Page 19 of Mac
“Don’t suppose I could get you to drop it, could I?”
“Nope. We don’t work like that either.”
“He’s in love with me.” There. She said it. Out loud. To someone other than herself or Jaz.
“And how do you feel?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do. You don’t get involved in anything without knowing how you feel about it first.”
“We’re not involved.”
He shook his head, dismissing her declaration. “That’s bullshit.”
“It’s not.”
“Look,” he said, turning to her. He leaned on the handle of the broom and not for the first time in the years she’d known him, she wished she could feel something more for him than friendship. He was gorgeous, but he was also the most tender-hearted man she’d ever met. “There’s clearly involvement between you and the cop. What’s his name again? Mark?”
“Mac,” she corrected.
“Right. Mac. The way he looks at you? The way you watched him when he left? You no longer cared to be at Vinter’s. So, tell me the truth. How do you feel about him?”
“I think I could love him.”
“Could or do?”
“We’ve never been together, so I’m not sure how I could be.”
“Takes more than sex, doll. You of all people know that.”
“Are you done?” Her voice sounded clipped and exasperated to her own ears, but Trae just snickered at her. “I don’t know how I feel. That’s the truth. I don’t know. I’ve never loved anyone like that. I’ve sure as shit never been in love.”
“But?”
“It would be him,” she admitted. “At first sight, too.”
“That’s what I thought. What are you going to do about it?”
“Are you here to play matchmaker? I thought you were here to finally meet Jaz?”
“I can do both. I’m talented like that. A multi-tasker.”
It was Jackie’s turn to laugh. He was smooth as honey and the woman he ended up with be hard pressed to dismiss him. “I have a job to do, Trae.”
“And after?”
“He’s on duty.” She outright lied to her friend. Maybe. For all she knew, Mac would work a double shift. She’d never, ever admit that she’d tried to get him to take her earlier and he made her believe he would give in, but didn’t. She would never tell anyone that he made her leave without taking her up on her offer.
Part of her loved that he didn’t. He didn’t see her as easy. She mattered to him. There was a time and a place to take a woman up on a fuck. Mac was smart enough to know that she was baiting him, pushing him to prove something to herself. Their first time was worth more than her using him for that kind of thing.
She sighed. “Dammit.”
“You know I can tend bar.”
“I’m not leaving you in my club. Besides, he’s working.”
“But you’ll go see him after work?”
