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Mac flinches over my words, and I immediately feel terrible It seems that I just don’t kno to effectively communicate with her, which o While we are dyite in the bedroom, it seems between Monday’s Cal fiasco and today’s Lorraine fiasco, I don’t see correctly

Taking a deep breath and gentling my voice, I tell her, “Look Mac… I didn’t fire her because of you Lorraine had been exhibiting so and screaht, and she’s pissed off a few ofto fire our firood fit here ”

“And as the deal that you mentioned to her? Or is that none of my business?”

“It’s none of your business,” I tell her fir sure you understand that Lorraine being fired wasn’t your fault, I’ll tell you Bill and I decided this weekend to let her go But ere generous… we offered to buy out her caseload and give her a severance package to help get her on her feet if she wanted to start her firain ”

Mac’s eyes go wide “That’s why you took her out to dinner… why you bought her chane?”

Hne? My bet is on Lorraine telling her, probablyit sound like ere on a date, which I’ to make me look better in Mac’s eyes

“I took her out to dinner because I didn’t want to do it at the office, in case sheshe would have And yes, I bought chane so she would understand what a sweet deal I was offering her We weren’t going to have the deal go into effect until the end of the month, so she couldto leave poison in this firm to cause discontent And she is poison ”

Looking down at the floor, Mac absently nods her head at what I’ the virtue of ht this evening

In fact, I ht be on a roll, so I continue, “It’s also why I couldn’t cancel my dinner with her Monday, and because it was firm business, I couldn’t tell you what it was about ”

Mac’s head snaps up and her eyes blaze I have a sinking feeling I’ve ain

“Wrong, Matt,” she grits out “You could have just said I’ her out for a business matter You could have said that, and it would have been fine I would have been fine ”

Fuck, I know the truth of that now, but you think I’ize?

No fking way I’od, after all

“You should have trusted me it was about business I shouldn’t have had to explain myself ”

Mac starts laughing, almost maniacally “Trust? What trust? You pointedly told ain that it was just sex We’ve never even had a real discussion other than over the five minutes it took to wolf your pancakes down You don’t do relationships, Matt… remember? So tell me… why should there have been trust?”

Man, it burns ht For all ofskills, for all ofbeforewhen it comes to communication

It was nothing et Mac to bend tothe shots and that she was not getting under reat lay To try and force her to accept my command to stay away from Cal, and for her to accept that Lorraine was none of her business

Except it was her business I knew Lorraine probably oing on a date And seeing as how Mac and I had just fked the rafters down in her apartly suppose… to question if I was going out with another woman so soon

Mac stands up and it startles hts She turns toward et going ”

I nodaway, and I’ to stop her

This thing with Mac had disaster written all over it from the start

First, she was supposed to be a one-night stand because I only do one-night stands Iit further, just because it was so sex

And so what if it was a sex? Best ever, in fact But it’s not like I won’t have great sex again May not be the best ever, but seriously… even ht?

Second, this was a disaster in thee that line If Mac had been a different type of woman, my ass probably would have been sued for sexual harassment I could have lost my business, my law license… my reputation Pure idiocy on my part, and I’ot race and fortitude than any other woman I know

Third, and probably e I made exceptions and broke my own rules, just for the chance to be with her SheMatt Connover can afford to becoain, I’ll accept the wisdo to impart to myself

Yes, it’s best I let her walk out that door without telling her the truth That she was right, and I rong If I were to tell her that, it would give Mac hope thatreal between us, and I’ve come to learn a lot about her lately She would take that, and like a dog with a bone, she’d never let it go She would persistently push at me to continue this odyssey with her, and if I were to do that, I would risk losing myself

The man that I have built myself up to be

Protected

Sheltered from harm

Ruthlessly alone

It’s worked for me well in the past It will continue to work for me in the future

Chapter 14

Melody is tellingabout his flight getting delayed and having to spend the night in an airport I’ to me, but I nod every so often like I’m fascinated