Seizing Mack: A Contemporary Love Story (Covendale Book 3) Read online

  He ran his hands over the smooth marble headstone that marked the grave of his Annie. “Hey, baby,” he spoke quietly. “Sorry it’s been so long.”

  Thinking of her still hurt, though time had worn the pain down into more of a dull ache than the ragged, slicing blade it had once been. Annie had been his first love, and he, hers. They’d been so young then, so naïve, believing they had their whole lives ahead of them.

  Now he knew better. Nothing was guaranteed. Not today, not tomorrow. All anyone had was right now, and it was what they chose to do with it that was the important thing.

  Chapter Two

  ~ Mack ~

  “Please, Mack,” her father pleaded over the phone.

  Heather “Mack” MacKenzie pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. He was kidding, right? He couldn’t really be asking her to babysit the brat, could he?

  “She is twenty-seven years old, Dad. She’s not a child.”

  “No,” he agreed, sounding much older and wearier than the last time they had spoken. No surprise there. Dealing with her spoiled stepsister was enough to suck the life force out of anyone, even someone as vibrant as her father. She felt a stab of sympathy for him, but it passed quickly. Choices, and all that.

  “But she isn’t exactly mature, either,” he continued. “She needs to learn how to do for herself. Catherine can’t say no to her. It’s becoming a point of contention between us and putting a strain on our marriage.”

  Let it, Mack wanted to say. Ditch the dead weight and come stay with me. Instead she said, “So you want to send her to me?”

  The skepticism in her voice was obvious; she and Dee had never gotten along. Mack tried to picture the well-coiffed former deb in her rustic, eco-friendly home and failed. When Mack had fallen in love with the sprawling, spacious house, she never once imagined Princess Dee stepping over the threshold.

  “You’re a good role model, Mack. Strong and independent. You won’t coddle her.”

  Not coddle her? Dee would be lucky if Mack didn’t murder her in her sleep. As one of the few, the proud Mack knew about a hundred ways to do so while making it look like an accident. Her father knew this.

  Or maybe he didn’t. They didn’t talk about that part of her life much. He hadn’t exactly been thrilled when she’d enlisted the day after her eighteenth birthday, nor when she’d re-enlisted for an additional tour after that. The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ philosophy worked well for them.

  “She’s agreed to this?” Mack asked doubtfully.

  George cleared his throat and hesitated, making the hairs on the back of her neck prickle in warning. “We’re not giving her a choice. Catherine and I are going abroad. Alone.”

  Mack mentally translated that to a big, fat “no”, which meant that Princess Dee wasn’t any happier with the idea than she was. The only thing worse than an unwanted houseguest was an unwanted houseguest who didn’t want to be there, either.

  “We’ll provide an allowance to help with basic expenses, but it will be much less than what she is used to and will go directly to you to disburse as you see fit.”

  It was on the tip of Mack’s tongue to tell her father that she neither needed nor wanted his money, but then thought better of it. He should pay something for what he was asking. Mack started making a mental list of the local organizations that might benefit from her father’s restitutions and her personal sacrifice. She scribbled ‘animal rescue’ and ‘women’s shelter’ on the notepad beside the slim desktop monitor.

  “She’s not going to like that. Especially the ‘much less than what she’s used to’ part.”

  “No,” he agreed, “but that will provide incentive for her to get a job.”

  Mack snorted. “A job doing what, exactly?” As far as she knew, Dee wasn’t qualified to do anything besides bat her eyes and point a well-manicured finger, expecting everyone to do her bidding.

  Another long pause told her everything she needed to know. Mack let out a heavy sigh. “You’re kidding, right?” Mack rubbed at the dull ache blossoming between her eyes. “There must be something she can do. Didn’t she go to that fancy college?”

  “For a while, yes,” her father said slowly, “but we stopped paying her tuition when she failed all of her classes. Catherine sent her to quite a few modeling and dance schools, though, when she was younger. Maybe you could find something for her at Seize. You have dance fitness classes, right?”

