Trust me, p.17
Trust Me, page 17
Indina dropped her fork. “Didn’t I just say I didn’t want to know? I could have sworn I just said that.”
“Sorry,” Mack said. She released a sigh. “The truth is, I have no idea what went wrong. Ezra’s been over at my place nearly every night for the past three weeks. We’ve been going over the information he’s found on Mayor Warner. Everything was fine, until we slept together.” She shrugged. “He all of a sudden decided that we shouldn’t work together anymore. That we should still conduct the research, but do it independently.”
“What an asshole,” Indina said.
“Your sisterly love is so apparent.”
“I don’t care that he’s my brother. That was an asshole move. I need to slap some sense into him.”
“No,” Mack quickly injected. “Ezra’s right.” Indina started to speak, but Mack stopped her. “I mean it, Indina. I allowed this attraction to Ezra to distract me from what’s really important here.” She put her hands up. “Now that I’ve got it out of my system, I can concentrate on uncovering whatever is going on with the mayor and figuring out whether or not I really want to challenge him in the next mayoral race.”
“But that doesn’t mean Ezra can give you the wham, bam, thank you ma’am treatment.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Mack said. “Just promise me that you’ll stay out of this.”
“But—”
“Promise me,” Mack said again.
Reluctance emanated from across the table, but Indina finally nodded.
“Fine,” she said with a nonchalant wave. “I’ll stay out of it.” She pointed at Mack. “But don’t think I won’t punch him the next time I see him. I’ll just make up an excuse for why I had to punch him that has nothing to do with you.”
Mack laughed. It was the first time she’d done so in three days. “I don’t know why it took me so long to tell you this.”
“Neither do I,” Indina said. “Despite my initial reaction—which, let’s face it, is justified seeing that this is my brother we’re talking about—I’m not as grossed out by the idea of you and Ezra together as I first let on.” A smile edged up the corner of her mouth. “Actually, I think I may love it. Just think, if you two were to get married, we’d be sisters.”
“For goodness’ sake, Indina. Married?” Mack deadpanned. “After what I just told you?”
“Yeah, the fact that he’s acting like a complete ass ruins it for me. He wasn’t raised that way,” Indina said.
“I know that,” Mack said. “But it doesn’t matter. You know I have no intentions of getting married anytime soon. If ever.”
“Well… I said the same thing, and yet?” Indina held her hand up. Mack dropped her fork and her jaw at the same time. “This is just one way I knew something was definitely wrong,” Indina continued. “We’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes and you didn’t even notice.”
“Holy shit! When did this happen?”
“Today. At work of all places.” She rolled her eyes. “He asked me over sushi in my office.”
“Oh, Griffin.” Mack laughed. “That’s probably the most unromantic proposal I’ve ever heard.”
“Yes, he definitely needs work in the romantic gesture department.”
Mack reached over and captured her hand. “I am so happy for you, sweetheart. Have the two of you set a date?”
Indina shook her head.
“Good, because I would have been highly pissed if you’d set a date without telling me.”
“You know I don’t move that fast,” Indina said. “The fact that I told him yes so quickly shocked the hell out of both of us. But I already told Griffin that we can’t do anything until we’ve set up my mom’s foundation and have it off the ground. He’s okay with that. He said he just wanted to see his ring on my finger.”
“You found yourself a good one.” Mack smiled. “I still can’t believe you thought he was only good for sex.” Indina had been in a co-workers-with-benefits relationship with her boyfriend—correction: fiancé—for nearly a year before Griffin was able to convince her that they were meant to be together.
“He’s still good for that,” Indina said. Her eyes fell closed and a huge smiled spread across her face. “Very good.”
“Bitch, don’t rub it in,” Mack said.
Indina’s head flew back with her crack of laughter.
As she regarded the sheer bliss on her friend’s face, Mack wondered if she would ever find that kind of happiness again.
Again?
When had she ever been that happy?
What Indina and Griffin had was real. Mack doubted she’d ever shared that kind of love with Carter. He wasn’t the type of man who made himself available for true love.
You could have eventually loved Ezra.
The thought sent a sharp ache through Mack’s heart. There was no doubt in her mind that she could have fallen in love with Ezra. But that wasn’t in the cards for her, so she’d just have to deal. She was a pro at dealing with whatever life threw her way.
Mack waved her fork at Indina’s fingers. “Just because you have that rock on your hand, it doesn’t mean you can flaunt it in my face.”
“You know I would never do that.”
“Sure, just like you never flaunt your smokin’ sex life in my face.”
“Hey, you can’t complain anymore now that your drought is over.”
Mack snorted. “One night of sex shouldn’t count as the end of my drought.”
Indina’s smile faltered. “Is it really going to be just one night?”
“Yes,” Mack said with a definitive nod. “It was a mistake to begin with.”
“Don’t say that,” Indina said. “I would love it if you and Ezra could actually make something work. He used to be so infatuated with you back when we were in college.”
For the second time tonight, Mack’s jaw dropped. “You knew about his crush on me?”
