Turn Up the Heat Read online

  What would happen tonight? Even though she had the night off work, Mackenzie had planned to go in to the restaurant and check up on the new chef. Once she got Gina home, she wouldn’t be going anywhere.

  Upon returning from LA, she hired another cook to work midweek shifts. She gave her manager a raise and a slew of new responsibilities. Both changes freed up more of her time to focus on creativity.

  The truck’s heater finally kicked in. She slid out of her coat. “Crap.” She had on her old sweatshirt and ripped jeans. She should have changed. What would Gina think of her grubby clothes? Actually, she didn’t care. Seeing Gina, hugging her, holding her in her arms again would be amazing.

  Shaking her head, she laughed. “Yee-haw!” Wild, wonderful Gina. Not many people—other than an impetuous Hollywood actress—would arrive at an airport unannounced.

  Three and a half hours later, they pulled up to Mackenzie’s house. She unloaded three bags stuffed with groceries.

  In her sexy red boots and a knee-length red coat, which didn’t even look close to warm enough for this climate, Gina toted her designer purse and matching suitcase. Snow fell on her dark hair, decorating it with white crystals that glistened in the yard light. She spun in a circle, taking it all in. “Mackenzie, this is beautiful.”

  Mackenzie looked at her log home. The bright porch light welcomed them, and a fresh layer of snow covered the steps. “I love it here. It’s almost like I get to be at the cabin every day of my life.”

  “Hm. That’s a lot of solitude, Mackenzie girl.” She pointed at the flat land to the west. “Fields?”

  Mackenzie bit her cheek to keep from laughing. “Yes, fields.” She nodded toward the forest behind her house. “And those are trees.”

  Gina made a snarky face. “Oh, it’s so easy for you to make fun of the city girl, isn’t it.”

  She stepped up onto the porch and pushed open the door. “Surprisingly so.” She laughed as she backed into the house. “Come on in.”

  Inside, Gina dropped her bags, slid off her boots, and out of her coat. She sprinted to the fireplace, her whole body shaking. “This is absolutely fabulous.”

  Mackenzie wanted to tell Gina how fabulous she looked. Her black leggings revealed every muscle and curve of her long legs. When she bent over, the round fullness of her sexy ass cried out to Mackenzie for a squeeze. Gina’s cheetah-print blouse ruffled around her hips and curved over her small breasts.

  Mackenzie’s mouth watered. She wanted to explore every inch of her.

  Instead, she showed her how to add logs to the embers. After they unpacked the groceries, Mackenzie brought her to the back of the house and got her settled in the guest room. She left Gina to change clothes and headed to the kitchen to heat soup and slice a loaf of bread.

  “Lookie what I brought!” Gina called, walking toward the kitchen in her pink silk pajamas and fuzzy slippers, holding a bottle of red wine in each hand. “One for each of us.”

  Mackenzie grinned as she stirred the soup. “You’re the perfect houseguest.”

  “What smells divine?”

  “Mushroom bisque, made this morning.”

  Gina scuffed up behind Mackenzie and put a hand on her back. “Wow. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled this.” She leaned over the pot, her silk-covered breast pressing into Mackenzie’s arm as she dipped a finger in the soup. Lifting it slowly to her lips, she looked into Mackenzie’s eyes and licked off the creamy broth. “Yummy.”

  Mackenzie blinked and went back to stirring. Wow. This was it. Gina came here for one thing—her. She should be delighted that all her fantasies would come true. Instead, a good dose of panic swamped her. Damned if she didn’t want to run. “Here.” She handed the spoon to Gina. “Will you stir while I go up and change?”

  She took the spoon, her hand lingering on Mackenzie’s for a few seconds. “Sure. Anything to get you out of that sweatshirt and into something slinky.”

  “Uh.” Her mouth went dry. “Slinky I don’t do. Unless you consider flannel a turn-on.”

  “Mmm.” Gina winked at her. “With you in it? Definitely.”

  Mackenzie turned quickly as heat rose to her cheeks. She climbed the open stairs to her loft. At the top, she looked down to see Gina watching her, slowly stirring the soup.

  Mackenzie’s reaction didn’t make sense. She wanted this. She’d been dreaming of this, bringing herself to orgasm thinking about Gina. It would be amazing. So why did she have doubts?

