A Second Chance (The Publicist, Book Four) Page 10

  “Your necklace,” he said softly, “I noticed when you were in my office today, you weren’t wearing it.”

  “I thought it was time to put the past away.”

  She pulled back slightly and looked at him, his beautiful, chiseled face. It was different, older and wiser but still the same.

  Her Mac.

  He was the one. She knew it, and no matter how scary it was, or how easy it was to get lost in his eyes, she was simply, and undeniably his.

  Mac bent his head down, “God, I love you.” He whispered before he pressed his lips to hers. Her vision flashed, her breath shuddered out of her and her heart felt too big for her chest.

  He was hot, pressed against her. He pulled back, his breath uneven.

  “I want it all, Sydney. You. Every day. For the rest of my life. Can you handle that?”

  She smiled and reached up to kiss him again, “I thought you’d never ask.”

  prologue

  “Thanks for coming tonight,” Kate smiled as their cab pulled up to the hotel; she gave Nick a soft kiss on the cheek, “I’m sure this is the last place you want to be.”

  “You mean because of Mac? Honey, I don’t care about the guy being around you, though he still bugs the crap out of me for reasons not related to us. I know this is important to you, so it’s important to me, and I know you still have a lot of friends who work there, so it’s good to show up and support them.”

  Kate slid out of the cab as Nick paid the driver. It was a big night for Morris and Dean. The eve of the launch of the Wonder Woman book, they were hosting a big party, a sort of comeback for the publisher that most had written off.

  It was all thanks to Mac Ellis.

  “Is it weird that I’m sort of proud of my old company?” Kate asked as they walked inside.

  Mac had worked tirelessly, getting new titles, realigning the business and rebranding the house, which he’d done flawlessly.

  Nick smiled at his wife and held out his arm, he looked impossibly handsome in his tailored suit.

  “I love you.” He bent his head and kissed her, “And no, it’s perfectly normal to feel proud of MD, even of Mac, and you know, I’m so proud of you, too. You’ve come so far from your days at Morris and Dean.”

  “I love you, Nicholas Lavigne, and I love our little family and our life.”

  Nick kissed her again, “I think we should stay for the least amount of time possible and then let me take you home and ravage you.”

  “I would love that.”

  They stepped inside, past the doorman and walked into the ballroom. It was already full of people and buzzing with conversations. Kate smiled and waved at some people she knew, other publishers who were also invited, but not necessarily connected with MD. There were several agents. She also spotted Delia off in the distance.

  “Kate, Nick, glad you could make it.” Kate turned to see Mac, impeccably dressed in an expensive suit; he looked different than the day she’d seen him in the Thai place. He looked happy, and Kate could see a sparkle in his eye.

  Nick nodded, never a fan of Kate’s ex, “Mac, looks like the company is doing well.”

  Mac narrowed his eyes, a playful look on his face, “It’s been a long time, Nick. The last time I saw you, I think I was kicking your ass.” The fight they’d had over Kate felt like a million years ago to him now.

  Nick shrugged and returned his stare. He took a sip of his champagne and kept his voice light: “That’s not actually what happened, but whatever you have to tell yourself to get through the day.”

  “Boys,” Kate said, she knew Mac was teasing, but she wasn’t sure Nick took it that way.

  “Mac, sounds like M.D. is on its feet again. You must be really proud.” That’s when she spotted it, the glint of a wedding ring on his hand. She grabbed it and smiled, “Mac! You’re married!” She gave him a gentle hug, almost a reflex. They’d been good friends once; then they were more.

  “Congratulations,” Nick held out his hand and shook Mac’s. Kate made a mental note to remember the first time Nick and Mac were in the same room without tearing each other apart, verbally or otherwise.

  Just then, a tall, stunning blond in a red dress walked up to them.

  “Sydney, honey,” Mac turned and smiled at her. Actually, Kate observed, he beamed. “I want you to meet Kate Mitchell Lavigne and her husband Nick Lavigne. Nick, Kate, this is my wife. Sydney Sullivan, eh, I mean Ellis.”

  Sydney’s smile broadened, “Nice to meet you both. “ She extended her hand to Nick first and then Kate, “I’ve heard so much about you,” she said to Kate, “it’s lovely to finally meet you.”

  Kate returned her smile, “It’s really lovely to meet you, too. Congrats on getting married, I didn’t see it mentioned in any of the trades, nice work.”

  Mac smiled to his wife, “No, once we decided, we flew in Syd’s family and had it in a small church where we grew up. We’re leaving on our honeymoon right after this event.” His eyes, the way he looked at Sydney, Kate could tell how much he loved her.

  “Well, we should go mingle,” Kate said and then as they turned she leaned into Mac and whispered: “Good for you, Mac, I’m really happy for you.”

  Mac looked at her for a moment and smiled, “Thanks, Katie, that means a lot, coming from you.” Then Mac turned back to his wife and swept her away, through the crowd.

  “Do you have any idea how much I love you, Mrs. Ellis?”

  Sydney smiled, “I’d love for you to show me again. When can we sneak out of here?”

  “How about now?” A smiled teased his lips. “These people have enough champagne and food to keep them plenty happy without us. Let’s go officially start our life together.”

  My Dear Reader,

  I really hope you enjoyed A Second Chance, Book Four in The Publicist series. At the of Climax I heard from many readers asking for more – and they especially wanted to know how it would end up for Mac and so, A Second Chance was born!

  When the book first came out I got so many letters from fans thanking me. Some had an opinion about Mac and Kate, while others rooted for Nick. As an author, I love feedback. So, tell me what you liked, what you loved, even what you hated. I’d love to hear from you. You can write me at authorchristinageorge@gmail.com and visit me on the web at www.thepublicistnovel.com.

  Finally, I need to ask a favor. If you’re so inclined I’d love a review of A Second Chance: The Publicist Book Four. Loved it, hated it - I’d just enjoy your feedback. As you may have gleaned from my books, reviews can be tough to come by these days. You, the reader, have the power now to make or break a book. If you have the time, here’s a link to the book on Amazon: http://bit.ly/ThePublicistBookFour

  I have to tell you, I really love these characters. And I’m thrilled so many readers wrote after reading book one and two: “What’s next for these characters??” Well, stay tuned because there is more coming. I am currently working on a book about Vivienne and then a surprising look at Allan Lavigne when he was young and handsome (in fact Nick looks a lot like him!) So stay tuned and please stay in touch!

  In gratitude,

  Christina George