Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
Dane
Our lips meet, soft and warm. I can’t keep my hands to myself.
My fingers lightly touch Kendall’s cheeks and then slide up to tangle them in her hair, as my tongue brushes against hers, tasting her sweet coffee.
Slipping my hand to cradle her head, and with just enough pressure to draw her closer, I feel her moan against my mouth as our kiss deepens.
We are interrupted by someone clearing their throat, cutting through our moment like a knife.
I respond by tightening my grip around her waist, fingers pressing into her hips, silently refusing to let this intrusion end what we've started.
She breaks away with reluctance, and I can feel the lingering pressure of her lips; then, she plants a quick, warm peck on my cheek.
“Hi, Sally,” she says, her voice shifting from intimate to casual in an instant, though her hand remains hidden against my back.
I wave, never letting her go. With a gentle touch, I tilt her chin until our eyes meet. “I'll make time for you this week, I promise.”
She lifts my hand to her lips and presses a kiss against my palm.
A current races from my fingertips to my shoulder, spreading through my chest until even my toes tingle with awareness.
In that moment, I know with absolute certainty that nothing about my life will ever feel complete without her in it.
With the salon about to open and my office waiting, I pull her close against me one more time, breathing in her watermelon scent before reluctantly letting go. “I'll text you,” I promise, already missing her warmth.
“I can't wait,” she says, her eyes twinkling, bringing a smile to my face.
Looking at her is never enough. My hands itch to trace the curve of her cheek, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips.
Her smile fades slightly. “Have you heard anything about Jake's case?”
I have to tell her. “I'm familiar with the judge handling Jake's case. Given the extensive list of charges and his status as a repeat offender, he's facing a lengthy jail term. I'm making sure that he doesn't end up in a cushy cell.”
She presses her hand against my chest, right over my thundering heart, and I cover it with mine, our fingers interlocking like they were made to fit together.
"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without you.
" Her eyes lock onto mine, pupils dilated, filled with such raw vulnerability and trust that something inside me shatters completely, leaving me breathless and out of my element.
“If anyone can handle this situation, it's you. Reminds me of how my Gram faced challenges—head-on, no hesitation." I pull her close one last time, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “Text me when you're free. I'll be thinking about you.”
The minute I walk into the office, my phone chimes in my pocket with that distinctive tone I've set for Kendall, breaking me out of thoughts still lingering on the softness of her lips. My heart quickens at the sight of her name on the screen.
Kendall:
I wanted to thank you for my coffee. It’s delicious…just like you.
Dane:
You can’t talk to me like that while at work…I’ll have to go sit in my office for a while.
Kendall:
Imagining that makes me laugh. My next client just walked in the door.
Dane:
Okay, text me later.
“What the fuck are you smiling about?” Logan says, his Mont Blanc pen scratching furiously across his yellow legal pad. His dark eyebrows knit together as he glances up at me. I shut the door with a soft click.
“Kendall texted me.”
He sets his pen down with deliberate slowness, clasping his hands behind his head, as he leans back in his chair. He stares at me, his hazel eyes unblinking beneath those thick brows. The silence stretches.
“What?” I ask.
“You know I love you, bro, right?”
“Y-yes,” I manage, shifting my weight before sitting down.
“I need you to listen to me without interruption. Can you do that?” His voice has that lawyer tone—measured and precise.
“These past couple of years have been tough on you. You've thrown yourself into doing everything you can for the firm and left your personal life hanging by a thread.” He pauses and leans back, the pen tapping rhythmically against the table.
My stomach tightens. Where is he going with this?
“It's been interesting to watch you over the last few weeks. Dare I utter the words…” His lips curl into a knowing smile, revealing teeth that are perfectly whitened.
“You look happy, very happy. Your smile gives it away.
And you aren't as snappy with people at the office—or with me.
It's a refreshing look on you, getting back on the horse.”
“What are you, an old man? Getting back on the horse?” I run my fingers along the crisp edge of my suit jacket.
“That's what you're taking away from that?” He shakes his head and puts his hands in the air. Leaning further back in the chair, he says, “Anything else?”
The silence stretches between us. Logan's eyes never leave mine, steady and patient. It's the same look he's given me since we were kids—the one that waits out any opponent until they crack. The look that's won him more cases than I can count.
I drag my palm down my stubbled face and hunch forward. “Since when did my dating life become so fascinating to you?”
A hint of a smile plays at the corner of his mouth. We both know this dance. I'm not about to lay all my cards on the table, even if he already knows what I'm holding.
“Cut the crap,” he says, voice softer than I expected. “I'm happy for you, man. Seriously. Nobody pulls strings with the security team or calls in favors to the judge over some casual fling. This woman matters to you.”
My chest tightens. He's right. What I have with Kendall is nothing like what I had with Maggie. With Maggie, I lived under constant scrutiny. Late nights at the office? I'd get the cold shoulder. Home by six? Where was dinner? The woman could find fault with a dishwasher if she tried hard enough.
I’m not sure why I stayed so long—comfort, maybe.
I knew exactly what she brought to the table: constant nagging, judgment, irritation, and unhappiness.
I grabbed whatever moments of peace I could, and when those dried up, I buried myself in work.
Looking back, I own my part in how we drifted apart, but none of that gave her the right to betray me with my best friend.
If she were that unhappy, she could have ended things and moved on. Instead, she chose to stay—and lie.
“She's not just special to me, Logan—she's burning through my veins like wildfire.
Last night, watching her sleep against my chest while some movie played…
God, I couldn't even focus on the screen. All I could think about was the weight of her body on mine, her breath against my neck. When I carried her to bed last night…”
Logan closes his eyes. “Do I want to hear this?”