  Jesus, give me strength. The conversation just kept getting better. Now her father was not only asking Mack to share her home, but to give Dee a job as well? In her fitness center! Seize was Mack’s baby. It was her pride, her life, built on things like discipline and a desire to improve oneself — concepts that were completely foreign to Dee’s self-absorbed, pampered existence.

  “Please, Heather,” her father said after long minutes stretched in silence, pulling Mack out of her musings. No one called her Heather, not since her mother had passed away. The situation had to be even worse than she’d thought if he was pulling that shit.

  “You know I wouldn’t ask if there was another option,” he confirmed. “It’s just for a couple weeks, a few months, tops. Once we have the Copenhagen office up and running and our marriage back on track, we’ll be back to take her off your hands.”

  God. Damn. It. She was going to say yes. She couldn’t deny him; the man rarely asked for anything. She might as well get SUCKER tattooed on her forehead. If nothing else, it could hide the bruises she’d get from banging her head against the wall. Mack closed her eyes and sighed heavily. “All right, Dad.”

  His sigh of relief was audible. “I won’t forget this, baby.”

  “Yeah, I know. When is she coming?” Mack started a new list, all the things she’d have to do before the Princess’s arrival. She had a spare guest room, but she’d need to get some bedding and pillows ready and —

  “Her flight’s getting into Philly tonight. We’ve arranged for a car to drive her to Covendale.”

  “She’s coming tonight?!”

  The dread that had been building in her belly since the beginning of their conversation exploded. Mack laughed through the sudden urge to lay waste to everything around her. Crafty old codger. “You knew I would say yes, didn’t you?”

  “I knew my baby wouldn’t let me down,” he affirmed, managing to imbue enough affection in those few words to have her eyes tearing up. That kind of pissed her off, because Mack never cried. “I love you, baby.”

  “I love you, too, Daddy.”

  Mack hung up the phone and inhaled deeply, held her breath for several seconds, then let it out. Then she did it again. And again. Until she could keep the torrent of unladylike curses from being readily audible by anyone not within a ten foot radius. As the owner of Seize — the premier fitness center for miles around — she needed to show more professionalism than that.

  Pfft, her inner voice scoffed. No one who knew her would be surprised if she let a couple f-bombs drop. But she held them in anyway.

  She briefly considered locking herself in her office, closing the blinds, and hiding before anything else reared up and bit her on the ass. First, her morning receptionist Chrissy decided to elope without warning, leaving the front desk unstaffed, and now Evil Princess Dee was flying into town (quite possibly on a broom) and Mack had to figure out what to do with her for the next couple of weeks.

  Clearly, fate was feeling salty. What other surprises would this day have in store for her?

  Chapter Three

  ~ Nick ~

  “Excuse me.” The woman at the semi-circular front desk didn’t appear to have heard him. Turned slightly away from him as she was, he couldn’t quite make out her facial features. It took him a minute to realize she was on the phone. Nick waited patiently, taking the opportunity to check out the place out.

  According to Gail, many of the men and women who made up the local law enforcement were members and spoke very highly of it. Seize was on the short list of places she recommended he
check out. Not only would it give him a place to stay in shape, but according to Gail, it also had an active teen and pre-teen program that could prove mutually beneficial. Nick believed that a huge part of reducing drug use — and thus drug-related deaths and crimes — was providing education, positive role models, and viable alternatives for kids. Getting involved with the schools was a given, but what about the summer months, when so many kids had less adult supervision and more time on their hands? If he established a rapport and built trust with the kids here as well as through district programs, the probability of making a difference rose dramatically.

  He hummed in approval at the tinted, floor-to-ceiling panel windows along the front. It gave the place an open, airy feel, which he liked. A large white ceiling fan circulated lazily above an assortment of plants, some exotic, some not. The faint scent of lemons hung in the air.

