She was only supposed to be an anonymous one night stand, but MacKayla ended up thrust right into his office and his life. Thus begins a convoluted story of lust, longing, passion, and denial. He's frustrated, jealous, sexually deprived, angry, and confused. And even at times when they are giving in to their mutual attraction and scorching chemistry, he is still full of inner conflict. And it all shows in his interactions with Mac. They fuss, they fight, and they do not effectively communicate mostly because he puts up a deflective shield whenever she gets too close. 

I know I may come off as an asshole more than ninety-five percent of the time, but the truth is, I have a big heart too. I just don't let women in it. No, all of my heart is spent on just a few things...my family, which includes my amazing mom and dad who live in eastern Pennsylvania, my seven-year-old son, Gabe, and my law practice. 

I loved seeing the little cracks form in his walls. He tries to deny and push her away, but he can't seem to stay away. Seeing his internal struggles just made him more real and swoon worthy to me.

I think I've come to accept that a crack has formed in my hard exterior, and McKayla Dawson has wormed her way in just a bit. While I still feel strong in my convictions, and I'm not going to let this go any further than the bedroom sheets, I have a gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach that I may be doomed. 

Matt is in control in every aspect of his life, but Mac. And no matter how tries to control his feelings for her, he can't. Even with his volatile ex wife, he can manage her. But he cannot seem to get a handle on him and Mac. She is the one thing that paralyzes him with fear and sets off every defense mechanism. 

In order to really let her in, he has to let go of his past. Will he and can he do that? And even if he does, they still have to deal with the fall out from their forbidden office affair. 

I not only loved seeing more of the vulnerable, sweet Matt, but also liked getting into his fear, anxiety, denial, guilt, and indecision when he was upset, jealous, or mad. To get under his layer of protection and outer asshole persona. It made him more real to see his damage and vulnerability. And seeing his conflicting thoughts about Mac and his past really showed his inner turmoil. 

"I finally started realizing that the pain of loneliness is much worse than the pain of betrayal and heartbreak that I was trying to avoid."

It broke my heart to see him struggle. His body and heart wanted her and needed her, but his mind kept reinforcing the walls. And it just served to let him see what he would not let himself have and made him crazy and out of control. I got mad and disappointed in him when he sabotaged himself and their relationship, but also felt sorry for him.  He was truly a man ruled by his fear of getting hurt again. I loved his relationship with his son, Gabe. That was one area where he did not falter or would not compromise. Gabe was his first priority. Their relationship was sweet and heartfelt. 

I was excited that she added  more to the ending and some other scenes we were not privy to in Mac's point of view. I enjoyed getting into Matt's head, and understanding his motivation made me even more invested in them. He was a complex character with many layers and now they are all exposed. This was a great companion to the Legal Affairs series. It could be read as a stand alone, but I really think it has more impact getting to see the more mysterious Matt from Mac's eyes in Legal Affairs first and then coming back and getting to see his motivations, conflicts, feelings, and fears. Even though it followed the same events, it felt fresh in Matt's point of view and provided more insight. And honestly, I cannot get enough of Matt Connover so being in his head and back with him and Mac was a big plus right there. I just love this guy whether he is in his asshole mode or being charming, sexy, or sweet. This was fun, sexy, frustrating, emotional, and romantic. I got sucked right back into their story and left it with a big smile on my face. 

Thanks to Sawyer Bennett for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.  

Thanks to Sawyer Bennett for providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.