An Instant Connection (Insta-Spark)

“Okay.”

“Okay, you’ll think about it, or okay, you will?”

I paused, unsure which one I meant. Then I realized how stupid I was being. I loved Mitch. He loved me. I had never known the sort of love he offered me on a daily basis. Freely given and complete. I wanted to be with him as well.

“Okay, I will,” I responded.

He swung me into his arms, his mouth hard on mine. He kissed me until I was breathless, light-headed, and aching for him. He set me on my feet, cupping my face and raining small kisses on my face.

“My sweetheart,” he breathed. “My Mandy.”

Then he grinned. “Wait until I tell them.”

“Them?”

His grin widened, his eyes dancing with mischievousness. His dimples were so deep I could stick the end of my finger in them.

“I had Mom, Kris, and Joseph ready to send you their top ten reasons why you should live with me. Mom actually has a Power Point presentation ready if you needed extra persuasion, and Kris said she wasn’t above bribery.”

I started to laugh. “Another three-step plan, Mitch?”

“They worked in the past. I was going with proven results.”

I cupped his cheek. “No need. I love you, and I want to be with you too.”

He turned his face and kissed my palm.

“Then let’s go celebrate.”

Another Year Later

Step 2

The office buzzed around me as I worked on Mitch’s calendar. Since opening MM Designs, he had been in high demand. So much so, there was a waiting list. The other architects he hired worked with him on several of the projects, helping ease some of the burden, but it was Mackenzie Mitchell’s name they wanted. His designs. His signature on the plans.

He was amazing.

I rolled my shoulders, frowning as I looked at his schedule. He was going to be away a lot over the next few months. Site visits, openings, meetings. I hated it when he went away, but it was part of the job. He refused to hand over some things, and I understood. His visions, his reputation—both were too important to him.

I lifted my mug, not surprised to find my coffee had gone cold. I strolled to the kitchen, deciding a fresh Nespresso was in order. Mitch had gotten me addicted to them.

As the coffee brewed, I wandered over to the open space in the middle of the office. Mitch had made a cutout in the center of the floor, right down to the main level. Sunlight from the skylights filtered down, making every floor airy and bright. On hot days, a special canopy covered the roof, allowing some light to filter in but blocking the heat. Custom-made clear boxes held models of Mitch’s buildings displayed at different heights, showing off his work. It was quite breathtaking.

Looking over the glass rail, I admired all the space below. Everyone was busy. Everyone was happy. Mitch held true to his word of providing a positive environment for everyone to work in. The two floors below us had work spaces and private offices for architects and designers. The main floor was accounting, production, and a huge staff room. He’d had a gym built in the basement that everyone had access to. It was a great place to work.

The third floor was entirely Mitch’s, except for the large boardroom where everyone gathered for meetings or to celebrate the latest contract or completion of a project.

I heard the beep of the machine and crossed back to the kitchen to get my coffee. I sat at my desk, smiling as I heard the private elevator door open. It came up from the parking lot, and the only person with access to it was Mitch.

He strode in, cardboard tubes under his arm, a wide smile on his face, and a huge bunch of flowers gripped in his free hand.

He saw me, and his smile became wider. His dimples deepened and his eyes crinkled. With a flourish, he presented me with the flowers.

“For you, sweetheart.”

“They loved the design?”

He winked. “As if there was any doubt. Signed, sealed, and delivered.”