“Of course I knew. He’s my little brother.”
“Why didn’t you ever say anything to me about it?”
“Because he was my little brother,” Indina repeated. “It wasn’t the first time one of my brothers had had a crush on one of my friends. But I must admit that, with you, it seemed to be much more serious, at least for Ezra. That was before you married Carter, of course.” She shrugged. “I figured he was over you.”
Mack released a deep sigh. “Well, he’s definitely over me now.”
“I still think you should let me knock him over the head,” Indina said.
Mack smiled. “No. Family is too important. I’ll be just fine.” She picked up the small dessert menu. “But a slice of bourbon pecan pie will make me feel a whole lot better.”
“We sharing?” Indina asked.
Mack glared at her. “You touch my pie, you die.”
They both burst out laughing, and Mack’s heart swelled with gratitude over Indina’s enduring friendship.
At least that was one thing she could always count on.
Chapter 10
Ezra found himself in familiar territory, standing on the sidewalk in front of Mack’s condo building, staring at the outside entrance. But unlike the excitement that pulsed through him the last time he was here, his entire being was consumed with dread.
And…hope.
If he’d ever doubted whether or not he was an optimist, Ezra had his answer. Because despite all the reasons she shouldn’t, he held out hope that Mack would be understanding when he explained why he’d been MIA for the past four days.
His eyes traveled up to the seventh floor and over to the third window from the right. The lights were on. She was home.
He sucked in a breath.
He’d taken a chance coming here without calling or texting first, but what in the hell was he supposed to say in a text? Sorry for being an asshole and ignoring you since the moment I left your bed?
Yeah, that would go over real well.
He refused hide behind a text. Ezra figured it was better to speak to her face-to-face. That way, when she told him “screw you,” he could gauge how much venom there was behind the words.
He pulled in another reassuring breath before pressing the call button on her doorbell. Several moments passed before Mack’s rich voice came through the speaker.
“Who is it?” she asked.
“It’s, uh, Ezra. Can I come up?”
His request was met with dead silence. He pressed the button again, but didn’t get an answer.
“Shit,” Ezra cursed under his breath.
He knew he’d fucked up. He’d come here today to see just how badly he’d fucked up. The fact that she wouldn’t even respond was all the answer he needed.
Just as Ezra turned to walk away, the door to the building opened and Mack appeared. The first thing he noticed was how amazing she looked dressed in leggings and an oversized T-shirt; her face devoid of makeup, a silk scarf wrapped around her head. He’d never seen her so casually dressed. He’d never been more attracted to her than he was at this very moment.
“I took a chance on you being here,” Ezra said.
“I took a sick day,” she answered.
Alarm instantly pierced his chest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I just needed a day away from everything.” She leaned her shoulder against the doorjamb and folded her arms over her chest. “What do you want, Ezra?”
“To apologize,” he said.
Her gaze dropped to her feet before returning to his face. “You don’t have anything to apologize for.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Ezra—”
A couple came up behind her, the man pushing a stroller with a sleeping, blond-haired baby snuggling a stuffed unicorn. “Pardon me,” the man said.
“I’m sorry,” Mack said as she cleared the way for them to pass.
Ezra took the opportunity to step in closer to her. “Can we please go upstairs and talk?”
“I’m not sure we have anything to talk about. Unless you uncovered something else in the investigation that I don’t know about.”
“Mack, please. Just give me a chance to explain why I…why I did what I did.”
Ezra wasn’t sure exactly how he planned to do that, but he was good at thinking on his feet. Surely he could come up with something by the time they made it up to her condo.
Mack continued to stare at him, saying nothing. His unease grew with every second that ticked by. Finally, she pushed away from the doorjamb. If he hadn’t had all of his attention focused on her, Ezra would have missed the little nudge of her head, inviting him to follow her.
They were silent as they rode the elevator up to her floor. Once they entered her condo, she remained standing in the foyer.
“Do you mind if we sit down?” Ezra asked.
“I’m good right here.”
He released a breath and rubbed his hands against his thighs. This wasn’t going to be easy, not that he deserved easy. He was lucky she’d agreed to hear him out at all.
“Thursday night spooked me,” Ezra started.
The brow over her right eye cocked in inquiry, but she didn’t respond.
“Developing feelings for someone who I could potentially have to investigate is a professional hazard for me as a journalist. In the back of my head, I knew it was wrong, but it wasn’t until the following day, while teaching my Ethics in Journalism class, that it hit me. Actually, it didn’t just hit me, it crashed down over my head like a ton of bricks.”
She continued her ride on the Stoic and Silent Express, not giving him any cues to what she was thinking. Ezra’s heart began to pump faster. Fear that he wasn’t getting through to her sent a sharp pain to his chest.
“Do you understand my dilemma, Mackenna? If you decide to run for mayor, how can I ever remain impartial? My journalistic integrity wouldn’t be worth shit.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. Of course. Last Thursday was a one-time thing. It won’t happen again. We can continue our own separate investigations into Mayor Warner’s background and if either of us finds anything, we’ll let the other know. Unless you’d rather just forget about the joint investigation entirely.”