“No, I literally carried her to bed so she could sleep. Her fingers curled into my shirt even in her sleep, like she couldn't let go. And I didn't want her to…But I let her sleep and went home. Then this morning, I dropped off coffee.”
Logan snorts. “My big brother, all grown up and doting on someone. Never thought I’d see the day.”
I force a grin. “Neither did I. I wish I had more time with her. When I told her I’d be tied up at the office all week, her face fell, even though she knew my schedule. It kills me to see her disappointed.”
He clears his throat. “Do you think it’ll become a problem?”
“I’m not sure,” I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. “Maybe I’m the clingy one. I’m already reshuffling my calendar to carve out extra minutes—dropping off coffee just to see her smile.”
“You’ll figure it out. Theresa and I have our rhythm—she’ll call me out if I disappear for too long or flake on plans. She’s understanding when it happens occasionally, but if it becomes a pattern, she lets me know. I love her for it.”
“Thanks, man. I need someone in my corner, not someone breathing down my neck.”
Logan grins. “You’ll find your balance. So when’s our double date? Then those two can gang up on us.”
I laugh. “No time wasted, huh?”
“Theresa’s been champing at the bit to double-date. I want to see if she approves of your choice.”
“Well, this Saturday I’ve got something unforgettable planned for her. I need to top our last date—but I’ll run it by her. I’m betting she’ll be all in.”
“Okay, keep me posted on that front…Now, what’s up with Jake?”
“As for Jake, Joel has a guy inside to make it really clear, ya know, rough him up a bit, to give him a little taste of what will happen if he even thinks about contacting Kendall.”
“You told her all of this, too? No holding back with her.”
“It’s been handled. We should hear about his sentencing next week, right?”
“Yes, unless the judge moves it up. I may have to use one of my favors to make that happen, but I’ll do whatever it takes for her.”
He leans forward with his elbows on the desk. “Well, hopefully that will be behind us soon. Keep me in the loop on all of that, but it seems like Joel’s handling it…”
“I thought you were excited to spend more time with Kendall now that your caseload was a bit more flexible.”
I stand up quickly, pacing the room. “I was, but this is important. I feel like she understands me—understands my job.”
“She sounds like the perfect girl for you, bro. Theresa is the perfect girl for me. She gets it. Understands when plans change, I have to work late, get called into the office, you know, all the things that drive most women crazy. I’m a lucky guy to have found her.
And you know she reminds me of that fact all the time.
” He smiles widely, knowing he is truly a lucky guy.
“She’s a saint to deal with your shit.” I laugh and smack my hand on his back. “Alright, what can I help with?”
Spending the rest of the day and night at the office, my assistant thankfully brought us food; otherwise, we’d be at each other’s throats.
We get hangry, and that’s never a good sight.
She knows us too well. Before she left for the day, she left a note saying dinner would be delivered at seven. I should give her a raise.
When we sit down to eat our dinner at eight o’clock, I realize my phone must still be in my office. I was determined to ensure we wrapped this up as soon as possible.
Out of the blue, I say, “Do you think she’d like a weekend away at the lake house?”
I must have caught him off guard because he blinks at me for a moment before saying, “Um, well, you haven’t been back there since you found Maggie and Al there. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“Maybe I need to make fresh memories there and forget about Maggie and Al. I think Kendall would love it.”
“No doubt you need to forget about them. Want me to come with you to at least be back in the place before bringing her? Then you can have your assistant take care of updating it. Changing things up might be the best way to make fresh memories.”
He’s right. I should probably step foot in there with someone before offering a weekend away to Kendall.
I used to love that lake house, but Maggie tarnished it.
I contemplated burning the whole thing down, but just never went back instead.
Now it just sits empty with its beautiful views of Mirror Lake going to waste.
There were a lot of great memories prior to the Maggie shitshow.
“Since you're pointing that out and offering, it sounds like a great idea. We can figure out a time next week,” I say, locking him in to come with me before he can back out.
“Name the day and time…I’m there.”
“Heads down for now to work through these last documents. Oh, have you seen my phone?”
“No, but I’m surprised you left it.”
“I think it’s in my office. I’ll be back.”
My office is on the other side of the firm. With huge strides, I walk through my office doorway. There’s my phone sitting on my desk, with a few missed calls. One from Joel, and the rest can wait. I call him back immediately.
“What’s up?”
“Fuck, good thing it wasn’t an emergency. I called hours ago.”
“You know the office number.”
“Yeah, true. Quick update: Jake will be handled tonight. I’ll keep you updated on that once it’s done. Kendall is still at the salon. She said another hour and she’ll be ready to leave. If I were a betting man, I’d say she likes having us around.”
“Of course she does,” I say with a chuckle.
The conversation settles my mind about Kendall. He’s got her while I take care of what I need to here.
I scan my phone for all the missed text messages.
There are a few from Kendall. She was just asking whether I would be over tonight or sleeping at the office.
The thought of being with her every night sends a jolt straight through my chest. I whisper, “One day.” I shake my head, trying to shake off the relentless longing to curl up to her curvy body and red hair every single night.
I can’t help wondering if this will ever be too much for her.
She says it doesn’t bother her now, but what if one day it’s not enough?
The few hours I’m able to spare for our relationship—will it make up for all the times I’m not there?
Will stolen moments between meetings ever be enough?
Or will she wake up one day and realize she deserves someone who can give her more than leftover time?
I take a deep breath, trying to quiet the voice in my head. Kendall runs her own business—she understands the importance of deadlines and emergencies. But understanding doesn't fill an empty bed or make up for a canceled dinner.
Logan's advice echoes—show up when I say I will, make our time count. The tightness in my chest loosens slightly. I type a quick reply, promising to call her tonight. It's a small promise, but one I can keep.
Dane:
I might be able to get out of here for a little bit. When will you be home?