Turn Up the Heat Read online

  Mackenzie looked good. Really, really good. Surprising. Her eyes glowed bright blue. The contouring cheek color made her face look less chubby.

  “How did you do this?” As if she’d ever recreate this look at home. Mackenzie rarely bothered with anything but waterproof mascara. In a restaurant kitchen, everything else melted off in the heat and humidity. She stood, still gawking at the strange reflection in the mirror. “Gina, you are an artist.”

  Gina smiled and leaned in closer to brush her fingers over Mackenzie’s cheek. “You have beautiful skin.”

  Their eyes met, and Mackenzie held her breath. Would there be a kiss now? Would Gina wrap her hand around Mackenzie’s neck and pull her close, press her lush mouth to hers, lap her with her tongue? Then what? The couch on the other end of the dressing room? Would Gina lock the door, dim the lights, and peel off her dress? Reveal those pink panties and even pinker pussy lips?

  Mackenzie’s body hummed with desire as she waited, afraid to make the first move. Afraid Gina wouldn’t.

  Gina only smiled and reached past her for a tube of lipstick, brushing her breast across Mackenzie’s arm.

  Mackenzie shivered at the touch.

  “Let’s go to your place,” Gina said, walking across the room.

  Chapter Two

  Relief and disappointment warred within Mackenzie as she slid out of the makeup chair.

  Across the dressing room, Gina slid into her pink shoes. The curves of her long legs stretched up forever, meeting there—the wonderful place Mackenzie couldn’t stop fantasizing about. It would be…perfection.

  Gina straightened her dress, slowly gliding her hands over her sweet, rounded butt. Holding her hands there, she smiled wickedly over her shoulder. “Do you like this?”

  Mackenzie’s mouth gaped open, but no response formed. Hell, yes, she liked it.

  Gina bent over, sliding her hands lower, down to her bare thighs. “My dress, Mackenzie. Do you like it? Or should I change?”

  “I…” She choked looking at the door of the dressing room, ready to bolt rather than giving in to her urge to rush Gina and grab a forbidden feel of her tight ass and firm thighs. “I like it. You look great.”

  Gina bent over and picked up her purse. At the tiny peek of pink that showed for one second, Mackenzie’s mouth watered. She’d love to walk over to Gina, hold her from behind, tug up that skirt, and slide her hand inside the front of those panties. What would she find? A full, wild bush? Trimmed? Oh God, bare?

  Gina stood staring at her, waiting for a response.

  Mackenzie’s phone rang and she blinked back from her sexy dream. The restaurant again. “Hello?”

  Gina opened the door and mouthed, “Let’s go.”

  Mackenzie picked up her bags from the corner as she talked the hostess through a small crisis with an unhappy customer. In the limo, they sprawled out on the back seat, chatting about who would be at the event that evening, who to be sure to run into, and who to stay clear of. Mackenzie received only one other urgent call from the restaurant—the same dissatisfied patron—after which Gina threatened to hurl the damn phone out the sunroof.

  They walked through the lobby of the hotel that housed Mackenzie for the last two weeks. A classically beautiful five-star property, the lobby tricked out in marble with thick rugs, the elevators shiny with polished brass and hardwood. Entering Mackenzie’s room, Gina walked to the dresser where Mackenzie’s half-packed suitcase lay open.

  Gina dropped her purse on the floor, reached into the suitcase, and pulled out an ice-blue bra and panty set. “Expensive. You’ve been doing some shopping.”

  Mackenzie took the lingerie from her, embarrassed that she’d splurged on something so self-indulgent when her restaurant needed so many things. She rubbed the silk between her fingers. “I hoped to have a date some day in the not-too-distant future.”

  Mackenzie’s phone rang in her purse. The hostess’ ringtone. She ignored it for once, tired of making every decision for the restaurant. Needing a break. Wanting to focus on Gina.

  Her friend raised her brows. “You mean, you’d show off your new lingerie on a first date?”

  “With the right person.” A blush rose from Mackenzie’s neck, warming her face. Yeah, she would show them off—to Gina.

