Page 42 of Make Me Whole

I was about to rip the drywall Sky had worked on when I heard the rattling of the front door locks. I removed my gloves and tossed them to the floor before going to see if it was Sky or Al. As much as I enjoyed hanging with my best friend, I was crossing my fingers that it was his daughter.

My heart skipped a beat as I heard high heels climbing up. With an embarrassingly wide smile, I took a few steps down to meet her halfway and teased, “I hope your excuse for not replying was that you were too excited to come home and see me and you didn’t want to waste time typing.”

As soon as Sky came into view, I wanted to swallow back every word. Her shoulders were bowed, her eyes were red, and mascara was smeared with all the way to her cheeks. She looked up at me and let out a small whimper.

“Oh, Sweetheart,” I muttered and wrapped her in my arms. “What happened?”

Instead of replying, Sky dropped her head to my shoulder and clung to me like I was a lifeboat in the middle of an ocean. I held on to her just as tightly because, in a way, she was mine as well.

I sat down on the steps and brought her to my lap. We stayed wrapped in each other, in the middle of the staircase, as she continued to cry. I tried to soothe her as best as I could, but I knew I couldn’t stop her pain or tears.

It was frustrating as all shit how often this amazing woman ended up crying in front of me. She didn’t deserve that, and it killed me that all I could do was be by her side as her tears fell. I wanted to do more than that. I wanted to stop her sorrow and shield her from hurt. I also wanted excruciating pain for the asshole who made her this way, but warmth and words of affirmation were all I could give her at that moment.

Once her sobs finally stopped, I kissed the top of her head and repeated my earlier question. “What happened, Sky?”

She took a heavy breath and looked up at me. Her eyes were even more red and swollen, but they were still beautiful to me.

“Mr. Kent just called to say he can’t represent me anymore,” she whispered.

My brows tightened into a frown that only deepened as she explained what a rockstar the lawyer had been during the meeting and how the evidence of abuse we had put together terrified Eli, his father, and their team. I couldn’t see how a guy would go from rockstar to quitter in the length of a car drive, but then she told me about Eli approaching her at the parking lot to threaten her, Mr. Kent, and me, and I knew the story wasn’t over.

Another tear rolled down her face, and her chest heaved with a suppressed sob. I tightened my grasp on her as she continued, “Mr. Kent said that a man called him—I think he was a lawyer as well—to say that the town of Windy River is opening an investigation on his practice. Apparently, his former partner brokered some shady deals before leaving the firm last year, and since he did it all under the firm’s name, Mr. Kent and the other partners would answer for any crimes.

“The man didn’t say it openly, but he made it clear that if he let me go as a client the investigation would lead nowhere and Mr. Kent’s firm would be safe. They’re a small firm that mostly handles adoptions and low-income clients. They can’t afford to lose their practice because of one client, so of course he let me go, and I don’t even blame him. But I have no one now. I’ll end up losing Ella.”

She sobbed for real at the end, the sound brimming with anguish and despair.

“You won’t,” I assured her, pressing her against my chest. “I’ll get you a new lawyer. A good one, from Seattle. We’ll fight that fucking bully, and you’ll keep your little girl. You’re not alone, Skylar. You have me.”

“No.” Her whisper surprised me. I pulled back to look at her, and her face was more distraught than when I first saw her at the stairs. Shaking her head, she disentangled herself from me, wiped her wet cheeks, and got up. “I won’t let him hurt you and Aiden. He’s threatened it and I know he’ll do it. I care too much about you to let your life go up in flames because of me.”

I got up as well and whispered her name, begging her to stop whatever it was she was doing. She shook her head and climbed a step. I reached for her, but she climbed another, stepping out of my reach.

“I’m sorry, Max, but our deal is over. I can’t be your secretary anymore, and Ella and I will move out. It’s the only way you’ll be safe.”

Stunned, I watched her turn around and run up the stairs.

Fuck no,the voice in my head screamed, filling my heart with the same desperation I felt when the doctor told me my wife had died.I’m not losing you too.

I ran up the stairs, jumping three steps at time, and reached the landing just as Skylar was closing her door. I put a hand on the wood, keeping it from closing.

“No.” She opened her mouth to reply, but I spoke first. I wouldn’t let her repeat her escape plan. “I know I can’t keep you forever, but I won’t give you up for this. Let that boy threaten me. I’m not afraid. There’s nothing he can hold over me except the pain of losing the only woman I’ve cared about in ten years. So no. You are not quitting your job, you’re not quitting me, and you’re not leaving this house.”

Tears ran down her face again. “Max . . .”

I walked toward her and kissed the droplets from her cheek. “You’re not alone.” I moved to kiss the tears from her other cheek. “We’ll fight together.” I pulled back and rested my forehead against hers. “Just say you’re mine.”

Sky closed her eyes. A sob escaped her lips as they pressed against mine. “You shouldn’t want me to be, but I am.”

The relief I felt at her words was indescribable.

I brought my hands to the back of her head and parted my lips, bringing hers along. Her tongue searched for mine, and when they met, I felt it in every nerve ending of my body. They danced together in a new rhythm that blended passion and comfort in the most perfect way.

Sky’s grasp on me was intense, needy, and raw like the pain on her face. Mine was slow and comforting, like the desire in my heart. We had fucked a few times over the past couple of days, and every time had been desperate, hot, and sexy. But that wasn’t what I wanted today, and it definitely wasn’t what Sky needed.

This time wasn’t about desire or scratching an itch. It was about a promise and an assurance. It was about not being alone and counting on someone who adored you. Because that was what I felt. Against all odds, all sense, and all I felt was right, I adored this woman and would go to extraordinary lengths—such as fighting her powerful husband and making her a home—to keep her happy.

Eventually, Sky fell into my slower pace. Her grasp softened, her kisses slowed, and she relaxed under my caresses. I reached to her waist and undid the tie that held her dress closed. The fabric fell to the ground as my mouth moved from her lips to her neck. She tilted her head to give me more room as I unclasped her bra and removed her panties.

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