“No. Dammit, Mack.” He tipped his head back and ran both hands down his face. “I don’t want to continue on the way we have these past few days. For one thing, it doesn’t make sense to work separately. We can find out that we’ve both been wasting time going down the same path, which would only set us back when time is of the essence.”
His eyes connected with hers. “But that’s not the only reason I don’t want us working apart anymore.” He took a step forward and she took one back. Her move was like a physical blow.
He’d made an irrevocable mistake. There was no doubt about that.
Ezra put both hands up. “I won’t ask that we just forget about what happened and start over, because I don’t want to forget it. That night was…God, Mack, it was the most amazing thing that’s happened to me in years.”
She folded her arms over her chest and started for the door. “I don’t need to hear this,” she said.
“Mack, please.” Ezra caught her arm. She flinched.
He quickly let go and waited for her to turn before pleading in a pained voice, “Please, just hear me out.”
“What do you want from me, Ezra? You’re saying that sleeping with me will ruin your career, and at the same time gushing over how it was this magical night. I don’t understand what you want. You can’t have it both ways.”
“I know that,” he said.
“Do you think it doesn’t compromise me, as well?” Mack asked. “You’re the same reporter who was hell-bent on ruining my career just a few months ago. Do you think it doesn’t scare the shit out of me to let my guard down and trust you? How do I know you’re not still investigating me and getting in my bed was just another way for you to get closer to me so you can get the real story?”
“You know that’s not the case.”
“Do I?”
Ezra blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m not investigating you, Mackenna. I now know that the well-being of this city is the most important thing to you.”
“But you think if I become mayor, I’ll somehow compromise my morals. Is that it?”
“That’s not what I’m saying. But let’s be real, Mack. It’s a legitimate issue. What happens if you become mayor and I have to investigate you?”
Her indifferent expression turned pensive, her forehead creasing slightly.
“I can see how that would be a problem,” she finally said. “I guess there’s no way to work around that.”
“Actually, I came up with a solution. It’s a pretty simple one.”
She lifted her brows, as if silently asking for further explanation.
“I just wouldn’t investigate you,” Ezra said. “It wouldn’t make me any less of a journalist to step away from any story involving you.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t want you to do that. Your job is a part of who you are, Ezra. It wouldn’t be fair to expect you to not be you.”
“Let me worry about that,” Ezra said. He took the chance of closing the gap between them. It felt like he’d won a victory when she didn’t automatically take a step back. “I don’t want to stop seeing you. I don’t want to stop working with you. I want to see more of you. I want to see you not just when we’re working together on this investigation, but when you’re having dinner, or watching television, or grocery shopping. I want to be with you, Mackenna.”
He took her hand in his. “Can we do this? Really do this? Can we start seeing more of each other so that we can at least try to see where this leads?”
After several weighty moments passed, she said, “I don’t know.”
That one statement completely knocked the wind out of Ezra’s sails. He’d banked on his plea being enough to win her over.
“What can I do to change your mind?” he asked.
She looked up at him. “Do you know you’re the first man I’ve slept with since divorcing my husband? Only the second man I’ve slept with since I was twenty-three years old?”
He shook his head and tried to ignore the unwarranted pleasure her admission induced.
“It may have seemed as if it happened all of a sudden, but it didn’t, Ezra. I thought long and hard before sleeping with you. It’s not something I take lightly.”
“I know it isn’t,” he said.
She slipped her hand out of his hold and took several steps back.
“Well then, you should know that it won’t be easy for me to just jump right back into it.”
He nodded, mentally acknowledging the sharp ache in his chest. He had to clear his throat before speaking.
“I’m willing to wait,” Ezra said. “I knew I’d have to win back your trust.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “So, does this mean we’re back on with the investigation as well?”
She hesitated for several moments before nodding. “Meet me at my office in City Hall tomorrow. I’m free any time after two p.m.”
Ezra jutted his chin toward her dining room where they’d worked the other night. “I’ve got time right now,” he said.
“I don’t think I’m ready to have you here right now.”
And if ever there was a dagger to the heart, that was it.
“Okay,” he said. “I won’t push.”
She nodded. “I appreciate it.” Then she turned and opened the door.
Ezra felt as if a ton of lead was tied to his legs as he trudged to the door. Everything within him screamed at him to stay and try to change her mind. But that wouldn’t be fair to her. He was the one who’d slept with her, then went radio silent for nearly a week.
He would be happy with whatever crumb of her time she threw his way. At this point, he had no other choice.
* * *
Mack turned the corner at the end of the hallway and spotted Ezra standing outside the door of her office at City Hall. She cursed her stupid heart for speeding up the way it did just at the sight of him. The man screwed her, and then told her he didn’t want to see her again. Not in those exact terms, of course, but that’s how it had felt.
He had a legitimate reason.