  Gina stared for a half a minute and the tension in the room built like a pressure cooker over high flame. “Get those sexy undies on, Mackenzie girl.” Her voice dropped, deep and sultry. Turning, Gina walked to the armoire and swung open the doors. She pulled out a short, sleeveless blue dress. “This lovely thing goes on top of them.” She shook it, making the silk snap playfully. “Everyone at the party will be amazed to see you in something other than your whites. Might as well give them a good look at your beautiful body.”

  The thought of people staring at her in that skimpy dress…”Uh uh.” Mackenzie took the garment from her friend and hung it up. She pulled out a charcoal gray pantsuit and pale pink blouse. “Tonight is about business, not about shocking people.”

  “No,” Gina whined. “I didn’t spend hours on your hair and makeup just to have you dress like a man.”

  “A man?” Mackenzie cried and shook the blouse at Gina. “Notice the pink shirt? And for the record,” she flipped her hair and grinned. “It only took you a half hour to do my makeover.”

  Gina grabbed the blue dress again. “Mi ammazzarai.”

  Italian? Oh, yes. A sexy punch of desire tightened her core, and she murmured, “What does that mean?”

  “It means,” Gina took the pantsuit and shirt from Mackenzie and pressed the dress into her arms, smiling innocently. “You’re killing me.”

  “Yeah?” Mackenzie laughed. So it wasn’t a sexy come-on. Absolutely anything, spoken in Italian by this beautiful woman, would curl Mackenzie’s toes. “Well, you are…just bossy.” She raised an eyebrow.

  Gina’s mouth dropped open. She chuckled, “Fine. We’ll finish our name calling in the limo.” She turned Mackenzie toward the bathroom, smacked her bottom, and said, “Get going. We’re already late.”

  Mackenzie huffed out a breath and marched toward the bathroom. She stopped in the doorway. What was killing her was the uncertainty. Never one to avoid the truth, everything that happened today told her that she and Gina had something hot going on between them. So hot, it boiled over. She needed to know if she read too much into Gina’s smoldering looks and innuendos, or if she truly wanted to explore this wild attraction.

  She looked at Gina and said, “What if I think I’ve found the right person?”

  Gina’s face lifted into a seductive grin as she sat on the bed, leaned back, and kicked off her pink, fuck-me pumps. “What if I know you have?”

  Damn, this was actually happening. Gina lounged on the bed, her long, beautiful body laid out like a buffet ready for Mackenzie’s enjoyment. As their gazes locked, the zip of lust flying back and forth between them intensified. Mackenzie need only take three steps across the thick carpet to confirm her suspicions with a kiss.

  The emotional step proved much more difficult, and her “fight or flight” response sent her ducking into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Could she put aside everything she’d been taught, everything she believed as right and wrong, and cross the line to—experiment? No, that wasn’t it. More than curiosity, this pull of desire surged strong enough to make her want to pin Gina to the bed and kiss every tan, lovely inch of her. All weekend.

  Yes. This would happen. After the party, she’d open one of the bottles of champagne she’d seen in Gina’s limo. They’d sip bubbly. Mackenzie would slide her hand over Gina’s shoulder to the nape of her neck and ease in close for a kiss. Her breath caught—just as her phone rang.

  She recognized her restaurant manager’s ringtone. “Crap.” She darted out of the bathroom to the dresser and dug it out of her purse. “Mike, what’s going on?”

  His voice came out panicked. “The chef walked out.”

  “What?” She looked at Gina who sat up, concern
sharpening her features.

  “He walked. Some moron customer sent his steak back three times and told the whole damn restaurant that the place should be condemned, and he stomped out.”

  “Were you there?”

  “No, but Kimmy called me, and I got here in time to see Lance coming out the front door with his roll of knives in his hand. I reminded him he had a contract, and he told me where to stick it.”

  “But did you tell him—”

  “Mackenzie, he had knives in his hand.”

  She couldn’t help the smile that curved her lips. “Okay, I see your point. Can Bryan handle tonight?”

  “Yeah, we’ve only got a few tables left, but…” The sound of paper rustling came through the phone. “We’re booked solid for three hours tomorrow night. What should I do?”

  “Damn.” She’d have to get back there today. Her runaway temp chef had been contracted to fill in for her through the weekend. She couldn’t trust her restaurant to anyone she hadn’t tested thoroughly. “All right. I’ll take the next flight.”

