The Girl from Her Mirror (Mirrors Don't Lie Book 1) (6 page)

“Oh, he will. He has an excellent
bedside manner.”

“You’re incorrigible. I’ll call you
later.”

“Remember to wear the green sweater.”

“Yes, coach, I will.” Makenna was
laughing as she hit the ‘end’ button.

Biting on her lower lip, she jumped up
from the couch and went to the closet, inspecting the sweater in question. It
was knit into large, loose squares of silky yarn, offering more than just a
glimpse of what lay beneath. The deep plunging neckline had a tendency to slip
off the shoulder, but the billowy effect trimmed down to a snug fit over the
hips. Of all the clothes she had borrowed from her friend’s closet, this
sweater had never been one of them. It was simply too daring, even with a
camisole.

With a sigh, Makenna shoved the sweater
back into the closet. There was work to be done, and she was burning daylight.

Makenna didn’t make it into the
mountains that afternoon. When she wandered into the neighboring village, she
stumbled upon a concerned citizens meeting open to the public. The focus was on
the impending power company’s multi-million dollar proposed expansion through
the area and the threat of imminent domain to obtain the land needed to see the
project through. The group welcomed Makenna’s questions and was a wealth of
information for her fledging project. By the time she finally left, she sported
a handful of pamphlets, a head full of new ideas, and a personal invitation to
the upcoming city council meeting.

The afternoon had given way to early
evening, leaving her little time to dress for her dinner date with Hardin. She
took a quick shower and partially blow-dried her hair, leaving it loose and
free in a riot of tumbling copper curls. The jeans were tighter than she
normally wore, but there was no time to try on another pair. Per Kenzie’s
instructions, she pulled on the flesh-covered camisole. It was woven from
cotton and spiked with spandex, enough to cling to her curves and create
impressive cleavage. At first glance, the body-hugging lacy undergarment
appeared as bare skin beneath the holey sweater. Although a closer look
confirmed she was adequately covered, Makenna felt half-naked in the borrowed
outfit. She was contemplating changing clothes when she heard Hardin
knock.   

Praying she could pull the look off with
a semblance of confidence, Makenna spritzed on cologne and applied a satin
finish gloss to her lips. A look into the mirror helped bolster her
self-esteem. Rimmed softly with chocolate eyeliner and plenty of mascara, her
green eyes appeared larger and more intense, if not slightly seductive. Her
heart shaped face glowed with just the right mix of bronzing powder and
anticipation. If it was Kenzie in the mirror, she would declare her beautiful;
for herself, she chose a more modest ‘presentable’.

In a truly ambidextrous move, Makenna
threaded a large silver loop through her left ear while securing a strappy heel
onto her right foot, all while hopping her way to the door.

She was only slightly out of breath by
the time she greeted him. “Hardin, hi!”

“Hi, yourself.” His appreciative blue
gaze slid over her. He obviously approved of the new look. His eyes slid
beneath the silky loose weave of the top, just as Kenzie had predicted. Seconds
before his gaze turned into a stare, Hardin managed to pull his eyes back to
her face. “You look stunning.”

“Thank you.” She tried not to blush, but
she felt the stain spreading across her cheeks. Men rarely called her stunning.

“Ready to go?”

“Let me grab my purse.” She retrieved
the small clutch from the nearby bar, along with her cell phone. “All set,” she
announced, turning back around to find Hardin’s full attention on her derriere.

“Nice rhinestones,” he murmured, his
gaze lingering along the swell of her hip and slowly traveling upward. There
was enough heat in his eyes to kindle a small fire.

That heat elevated the evening to a
whole new level. Yesterday, he had looked at her with interest. Tonight, there
was open desire in his amazing blue eyes. Butterflies swarmed in Makenna’s
stomach as he took her elbow and steered her down the long hallway toward the
stairway.

Hardin drove this night, leading her to
a black pick-up truck equipped with a bicycle rack. Acting the part of a true
gentleman, he opened the door for her and offered his hand as she climbed into
the leather seat. Between the tight jeans and three-inch heels, Makenna managed
to tuck her legs into the knee space with minimal clumsiness.

