Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“You always had a way with Benny, Jazz.” Troy told me once Benny left to catch Viv and Lucy before they got on the plane. “I don’t think anyone else could’ve calmed Benny down. That’s power, sis. Stop shaking. Don’t cry, baby girl. It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.”
Troy didn’t lie, but he hadn’t necessarily told the truth. I caught the look in Benny’s eyes as he snarled at Chase. Benny wanted to kill him. There was no doubt that if given the chance, Benny would take Chase’s life and do it in the worst possible way.
Everything is not going to be okay. Not until Benny is. . .I don’t know. I can’t deal with that now. I’ll just have to take care of Benny myself, somehow get him to understand how important Chase is to me. And then I’ll deal with. . .Sherman.
Like Chase promised, my older brother Sherman was released. Troy immediately sent for him. For what reason I wasn’t sure. Viv was probably blowing her brains out with Troy, Sherman, and Lucy all around her.
Wherever they are.
Every time Troy or Viv called, they didn’t talk for long and never gave me their location. Not that I relished in our phone conversations. Troy was obsessed about discovering Benny’s friends’ identities. Viv went on and on about DNA and several theories on whether we were even siblings or not. She’d asked me to take a test with them to see. I had an appointment with the doctor Viv found, for next week. We all were sure Benny’s people monitored my phone line. Although he’d promised me that he wouldn’t hurt Lucy, neither I nor anyone else believed him. Viv never elaborated on what her mission was, but I knew she hoped to find a way for Troy and her to be together. I could sense it in her heartbroken voice as it traveled over the line.
I hope you two find a solution.
Chase clasped his silky fingers around my hand. “I have a team of people working on this time problem.”
“What?” I let him guide me past the line of people waiting to get into Jasmine’s.
“Time. You think I can’t buy it. I bet I can.”
“Oh, be quiet, Chase.”
“Money has a way of passing conventional limits. I’ve not given up. My team is putting a lot of research into purchasing time.”
“Well, I hope you at least pay them well.”
“I do my best, but I may have to add more. This space between us is killing me.” His joking smile cracked a little at the edges. It hurt me to see it.
I squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry. I just need—”
“Time,” he said through clenched teeth. “Yes. I’m aware of that. It seems I need time too.”
“Oh, really?” I raised my eyebrows. “You need time?”
“Yes. I need more time with you. Although I enjoyed that lovely dinner last week and the way I fucked you on every bit of space in your apartment. . .stop blushing. You loved it.”
“Your ego is insane.”
“It’s a well-earned ego, tesoro.” He stopped us before we could get to the entrance. Only three feet rested between us and the door. Gabe had guaranteed no waiting time for us. He wanted me to be the first customer to eat there.
I didn’t want to hold up the restaurant’s opening anymore. “What are you doing?”
“That dinner at your apartment wasn’t enough.”
“Then maybe you can come over for breakfast.”
He frowned.
“I could add a lovely brunch too. Maybe even a lunch on a nice sunny day.”
“Tesoro.” So much pain oozed out of that word.
“Don’t push this, Chase. I just need time. After everything we’ve been through, I’m sure you can understand.”
“That’s the problem. I don’t. You’re my everything, and you sit in that shitty little apartment—”
“Hey, my apartment rocks.”
“You deserve more.”
“I like my place.”
“I need you next to me. When I wake up in the morning, I need your body naked, wet, and right next to mine.”
My skin set on fire. I tried to breathe through the lust swirling in my body and rationalize the situation at hand. “Chase, just give me time.”
“No.”
“Okay. You don’t get to say no.”
“No.” It sounded with a dark growl. “You stay with me tonight.”
“Maybe and not at Willow Park.”
“It’s closed down. I have a hotel suite.”
“Why not just get a new place?”
“Because I want you to help me find it. You’ll be living there so you should have an opinion in the matter.”
I couldn’t ignore the fact that fear and lust battled within me, but deep down inside of my heart, there was so much love. A sort of giddiness came with the fact that he hoped we would live together.
Oh, god. What is he doing to me?
“Okay. Let’s just eat and enjoy Jasmine’s opening tonight.” I tried to pull him forward. “We can talk about all of this later.”