  Gina shook her head, her mouth sliding into a frustrated pout.

  “Sorry, Chef. I tried,” Mike said. “We just can’t function without you right now.”

  “Not your fault. Thanks for being there.” She hung up and flopped down on the bed next to Gina. “My replacement walked out. I have to get back. Friday and Saturday are our busiest days. My sous chef is new and the line cooks are interns.”

  Gina wrapped an arm around Mackenzie’s back and pulled her close. “I’m sorry you have to go. I wish we had more time together.”

  Her warm touch and exotic floral scent shot a quiver of awareness through Mackenzie’s body. She blinked back frustrated tears.

  With her free hand, Gina took Mackenzie’s cell phone and dialed. “Gina Volto here. I need you to find a flight out tonight for Mackenzie Jarvis. Even if you have to get her on the studio jet, she needs to be in Wyoming tonight.” A pause. “Great, okay. I’ll let you talk to her.” She handed the phone to Mackenzie. “You talk, I’ll pack.”

  “Thank you, Gina.” Looking into her eyes, the temptation to kiss her surged. The desperate hunger to know this woman ate at her. Why did fate rip them apart just as they opened to each other?

  Gina sighed. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

  Hell, better to thank fate for stepping in before she got in too deep. They lived in different universes. Whatever fire might have burned between them this weekend would’ve had to extinguish itself Monday morning. Mackenzie stood and walked to her purse on the dresser, talking to the travel agent.

  Gina carefully folded clothes and laid them in the suitcase. As she opened the drawer next to the bed, Mackenzie shot out a hand. Too late. Gina held her mini vibrator. She studied it carefully and grinned. “Naughty girl.” She turned it on and walked slowly across the room toward her, twirling it in a sexy parody of the way she would use it on her.

  Mackenzie shook her head and whispered, “I’m on the phone,” but couldn’t hold in a giggle.

  Gina kept coming, a purposeful smile lighting her face. “That doesn’t bother me.”

  When she drew close, Mackenzie grabbed the vibe and turned it off. “You’re indecent.”

  “You have no idea.” Gina’s smile left her, replaced by a frown. She trudged back to the armoire and finished tucking clothes into the suitcase.

  The travel agent came back on the line. “I can get you on a flight in three hours. It’s a one-stop, short layover, and you’ll be home by two in the morning.”

  “Perfect, thank you.” She wrote down the information, cancelled her other flight, and hung up. Without looking at Gina, she said, “I leave from LAX in three hours.”

  Gina opened another dresser drawer. “We’d better get going. The limo—”

  “No.” Mackenzie laid her hand on Gina’s arm then removed it. That last touch sent a hollow longing through Mackenzie. “I’ll take the hotel shuttle. Your party is the other way.”

  “But I’d like to take you—”

  “Gina, no.” A lump of emotion formed in her throat. “You’ve helped so much. You’ve been so kind.”

  Gina pulled her close, their faces inches apart. “If our contracts didn’t prohibit socializing until filming ended, I would have…”

  Mackenzie blinked. That explained why Gina had been so reserved. Until today. “What would you have done, Gina?” She wanted to hear it, needed something to remember.

  Moments passed as they looked into each other’s eyes. “Just bad timing for us, I guess.”

  Mackenzie hugged her tightly, briefly. She stepped back. “You have my address. Come and visit sometime?” A spark of hope kindled in her heart. It could happen. There could be a stolen weekend with Gina at her ranch.

  Gina picked up her purse and they walked to the door. “I will.” She looked at Mackenzie. “I want to see you up on your horse in your cowgirl gear.” Her voice choked and her eyes glimmered with tears.

  Gina had to know it, and Mackenzie found the strength to admit it—they would never see each other again. Mackenzie mourned the death of something that hadn’t had a chance at life. “Goodbye, Gina.”

  “Mackenzie.” She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She turned and walked away.

  Chapter Three

  Two weeks later, Mackenzie dropped an armload of logs into the rack next to the fireplace. She collapsed exhausted onto the pillows clustered on a thick rug in front of the fire. She let out a breathy whine, missing the pampering of the reality show. Missing Gina. During their short time together, the woman had become a fantasy that wouldn’t fade.

