“Why didn’t you just stick around… tell me then?” she asks in curiosity.

“Because I had to let my hatred of Cal go first. And Mac, I mean it with every breath in my body. I did hate him. But the minute I decided to forgive him, I became a different person. A better person. ”

Her hand comes out and she slides her fingers along my cheek. Her touch is so soft, so caring, that I can’t help but close my eyes so I can give full attention to the peacefulness coursing through me.

“I’m so proud of you, Matt. You’re really kind of amazing. ”

Opening my eyes, I grin at her. “And you love me?”

“What makes you think that?” she teases, leaning in to kiss me.

I take a moment to savor her lips on mine, because this feels like the first time we have ever kissed. There’s a different quality to it, now that I’ve let all of my bitterness go. It’s like everything was muted before, but now I’m seeing everything in vivid display… I’m feeling everything with greater depth.

I pull away and smile at her. “Because you already told me you did. ”

Wrapping her arms around my neck, she leans into me. “Yeah, I guess I did. ”

“Say it again,” I demand urgently, because it’s the last thing I need for this to officially become the best day of my life.

She doesn’t make me wait, and it’s even better than I could have imagined. “I love you… so much. ”

We kiss again, sweetly, but then her tongue slides into my mouth and desire starts to course through me.

“Let’s take the rest of the day off,” I say as I move my lips over to her ear. “I need to be inside of you. ”

She groans and digs her fingers into my shoulders, but shakes her head no. “I can’t. I have to get this stuff finished. You know, today’s my last day and all. ”

I laugh at her silliness and kiss her again. “Didn’t you understand me? I’m not accepting your resignation. There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight. And I sure as hell don’t want you working around Cal unattended. I don’t trust the bastard. ”

“Hey!” she chastises me as she punches me lightly in the shoulder. “I thought you forgave him?”

“I did, Mac,” I tell her somberly. “But I don’t like him. We’re not friends. ”

She sighs, but not in frustration or anger, but understanding. “No, I don’t suppose you are. You did more than enough by offering forgiveness. But I can’t turn my back on him. I made a deal with him to open up a law firm. ”

“Yeah, well… I sort of might have changed his mind after I talked to him today. ”

“What did you do?” she asks suspiciously.

I hold my hands up in surrender. “Nothing bad, I swear it. I just sort of offered him a job here, as long as you agreed to stay. ”

“What? You asked Cal… your arch nemesis… to come work for you? I thought you said you didn’t trust the bastard. ”

“I don’t,” I tell her with a smirk. “What better way to keep tabs on him than having him come to work for me?”

Mac doesn’t fall for it and just looks at me skeptically.

“Fine,” I capitulate with huffiness. “I want you to stay. You’re a brilliant attorney, and you’re going places. I want you on my team. I also want you within reach of me at all times because I love you to f**king death. So, the easiest thing seemed to be for me to get Cal on board. I knew you had committed to him, but if he came here, you’d stay. ”

“You’re rotten,” she reprimands me. “And completely selfish. ”

I make no apologies. “When it comes to you, you’re damn right I am. But talk to Cal… you both have a decision to make. ”

She wraps her arms back around my neck and kisses me. “I’ll talk to Cal, and we’ll see. But for now… let’s get out of here. ”

I take her hand and don’t let it go as we navigate the hallways up to the lobby. She squeezes me tightly and when I look down at her, she gives me a smile so full of happiness and love, I know that at this moment, I’m the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.

“Mac?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m never letting you go, you know that, right?”

“I’m counting on it,” she says softly. “And you’ll never regret it. I promise. ”

Yup. Luckiest son of a bitch on the planet.

Epilogue

Eight Months Later

Today is the day, and I am so f**king nervous. More nervous than when I got laid for the first time. Or when I took the bar exam. More nervous than my first trial. I’m practically quaking in my shoes because the stakes are higher than I could have ever imagined.

Tags: Sawyer Bennett Romance
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