Page 7 of Hooked on Mack
“Of course, good luck on your case,” I said before she disappeared through the door.
I pushed open the heavy courthouse doors.Bring it on, Mack. No matter how charming he was, I refused to let him win.
“Ms. Montgomery,” came that all-too-familiar voice, smooth as silk and rich as dark chocolate. Mack Harrington leaned against the courthouse wall, his arms folded across his chest and a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. “I must say, I didn't expect you to put up such a fight today.”
“Is that so?” I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Well, Mr. Harrington, you should know by now that I'm not one to back down easily.”
“Clearly,” he replied, raising an eyebrow as he straightened up and closed the distance between us. “But tell me, do you always resort to personal attacks when you can't win a case fair and square?”
I bristled at the insinuation, my hands balling into fists at my sides. “Whatever it takes for my clients. You might try it sometime instead of relying on your pretty face.”
“Ouch,” he said, feigning hurt as he placed a hand over his heart. “You know, charm isn't everything. Sometimes you have to rely on your actual legal skills to make your case.”
The condescending tone in his voice set fire to my anger. “Are you suggesting that I don't have legal skills? That's rich coming from the poster boy for 'style over substance'!”
“See, that's the problem with you,” Mack shot back. “You're so busy trying to prove yourself that you can't even see when someone's giving you a compliment.”
“Compliment?” I snorted, my rage bubbling over. “You have a twisted way of showing it, Mister 'I-Can-Win-Any-Case-With-My-Good-Looks'!”
“Is that what you think of me?” Mack asked, his voice dangerously low. “Just some shallow pretty boy who doesn't take his job seriously?”
“Isn't that the image you project?”
“Maybe, but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Ms. Montgomery. There's more to me than meets the eye.”
“Likewise,” I hissed, feeling the heat rising in my cheeks. “And don't ever underestimate me again.”
“Wouldn't dream of it,” Mack replied, his blue eyes flashing with an intensity that made my heart race. “Good luck, Larissa. You're going to need it.”
My vision blurred as the red-hot rage surged through me. I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, and for a moment, I was completely out of control.
“Fine. Just remember, you started this.”
“Started what?” Mack asked, infuriating me even more. “A friendly rivalry between colleagues? I thought that's what you wanted.”
“Rivalry?” I scoffed. “This is not a game. This is my career, my life. And I won't stand here and let you belittle me.”
“Belittle you? Larissa, all I ever did was try to keep up with you,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “You're the one who made this personal.”
“Keep up with me?” I echoed, my cheeks burning.What had I done? Ugh, I was acting like a petulant child, not a respected lawyer.
Mack sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken. “Look, Larissa, I didn't mean to upset you. But we can't keepgoing at each other's throats like this. It's not good for either of us.”
“Maybe not,” I admitted, lowering my gaze to the pavement. “But don't expect me to go easy on you in court.”
“Wouldn't dream of it,” he repeated, the corners of his mouth twitching into the faintest hint of a smile. “Just promise me you'll keep it professional from now on.”
“Fine,” I muttered, my heart aching with the weight of my shame. “Professional.”
“Good,” Mack said, his voice softening as he extended his hand. “Truce?”
“Truce,” I replied, hesitantly taking his hand.
As I walked away, my thoughts raced with uncertainty about how to proceed. The last thing I wanted was to be Mack's enemy, but if we kept going down this path, we'd tear each other apart. I needed to find a way to win without losing myself in the process. And maybe, just maybe, I could do it without sacrificing the fragile truce we'd just established.
5
Mack
