Page 129 of Don't Let Me Break

“Oh, so it had nothing to do with you wanting to get laid?” I quip.

His eyes soften, and he laughs, shaking his head. “Never gonna turn down being naked with you, Kate. But tonight, I’m happy to just lie here with you.”

My heart clenches.

He’s telling the truth. I can see it in his eyes. The hint of vulnerability. The slight hesitation.

It kind of makes me want to jump his bones right here, right now. But surprisingly, I don’t think an orgasm is what he needs. He needs a deeper connection. A simple one. Arealone. A reminder that his value isn’t in things or sex or money or…anything. Simply being with him is enough.

And it is.

I strip naked, climb beneath the sheets, and snuggle against his bare chest. He’s so warm. So comfortable. So…safe. Like home.

Slowly, the tension eases from his muscles as one episode turns into four. Neither of us says a word. We munch on popcorn until the bowl is empty. Later, we kick off the blanket, the heat rising with every second, and I snuggle into his chest again. My eyelids feel heavy, the rhythm of his heart against my ear lulling me to sleep when I force my eyes open to find him looking at his phone. Again.

“Did she text you back?” I ask.

He shakes his head and sets his cell back onto the floor beneath his thigh. “It was Theo. The girls wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“That was sweet of them.”

“Yeah.” He threads his hand through a few strands of my hair and tugs softly. “Told them you were good.”

“Thank you.” I drag my fingers against his bare chest, the firelight dancing off his tan skin, casting shadows along the walls of our fort. “Can I…say something?”

“Yeah?” he rumbles.

“I don’t like to see you hurting.” He squeezes his arm tighter around my shoulders, so I burrow into him even more. “I’m sorry they’ve pulled away since the divorce.” And I am. I hate it so much. Can’t they see how much he wants to be part of their lives? Don’t they know he’d do anything to be with them? To talk to them? And if it kills me, a bystander, I can’t even imagine how much it guts Mack. I close my eyes and breathe him in deeply, his familiar scent of pine and spice grounding me.

He lifts his head and kisses the crown of mine.

“I’m sorry she saw us together,” I add. The apology hurts as it slips past my lips, leaving me raw and vulnerable. Because I was never one to like standing out. Blending in always seemed easier. But once Mack and I started dating, those insecurities slowly fell away. I like being playful and silly sometimes. I like riding the mechanical bull and learning how to dance, even when there are witnesses. I like how Mack makes me feel special and worth seeing. Worthy of attention. Worthy of making a splash. Yet here I am, apologizing for it, the stark reminder of why I prefer to keep my head down rearing its ugly head.

Is it my fault Hazel ran away? Would she have done it if Mack was dating anyone else? Does it even matter? I can’t change the past, and honestly, I don’t want to. How selfish does it make me?

The sheets rustle slightly as Mack pulls away from me, sits up, rests his weight on his forearm, and stares down at me. “Don’t ever be sorry for that, Kate.”

“But––”

“My shit with my daughters and my ex ismyshit. Don’t let the drama surrounding them ruin what we have. I’m begging you.” His fingers glide across my cheek. Softly. Carefully. “Because if they screw this up for me…” The pain in his eyes almost breaks me, the cerulean color practically glowing in the dim light, so I nod anyway.

“I’m not going anywhere, Mack. I promise.”

With another kiss to my forehead, he settles back onto the floor and tugs the covers over us, his exhaustion finally getting the best of him. “Let’s get some rest. It’s late, and you have work in the morning.”

Work. With his daughter. Yeah…should be a real treat. But he’s right. I’m tired. And I’m sure he is too.

Tomorrow’s worries can wait.

“Goodnight,” I whisper.

“Goodnight, Kate.”

39

MACKLIN

Ican’t sleep. Not anymore. I got some solid shut-eye for a few hours, but now, the fire’s out, and the morning light is spilling in from the windows, the sun reflecting off the fresh snow and filtering through the blankets.

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