There was a crisp chill to the evening
air, a welcomed treat for the two Texans. When the hostess asked if they would
like to be seated in the bar’s lounge by the fireplace, Hardin noted the smile
that dimpled Makenna’s cheeks. “Yes, please,” he decided for them.

They selected a pair of overstuffed arm
chairs nestled together in a cozy corner near the fireplace. The flame from the
hearth offered more ambiance than warmth, but Makenna was feeling plenty of
heat, generated by the man whose knees touched hers. They sipped on cocktails
from the bar and nibbled on crackers and cheese, recapping their days’ events.

“So you never made it into the mountains
today?” he asked.

“No, I got caught up in the meeting. But
definitely tomorrow.”

“It’s gorgeous, even though half the
trees are still bare. There’s even snow left in some spots.”

“I know, I saw some in the distance and
couldn’t believe it! We haven’t had snow in...what? At least three years, even
in the dead of winter. I can’t believe they still have snow on the ground in
late April.”

“But the air is so invigorating. It
feels great out there, riding in the sunshine and not even breaking a sweat.”

“Yeah, well, some of us would,” Makenna
cracked.

“Do you ride?”

“Horses? Yes. Motorcycles? Yes, though
not alone. Bicycles? It’s been a while. A long while.”

“You know what they say, once you learn,
you never forget. You should come with me. We could rent you a bike and spend
the day up in the mountains.” His intriguing blue eyes took on an excited
light.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. I
would only slow you down. It’s been so long since I’ve even been on a bike, I
might not be able to even keep my balance anymore. And even if I could, I doubt
I could make it up those mountains. Downhill, yes, but up?” She laughed at the
vision of herself, huffing and puffing her way up a steep slope.

“We could do the Kanc Highway. We could
pack a picnic and stop at all the waterfalls, giving you plenty of breaks.”

“The what?”

“The Kancamagus Highway. Locals call it
the Kanc for short. There’s a gorgeous 34 mile stretch running between here and
Conway.”

“Yes, but once we got to the end, we’d
have to turn around and come back. Those 34 miles would turn into 68, and my
legs muscles would turn into mush!” Makenna laughed. “I’m afraid I’m not in
that good of shape, my friend.”

His blue eyes traveled over her,
starting with the legs in question. At five seven, her legs were already long,
and the heels she wore made them seem even more so. Her hips were full and
curvy, and squirmed in the chair when his heated gaze fell upon her lap. As he
slowly raised his line of vision, Hardin’s sharp eyes probed beneath the moss
green of her sweater, lingering on her waist and her ample bosom. Even without
the squeeze of spandex, she had more cleavage than most women. Tonight it was
definitely on display, visible by the sweater’s generous neckline. Its edge
dipped low and fell off one shoulder, exposing an expanse of creamy skin to his
eager eyes.

“You have an excellent shape,” he
murmured lowly, his eyes still caressing her. Her skin heated beneath his gaze,
and her throat went suddenly dry.

Makenna knew she was no petite goddess
of femininity. She was tall and curvy, but an active lifestyle and occasional
visits to the gym kept her in good physical condition and her muscles toned.
She was well aware of the fact that many men preferred skin and bones over her
full figure, so it was always flattering to have a man appreciate her curves,
particularly a man as handsome and ripped as Hardin Kaczmarek.

 By the time his eyes made their
way to meet hers, he was grinning. “So maybe we’ll take the truck into the
mountains tomorrow. You game for some sightseeing?”

He was asking for a second date, before
this one was even half started. Taking it as the encouraging sign it was,
Makenna felt her own silly grin spread across her face. “Sure. But let’s take
the convertible. We can let the top down.”

A wicked light came to his eyes. “I’m
all about letting the top down,” he said seductively, his brazen gaze slipping
to her chest. When she blushed three shades of red, all the way down to the
cleavage he ogled, he threw back his head and laughed in genuine delight. At
the sound, Makenna’s heart did a crazy somersault and landed in her
throat. 

Taking mercy on her, Hardin made a
suggestion. “Maybe we should get a table now, and order our dinner.”

“I think that might be a good idea.”
Makenna scooted to the front of her chair, waiting for his move to stand. When
he remained seated and merely leaned forward, she glanced at him with a
confused frown.

