Chapter Nine
Mason didn’t think Friday would get here soon enough. All week, the only thing he could concentrate on was holding Brandi in his arms again. He didn’t think he would be able to make it through the week, but Friday night was finally here. He dimmed the lights, and played soft music. He pulled out the nicest bottle of wine he could find.
Absolutely nothing could go wrong. He paced back and forth in anticipation of her arrival. When he next glanced at his watch fifteen minutes had passed. She was running late, which made him a little nervous. Brandi was generally a pretty punctual person; he hoped she didn’t change her mind. Could something be wrong with the kids?
Get a hold of yourself. Give her some time.
He plopped on the couch to look at the television. Maybe if he could occupy his mind, he wouldn’t worry so much, but by the time nine o’clock rolled around, he broke down and phoned her. Mason waited impatiently as the phone rang. Maybe she was on her way.
“Hello?”
Immediately he heard the anxiety in her voice. “Brandi? It’s Mason. Is everything okay?”
“Mason? Oh, my God.” To his surprise, she burst into tears.
“What’s happened?” he asked in alarm.
“I…my house. It’s—Oh, God! Mason, I don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll be right over.”
“But—”
“No buts, you’re obviously upset. Are the children with you?”
“No, I dropped them off at my mom’s, but when I came back, the house was ransacked.”
“Is anyone with you right now?”
“No.”
“Did you call the police?”
“Yes. They came by already and took a statement, but they’re gone now.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in a half an hour.”
“Okay.”
He was pleased that she didn’t argue. “I want you to wait at a neighbor’s house.”
“Yes, but Mason?”
“What?”
“Do you know where I live?”
Damn, he had to stop making these slip-ups. “Yeah, I looked it up the same time I found out where you worked, but why don’t you give it to me again, because I’m going on memory alone.” He waited patiently as she reeled off directions.
“Got it. I will be there in a jiffy. Don’t open the door for anyone until I get there, okay?”
“All right. Mason?”
“Yes, Brandi?”
“Please hurry. I’m scared.”
After hanging up, he ran out to his car and drove to Brandi’s house as though he were in the Indianapolis 500. Several things raced through his mind. Did Brandi come across the intruder? Was the house burglarized?
As soon as he arrived, he rushed out of the car. There was a note on the door that said she was waiting for him at the house across the street. Mason turned to go to her neighbor’s house, when he saw her small figure running across the street. She catapulted into his arms, nearly knocking him over.
‘Mason! I saw your car pull up. Thank God you’re here.”
“It’s okay, sweetie. Tell me what happened.” He cradled her head.
“Look at my house.” She unlocked the door and tugged him inside.
It was a mess. Pictures were smashed, and furniture was knocked over. What the hell? Who would do this? He knew that Brandi got along with all of the neighbors and this was a good neighborhood. He couldn’t remember anything like this happening when they lived here together. “Did anyone see anything?”
“No. The police knocked on a few doors, but no one saw anything. Why my house? Who would do this to my home?” She cried.
He pulled her into his arms and let her get it all out. As he held her, he quickly surveyed the rooms he could see; it didn’t look like anything valuable had been taken. The electronic equipment was still there. What struck him was that all the family portraits that had once been so lovingly displayed around the house were destroyed.
His ’ears of police Ie told him that this was a personal attack, not the work of some random stranger. With nothing apparently stolen, this looked like someone was trying to scare her. But Brandi and he lived relatively quiet lives; who would…? Rodney. It had to be. He didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to him in the first place. What was that bastard up to now? When Brandi’s sobs subsided, he held her away and looked at her.
“Where is your fiancé?” he asked.
“I don’t know. He’s been out of town all week. I don’t want to talk about him, okay?”
“Okay.” He had no problem complying, but it seemed mighty convenient that Rodney would be out of town. Mason didn’t put it past the psychopathic son of a bitch to do something like this.
“Did you take inventory of the things in your house already?”
“Yes, I did a walk through with the police. I didn’t notice anything missing. Thank God the kids weren’t home.”
“How did you discover this?”
“I dropped the kids off at my mom’s was on my way to your house when I realized I’d left my overnight bag at home. I turned back, but when I got here the door was slightly ajar. I called the police because I knew I had closed and locked it. I should have invested in one of those home security systems, but this is such a nice neighborhood and Damon installed good locks on the doors. I didn’t think anything like this would happen to me.”
“Well, I think maybe we should start cleaning up. At least there isn’t anything here that can’t be fixed.”
“You’re helping me?”
“Yes. Why not?”
“You didn’t seem like the type.”
“What does that mean? Did you think I just came by for some ass?” He lifted a brow.
She gasped. “No. Of course not.”
“You’re lying, Brandi, but I’ll forgive you because you’re upset.”
She pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips. “I’m not lying.”
“You are. Did you know that your nose twitched when you aren’t telling the truth?”
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yes, I noticed. I’ve noticed a lot about you, Brandi. Now, there’s no point in standing around here arguing about it. Let’s get to work.” He winked and gave her a pat on the cheek.
They worked diligently to get the house back in order. Every now and then Brandi would give Mason sidelong glances. What was it about this man that could make her feel so at ease? All week, the prospect of making love with him filled her with excitement and fear. She was excited because with just one look from his sexy green eyes, her panties were instantly wet. Brandi would find herself daydreaming about how his cock felt pressed against her bottom, and the feel of his hands on her breasts. When he whispered such wicked things in her ear, Brandi was hotter than she ever remembered being.
She felt fear because she was scared that her sexual need could develop into something much more with him. The fact that she was happy to hear his voice when he called earlier should have been an indication in itself. She still couldn’t believe that she actually agreed to go to his house to have sex with him, but then again, she couldn’t believe anything she did where he was concerned.
