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  “Merry Christmas, Kate.” He smiled, finally pulling away from her.

  Kate did not respond.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  How do the most significant moments in life begin? Often it’s hard to remember. We end up with our lives forever changed and wonder how we got there. Kate thought about this for the briefest of seconds before a shaking hand reached out and slipped a key to unlock her door. She walked into her apartment.

  Mac followed her in.

  Neither spoke a word. After the kiss, Mac hailed her a cab and then quietly slid in beside her. She didn’t argue, although she knew she should have. When they were inside, Mac kissed her again deeply. Kate melted into him, and he knew he had to speak before this went any further. Slowly, Mac pushed her away.

  “Katie. Before this goes any further, I need to tell you something. I need to be honest with you.”

  Kate waited for Mac to continue, still dazed from his kiss.

  “Katie, as much as I may want things to be different, you need to know I will always be married.”

  Kate was not surprised by his admission, She knew Mac wasn’t the divorcing kind. But to hear it, to hear him admit it, for him to bare himself this honestly was all she needed.

  “I know, Mac,” she said before she pressed herself into him and kissed him again.

  Kate discovered that making love to Mac was like diving into a bowl of warm, melting chocolate. The sweetness of him covered her, and she devoured it all—every decadent moment. Mac lay behind her, pressing himself into her. She could feel him through his trousers, hard and ready, his hands floating across her body. The air went out of her, and every wonderful feeling imaginable began to overtake her, swirling in her head, warm and welcoming. Mac’s hands reached from her naked breasts to her panties, tugging them to her knees, and then down around her ankles. Finally, they fell in a silent pink heap on the floor. Kate turned to face Mac, pulling his half-opened shirt from his body. She caressed his rugged chest and slipped her delicate fingers into his pants, freeing them from his body. In a moment they were both naked, tossing around in a sexual storm. When Mac finally entered her, she was wet with anticipation of him. Mac moved in soft, gentle movements, enjoying the feel of her body arching to meet his. His lips pressed to her mouth, and he fought to keep himself from coming inside her too soon. He wanted it to last, to watch her orgasm and then to explode inside her warm body. He thought of nothing else but pleasing her. When Kate was close to coming, Mac could hear her breath quicken. He picked up the pace of his thrusts and she held him tightly, letting out a small, sensual moan. He could feel her release. Within moments, he let himself climax. He’d never felt anything like it before.

  Mac collapsed into Kate for only a moment, cautious of his size and pressing too much of his weight into her. He rested himself on his elbows, gently kissing her face, moist with sweat. Her hair, once held together in a neat chignon, was now loose and fanned out across her pillow. A few curled tendrils stuck to her cheek. Mac pushed them from her face. He was the first one to speak.

  “Are you okay, Katie?”

  Kate’s eyes fluttered up to meet his gaze.

  “I’m not sure what I am right now,” she said, still slightly breathless, “but I’m okay.”

  Mac rolled off of her, spooning into her. He held her tight. The room was silent. Even the New York streets, usually bustling with traffic, were silent. The snow muffled the world, and it was as if they were the only two people in the city. Mac wished that were true.

  “So, what happens now?” Kate said softly, piercing the silence.

  Mac didn’t answer at first. Then he realized where she was going.

  “We are still Kate and Mac, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Yes, but I’m sure there are rules for something like this. Right?” Kate turned to him. Mac seemed almost sheepish to her.

  “Mac, come on. You’re not going to lie to me and tell me this has never happened before. Are you?”

  “Katie, this really isn’t the time.”

  “We just made love. This is the perfect time.”

  Mac raised himself up on his elbow.

  “You’re right, Katie. This isn’t the first time for me. I’ll tell you anything you want to know. Just ask.”

  Kate smiled.

  “Let’s not share our sad stories tonight, Mac. I just want to know, to understand what happens.”

  “Kate, listen, let’s not overthink this. Let’s just let it be. Let’s love each other as long as we can, and when we can’t anymore we’ll both know it.”

  Kate smiled, reached up, and touched his face.

  “Fair enough,” she replied. Mac kissed her again, and then made love to her until the sun dawned the next day.

  …

  Mac left the following morning after she made coffee and toast, which was all he said he wanted before he dashed off to his apartment to shower and change. The sun was bright on that cold Friday morning that Kate would never forget. The “morning after.” She’d had a few mornings after in her life, but never one like this. Mac kissed her softly before he left and then slipped out the door and down the hall. He was gone, and Kate was left with her own thoughts and the faintest smell of men’s cologne that still clung to her skin. A woodsy smell with a touch of musk. It was understated and sexy, much like the man who wore it. Part of her wanted to go back to bed and bury her head in his pillow. The other part, the saner part that had returned after a brief hiatus last night, knew she needed to get ready to go to work, too.

