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Jenna let out a laugh as she squared her shoulders and crossed her arms. “Two minutes? You think that will be enough time to undo the damage? Because I could give you two months to grovel and I still wouldn’t forgive you or take you back.”
Martin shook his head as he ran a hand through his blond hair. “I’m human, Jenna. I made a mistake.”
“I’m human, too, but I wouldn’t purposely hurt someone I care about.”
And the second the words left her mouth, she realized she’d just told one more lie. What kind of person had she turned into? All to get Martin to stay away. How was that working out for her? Because Mac was gone and Martin was less than a foot away.
“Let me make it up to you,” he pleaded. “You don’t want to marry an O’Shea. You know what they say about that family. I put up with you being his friend, but I can’t stand by and let you marry him.”
Martin’s eyes darted over her shoulder, then widened. Immediately Jenna knew who stood behind her. She tensed because Martin was still sporting the evidence of Mac’s rage.
“Oh, don’t let me stop you,” Mac stated. Did he sound...amused? “I’d like to hear more of these rumors regarding my family and how you can’t let Jenna marry me.”
Standing directly between them, Jenna kept her back to Mac. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to become the human shield between these two.
“We’re having a private conversation,” Martin stated.
Mac’s hands curled around Jenna’s bare shoulders. “When you’re talking to my girl, you’re not allowed privacy. So, please, don’t let me stop this speech because I’m sure you rehearsed it.”
Tension seemed to envelop them, blocking them off from the cheerful party, the upbeat music and the laughter. It was more than Jenna could handle.
“Go, Martin. Before this gets worse. Just...go.”
His eyes held hers, he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more, but finally wised up and turned away. Jenna remained still, waiting for Mac to say something, to remove his hands or...she didn’t know what, but she didn’t want to make the first move.
When he seemed content to stay just as he was, Jenna sighed. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.
“I told you I’d be here for you this week.” He brushed her hair aside. Seconds later his lips grazed her ear. “I never go back on a promise, Jenna.”
At the contact, chills covered her body. “I’m not sure I can keep this up.”
“Are you saying I won the bet?” he asked, a hint of humor to his voice. “Because I’m ready to call in my favor.”
Jenna shook her head and turned. “No. I’m not saying you won the bet. There’s more to this than some silly bet we placed.”
The humor vanished from his face. “For the next few minutes, we’re in love. Whatever else we need to discuss can wait until we’re alone. Deal?”
Jenna nodded and blew out a breath. “Deal.”
Mac wrapped his arms around her, pulling her directly into his warm embrace. “I was never going to walk away,” he whispered in her ear. “I only left to give you the space you needed. I would never desert you.”
Tears pricked her eyes, emotions clogged her throat. Jenna nodded against his chest because words were not coming to her.
“Oh, you’re feeling better.”
Her mother’s elated voice cut into the moment and Jenna cringed. Would Mac grasp the fact that Jenna had lied to cover for him?
“I wouldn’t miss this party,” he replied easily, sliding Jenna around to the crook of his side. “Sorry I’m late.”
Mary waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just so glad you could join us. Jenna looks happier than she did when I first saw her.”
Mac threw Jenna a heavy-lidded glance. “I’ll make sure she’s always happy.”
The promise in his eyes, the conviction in those words gave Jenna a false sense of hope. Once again. He couldn’t possibly know what she was battling within. He couldn’t have any idea how much she wanted him to be serious, to be saying these things as a man who was falling in love.
But Mac O’Shea didn’t fall—in business or in love. He remained in charge, flitting from one moment to the next without a care in the world.
As if to solidify his statement, Mac kissed her. Nothing too intimate, just his lips to hers. A soft promise. A gentle understanding that he was a man of his word.
