Page 50 of Every Breath

Mason eased himself into her.

“Okay, maybe a few more minutes.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Mason Collins was a dead man walking. Rodney was seething inside. He stood on a hill watching the laughing couple through his binoculars as they sat on a park bench throwing breadcrumbs at the ducks. Brandi was laughing as though she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. Collins leaned over and kissed her.

Rodney didn’t like the way Collins was touching his woman. He had to push back the urge to rush over and smash that bastard’s face in. Collins would pay.

He couldn’t figure out what Brandi saw in that cracker. It should have been him sitting there, holding her hand. If Brandi thought she could throw him over for someone else, then she was sadly mistaken. She belonged to him and he wasn’t going to let her go! For the past two months, she hadn’t returned his calls. She’d even changed her numbers and installed a new security system.

The final slap In the face was when she applied for a restraining order against him. It had cost him his job. That was okay. He had plenty of money to live on from his last foster mother. That old bitch thought he had actually cared about her, when what he really cared about were the extravagant gifts she liked to shower on him. Even better, she left him her all her money.

Rodney laughed at Brandi’s feeble attempts to keep him out of her life. As a former member of the police force, he learned a few things about home security systems and how to get past them. He still liked to watch her through the windows. Even with her inside the house he was able to get in without her knowing.

Every now and then, he would take the underwear from her dirty clothes hamper. She had plenty of under things. He was sure she wouldn’t miss a few articles here or there. Besides, she owed it to him after putting him through the hassle of sneaking around like this.

Sometimes when it rained, it poured, and Collins wasn’t the only problem he had to deal with. Somehow that little thorn in his side survived the fire. More than ever he needed to get rid of her. For now, she lay in a pediatric ward, an even bigger ball of nerves than she had already been. He chuckled to himself.

Little Tina would be totally insane by the time he was finished with her…that is, if he didn’t kill her first.

Brandi and Collins stood up, then walked down the trail holding hands. They were staring into each other’s eyes. It made him want to hurl.

You may think she’s yours now, but I’ll be watching and I’ll be waiting.

Rodney lowered the binoculars and dug into his pocket, pulling out a pair of unlaundered pink panties. He brought it to his nose and took a deep whiff. He felt calmer as Brandi’s essence filled his nostrils. He stuffed the panties back into his pocket and moved toward the unsuspecting couple.

“I can’t believe it’s five o’clock already. I’m supposed to pick up the kids in a half hour,” she groaned.

“I feel the same way, but I enjoyed spending time with you today. I have Ben next weekend and I was thinking the five of us could do something together,” Mason suggested.

Brandi looked at him warily. “Mason, it’s too soon. Remember, we agreed that we would take things slowly.”

“It’s been two months. We only see each other on the weekends when I don’t have Ben. How much slower do we have to go? You let me make love to you with no qualms, but you won’t bring our relationship in the open. Am I going to be your dirty little secret for the duration of our time together?”

Brandi looked away from the hurt and anger in his eyes. The past couple of months with Mason brought her more joy than she experienced in the past two years. She found herself looking forward to the weekends she could drop her children off with her mother or sister. Brandi realized her family suspected that there was a man involved. Her parents didn’t say anything, but she was subjected to knowing looks when she picked the kids up. Lisa, naturally, bluntly asked. She in turn, changed the subject immediately.

When she was with Mason, she felt like a teenager again. He made her laugh and he was easy to talk to. Their days were loaded with activities and their nights were filled with steamy passion. When she wasn’t with him, he was never far from her thoughts. The more time they spent together, the more she wanted to be with him, but Brandi didn’t know if she was ready to analyze her feelings any further than that. To do so would mean having to admit that she more than cared for him. What if her kids became involved and things didn’t work out? They didn’t need any more upheaval in their young lives.

“Mason, please try and understand this from my perspective. I’m a single mother trying to raise two children and I want to do right by them. I don’t want to set a bad example.”

“I’m not asking to spend the night with you while they’re there. I’m also a single father.”

“You don’t understand. Ben’s only with you every other weekend. My kids are with me all the time.”

“And?” he prompted, folding his arms across his chest.

“I already made a mistake. With Rodney.”

“How?”

“The kids caught us in bed together. Then the engagement was over just like that. I can’t imagine what would have been running through their minds. How is it going to look to them if I tell them you’re my boyfriend? How can they respect me if they think their mother is loose?”

He grabbed her hands and pulled her against him, giving her a long, deep kiss. When he lifted his head, she was breathless. Mason always seemed to make her forget everything when he kissed her like that.

“You’re not a loose woman; you’re a very passionate woman. Your kids will understand if you explained things to them.”

“Do you intend to tell your son about me?” she asked skeptically.

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