure you didn’t come here to discuss my sex life. My fabulous sex life, might I add.”
    Kaelyn shook her head, sending her long hair swinging across her shoulders. “You’re too much.”
    “So I’ve been told.” Mackenzie rose and then reached for her purse. “ Come, let’s go find you a wedding gown.”
    With an upcoming wedding on her mind, Kaelyn quickly stopped butting into her best friend’s personal life and instead started rambling about the type of dress she wanted to buy. Mackenzie followed her out the door pleased to have something else to focus on. Hopefully in the next hour she could get Ryan off her mind, but she doubted it.
     
    *   *   *
    Mackenzie looked up at the clock on the wall of her galley-style kitchen and muttered something under her breath before she rose and padded across the room. Reaching into one of the oak cabinets over the sink, she removed a storage container. Might as well put the food away.
    Ryan hadn’t called. Texted. Nothing. She had made Buffalo wings in the oven and that was saying a lot, because one thing she wasn’t was a cook, but she figured store-bought cole slaw, potato chips, and beer was enough to make a meal. But Ryan was supposed to come over at eight. Now he was two hours late and she was starting to worry. He could be an ass, but standing up a woman wasn’t his style.
    She put the food away in the refrigerator, then padded down the carpeted hallway of her two bedroom duplex to her bedroom, walked around her queen-sized bed and grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand. After hitting redial, she waited with bated breath for the phone on the other end to pick up.
    “Hello?”
    “Ryan! Are you okay?” she asked in a rush.
    “Hey babe. Yeah, I’m okay,” he replied, but she heard something weird in his voice.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing,” he said, but the tone was weary. “Unlock the door. I’m pulling up.”
    Mackenzie ended the call, then hurried into the bathroom, reached for her mascara, brushed it across her lashes and sprayed a little perfume at her wrist. There was a knock at the door and her heart rate sped up. She straightened the short, blue nightie and hurried down the hall.   She was prepared to act as if his being late was no big deal, but when she swung the door open, all thoughts erased from her mind.
    “Ryan?”
    He stepped inside her place, wearing a blue SBFD t-shirt, the smell of smoke and sweat was all over him. “I’m sorry for not calling.”
    “No, no,” she began as she closed the door. “I don’t care about that. What happened?” she asked searching his eyes.
    “Another house fire,” he spat, but there was nothing routine about the look on his face.
    Uncertainty vibrated through her. “Everything okay?”
    Ryan met her eyes, shook his head, and then she knew.
    Mackenzie hugged him tight. Her heart ached for him. Military, fireman, police… all public servants, and she had no idea how they did it. She sighed. Ryan was the bravest man she knew.
    “As soon as I left the station, I found myself driving to your place.”
    She released him, drew back and gazed up at him. “You have soot on your cheek, and you smell like smoke. Did you even shower?”
    He gave her a crooked smile. “I was going to shower at home, but instead I came here.”
    Her heart did a thump, thump.
    “Then let’s get you showered.” She was already dragging his t-shirt over his head and then grasped his hand and led him toward her room. “Get those pants off, Lieutenant.”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    “Get undressed,” she ordered, then walked across into the master bathroom, turned on the shower, and by the time the water was running hot, he stepped through the door. Goodness . She swallowed, her throat tight with nerves and blood pounding with excitement. She could no more divert her gaze from straying to his eyes than she