Rose and Jacob

She laughed. “Oh, Lucas. I can assure you that there is no way you would have missed him.”

There was a knock on the back door. Lucas bolted out of his chair and ran to answer it while Mack rooted around in the bottom of the refrigerator for some eggs.

“Auntie Mack, it’s the very hot guy with a gorgeous butt you want to get your hands on,” Lucas shouted from the back door, which had Mack banging her head on the refrigerator.

She turned around and met the heated look of the man from last night.

“Oh, my God!” was the first thing that came to mind, and out of her mouth, after what Lucas had just said. Mack couldn’t remember the last time she was so embarrassed. How in hell was she going to get out of this one? Pretend Lucas hadn’t said anything!

“Hi, I’m Mackenzie Harper, but everyone calls me Mack.” She held out her hand to him.

“Nice to meet you, Mack, I’m Dean Simone. I just rented next door for a few weeks.” He tried not to laugh at her embarrassment while he admired her legs, which looked amazing. She was pretty hot as well, especially in very short shorts.

Before anyone could respond, Lucas did. “She already knows. She was hanging out the window telling my mom on the phone when you arrived.”

With a shocked intake of breath, Mack slapped her hand over Lucas’s mouth. “How many times have I told you not to listen to adult conversations?”

“It’s a bit difficult when I’m in the room when you’re having the adult conversation,” Lucas replied with a huge grin, knowing exactly what he was up to.

At a loss for words, Mack hustled Lucas into the living room to play a Wii game. She hoped Thomas would arrive soon.

She turned around and caught Dean looking at her legs, again. He very slowly moved up her body, his eyes finally meeting hers.

She was flustered, thanks to him and Lucas. “Dean, what can I do for you? I presume you called around for a reason?” she asked in a husky voice.

Now that he’d seen her, he wasn’t too sure about his plan. She was a pretty little thing. Tall but not as tall as he was, slimly built, long dark hair, and lovely clear skin, apart from a sprinkling of freckles over her nose. He would really love to lick each and every one. Not the response he should be having to someone he’d come to investigate, before telling his grandfather about her and her questions.

“Dean?” Mack questioned, all embarrassed, sure he’d just been giving her another once-over.

“Oh, sorry. I seem to have forgotten things like coffee, milk, and sugar. I was wondering whether you would take pity on your new neighbor and loan me some.”

God, he had a killer smile, and she was stuttering in embarrassment. “That’s fine. In fact, there’s some fresh coffee over there if you want to help yourself to a cup.”

“Great, thanks.” He walked toward the coffee, and while he poured a cup, he couldn’t help but watch her out of the corner of his eye. He’d been stunned when the little kid had answered the door and shouted back to her, probably her words from last night. How in hell he managed not to laugh was beyond him, and then stepping inside to see the most perfect butt he’d ever seen sticking out of the refrigerator. She made his mouth water.

He watched Mack openly as she started to cook breakfast, which reminded him, he really did need to shop for food.

Thomas walked in through the door with a bunch of tulips in his hands just then and went straight over to Mack, not noticing Dean yet. “Well, Mack, you look pretty good this morning. Mavis told me there’s a handsome young man that moved in next door. Why don’t you go and introduce yourself.” He winked at her.

Thomas jumped around when he heard a throat being cleared and came face to face with a grinning Dean.

“Hi, I’m Dean from next door.”

He looked back and forth between Mack and Dean. “I’m Thomas, and do I need to leave?”

Mack laughed. “Don’t be silly. Dean just popped in to beg for coffee.” She smiled at

Dean before she continued, “Breakfast won’t be long. Lucas is waiting in the living room for you.” She watched him walk away, and then turned toward Dean. “Would you like to stay for breakfast?”

“Mmm, I’m hungry. What’s on offer?” he asked, then laughed out loud when Mack’s eyes opened wide at the innuendo in his voice.

“Well, it certainly isn’t me! How about pancakes and syrup instead?”

“That will do . . . for now!” Mack blushed and turned toward the counter.

She finished mixing the batter for the pancakes while only half concentrating, as she was finding Dean’s presence overwhelming in the small kitchen. He just seemed to permeate every single space.

“You can go relax in the living room and watch them both on the Wii if you like,” she said to try to get him out of the kitchen before she did something stupid.