Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” she hissed at him, but he held his hand up.
“Ben, I have a friend with me who wants to say hello.”
“No,” Brandi backed away from him when he held the phone in front of her.
“Take it,” Mason urged.
She shook her head. Mason gave her a knowing smile, then put the phone back to his ear.
“Well, it seems that my friend is shy all of a sudden. Maybe another time.” He winked at her. “Yes, I’ll make it to your soccer game. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He laughed at something else Ben said. Mason chatted for a few more minutes before ending the call. “Okay, kiddo, see you then. Love you.” He replaced the phone in his pocket.
“That was a dirty trick.”
“You are the one who accused me of lying. I was only trying to prove my innocence.”
“Mason, you’re not making this easy for me,” she groaned.
He lifted her chin so their eyes met. “It’s not my intention to make this hard on you, but my feelings for you are very real, Brandi. I love you.” Mason let out a deep breath. “There, I said it. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to tell you.”
Her eyes filled with tears. The tender look in his eyes told her that he meant it. Her heart began to race because she knew then that she loved him, too. It wasn’t the grateful-friendship type of love she once felt for Rodney; this was real and much more intense. It was also the kind of love she had felt with Damon, and it scared the hell out of her.
“Mason. I…I love you, too.”
His eyes lit up and he took her into his arms. She melted against him and opened her mouth to the welcome invasion of his tongue. She didn’t know if she would ever get tired of his kisses. Mason could make her come with just the flick of his tongue.
Mason lifted his head. “Those words are music to my ears.”
“But we still need time.”
“Time for what? We love each other. What do we have to wait for?’
“I…I just want to run things by my kids first and get their take on things. I mean, I love you, but they are my priority.”
Mason looked like he wanted to argue with her but thought better of it.
“Just give me enough time to get them used to the idea of you and me.”
“Okay. For you, I would wait an eternity.”
Her heart fluttered. She stroked his cheek. “You say the sweetest things. Now, I really should get going. I promised Mya I would take her to the mall on the way home.”
“By all means, you don’t want to keep the young lady waiting.” He chuckled.
“No. My daughter can be pretty tough when she wants to be.”
“How quaint.” A malevolent voice spoke from behind her.
Mason’s face went beet red. “What the hell are you doing here? You know you’re not supposed to be within one hundred yards of Brandi.”
Brandi turned to see Rodney standing behind her. What was he doing here? A couple of months ago she would have never suspected him of stalking her, but after the night she broke their engagement, she took the necessary precautions to keep him away from her and the children. She been very careful in the way she told her children about her broken engagement, letting them know that no one was to blame, but that she felt it was for the best that she and Rodney separate. Surprisingly, they both seemed fine with it, DJ especially.
Since then, he left hundreds of messages on her answering machine and cell phone. It had gotten to the point where the children were questioning why he was calling so much. If the sheer volume of the calls didn’t give her cause for alarm, then the nature of the messages did.
In the beginning, the messages had been apologetic in tone, then they progressively became more belligerent. “No one will love you like I do. No one.” That message chilled her to the bone. The very next day she changed her numbers.
She also received daily deliveries of flowers at her office with equally chilling messages. Why had she never noticed that Rodney was like this? From his reaction to the breakup, she wished she kicked him to the curb sooner.
Who knew what would have happened had she gone through with the wedding. Any gratitude she felt because he’d been there for her during a tough time in her life flew out of the window with his actions.
“This is a public park. How was I to know you would be here?” Rodney’s hazel eyes surveyed her face and she shivered at the possessive look he shot her. “You look beautiful, Brandi.”
“Rodney, you know I have a restraining order against you. If I call the police, you will get arrested. We need get going. Come on, Mason.”