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Mr. M, the boss of both of us, was staring at us with bemusement. “I was wondering if the latest water cooler talk was true,” he commented, looking purposefully at how close we were standing.
I started to step away, but Holt shot out his arm and pulled me against his side. “John, you may as well know that I have strong feelings for Madelyn. I’m going to do everything in my power to protect her and figure this out. I trust you don’t have a problem with that?”
I stared at him before breaking out in a huge smile. I reached one arm around his back and slid the other one up the front of his suit coat, resting my hand over his heart. He looked down and returned my smile.
Turning my attention back to the man who’d stepped in and helped get my life back in order, I waited for his response. Mr. M’s eyes darted back and forth between the two of us before a large grin broke out on his face.
“Oh, I more than approve. I couldn’t be more pleased that you’ve found each other. Forgive me, but I feel a bit like a proud father, or perhaps grandfather is more accurate,” he chuckled.
He knew how much those words meant to me. I slipped out from Holt’s arm and gave this man who’d given me more than my own family ever had a big squeeze.
“I’m not sure if that makes it easier or harder to tell you my new plan,” he said, returning my hug.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Holt suggested, and I agreed, that you should be his temporary new assistant.”
I had come up here expecting to lose my job, and I was being considered for a promotion of sorts? “But I don’t know anything about working in a law office!” I squeaked. “I’m not qualified!”
“Not in the traditional sense,” Holt acknowledged. “But it’s more administrative than anything. I need someone who can help keep me organized, take notes, put my files together…fetch my coffee,” he grinned.
“Humph. Seriously, though, isn’t that what Mrs. Talbot does for you?”
“She does some of it, but she also has other lawyers to keep up with in our cluster. And she can’t accompany me to court. You don’t need legal experience to do the job, Maddy. Sure, it helps, but this isn’t a paralegal job. It’s a lot of what you do already, except only for me. And since I have to be out of the office a lot in the upcoming weeks, I’d feel better having you with me.”
My hackles rose. “So, I’m only being offered this job because you want to keep an eye on me? I’m not a child! I don’t need a babysitter!”
It was hard enough the way I got my clerk job, but I had my pride; I wasn’t taking a job I wasn’t qualified for just to satisfy Holt’s need to protect me. This was taking it way too far.
“Maddy—“ Holt started. Mr. M slipped out the door, leaving Holt on his own. Smart man.
I stood there shaking my head.
“No, Holt. It’s just not right when there are other more qualified people looking for work.” I crossed my arms, ready to dig in my heels if he fought me on this. “I didn’t get out of prison just to be chained to someone else and not have any freedom to do what I want and make my own decisions.”
He looked horrified. “Is that how you see me? A chain? As someone who holds you back?”
The hurt in his voice was undeniable, and I knew once again I’d managed to misspeak.
“No!” I practically shouted and reached for him, but he took a step back. “No, Holt,” I continued gently. “You’ve done more for me than anybody I know to help me grow and set me free from the past. My grandmother always warned me not to let my mouth overload my tail, but I still seem to do it. I’m sorry. You mean more to me than anyone, more than I think you understand. And that scares me, too. Sometimes I feel like I’ve never had a chance to stand on my own two feet, and just when I thought I might be able to, you came along and swept me right off of them.”
This time, it was he who closed the gap between us. “I did?”
“Mmmhmm.” I grew breathless at both my confession and his closeness. I looked up at him. “I’m sorry I
made you feel otherwise.”
“Well, I can’t exactly stay mad, given all the times my tail has been crammed in my mouth or whatever the hell that saying was. You and your grannyisms.” He smiled. “Does this count as our first official fight as a couple? Cause that means make-up sex tonight.” He snaked his arms around my waist and pulled me close.
“I don’t know, are we officially a couple?” I teased.
“You better believe it, sweetheart. And if you need any further evidence, I’ll be happy to provide it.”
His head grew closer and his lips caught mine in a slow and sweet kiss that matched any romantic image I ever had in my head.
Long moments later he lifted his head, leaving me to gaze at him in a complete fog. “Now, about that job…”
Well, maybe there were some perks to working with him, I thought with a smile and pulled his head back down.
