Instead, she had to wonder if he’d gotten what he wanted out of her after all. Like a few before him, once they had her in bed, they backed off. As if sex was the only thing Maggie had to offer. Of course, most of the guys she’d been with had been less than satisfying. Not that she’d dated that many men, but of the ones she’d had sex with, she could count on one hand the number who had sexually fulfilled her.
So depressing. Then to find a man who not only gave her orgasms, but was into the exact kink she needed? There had to be some way to ensure Mac and she could continue their special friendship. But what if he’d accepted an offer from Megan yesterday? Perhaps Maggie had pushed Mac too hard, and he didn’t want to deal with her anymore.
Bah. She hated feeling torn over a man. She needed to stop thinking about him anyway. Maggie had shopping to do tomorrow.
She made sure to get a good night’s sleep and was raring to go the next day. The clouds had disappeared, leaving the streets awash in melting ice and the glow of a rare December sun. A sure sign Maggie needed to indulge in the positive and embrace her Christmas spirit.
Humming while she readied for her big day, she wasn’t prepared to hear a knock on her door. Curious, because she had the day completely free and Shelby knew not to call her, Maggie reached her door and looked through the peephole.
To her surprise, she saw Mac standing outside. Dressed in jeans and a winter coat, the man appeared masculine, sexy, and good enough to eat. She had the experience to back up such a claim, and knowing that brought a flush to her cheeks. She calmed herself and straightened her hair before opening the door.
“Mac.”
“Hey, Maggie.” He pushed past her and headed toward her coffee pot.
“Hey, yourself.” She closed the door before following him. “Gee, Mac. Why don’t you come on in?” Yet she couldn’t deny she liked seeing him in her apartment.
“Thanks.” He winked at her, and her heart raced.
“So.”
“So.” He grabbed her coffee and took a large sip out of it. “Ech. Too sweet. But man, I needed the jolt.”
Sighing, she found a clean mug and handed it to him.
He smiled and after pouring himself a huge helping, finally explained what the hell he was doing there. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Another one?”
“So after you drop me off at the car dealer—”
“Excuse me?”
“I need you to pick me up something for Shelby. Something girlie, but not too personal because I don’t want Shane on my ass.”
“Huh?”
“You’re going Christmas shopping today, right? You bitched about not having any time so much that it made my ears bleed.”
“Jackass.”
“So will you do it?”
“Why don’t you shop for her? It’s the thought that counts, right?”
He groaned. “Women. You tell men you want us to think of something, and when we do, it’s wrong.” He narrowed his gaze. “Take you for instance.”
“What about me?” She put her hands on her hips, annoyed. “I haven’t asked you for anything.”
“Besides a spanking,” he murmured before quickly following with, “if I were to get you something for Christmas, I’d buy you a pretty teddy. Some lace panties, maybe some edible body butter.”
“For Christmas? Who is this for, you or me?”
“See? I thought you’d be this way.” Yet his smile told her he’d intended to rile her. “So use your taste to buy Shelby something she’d like. What do you want for Christmas? Think along those lines. So what are we talking? Books, lingerie, perfume?”
“Is this your pathetic way to see what I want for Christmas?”
“Nope. I just know you and Shelby think alike.”
“Well, that’s true.” She thought about it. “I don’t know. Candles, soaps. Some perfume, but you have to get the right kind. Perfume is kind of like shoes. Everyone has a certain taste.”
“See? I’d be wrong already. So no chain and collar, eh?”
She tamped down the excitement at the idea. “And no on the nipple clamps,” she added drily.
He made a sad face, and she laughed.
“Okay. I’ll pick something up for her for you. But you’re wrapping it.”
“Awesome.” He dug in his pocket and handed her a hundred dollars, cash.
How nice to be able to spend that much on your friend’s girlfriend. She stifled a sigh. She’d saved all year long to make her Christmas budget and still afford her bills. The year hadn’t been that bad, and her overtime at the gallery and extra gym hours helped. But still…
She pocketed the money. “Anything else, moneybags?”
“Yeah, this.” He kissed her on the cheek.
The cheek.
“Thanks for doing this, Maggie. I owe you.” He finished his coffee, put his cup in the sink, then grabbed her keys off the counter. “So you ready to go or what?”
Or what, she thought half an hour later. Mac Jameson had kissed her friggin’ cheek. That bastard. No sexual innuendo, no groping, and no hints about more spankings. What the hell was he thinking?
She stewed about him most of the morning as she bought Shelby a few purchases with his money. But as the day progressed, she put him out of her mind and threw herself into the Christmas spirit. The day was too fine not to enjoy peppermint cocoa, carolers downtown, and her barrage of gifts. She couldn’t wait to see Mimi’s face when Maggie gave her more bangles to add to her collection. Or Ron’s face when she gave him the special tea he liked—the stuff was rare, expensive, and almost impossible to find, even in Seattle. For Shelby she’d found a cashmere sweater that cost a pretty penny, and for Shane a framed picture of him and Shelby that Maggie had had professionally mounted.
For Trevor she’d bought a collection of anime her weirdo older brother loved, as well as a new wool scarf and gloves, because more than likely he’d lost the last pair she’d given him. The man was forever losing hats too, so she’d added that to her list. She’d keep it all wrapped so that when he returned in the spring, they could have a belated holiday together.
She had everyone done… almost. Mac. She didn’t know what to give him. The man seemed to be interested in fitness, the Marine Corps, and women. He worked at a gym, had all the Marine stuff he could want, and she had no intention of hooking him up with anyone but herself.
An idea sparked, and she headed to a few stores she’d seen but had never had the courage to enter before now. A corset, fuzzy heels, a collar and chain later, she left the downtown area with her purchases. She felt warm all over, not having had this much fun in a long while.
Later that evening, her phone rang. Mac’s number. All at once, his dismissal from that morning came rushing back, and she felt like an idiot for blowing so much on sexy clothes. Especially when he asked for yet another favor.
“Hey Maggie. Could you pick me up at the car dealer? My uncle left me here, and my car isn’t ready yet. Shane’s busy, and I can’t get a hold of Shelby either.”
“Call a cab,” she said flatly, all her Christmas cheer gone in the space of one phone call.
“I guess I could call Megan. She gave me her number. Sorry for bothering you. I’ll—”
“Damn it. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” She hung up before he could change his mind. Megan? He’d call that floozy? More to the point, why did he have her number on hand? It was one thing to take her number and stash it somewhere, but to have it on his phone? On his person?
She stewed on her drive to pick him up, and after getting him, continued to brood all the way to his place.
While he talked about what a productive day he’d had at work, she remained silent.
“Hey, you okay?” Mac tapped her leg, and the traitorous limb wanted to leap at the contact.