  Her breathing grew faster as she thought about the way Gina made her feel that last day in LA. Sexy, desired, free to experience the forbidden. She squeezed her legs together and let herself enjoy the dream she’d created over the last two weeks. Gina taking her, teaching her how to make love.

  As it had a few times a day since she’d returned home, her hand slipped down her belly. Slid inside her jeans and lower, into her panties. Her finger slid into her soft slit and found her clit, hard and sensitive. Needing this to be Gina, wanting it to be her hand down low, touching. Stroking. Her tongue licking.

  Her phone rang, snapping her out of her daydream. She jumped up and found it in her coat pocket. A California number? “Hello?”

  “Mackenzie, it’s Gina.”

  Her breath caught. “Hi. I’m glad to hear your voice.”

  “Well, girlfriend, I hope you’ll be as glad to see my face.”

  She laughed. “What does that mean?”

  Loudspeaker noise filtered through the phone. “I just landed in Cody.”

  “Cody…” Mackenzie shook her head. “Cody, Wyoming?”

  Gina’s laugh trickled into her ear. “Is there another Cody I don’t know about?” Her voice mellowed. “It’s impetuous of me, but you said I should visit any time.” Soft seduction lowered her tone.

  Mackenzie closed her eyes and let the warmth she’d left in LA seep back into her heart. “You’re welcome any time.” Her eyes popped open. “Aren’t you supposed to be filming the narration for ‘Chef’?”

  “Done. I finished early, and I jumped on a plane.”

  “What if I wasn’t home?”

  She laughed. “Give me some credit for brains. I called your restaurant and found out you were off tonight and working tomorrow. Knowing your sense of responsibility, I figured you’d stick close to home in case they needed you.”

  “Huh. You do know me.” An excited chill shot up her spine. Was she really here?

  Paper crinkled in the background. “I’ve got a map. How do I get there?”

  Mackenzie walked across the wooden plank floor and looked out the window in the door. “It’ll be dark soon, and it’s snowing. We’re supposed to get a foot tonight. Have you ever driven in snow?”

  “Yes.” She paused. “Well, it was in a movie.” She giggled. “And the car was on a trailer. So…no, I haven’t.”
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  Mackenzie laughed. She had to stop herself from bursting into joyous hysterics—Gina was here. “You stay put. I’ll come get you.”

  “No, I don’t want to put you to any trouble.” She spoke to someone. When she came back on the phone, she said, “The car rental person said they have a four-wheel-drive SUV.”

  “Gina. Buy a book and a cup of coffee. I’ll be there in an hour and a half. Two hours tops.”

  “Well, if you insist.”

  “I do. I’ll call when I’m pulling up.”

  “I’m so excited. The way you talk about your ranch, I know I’ll love it. I can’t wait to see it.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “And you.”

  With her phone to her ear, Mackenzie looked around the great room. “Okay, well, maybe I should take an extra hour to get this mess cleaned up.” The kitchen didn’t look too bad. The dark wood cabinets and gray marble countertops hid the dust pretty well. In the living room, the rustic wood furniture with its Native American patterned cushions always looked lived-in.

  “No, please, just get here as fast as you can. I’ll ignore any mess, I promise.”

  “Okay.” She set her cowgirl hat on her head, grabbed her coat, gloves, and purse, and stepped into her Western boots at the door. “I’ve got a dark blue pickup truck—”

  “You don’t!”

  “Yes, I do. I’m on my way.” She hung up, ran out the door and off the porch, slinging on her coat as she went. She turned the ignition and the engine of the old truck cranked right over. “Good old girl.” She patted the cracked vinyl dashboard of her father’s truck. Since he’d died, it had brought her comfort.

  A sliver of guilt pierced her excitement. Dad wouldn’t care for the things his daughter had on her mind right now. Just for the weekend she could let go of her reservations and enjoy this time with Gina.

  After scraping an inch of snow off the windows, she jumped in and shifted into drive. The radio blared country. All they got out here was country music. What would Gina think of that? She floored it and smiled as the back-end fishtailed a few times before catching traction. She raced down the bumpy gravel driveway, all three-quarters of a mile of it. She liked the privacy of the spot best. Unless someone came down her driveway, she remained invisible. She could create recipes all day. Or keep other secrets…like Gina.