One complication she had to deal with, however, was Rodney. She planned to end things with him this week, but because he’d left her a message saying that he would be out of town to take care of some business, she didn’t get the chance. Now she had to harden her resolve all over again when she saw him.
She refused to take the coward’s way out by telling him over the phone. After all he done for her and the children, she felt she owed it to him to tell him face-to-face. She hoped that one day they could be on friendly terms again, but she knew that things would never be the same once she gave him his ring back.
DJ’s strong reaction nagged at her. It was odd because Rodney had been in the children’s lives from the day they were born. She supposed that it was moot now since she wasn’t going to marry him, anyway.
“A penny for them?” Mason asked.
She looked over to see him smiling at her.
“Umm, I was just thinking about the past week.”
“I’ve been thinking about it, too.”
She didn’t trust herself to respond to that because if she did, she knew the next thing she’d do was issue him an invitation to the bedroom. Considering the circumstances, the last thing on her mind should have been sleeping with Mason, but it was, and now that the thought was in her head, there was no getting rid of it.
“Look, I don’t want you to think I only came for sex, because I didn’t.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“Your nose is wiggling again,” he said, walking over to stand in front of her. He cupped her face in his hand and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. She closed her eyes and let the warmth of his kiss flow through her. He lifted his head and she whimpered. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. Let me cook dinner for you. Have you eaten?”
She shook her head. Now that she thought about it, she was ravenous.
“Okay. I think I can whip us up something.” He released her and headed for the kitchen. Mason pulled up one of the chairs for her. “I want you to take a seat and all you have to do is let me do my thing.”
Brandi watched in fascination as he moved though her kitchen as though it were the most natural place in the world for him to be. He found a few things in the refrigerator that he said he could cook in a hurry. Occasionally Mason would ask her where things were, but he wouldn’t let her help.
He made her laugh until it hurt, by telling her funny things that happened at his job.
She held her sides and pleaded for mercy. “Stop! I can’t take any more!”
By the time he was finished cooking a delicious-looking chicken dish, she had forgotten her troubles. “It smells yummy. What’s this called?” she asked as he placed a plate in front of her.
“I call it chicken à la Mason. I just threw some things together. I hope it tastes as good as you think it smells.” He took a seat in front of her.
She took a small bite. It was fantastic. “You’re quite a good cook. I think you’ve missed your calling in life.”
“I’m mediocre at best. I like to putter around the kitchen.”
Brandi would never have guessed that a man of his wealth cooked for himself. As though reading her mind he said, “You seemed surprised. Didn’t think I could throw down in the kitchen, did you?”
“Well, it did cross my mind.”
“Necessity is the mother of invention. I lost my housekeeper some weeks ago so I’ve basically been doing for myself.”
“That’s a lot of house for one man.”
“I suppose it is, but when Ben is with me it doesn’t seem so lonely. I think it’s the kind of house that needs a family in it.” He appeared to be sending her a message. She looked down at her plate and tried to think of something to break the awkward silence.
“Why did your housekeeper leave?”
“That’s a good question. To be honest with you, I’m not really sure, but let’s just say that I wasn’t really myself when she left. I’ve been calling Luisa’s house in hopes that she’ll come back, but as the magic eight ball would say, the outcome doesn’t look good.”
“That’s too bad. I’m sure that you could go through one of those agencies to find someone else.”
“No. I need her back.”
“Why?”
“To make amends.”
She looked at him in confusion. Sometimes Mason’s words were very puzzling.
“What do you mean?”
“Just that she didn’t leave in the best circumstances, and I would like to make it up to her.”
Brandi paused, taking another bite of her dinner. The more she got to know him, the more of a mystery Mason Collins became. She peeked at him through lowered lashes. He looked good tonight in a dark-green polo shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. Her gaze kept straying to the sensual curve of his mouth; she wanted to lean over the table and kiss him.
In that moment, she knew what she truly wanted: she desperately wanted to fuck Mason. Brandi knew he really had come over with noble intentions and she appreciated that, but seeing those sexy green eyes staring back at her made her so damn horny.
If someone would have told her a few weeks ago that she would find herself so sexually drawn to some slick car salesman, let alone a white one, she would have laughed them out of town. Strangely, she didn’t feel just a sexual connection. There was something else, and that was the part that she didn’t want to analyze too closely.
Damon.
It was the first time in a long while that she wasn’t haunted by his image.
“May I ask what are you thinking about now?”
She blinked. Mason’s eyes were twinkling at her and had a look of curiosity.
“Oh, my gosh. I must have been daydreaming. I’m sorry.”
“What about?”
“I hope you don’t get mad. I was thinking about my husband.”
“Oh?” He didn’t seem upset but looked oddly pleased.
“He was killed in the line of duty a couple of years ago.”
“I’m sorry. I can imagine how painful that must have been for you,” he said sympathetically.
There was some unreadable emotion in his eyes, but maybe she was just imagining it. “It was tough for a long time. They say time heals all wounds, but I don’t think I’ll ever be completely healed.”
“You must have loved him very much, and I’m sure he loved you just as deeply. Any man lucky enough to be with you would be crazy not to.”
She smiled. He was a flatterer, but she liked it. “You’re embarrassing me.”
“It’s only the truth.”
“Thanks.”
A comfortable silence followed while they finished eating. Regardless of why he’d come tonight, she was glad he was here. She was about to tell him so when the doorbell rang. “Who could that be at this time of night? Stay here and I’ll go get the door.”
She went through the living room and was surprised to see a furious Rodney on the other side of the door.
“What the fuck is going on in here?” he demanded.