  Overall impression: clean, functional, and exactly the kind of place he was looking for.

  First inspection complete, he turned his attention back to the woman behind the desk. Nick used his finely-honed skills of observation to silently appreciate the sun-kissed, satiny skin stretched tight over well-toned arms. Dark chestnut hair pulled up in a ponytail revealed a tiny, heart-shaped white birthmark behind her left ear. Petite as she was, there was nothing delicate about her. She radiated strength and energy.

  And at that moment, irritation.

  “No, Jay,” she said on an exhale. “Tonight, can you believe it?... Yeah... You sure you’re okay with this?... You are a saint... No, three hundred thread count is more than enough... Yeah, I know... Bye, gorgeous.” She put down the phone and Nick could have sworn she growled.

  Her call completed, Nick cleared his throat and repeated the phrase a second time before she turned his way. For a moment, he felt as if a pair of lasers were directed right at his heart. Pale gray-green eyes locked on him, doing a complete assessment in the matter of a second or two. Then she blinked and that feral expression smoothed into a pleasant, professional mask.

  “I’m sorry about that. Can I help you?”

  For a moment, his mind went blank. Dressed in skin-tight black yoga pants and black sports tank, she was even more attractive standing up. Thankfully, his brain kicked back into gear before she pegged him as a slack-jawed idiot.

  “I hope so. I’m looking for a place to work out. Seize came highly recommended.”

  “Of course,” she said, relaxing enough to offer him an easy smile. She waved him into the small, functional office to the right. “Come on in. My name’s Mack.”

  “Mack?” She didn’t look like a Mack. “Mack” conjured visions of big, beefy, tattooed truck drivers or dock workers. This creature before him was one hundred percent concentrated female.

  “Short for MacKenzie,” she explained.

  “Nick Benning,” he said, accepting her hand. It was so much smaller than his, but strong and warm. And he’d been right about her being tiny; standing, she barely reached his chin.

  She stepped back and looked him up and down, her gaze professionally assessing. “Cop?” she asked.

  “Detective. How’d you know?”

  She shrugged, a graceful lift of her shoulders. “We have lots of local boys here. Is that how you heard about Seize?”

  It had been a long time since anyone had called him a boy, but he didn’t take offense. She wasn’t any older than he was and her tone held admiration, not disrespect.

  “The police chief’s wife, actually.”

  Her lips curled into a genuine smile. “Gail is one of my biggest promoters. I’m going to have to start paying her referral fees. So, you’re new in town?”

  “I just transferred from Chicago.” He resisted the temptation to explain that he’d been born and raised in Covendale. He wasn’t, by nature, a sharer, and years on the force had cemented the wisdom of not providing more information than necessary. He waited for her to pump him for more details, but she didn’t.

  Instead, she simply nodded. “We offer two-week trials, free of charge. Unlimited use of the facilities. We’re open from five a.m. till midnight, seven days a week.”

  “That’s a lot of hours.”

  “Many of our members work crazy shifts and don’t get weekends off,” she shrugged, as if every business was as accommodating. “We have a couple of weight rooms — free weights, Stride, Nautilus — plus a full cardio deck. Heated Olympic in-ground pool. Massage rooms, saunas, steam rooms. Group classes in everything from meditation to MMA.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “It is,” she nodded without any trace of arrogance. A couple of teens ran past the office and waved, shouting out ‘heys’ to her, which she returned with a genuine smile and a wave of her own. “We also have a day care and a teen center, as well as several programs aimed at providing positive options, if you have kids.” Her eyes drifted down to his left hand.

  “I don’t,” he said simply. Was she fishing? Or just providing information? Her pretty eyes gave nothing away. He liked that. Being a detective, he’d become adept at reading people. But Mack, she was making him work for it. “I’m not married.”

  Her eyes flashed for just a moment—interest, maybe?—before she continued. “We have a small onsite canteen, too, stocked with healthy, organic snacks and smoothies if you need to refuel.”

