Emergency Response Read Free

enough for a guy like him, so there was no point getting her hopes up. After this weekend they’d probably never see each other again.
    On the other side of the garden Joel whispered something in Kate’s ear, causing her to blush and giggle. He then leaned over and kissed her full on the lips. Mackenzie smiled dreamily. If only someone would kiss  her  like that one day.
    “Penny for your thoughts?”
    Mackenzie did a double take and her pulse quickened. She’d forgotten about Joel’s twin brother. What was his name?  Luke? Lachie?
    “I’m Liam,” he said, sitting down beside her. “Joel’s better-looking half. We haven’t met.”
    For some reason the Irish accent caught her off guard. “Mackenzie Jones.”
    She stuck out her hand, startled when he grasped it and brought it to his lips.
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mackenzie Jones.”
    Mackenzie extracted her hand. “Likewise.”
    “Do you mind if I join you?”
    “No, not at all.”
    He pulled his chair closer and sat, crossing his long legs at the ankles. He held his beer bottle to his lips and took a long pull, watching her through partially closed eyelids. This man was sexy and dangerous, the opposite of his easygoing brother, Joel.
    “You say you’re the better-looking half, but I thought you were identical twins,” Mackenzie said.
    He grinned, showing off deep dimples. “Ah, we might be identical, but you have to admit, I’m the better-looking one.”
    She smiled. “I don’t think I’ll answer that.”
    “So,  Mackenzie .” His blue-gray eyes fixed on hers. “That’s an interesting name.”
    Was he flirting with her? If he leaned any closer she’d be wearing his overpowering aftershave. Her throat tightened and she tried to swallow but her mouth was dry. Good-looking men never hit on her.
    “My father named me. I know it’s usually a boys’ name, but all of us have names which can be either boys’ or girls’ names.” She was talking too much, stumbling over her words, making no sense.
    “Well I think it suits you … Mackenzie …”
    He said her name again and his cute Irish accent caused a shiver to zip down her spine. Flustered, she ran her damp hands down the front of her dress. Maybe it was simply the sun and the alcohol making her feel strange, not Liam. She needed to move the attention away from herself.
    “They look so perfect together don’t they?” she said, motioning toward Kate and Joel.
    “Yes, they do. Kate is perfect for my brother.” He leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on his thighs. “But you’re changing the subject, Mackenzie . You didn’t tell me what you were thinking about.”
    “Oh,” Mackenzie said, with a small laugh. She took a sip of her wine. “You definitely don’t want to know what I was thinking.”
    “Maybe I do.”
    She was glad her hat covered much of her face – she was definitely blushing.
    “It was nothing.”
    “Aw, come on, you can tell me.”
    Whether it was the romance of the day, the glass of white wine warming her insides, or the man with the adorable accent beside her, Mackenzie’s resolve broke.
    “All right,” she said. “I was just wishing someone would kiss me the way Joel kisses Kate.”
    There. She’d said it.
    Liam’s eyes widened. “Seriously? No one has ever kissed you like that?”
    Mackenzie opened her mouth to give him a sarcastic reply but never got the chance. In one swift movement, he placed his hand behind her head and pulled her toward him and she fell, almost landing in his lap. His lips met hers, and before she had time to react, he tried to push his tongue into her mouth.
    Planting her hands on his chest, she pushed him away. “What was that for?”
    Liam smirked. “You wanted to be kissed.”
    “No I didn’t!”
    His eyes twinkled. “You just told me you were sitting here wishing someone would kiss you the way Joel kisses Kate. You asked me to kiss you.”
    Mackenzie pushed back her chair and stood, her mouth hanging