Page 129 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

This. The way he made me laugh. I'd missed it so much. He made me so light and happy, something I didn't think was possible in my life, something I'd never even known I could hope for.

Sitting up, Max helped me get dressed, his eyes roaming everywhere like he couldn't wait to devour me again. I felt wanted, desired, and best of all, loved.

With his every touch, he was so incredibly respectful, even when he helped me stuff my boobs back into my dress. His heavy breathing gave him away, though.

"Jesus," he muttered. "I guess I'm just gonna have to get used to walking around with a perpetual hard-on."

I looked down to see the bulge in his pants. "Poor baby. At least you don't have to ride home wearing wet undies."

"Oh, God, don't remind me, babe. I say first order of business when we get to your place is a shower."

I nodded in agreement, glad that I'd recently cleaned up my disgusting mess at home and put everything back in order.

Taking my hands, he helped me down, and we left the conference room behind, walking back down the hallway we'd come through earlier. Hand in hand, we headed toward the exit as different people than when we came in.

At least I was.

I didn't just feel loved. I feltthoroughlyloved. Inside and out. And equally important, Max made me feel lovable.

He squeezed my hand and glanced down at me, something about his smile reminding me of a different gala not too long ago.

"Hey, how did you know I'd be here tonight, anyway?" I asked. "Or was it all just a coincidence?"

His grin grew and his broad shoulders lifted up in a carefree shrug. "Love works in mysterious ways."

"Don't even tell me youmanifestedit."

His laughter rang out around us, enveloping me like a warm hug. "No comment."

"So that manifesting conversation we had was complete bullshit then."

"No. I really do believe in manifesting."

"But obviously, we didn't use it to get, ahem, Max Sterling to send that painting."

"No. But I did use it to get something I really, really wanted."

"What's that?"

He pulled me in to a dark coat closet then backed me up against a wall, caging me in with his arms.

The light from the open door spilled inside, illuminating his features, the sharp line of his jaw and the piercing intensity of his eyes. My breath caught as he stared at me, so serious and so incredibly sexy.

Was this man really mine now?

He took a step forward, his gaze never leaving my face. "I used it," he said softly, "to get closer to you."

His body collided with mine as he bent his head to capture my lips, his heat, strength, and love surrounding me. My heart was about to burst.

"I love you," I whispered against his mouth.

"I love you too," he answered, angling a hand into my hair. "So fucking beautiful. My Annalise."

Hearing my real name from his lips, said with such reverence, was the stuff dreams were made of. He kissed me again, making my toes curl, and suddenly it turned into a hands-all-over-each-other moment, one where we couldn't stop touching each other, couldn't stop kissing, couldn't stop our hips from grinding.

Breathless, he finally pulled away, resting his forehead on mine. "Come on, darlin'. I don't want our second time to be in a coat closet. We've got to get the hell out of here."

Grabbing his arm and pulling, I led him back to the corridor as we both laughed then rushed down the steps and outside into the summer night.

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