Steal You Away

Chapter Twenty-One

Mackenzie remain rooted to the spot where she stood with her mouth hanging open, too shocked to close it. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as a result of their parting kisses, and her eyes remained glued to their backsides as the two brothers made their way out of Mandy's. She couldn't help herself. With the way they walked, that confident swagger of their ass...she was reduced to being no better than some kind of perverted gawker. With her breath stuck in her throat, she waited for them to turn around, but they didn't. They just continued on their way out. Occasionally, they would stop and shake the hands or slap the backs of fellow patrons, exchanging brief greetings as they made their way to the exit, but...they never turned back towards her. They simply went out the door, and disappeared down the street.

Swallowing hard past the lump in her throat, she brought a trembling hand up, touching her still tingling lips. Good gravy, she was so dumbfounded from their actions, you could have knocked her over with a feather. The worst part...she didn't know what to do. Part of her wanted to go after them, and demand they finish what they started with those kisses. That part craved for her to toss caution to the wind, chase after them, and throw herself into their welcoming embrace. At least, she thought it would be welcoming. After the way they left, she wasn't exactly certain anymore.

"Excuse me?"

A soft voice reached through Mackenzie's befuddled thoughts, followed by a light tap on her shoulder. Turning, she stared into the face of the woman who had been sitting at the table next to them. The woman with three men. She blinked at the lovely brunette, gazing into a set of warm, sandy brown eyes. A thousand questions leaped in her mind, and dangled on the tip of her tongue. Things she desperately wanted to ask, but, not wanting to appear rude, she forced them back.

"I don't mean to intrude, but I can't help but notice you seem a little lost." She gave Mackenzie a gentle smile. "My name is Diana Dillion by the way."

One thing that couldn't be denied from looking at her, when Diana smiled, she looked positively radiant. Mackenzie didn't think she'd ever seen anyone who appeared so happy in her life. It pulsed out from her in waves, naturally drawing a person closer in hopes they would be lucky enough to have some of her good fortune rub off on them.

"I'm...uh...Mackenzie. Mackenzie Holloway," she managed to stutter out, accepting Diana's friendly handshake.

"It's nice to meet you. Do you mind if I sit down with you for a moment?" she asked, indicating the booth she and the Stark brothers had just vacated. "Come on, have a seat," she encouraged gently, pointing to the space across from her. "I promise I don't bite."

A gruff chuckle came from the table behind Mackenzie where Diana's men still sat. "Don't believe her for a second, Mackenzie," one of them said as he spooned oatmeal into their son's mouth. "She's all about biting. I have the marks to prove it."

"Craig Dillion! I cannot believe you just said that," Diana scolded. "Besides, I didn't hear you complaining about it at the time."

She sounded angry, but Mackenzie could see a warm flush infuse her cheeks as she held back a smirk.

A wide grin stretched Craig's face. "No, cupcake, you didn't, and you won't hear me complain if you wanted to do it again tonight." He waggled his eyebrows at her while he scooped more oatmeal, and fed it to his happily babbling son.

"It's going to be rather difficult to do that with you sleeping all the way in the other room," she arched a dark brow, "on the couch," Diana finished with a drawl.

The other two men kicked back their heads, howling at his crestfallen expression. "Looks like you'll be spending yet another night in the doghouse, buddy," one of them chortled, slapping a beefy palm against his thigh.