Bev awoke to the smell of fresh coffee and a feeling of utter physical satisfaction.

"Hey, sleepyhead."

She tilted her head to find Mack propped up next to her in bed. He was wearing cut-off sweats and had his computer on his lap. In bed. Mack. She suddenly realized she was naked under the covers, and remembered the night before. The shower. The fantasy. Holy cow.

"Don't go getting embarrassed on me. You are incredible." He slid the laptop aside and scooted under the covers, pulling her on top of him as he gave her a delicious kiss. "Good afternoon, Bev."

"Is it afternoon already?" She nestled against him, sighing with contentment as he pulled her tight. She loved Mack, and making love with him had been beyond her wildest fantasies.

Love. She'd told him she loved him.

He hadn't said he loved her back.

But he was still here, kissing her, snuggling with her. He hadn't run away, panicked that she loved him. Did that mean he loved her, too? Or thought maybe he did? Or just wasn't sure what he thought but wasn't ready to walk away?

Or maybe the sex was so great he wasn't going to feel guilty about breaking her heart.

No, he wasn't like that. He was still in bed with her only because he felt something for her. The question was, what? Did he even know yet?

"Well, we didn't go to sleep until late morning, between making love and then doing some work on the business plan." He began massaging her bare bottom. Her stomach began to tighten and a ball of heat formed between her legs. "So, I pulled together a lot of the things we talked about and wrote it up in a standard business plan format."

"You did?" She propped her head up on her elbows and gazed at him. "Has anyone ever told you that you are the nicest man ever?"

Mack grinned. "Actually, no."

"Well, you are. Thank you."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but then shook his head. Had he been contemplating talking about love? She would have to wait. There was no way she was going to push him on it, if for no other reason than to spare herself having to hear that he didn't love her back. Let the fantasies continue. Unbelievable sex. Letting herself fall in love. Allowing herself to believe he loved her back, just as much, just as irrevocably as she loved him. Letting someone help her out the way he was.

"So, want to look at the business plan?"

She blinked, his question bringing her back to the present. She'd forgotten about the ten-day deadline for a few minutes, about how desperate she was, and how little time they had to get the business plan to Jez. "How long do we have?"

"Just a few hours."

Her stomach lurched in sudden fear. "Okay." She sat up, the sheet falling to her waist. "Show me what you did."

She leaned over him to look at the computer, belatedly realizing she was completely exposed from the waist up. She started to grab for her shirt, and then realized she didn't mind, or feel embarrassed. She smiled, realizing that he made her feel comfortable in her own skin for the first time in her life. She smiled at him, "Thank you."

He frowned. "Aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?" How could she be mad at the man she loved for doing what he had to do? Everything was different now. Bev propped two pillows behind her and pulled the computer onto her lap. "So, what'd you do here?"

Mack shut the laptop. "Where's the Bev that I've grown to fear? The one who won't let me get away with being a jerk?"

She patted the top of his head much like she'd placate a dog. "I'm still here, but we don't have time for that right now."

He pushed the laptop aside and rolled over her, pinning her down. "Did you mean it when you said you love me?"

"Um…" Bev gulped. "I thought you weren't going to bring it up."

"You love me, so you'd never keep going with the ten-day closing if you were me, but I have to go ahead with it. After last night, if I could change anything, I would. You have to believe me."

She touched his face. "Mack, I understand."

It was as if he couldn't stop, like he had to unburden himself. "You think I'm a horrible jerk, don't you? How could I make love to you and still do the ten days? I can't apologize for making love to you last night. I'd do it again a thousand times. But I don't want you to hate me." He grimaced. "To tell you the truth, I tried to talk Whittle out of the ten days. It's the first time in my life that I've ever doubted my job."

Her mouth dropped open in astonishment. For her, he'd doubted his job. "That's the most romantic thing I've ever heard."

"I'm just being honest."

"That's why it's so romantic." She entwined her hands behind his neck. "The reason I'm not mad at you for the ten-day thing is because I've realized that you're not a jerk. Inside, you're the kind of man a girl could fall in love with."

He stiffened. "Don't try to make me into something I'm not. I can't be what you want."

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." He loved her. She had no doubt anymore. His career was his life's goal, and he'd doubted it for her. He loved her. Maybe he'd figure it out eventually...but she'd have to let him do it on his own. When he was ready, he would know. She didn't know whether it would change anything, though, and she knew that as long as he put his work over the people in his life that were still alive, it would never be enough for her.

She didn't know how it would end.

Mack frowned. "What does that mean?"

She sighed. What was she supposed to do? Threaten him into changing? That would never work. And in truth, could she really expect him to change the priorities that had defined him his entire life? She couldn't do that to him. Not now. Not ever. So, she gave him a non-committal smile. "It means we have less than two hours to get the business plan to Jez's husband. I need her money, Mack." She saw his hesitation, his desire to continue the conversation about their relationship, so she added, "You aren't going to let me down, are you?" She winced when she saw the guilt in his eyes, but it worked.

He gritted his teeth. "Give me the computer."

Bev swallowed hard to suppress the lump in her throat as Mack settled next to her with the computer. Her life would never be the same. She had a feeling, neither would his. But she wasn’t sure it was in a good way.

Everything she'd ever wanted was so close…and so was complete heartache.

She didn't know which was going to win.