  She went to her dresser and pulled out her best-looking flannel PJs. Opening her lingerie drawer, she stared at her sexy red lace panties from Rodeo Drive. She pulled them out, too.

  Dizzy with excitement but as unsure as she’d ever been in her life, she backed up and sat on her log-frame bed. Okay, she had to calm down and think this through.

  What happened tonight wouldn’t be forever. Gina had a man. A macho, sexy stud. It wouldn’t be long before she’d be flying back to LA to be with him. Mackenzie could just loosen up and let this happen. Two or three days of heaven. Gina and her, completely alone, stranded in a snowstorm. A few stolen nights of passion then everyone would get back to their real lives.

  She stripped out of her clothes and slid into the sensual underwear, topping them off with blue flannel pants. When she put on her pajama top, her nipples tightened so hard they looked like marbles against the flannel. To cover, she slipped into a thick terry robe and matching plaid slippers. In the mirror, she looked like a country girl, not a woman intent on sexing up her new best friend. She shrugged. It was the best she could do.

  Walking down the stairs, she heard a cork pop.

  “Pinot.” Gina poured wine into two stemmed glasses. She’d lit the candle on the table, dimmed the light, and set out the plate of bread. “I think the soup is warm.” She looked at Mackenzie. “Holy Christmas, you have more clothes on now than you did outside.”

  She shrugged. “I took a chill, and thought I’d better bundle up.” It sounded better than, I didn’t want you to see how horny I am for you.

  “This will warm you.” She handed Mackenzie a glass of wine, and held up hers. “To forgetting about everything but each other tonight.”

  “To forgetting.” Mackenzie tapped her glass to Gina’s and they drank. Their eyes met, and Gina’s brow furrowed. Mackenzie asked, “Is anything wrong?”

  Her friend shook her head. “I have something to show you, but let’s eat first.”

  Mackenzie swallowed a few more gulps of wine to settle her nerves. She ladled the soup into big, flat bowls and put them on the table. “Butter?”

  “Why not. I’m on vacation.” Gina buttered a corner of bread and dipped it into the soup, popped it in her mouth, and groaned in pleasure. “Girlfriend, this is fabulous.” She refilled their wine glasses.

  “It’s one of my favorite recipes.” Her last word slurred a little. She should slow down on the wine. Such a lightweight.

  “Mine, too. Hey,” she pointed to the butter dish. “If you’re going to tempt me with butter, you’d better be willing to ingest the same amount of calories yourself.”

  Mackenzie remembered how tight her jeans fit this morning. “You’re so thin, and I’m at least ten pounds—”

  “Stop.” She broke off a small piece of buttered bread. Leaning over the table, she dipped the bread in Mackenzie’s soup. “You, my dear, are lusciously well proportioned.” She held up the dripping morsel.

  Mackenzie took the bread from Gina’s fingers, popped it in her mouth, and wiped her fingers on her napkin. Their eyes met, and a jolt of something hot and sensual passed through her.

  Gina wiped a drop from Mackenzie’s lip, brought her finger to her own mouth, and sucked.

  Chapter Four

  “My lovely, Mackenzie.” Gina sat back in her chair at the table, pushed away her soup bowl, and picked up her wine. “Don’t ever let anyone say you’re too heavy.”

  Mackenzie forgot how to breathe as she stared into her friend’s eyes. Grabbing her glass, s
he took a big gulp. Her cheeks had to be bright red.

  Gina laughed. “Look at us, we finished the bottle.” She poured the last into Mackenzie’s glass.

  When she got up to open the second one, Mackenzie stared at her soup. What was this crazy energy between them? Gina stood next to her pouring her wine, her hip touching Mackenzie’s arm. She walked behind her, trailing her hand from one shoulder across her back to the other, and sat.

  Mackenzie’s breathing became shallow as a pleasant, heavy sensation warmed her belly. It spread lower, between her legs, her pussy swelling and aching. She picked up her bread and ate, not tasting her food. She could still say no, but with a half-bottle of wine clouding her judgment, it wouldn’t be easy to resist what Gina offered. She couldn’t ignore this attraction.

  Gina sat back in her chair, her meal only half eaten. “It’s so quiet here. Do you worry about being alone?”

