night.”
“That’s because they were completely black on the bottom and I almost burned the place down.”
Mackenzie smiled at Daxton and changed the subject abruptly. “I’m nervous.”
Dax leaned over and hauled Mack into him. He leaned back against the sofa and cradled her in his arms. “I know you are. You have no reason to be, but I know you are.”
“I’m not fifteen. I’ve done this before. I know how it all works, but I’m still nervous.”
“It’s our first time, Mack, I’m nervous too.”
“You are?”
“Yeah.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
Dax smiled. He knew she’d say that. “One time in my early twenties, I thought I was all that and a bag of chips. I sauntered into the bedroom, completely naked, ready to impress my girlfriend, and she took one look at me and started laughing hysterically. I had no idea what she was laughing at. She couldn’t even breathe, she was laughing so hard. I lost my erection and went back into the bathroom to put my pants back on, humiliated. It wasn’t until I was removing the condom that I’d put on in preparation of our night that I noticed it was glowing. I’d accidentally grabbed one of the novelty condoms I’d picked up at a bar earlier that month. I’d walked into the bedroom ready to impress her, with a glow stick attached to my body. No wonder she laughed.”
Mackenzie giggled at the picture Dax put in her head. “It still wasn’t nice of her to laugh at you like that.”
“I deserved it.”
“Even so, I wouldn’t laugh at you.”
Dax pulled Mack closer into his body and leaned down so he could speak right into her ear. “One of the things I like most about you, Mack, is your ability to laugh at yourself and at me when I deserve it. My job isn’t the happiest in the world, but I’ve found myself smiling more at random times of the day when I think about something you’ve said or done than I ever have before. So laugh at me, laugh at us . It’s all good. Because I know you. I know you’re not laughing at me. Even if I do something stupid, you’re still not laughing maliciously at me. You’ll laugh, then share the joke with me so I can laugh too.”
“Glow-in-the-dark condom? Got any more of those?”
“Sorry, I’m fresh out…but I do have some of the regular ones.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not making this weird. For bringing up the subject of condoms so I don’t have to. For wanting me. Just…for all of it.”
“Mack, we’re not teenagers anymore, birth control isn’t something to be embarrassed about. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I want to have kids this late in life. I’m not ready to say ‘never’ just yet, but we both know it’s too early to even have that conversation together.”
“I’m on the pill. I started it when I was sixteen and my mom dragged me down to her doctor and told him to ‘get me started.’ It was embarrassing for both of us, but it was the right thing to do. I’ve never gone off them. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about babies.”
“That’s good, sweetheart. But I’m still going to use protection for our peace of mind.”
“I haven’t slept with anyone in three years.”
Dax watched as Mack’s blush went from her ears down into her shirt. He moved one of his hands to her stomach and under her shirt until it rested on her bare skin.
“Three years?”
“Yeah. At first I was just busy. I didn’t really think about it much. I had my…toys…and wasn’t interested in men too much anyway. Then when I did get interested again, I couldn’t find anyone who fit the bill. I mean, I know I’m getting older and my prime time is ticking away, but I couldn’t find the energy that was required to put into any kind of relationship. It all seemed so pointless anyway.”
“Then you met me.”
“Then I met you.” Mackenzie agreed softly.
Dax moved his hand even farther up under her shirt until it rested directly on her breast. He ran his
“That’s because they were completely black on the bottom and I almost burned the place down.”
Mackenzie smiled at Daxton and changed the subject abruptly. “I’m nervous.”
Dax leaned over and hauled Mack into him. He leaned back against the sofa and cradled her in his arms. “I know you are. You have no reason to be, but I know you are.”
“I’m not fifteen. I’ve done this before. I know how it all works, but I’m still nervous.”
“It’s our first time, Mack, I’m nervous too.”
“You are?”
“Yeah.”
“You shouldn’t be.”
Dax smiled. He knew she’d say that. “One time in my early twenties, I thought I was all that and a bag of chips. I sauntered into the bedroom, completely naked, ready to impress my girlfriend, and she took one look at me and started laughing hysterically. I had no idea what she was laughing at. She couldn’t even breathe, she was laughing so hard. I lost my erection and went back into the bathroom to put my pants back on, humiliated. It wasn’t until I was removing the condom that I’d put on in preparation of our night that I noticed it was glowing. I’d accidentally grabbed one of the novelty condoms I’d picked up at a bar earlier that month. I’d walked into the bedroom ready to impress her, with a glow stick attached to my body. No wonder she laughed.”
Mackenzie giggled at the picture Dax put in her head. “It still wasn’t nice of her to laugh at you like that.”
“I deserved it.”
“Even so, I wouldn’t laugh at you.”
Dax pulled Mack closer into his body and leaned down so he could speak right into her ear. “One of the things I like most about you, Mack, is your ability to laugh at yourself and at me when I deserve it. My job isn’t the happiest in the world, but I’ve found myself smiling more at random times of the day when I think about something you’ve said or done than I ever have before. So laugh at me, laugh at us . It’s all good. Because I know you. I know you’re not laughing at me. Even if I do something stupid, you’re still not laughing maliciously at me. You’ll laugh, then share the joke with me so I can laugh too.”
“Glow-in-the-dark condom? Got any more of those?”
“Sorry, I’m fresh out…but I do have some of the regular ones.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not making this weird. For bringing up the subject of condoms so I don’t have to. For wanting me. Just…for all of it.”
“Mack, we’re not teenagers anymore, birth control isn’t something to be embarrassed about. I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I want to have kids this late in life. I’m not ready to say ‘never’ just yet, but we both know it’s too early to even have that conversation together.”
“I’m on the pill. I started it when I was sixteen and my mom dragged me down to her doctor and told him to ‘get me started.’ It was embarrassing for both of us, but it was the right thing to do. I’ve never gone off them. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about babies.”
“That’s good, sweetheart. But I’m still going to use protection for our peace of mind.”
“I haven’t slept with anyone in three years.”
Dax watched as Mack’s blush went from her ears down into her shirt. He moved one of his hands to her stomach and under her shirt until it rested on her bare skin.
“Three years?”
“Yeah. At first I was just busy. I didn’t really think about it much. I had my…toys…and wasn’t interested in men too much anyway. Then when I did get interested again, I couldn’t find anyone who fit the bill. I mean, I know I’m getting older and my prime time is ticking away, but I couldn’t find the energy that was required to put into any kind of relationship. It all seemed so pointless anyway.”
“Then you met me.”
“Then I met you.” Mackenzie agreed softly.
Dax moved his hand even farther up under her shirt until it rested directly on her breast. He ran his
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