“Before we go, there’s something I’ve
got to do,” he said. She watched as he reached out and cupped his hand around
her neck. He gently pulled her forward, meeting her halfway as he pressed his
mouth against hers. Her heart went into another acrobatic feat as tingles
radiated from her lips and overtook her brain. The kiss was over before she had
the acuity to respond properly.

Hardin helped her to her feet, and she
wondered if it was because he knew her knees were shaky. His hand slid along
the curve of her waist as he followed closely behind her to the hostess stand.
As they waited to be seated in the dining room, his hand remained warmly in
place. He told her an amusing story about a friend named Travis, but her brain
was still buzzing with the electricity of his kiss. She could do little more
than stare at him, drinking in the sight of him in his snug fitting worn jeans,
black t-shirt, and casual gray sports jacket. The neutral colors made the blue
of his eyes even more striking.

Once seated, the waiter told them about
the evening’s specials and set a basket of bread between them before leaving.

“This pecan crusted salmon sounds
delicious,” Makenna said. “Hmmm. But then again, so does the asparagus chicken
with the cranberry glaze.”

“We could order them both, and share.”

“I figured you for the baby back ribs.”

“They do sound good, but I’m pretty
particular about my barbecue sauce. I’m not sure a northern chef can live up to
my southern expectations.”

Makenna laughed. “Spoken like a true
Texan. Of course, the best place to go for barbecue ribs is Daddy J-”

“Daddy Joe’s, in Wimberley.”

They said the words in unison, then
shared a laugh.

“You too, huh?” he asked.

“Of course. You know, they opened a
store in Austin, but it’s just not the same. For the real thing, you gotta go
to Wimberley.”

“So maybe I should skip the ribs and go
with the salmon,” Hardin decided, closing his menu. “Now that you’ve got me
thinking about Daddy Joe’s, ribs by anyone else will just make me mad.”

“I think I’ll get the chicken,” Makenna
said. She glanced around the restaurant. “So far, so good. No sign of the
Lewises.”

“Good. I’m looking forward to having you
to myself and learning more about you.”

After ordering, Makenna sipped her wine
and murmured her appreciation of the smooth vintage. “So, you were going to
tell me all about yourself,” she said, beating him to the punch. “Tell me more
about Hardin Kaczmarek.”

“I think I’ve already hit all the
highlights. Attended Texas State University, work in the family construction
business, have a house and a few acres outside of Gruene, like to hunt and fish
and ride bikes of all kinds, from ten speeds to motorcycles. Not much else to
tell.”

“There might be one or two little
details you missed. Family? Girlfriend?” She hesitated before asking a belated
question. “Wife?”

He looked appropriately wounded. “Wife?
Really? You think I would have kissed you if I had a wife at home?”

Makenna closed her eyes at her own
stupidity. “No, no, of course not. Ignore me. Sometimes I can be…” She broke
off, searching for the right word.

“Distrustful? Suspicious?” he supplied.

“Slow. I should have asked that
yesterday, huh?” she said with a rueful smile. “So no wife. Is that current or
past-tense?”

“Never had the pleasure of being
married. And before you ask, no girlfriend. Currently, that is.” His smile was
disarming.

“But you do have a family, I suppose.
Parents, siblings?”

“All of the above. My parents live in
New Braunfels, in the same house they bought when they married forty-six years
ago. They’ve added on so many times it’s hard to pinpoint the original frame,
but I guess that’s part of being in construction. You construct. At least
that’s my dad’s theory, anyway. My oldest brother, Johnathan, lives on the
family property with his wife and four kids. My brother Adam will graduate from
Texas A&M next year. He’s studying architecture and plans to join the rest
of us in the family business.”

“Sisters?”

“We’re a respectable German family. Of
course there are more than just three boys. There’re three girls, as well.
Becca and her husband run the plumbing side of the construction business. They
also have four kids. Maegan and Anna help my mother with interior design.”

“Are they married?” She was mentally
calculating how big his family must be, given all the in-laws, outlaws, and
grandchildren.

“Maegan’s been married for a couple of
years and is expecting her first child in the fall. Anna’s been dating her high
school sweetheart for years now, but still no ring. She and Adam are twins, by
the way.”