  Kate stood in the shower letting the hot water wash over her. She felt good, really good. Making love to Mac had been, well, different than anything she’d ever experienced. He was passionate, tender, and slightly demanding in a way that made her heart race. Now alone in her apartment, she wondered if he called his wife after he left her. The thought of it brought the reality of what they did back into focus. The night was wonderful, but it couldn’t happen again. Ever. Kate would make sure of it.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Kate left her apartment and decided to walk to work. She loved this time right after the first snow when the mornings were so bright you needed sunglasses and the snow was so fresh it was as though she were the only one in the world—even in Manhattan. When Kate closed her front door, she noticed Mac’s footprints that crushed the snow on her stairs. The only evidence he’d been there, she thought. Well, other than the messy bed that she didn’t bother making before she left.

  Kate lived on East Tenth Street in the Village. The tree-lined street was quiet except for a few brave dog owners giving their furry companions a quick walk before heading back inside. Her feet crushed the snow as she walked. She stopped to grab a latte and then sipped it while she thought through her plan. It wouldn’t be easy, but it could be done. She would tell Mac right when she got to work; she’d just sit him down and say that it would be a really bad idea to do this. Well, bad was sort of an understatement. Things like worst idea of the millennium came to mind. She remembered Mac’s kiss, the way his mouth felt wet and warm on her skin. She could feel her heart race.

  “Fuck,” she said aloud. An elderly man stood with her in the crosswalk and looked over at her.

  “Sorry,” Kate smiled, “I remembered I forgot something at home. What a chore it is to get around the city today.”

  He smiled back and crossed the street on red. Kate wished she could take the day off to get her hormones in check, and then she realized it would take more than one day. As she turned to walk up Broadway, she wondered how much vacation time she had built up. Maybe three months somewhere locked away from Mac would help her immunize herself. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she pushed the heavy door to her office building and walked inside.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “Morning, Mac,” she threw him a shaky smile. When she walked in his office, Mac was facing the window. He looked deep in thought. Mac turned when she walked in. The sound of her voice brought a smile to his lips. />
  “Hi, Katie.” He had changed into a pale blue shirt that matched the color of his eyes. Kate nearly forgot why she was there.

  “Eh, Mac,” she collected herself, took a deep breath and closed the door behind her. “Last night…” she began.

  Mac walked over to her. He was so close she could almost reach out and touch him. Part of her wanted to climb him like a tree. The other part of her wanted to run from his office. Danger! Danger! A siren went off in her head. Mac reached up and pushed an auburn curl from her forehead.

  “Yes, Katie?” he said, almost in a whisper.

  “We, eh…I can’t…”

  “I know.” He smiled. “The morning after.”

  Kate realized that he must have had a lot of mornings after. The regret. The second thoughts. He was a pro at this. Suddenly, she found her resolve. She didn’t want to be part of his mornings after.

  “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.” Kate wasn’t sure how she managed to steady her voice when he was standing so close to her, but for the slightest of seconds she was proud of herself.

  Mac’s eyes grew serious.

  “I know,” he repeated. Just then, there was a knock at the door and Mac stepped back.

  “Come in,” he said.

  Edward smiled as he pushed open the door. It was his “proud of himself” smile that both Kate and Mac knew all too well.

  “I have great news,” he started. “Oh, am I interrupting something?” he said, looking from Kate back to Mac.

  “No, Ed. Not at all. I was just going over some of the more confidential details of The Continued Promise. Sit down.”

  Kate turned to leave.

  “Wait,” Edward said, “I need you for this, too.” Edward sat in one of the two oversized chairs in Mac’s office. Kate took the other one.

  “It’s about Lavigne,” Edward started. “We’ve been stuck with this open-ended contract for years, and the board wants to terminate it. Up until now, we haven’t been able to. It keeps reflecting in the year-end status report, which is a pain. And it also tethers us to incomplete projects, which, as you know, the board really hates.”

  The “board,” as Edward referred to them, was a group of retired former MD publishing execs who could probably care less about an open contract. Kate new that Edward was pushing this because he thought Allan Lavigne was a talentless hack who got lucky once.

  Mac nodded, still somewhat distracted by his conversation with Kate.

  Edward continued. “So, we just need to send Allan some paperwork, have him sign off on it, and we are free of that albatross.”

  He quickly turned to Kate. He put a hand on her arm, which bothered her. She felt like pulling away but didn’t. It was, after all, Edward.

  “I know you’re fond of Allan. I didn’t mean anything by this.”

  Kate was taken aback by his comment. She thought she’d managed to keep her friendship with Allan pretty secret. Maybe nothing was really a secret at MD. Kate was even more resolved to end things with Mac before they wound up on the company Facebook page.

  Edward leaned into her. It made her feel uncomfortable. She saw a frown crease Mac’s brow as he watched their CEO move in for the kill.

  “Look, it’s a hassle for him, too. We check in with him. It’s the same thing. I don’t think he needs the pressure.”

  Edward really tried to be convincing and caring, but Kate knew better. It was the MD bottom line he cared about. She couldn’t fault him for that, but she had always hoped that Allan would one day write a follow up to The Fall. In her heart though, she knew that he never would.

  “So, that’s great, Edward,” Mac said, “but how does it affect Kate and me?”

  “Well, Kate knows him best. So, I thought perhaps Kate you could ask Allan to sign off on this paperwork?” Edward threw her a smile.