  “So... if I want a burger and fries...?” he teased.

  The corner of her mouth twitched. “You’ll have to hit Lou’s. But that’s okay. We get a lot of new members that way.”

  She turned away and leaned over the desk, offering him an unobstructed view of her toned, nicely curved ass. Nick caught himself staring, then shoved his hands into his pockets and focused his attention on the leafy green plant/tree in the corner. What was wrong with him? First, he’s sharing personal info, then he’s ogling her like they’re in high school or something. It was a little unsettling. And kind of arousing. How long had it been since he’d had such an instant, positive reaction to anyone?

  Slow your roll, Benning, he told himself. Just because you’ve decided to wander beyond your own self-imposed fence doesn’t mean you have to go pissing on every bush you see.

  “Here’s a temporary key card and a brochure that explains everything. We’ve got an app you can download, too,” she said, straightening and turning back around to face him. She was looking at him expectantly, and he realized she was holding something out to him. Nick took it, his fingers brushing hers lightly in the process. She didn’t seem to notice, using her free hand to summon someone behind him. He frowned, irrationally annoyed with whoever was taking her attention away from him.

  “The key card is good for the two-week trial,” she continued. “If you decide to join, we’ll issue you a permanent photo id and take your money.” She flashed him a grin that sent tiny sparks firing simultaneously in his chest and his groin.

  “This is Carl,” she said, nodding to someone behind him. The new arrival entered the office and positioned himself next to Mack. Carl turned out to be a lean, muscular guy sporting a polo with the gym’s logo. In an instant, the strange fog clouding his rational thought processes cleared and Nick felt more like himself again.

  “Carl, this is Detective Benning. Carl is in charge of our wellness programs. He can give you the grand tour and answer all of your questions. Sorry I can’t do it myself, but we’re a little shorthanded today.”

  Strangely disappointed that Mack wouldn’t be giving him the tour, he shook Carl’s hand. As he did, Mack stiffened, her expression going from friendly and welcoming to instantly guarded as she once again looked past him. Nick turned to find out why and found a tall, svelte blonde ogling his backside appreciatively.

  “Hello,” the blonde purred.

  “Hello,” he said, his smile faded as quickly as Mack’s had.

  “Delilah.” The low female growl came from Mack holding no trace of the warmth it had only seconds earlier. “Thought you weren’t getting in until later tonight.”

  “I got an ear
lier flight,” the leggy blonde said, shifting her weight skillfully to accentuate her sleek form without bothering to glance over in Mack’s direction.

  “Fucking awesome,” he heard Mack mutter, pulling him back from the dark thoughts that had started rolling in. He suppressed the smile that tried to take hold.

  “Carl was just about to show Nick around. You can wait in my office.” Mack told her.

  “Oh? Mind if I tag along?” Dee asked, fluttering her eyes. She didn’t give Nick a chance to answer before she slipped her hand around his bicep and made an appreciative noise.

  Nick gently but firmly removed her hand. Chancing a glance at Mack, he saw her with hands on hips, body tense, and little flames in those pretty gray-green eyes. Clearly, she wasn’t any more pleased with the situation than he was.

  Mack’s gaze met his, and something passed between them. He knew in that moment that she understood. “I mind,” she said firmly. “Carl, give Detective Benning the grand tour. Dee, you and I have a few things to discuss.”

  “Follow me.” As Carl led him away, Nick chanced a quick, appreciative glance over his shoulder. Mack offered a quick nod of acknowledgement. Something told him he was really going to like it here.

  Chapter Four

  ~ Mack ~

  Mack felt the last of her good humor drain away as Carl led Detective Benning away. Dee wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she was checking out his ass. Granted, the detective did have a nice ass, as well as nice hands, shoulders, and smile, but Mack had zero tolerance when it came to harassment. She wanted Seize to be a safe zone and she wanted her members—men as well as women—to feel comfortable there.