“And this,” Zac imitated her motions, brushing his finger over the gloves, “suits you.”
“Change is good,” she whispered.
“Not always.”
Macie lost herself in his eyes, imagining what could’ve been, what still could be. The room heated around them. She felt it, she knew he felt it, too. His eyes darkened as they drifted toward hers. Macie angled her head, giving him full access to her lips, her neck, wherever he wanted to go. Zac’s head tilted until their mouths were aligned.
Then he stepped back. His face flushed with either heat or embarrassment, Macie wasn’t sure which, but she really hoped it was the sexual tension that exploded between them.
“We’re going to be late.” He opened the door, holding it for her.
Macie nodded. She moved into the hallway, carefully brushing by him with a breezy touch. He inhaled fast and hard. She kept the excitement to herself, but noted that it was time for Zac to meet his mystery girl.
THE MANI-PEDI WAS DIFFERENT. Zac hated to admit it, but having his feet massaged felt pretty good. No wonder Amanda and his sisters enjoyed it so much. He’d stolen glances at Macie during the process. She looked more uncomfortable than Ford. Then the small wedding party moved on to the ‘guy’ portion of the afternoon, and as much as Zac hated golfing, Ford loved it. They headed toward the driving range. A round of golf was out of the question with the time constraints. Macie had a surprise dinner arranged for Ford and Lauren at the diner where they had their first date. While they ate, the rest of the wedding party would head over to the final destination: Hoof.
Macie stepped up to the tee beside Zac. Her hands were all wrong, her feet too close together, and her head too far down. He watched her take a pitiful swing, cursing like a sailor on leave. Zac couldn’t stop the grin plastered across his face.
“Why don’t you help her?” Ford said beside him. He lifted a cold water bottle to his lips, eyeing Zac as he took a sip. “You may hate this game, but you’re good at it.” Ford’s gaze shifted to Macie for a moment before settling on Zac. “Besides, you haven’t taken your eyes off her all day.”
“That’s not true.” Zac dropped his head and readjusted the strap on his glove. He’d been stealing glances at Macie way too much, but he never thought anybody would notice. Ford noticed everything. He knew that, but it hadn’t crossed his mind. Not much else had crossed his mind, except Macie. Her smooth skin, wicked smile, and legs that went on for days. Yeah, Zac had definitely been preoccupied.
“Keep telling yourself that, buddy.” Ford slapped Zac’s shoulder. He pointed toward Macie’s tense back as she teed up for another go. “Help her out, at least. She’s going to end up throwing that club or worse, sticking it up some guy’s ass. My money would be on yours since you planned this little excursion.”
Zac laughed. “Bad bet, Ford. You and Lauren are the ones who wanted a joint party. Macie wouldn’t forget that little detail.”
Ford snorted and stepped up to a tee. His smooth swing sent the ball sailing in a straight line for two-hundred yards. Nice. Ford had come a long way since they were freshman. He’d jumped at the chance to play golf with Zac and his father. Ford had become part of the family, and Zac hoped that didn’t change any time soon, either. A slew of F-bombs drew his attention back toward Macie. Lauren tried to calm her down, but a sharp glare by Macie sent Lauren back to her own tee. Zac chuckled under his breath.
“Mace, want some help?” he asked as he stepped closer. She spun around, frustrated and angry. He knew she was more pissed at herself than him, but he also knew to tread lightly. “I’m a great teacher. Ask Ford.”
“Fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t get why people think this is fun.”
“Not everybody does.” He stepped onto the green Astroturf and placed a ball on the tee. “Personally, it bores me.”
“Why bother, then?” she asked, letting her arms fall to her sides.
“Because my dad likes it.” Zac shrugged. “We golf once a month, sometimes more if he’s in the mood. It makes him happy. And I get to spend time with him, so it’s worth it.”
Macie’s body relaxed. “That’s actually sweet.”
“I’m not a jerk all the time,” Zac said. He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. Macie tensed up for a moment before relaxing into his embrace. “Letting go of the tension is the first step.” He slid his hands down her arms, too slowly. He didn’t even need to do all of this, but the opportunity presented itself and it was too good to resist. Besides, he wasn’t going to let it go any further. His mystery girl was still there, waiting. He cleared his throat and covered Macie’s hands with his own. “Let me guide you through a swing.”
“Mm hmm,” Macie replied.
Zac’s body melded around hers. Every curve, every line fell into place with him. He slipped his foot in between her legs, separating her feet so she was standing shoulder width apart. Macie’s sharp intake of breath set him on fire, and he pulled back so she wouldn’t notice the tightness in his pants. After repositioning himself in more ways than one, Zac guided her arms back in a slow smooth arc. His heart hammered in his chest. He let out a rush of energy as they brought the club down together, smacking the golf ball out onto the range.
“Whoa.” Macie leaned back against Zac, setting every nerve in his body on high alert. “That was intense.”
“Yeah.” He resisted the need to tighten his arms around her. “Wanna try