  She shook her head and watched as her friend ran her hand through her silky hair. “No.” She gestured up toward her bedroom. “I have a rifle under the bed.”

  “Mmm. Sexy woodswoman.” She twisted her finger around a lock of hair. “Here I thought you were just a country girl. You’re like Annie Oakley, or Calamity Jane.”

  Mackenzie sipped her wine and tried to think of herself as sexy. Woodswoman, definitely. Sexy, not as much. Especially compared to Gina. “I’ve only shot into the air to scare away bears.”

  “Bears?” Gina’s eyes widened. “You’re serious about that? Can they get in?” She glanced at the door.

  “Not unless they bring two bottles of Pinot.” Mackenzie grinned.

  Gina laughed and gestured toward the living room. “Can we move over by the fire? I’m still feeling chilly.”

  “Sure.” She stood and picked up the bowls. “You had something to show me?”

  Gina nodded. “It’s in my suitcase. I’ll get it.” She set their wine glasses and the bottle on the hearth, and headed to the guest room.

  Mackenzie cleared the table and put the dishes in the dishwasher. The salty soup had her jonesing for a sweet. She opened the fridge and took out the chocolate-covered strawberries Gina had slipped into their grocery cart. She placed them in a crystal bowl and set it next to the wine glasses.

  Stacking more logs on the fire, Mackenzie overheated from the wine and the fire…and the thought of what came next. She tugged off her robe and knelt on it to adjust the logs with the poker. When she sat back on her heels, Gina’s bare foot brushed along her thigh, startling her.

  Gina sat on the rug behind her. “Sorry, I wanted to warm my feet.”

  “On me?” She grinned and sat next to her friend, reclining on a stack of pillows.

  Gina lay back, too. She had another bottle of wine, and what looked like a tabloid sitting next to her.

  “You make a beautiful fire. God, I haven’t been this relaxed in months. Years, actually.” She handed Mackenzie her glass. “I’m glad I followed my instincts and came to see you.”

  Mackenzie gazed into Gina’s eyes. “I’m glad you’re here.” She wanted to tell her how much she missed her. How lonely the last two weeks had been. How she’d almost called her at least twice every day, but didn’t because she had no idea what to say to her.

  The logs she’d just added snapped and sizzled as the moisture burned out and the sap oozed from the ends. Mackenzie relaxed, too. Maybe becoming too relaxed. The wine made her warm and blurry, and loosened her muscles. She stretched and stifled a yawn. She could fall asleep right here. Her new chef had worked for her the last two nights and Mackenzie hadn’t slept well. Tonight, she wouldn’t spend one minute worrying about her restaurant.

  She set down her glass and offered Gina a strawberry. “I paid a fortune for these, so you’d better eat up.”

  Gina sighed and rolled onto her side facing Mackenzie. She propped her head on her hand. “I’d love to eat up. Eat you up.” Her heavy-lidded eyes watched for a reaction.

  Mackenzie’s heart kicked up to double-time.

  After a moment, Gina licked her lips as she plucked a strawberry out of the bowl.

  She knew seduction, and Gina was seducing her.

  Her friend leaned close. “You take the first bite.” She held the strawberry to Mackenzie’s lips.

  Without thinking, she leaned toward Gina and took a bite, the dark chocolate coating melted in her mouth as the tart strawberry flavor burst on her tongue.

  Gina’s lips parted and her breath came heavy as she stared at Mackenzie’s lips. “That’s it. Just one step at a time. We’ll go slow, honey.”

  Mackenzie savored the chocolate as a familiar tingling started down low in her belly, a tingling that her male lovers caused. Now, a woman made her wet and ready.

  Gina slowly bit the strawberry from its stem. She set the remainder in the bowl and pushed it aside. She slid closer to Mackenzie, both of them on their sides facing one another. She touched Mackenzie’s arm. “Does this bother you?”

  Mackenzie shook her head, shocked by her body’s response to Gina’s touch. Every nerve ending sang with lust, every inch of her wanted to experience Gina’s caress.

  “May I kiss you, Mackenzie?”

  It may have been the wine, or the fire, or the pillows, but something made Mackenzie want to say yes. The word wouldn’t pass her throat.

  Gina leaned in and gently pulled her closer.