  She hated this. Allan would hate it, too. But if she didn’t do this, they’d send some flunky in a tweed suit to go have him sign off. It would crush Allan that no one cared enough about a former mega author to send over someone who wasn’t an intern.

  “Sure,” was all she said.

  Mac watched her carefully. He remembered last night, how her face looked in the moonlight, what it felt like to be inside her. His mind swirled and he forced himself to stay in the meeting. He wanted her again. He wished Edward would leave so he could ask her what she meant.

  I’m not cut out for this, she’d said. Did she mean now or forever? Probably the latter, he thought.

  “Great!” Edward got up. He’d won again. He always won. He expected nothing less. “I’ll have the paperwork sent to your office this afternoon, Kate. Can you get it over to him by Monday? I’d love to get this done with before the end of the year.”

  “Sure.” She tried to smile, but she was done with the meeting. As Edward walked out the door, she followed him.

  “Thanks, Mac. I’ll catch you later.” And she closed the door behind her.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Let’s talk.

  Kate must have stared at Mac’s text message on and off for the better part of an hour. He wanted to talk. Well, of course he did. She left his office after spending the night with him in some sex marathon with nothing other than an, “I don’t think I’m cut out for this.”

  Good job, Kate, she thought as she set her phone down. She’d have to face him sooner or later. Until she got her resistance up, she’d prefer later. Kate tried to study her computer again. It was nearing three o’clock, and the weather report had said another storm was coming late that night. The folks who commuted into the city had left early in case the weather started to turn early. She thought about going home, but she had too much work to do. Kate hunkered down and tried to focus. After a while she managed to put the unanswered text message aside and get a few projects done. When she looked up, it was after five and already dark outside. With the weekend looming she wondered again if she should respond to Mac.

  She picked up her phone, typed in ok, and hit Send. Within minutes, Mac appeared in her doorway.

  “Time to go,” he said. “Everyone else is gone. Let’s go.”

  “Where?” Kate asked, standing up.

  “You’ll see,” he smiled and threw his scarf around his neck. “Now bundle up. As the song says, ‘Baby, it’s cold outside.’”

  When they got into the elevator, she turned to him and said, “No alcohol.” The minute it was out of her mouth, she regretted it. What was she? Some horny sixteen-year-old who couldn’t handle her liquor or her hormones?

  Mac smiled and stroked her cheek.

  “You are priceless, Katie. No, no drinks. I had another idea. I think you’ll love it.”

  The elevator hit the lobby.

  “Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” she said.

  “Trust me.”

  …

  “This is our stop,” Mac said as he led Kate out of the subway.

  “Brooklyn?” she followed him out of the subway and onto the busy platform. “I didn’t think you knew where Brooklyn was.” She laughed.

  Mac arched an eyebrow. “You think I’m some city snob, don’t you?”

  Kate nodded, laughing. She enjoyed being with Mac.

  Problem number one.

  They left the subway station and headed into a bustling Brooklyn. On Friday, even on an evening that threatened more snow, the cafés and restaurants were full of smiling, happy people. Mac weaved through the crowd, keeping a brisk pace, and Kate tried to keep step.

  “Are you kidnapping me?” she smiled.

  “If I were, I would have just blindfolded you and taken you to my apartment, where I would have left your eyes covered while I made love to you.”

  Kate’s cheeks burned and she couldn’t feel her legs.

  “Sorry,” Mac offered insincerely as he smiled and led her down another street. He stopped in front of a small store. “We’re here.”

  The wooden sign above the door read The Book Nook. “A bookstore?”

  Mac’s
lips curved. “Not just any bookstore. It’s one of the best and oldest independent bookstores in the country. I love it. Maeve owns it. She has for years. Before her, her mother owned it. Great place. They’re a dying breed. I try to get out here whenever I can. She also makes the best hot chocolate you’ve ever had. It’s worth the subway trip. Trust me.”

  Mac opened the door and Kate walked in. The store smelled of old books and cinnamon, an odd but comforting aroma. Kate always loved the smell of books, especially the new book smell. She’d often bury her face in a new book. Without cracking the spine, she would inhale the scent of the freshly printed pages. The store was small and towers of bookshelves lined every open space. It was a cozy and well organized.

  “Maeve!” Mac greeted an elderly woman with an enveloping hug. She was petite with short, silver hair.

  “MacDermott. Always good to see you. How was your week?”

  “Good, Maeve, really good. Hey, I brought a friend with me tonight. Maeve Turner, this is Kate Mitchell.”

  Maeve hugged Kate as well. “So nice to finally meet a friend of Mac’s. In all the years he’s been coming here, he’s never brought anyone with him. I’m so glad he has friends.” She winked at Mac.

  “Maeve, you know me. I am a solo operator.”

  “That’s what worries me, Dear.” She took his hand and gazed fondly at his face. Kate gathered they’d been friends for a while. Maeve was not someone she would have pegged as a friend of Mac’s. He seemed full of surprises.

  “We have some new titles in this week. I think you’ll like them.” Maeve led them to the children’s section, and Kate followed behind them, surprised again. Children’s books?

  “This is great, Maeve. Thanks.” Mac settled into the section, plucking several titles from the shelf.