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As she tied the sash around her soft pink robe, common sense told her to blow the candles out. Common sense told her to get into a pair of real pajamas and just go to bed. But there was a nagging voice coming from somewhere inside that told her to give him a few more minutes.
Macy hadn’t meant to leave Duke’s side, but she’d caught a glimpse out the front door of the hayride coming back. As a child, Macy could never understand how her parents could just dump her off with her grandparents, but after seeing how the paparazzi flocked to the door... She would never want to subject her children to that.
Her mind kept replaying the incident at Mario’s. Her heart ached for the pain that woman must have put him through. Duke had looked like death washed over him when he saw her. From what he’d told her, Macy knew things didn’t end well with her. Kristina Barclay was certainly a piece of work. There was no doubting that she had seen her walk by the window outside Mario’s house. They’d made direct eye contact and upon doing so, Macy had seen the devilish smirk across her face.
Trying to take her mind off seeing the two of them kissing, Macy turned on the television with the remote control. The midnight broadcast of an entertainment news program was already showing a recap from the paparazzi’s point of view of Kristina and Duke. From their angle, Macy had a better view of Duke’s face. She had felt his tension when she was standing beside him, but from the camera angle she could see it. His face was taut with anger, his lips pressed firmly together, and his eyes had turned a shade of black, soulless black. Macy shivered, reminding her never to get on his bad side...ever.
The idea of Duke being bonded for life to a woman like Kristina Barclay made her blood boil with jealousy. She wanted to scream and punch something. She wanted to fight for her man and she didn’t know how to handle her feelings. When Mario’s infidelity had been exposed, Macy was ready to move on with her life, without him.
She wanted Duke. But did she have him anymore? Kristina had a part of Duke inside her and Macy had no control of where this would leave her and Duke. She’d seen him with small children. He loved them. He doted on the Baez kids. Hell, he’d even carved a place for himself in Macy’s family. But the dose of reality tonight threatened her future with Duke. Things had been so perfect between her and him. Why did Kristina even come down here? Of course, it was to reclaim Duke. Who wouldn’t him as part of their family? Was it even possible for Duke to be the father? He’d told her he couldn’t have children. In fact, he’d blurted it out during one of their first real conversations.
The clock struck one and woke Macy out of her slight doze. Her heart sank with the realization of the time. Duke still hadn’t shown. Had Kristina’s kiss meant more to him than she would have thought? Were they now wrapped up in the sheets on his bed? Jealousy was not an emotion Macy was used to having, but she had to decide if that was what she was feeling as she felt the frame of the remote control squeaking in her hand as she crushed it as she thought.
Macy tried to push the thought of him...the two of them...out of her mind. On TV, a nightly talk show host was going on about the season’s shopping and preparation for Christmas, which was in just another week. It reminded Macy that Duke’s party was on Christmas Eve. She’d had everything ready to go. His guest list was, well, everyone who could come. With the recent explosion of Kristina, she wondered if she would be on the open-invitation list. She clicked off the television, wishing it was just that easy to turn her thoughts of Kristina and Duke out of he
r mind.
Well, she thought to herself, no matter what...she still had a job to do, and she would still do the best job possible. Deciding to showing the two of them how a true professional should act, Macy sighed and stood up. She blew out the candle wicks, now drenched in the melted wax. Puffs of burning smoke followed her through the living room and the kitchen as she snuffed all the candles. As she walked down the hallway to head upstairs, there was a faint knock at the front door.
Her heart lurched into her rib cage. Instinctively Macy pulled her fingers through her hair. Without having to ask, she knew it was him. Macy opened the door and leaned against the side of it, staring at Duke with all the nonchalance she could muster.
“What are you doing here, Duke?”
“Macy!” he breathed, stepping closer. Obviously he wasn’t thinking, either, because he reached for the sides of her face with his large hands and pulled her into a kiss. A deep kiss. She could taste the whiskey on his cool tongue. “You’re okay!”
“Of course I’m okay.” Macy pulled away but didn’t move her hand or hip from the door.
“Are the kids okay?”
She reached her wrist out and pretended to look at a watch that wasn’t there. “It’s like five hours later, and you’re just now asking me this?”
“I’m sorry. Things just got...” Duke straightened.
“Out of hand? Chaotic?” Macy offered for him. He was still in his ugly sweater. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“But the kids are okay?”
She sighed. “The kids are fine. We were able to get them to Mario’s neighbor before you and your girlfriend made a scene.”
“Whoa.” Duke dipped his head to look at her. She wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she focused on the tip of the tree on his sweater. “Where is this coming from?”
“I saw you two.”
He shrugged. “You saw us what?”
“I saw you two kissing.” To see if he would deny it or not, Macy finally looked up at him. His mouth twitched with a smile. “You can leave now.”
Duke shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere, Macy. We need to talk.”
“Really?” She half chuckled with sarcasm. “You left the party with your girlfriend. Your very pregnant girlfriend.”
“Ex,” he quickly corrected. “And stop trying to get rid of me, Macy.”
“Why should I?” Here it came. Her voice cracked. Macy cleared her throat. “Who are we fooling, Duke? I don’t belong in your world, and after a night like tonight, you don’t belong in mine.”
“The hell I don’t!” Duke pushed the door open. His large body filled the frame. She watched his large shoulders rise and fall with each controlled breath he took.
Macy found herself walking backward. She knew Duke would never hurt her, but he’d pushed himself into her foyer with such brute force. Her heart skipped a beat. A fire in her belly grew as he stood there looking over her. Since when had she become a sadist? She wasn’t sure, but the thought of Duke throwing her over his shoulder right now and taking her to the couch gave her body such a rush that she could feel her lower extremities vibrate with sensation.