  Then it happened. Their lips touched. A wave of pleasure rushed from Mackenzie’s head to her toes, colliding with itself on the way back up.

  Gina drew back an inch and whispered, “Have you ever kissed a girl?”

  Mackenzie shook her head. “Just my mom.”

  Gina smiled and licked her lips. “This is different.” She eased closer and slid her hand over Mackenzie’s shoulder to the nape of her neck. “This you’ll like a lot better.” She pressed her mouth to hers, her tongue tickling Mackenzie’s lips.

  She opened for her, wanting this but afraid at the same time. Was it wrong to enjoy it this much? She peeked her tongue out to touch Gina’s. The spark of awareness had them both gasping.

  Gina pushed Mackenzie onto her back and took control of the kiss. Her tongue plunged in and out, teasing Mackenzie’s, circling and lapping, sucking and nibbling.

  So different from a man’s kiss. Gina’s soft lips molded to hers, her delicate tongue graceful as it played with Mackenzie’s. The sweet taste of strawberries and chocolate lingered in their mouths.

  Her mind spun, visions of them naked together, kissing each other’s nipples, moving lower…The kiss went on for so long, she wondered if Gina would ever get around to the next part. The uncertainty became stronger than the desire.

  Gina groaned into her mouth. “Relax, Mackenzie, enjoy this. I’ll teach you everything you need to know.” She kissed her again, gently.

  She realized she lay stiff as a board, waiting for the next touch. Gina had to feel it, too. She ended the kiss and slipped out from under Gina.

  “I’m sorry.” She sat up.

  Gina casually propped her head on her hand, elbow on the pillow, and looked at her. “Don’t be sorry. I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with.”

  Comfort wasn’t the question. Mackenzie didn’t know if she could do this. Her body wanted it. It strained and swelled and creamed for Gina, but every time she slept with a man, her strict upbringing gave her forty lashes of guilt. How could she bring herself to sleep with a woman?

  Mackenzie turned to Gina. “I didn’t know you were bisexual. You date men, don’t you?”

  She nodded. “I do, but I’ve also been with a few women.” She rubbed her hand up and down Mackenzie’s arm. “I don’t worry about a person’s gender. I just respond to their personality.” She reached over and refilled their wine glasses, emptying the bottle. “That’s why I thought you and I could be together. You’re a funny, lovely, sensual woman.”

  Mackenzie took the glass and drank a little too fast.

  Gina laughed. “Okay, I can see I’m m
aking you nervous.” She stood and took the empty bottle and the unopened one into the kitchen and set them on the table. Screwing in the opener, she said, “I don’t want to do that to you, so I’ll back off.”

  Mackenzie shrugged. Maybe she just wasn’t liberated enough to do something she’d been taught to distrust all her life. Somewhere deep inside, a little spark of excitement remained. What would it be like? She’d never touched a woman sexually. Gina’s breasts looked small, but well shaped. Her nipples stood prominently against her silk pajama top. Oops, she was staring. She lifted her eyes to see Gina smiling at her.

  “Changed your mind?” She picked up the wine bottle and dramatically sashayed over to their pillow bed.

  “Could we change the subject for now?” She must be blushing like a virgin.

  Gina sat cross-legged. “Sure. What do you want to talk about?”

  “What were you going to tell me?”

  Gina’s eyes changed, sadness filling them. She reached behind her for the tabloid. “I saw this yesterday in LA.” She held it out to Mackenzie.

  She took it, staring at Gina’s eyes, afraid to look. Her eyes dropped to the picture of Gina’s boyfriend, Dirk, holding a beautiful, slim blonde woman. An inset picture showed a close-up of her engagement ring. “Dirk Lion and Lavinia Dodd Set Wedding Date.” She sighed. “God, Gina, I’m so sorry. I thought things were good between you.”

  Tears sparkled in Gina’s eyes. “The funny thing is, I knew he was engaged when we started dating. He said it was over. He was breaking up with her. Somewhere deep down, I knew he lied.”

  “What an ass.”

  She nodded, and tears streaked down her cheeks. “We fought about it last week, and I told him I wouldn’t see him again until he broke it off. He admitted he didn’t know what to do. I realized he was going to stay with her.” She wiped the back of her hand over her cheeks. I knew this was coming, so why does it hurt so badly?”