Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 40867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 40867 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 204(@200wpm)___ 163(@250wpm)___ 136(@300wpm)
Staring at the tagline, I swallowed hard as I clicked on it.
Ron Johnson, 29, of Evert, Washington, was arrested after refusing to leave the office of his once long-time girlfriend, Saylor Night. Ms. Night works at Smith and Smith as a senior marketing manager. It is unclear why the original restraining order was issued.
I moved my cursor up to the X and closed the window. It suddenly felt like I was invading Saylor’s privacy.
That’s when I saw another picture, and my chest squeezed. It was Saylor with a black eye exiting a building. I hovered my cursor over the picture before I closed my eyes and clicked it. A new window popped up featuring a news article.
Saylor Night, Seattle’s volunteer princess, left battered and bruised. There have been no police reports filed, but speculation is that her long-time boyfriend, Ron Johnson of local musical group In Touch, is behind the marks.
I quickly closed the browser and leaned back in my chair. I pushed both of my hands through my hair and dragged in a deep breath.
What in the hell was happening to me? Why was I so angry? And why in the hell did I want to track this motherfucker down and beat his ass into the ground?
Letting out a groan, I stood and walked over to the windows. In one week, Saylor Night had managed to get under my skin—and not even in an annoying way.
CHAPTER FIVE
* * *
Saylor
THE MOMENT I walked into Pete’s, I smiled. I could see why Mason came here often. It was a higher class bar. Almost everyone was dressed in suits or business casual attire.
I made my way to the bar and sat on a stool. The gentleman next to me glanced my way and smiled. I steadied myself. For the briefest of moments, he’d looked like Ron, my ex back in Seattle.
Letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, I returned the man’s smile and shifted my focus to the bartender. After we made eye contact, he headed directly toward me.
“What can I do you for?”
“Jim Ross around?” I asked.
He smiled bigger, which made me smile. Two good looking guys and two smiles in less than two minutes.
Nice.
But I wasn’t interested. I’d sworn off men until the end of time. Well, maybe not the end of time.
“I’m Jim. You must be Saylor Night.”
Reaching my hand out over the bar, I nodded. “You’d be correct.”
“Well, damn, had I known you were so good looking, I would have suggested dinner, pretty lady.”
With a polite chuckle, I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off by another voice.
“Mason Quinn. The pretty lady’s boss.”
I turned my head to glare at Mason.
What in the hell was he on about with that remark? And why did he sound so possessive?
Jim laughed and shook his head. “Mason, how’ve you been?”
Taking the seat next to me, Mason grinned. “Good. You?”
“Well, I was doing pretty damn good until you put my fire out.”
Mason tossed his head back with a laugh before looking at Jim. “You’d be wasting your time on this one.”
Jim frowned and slowly shook his head. “Damn.”
Pinching my brows hard, I knocked on the wood bar. “Hello. I’m still sitting here.”
Both men turned toward me. The evil smile on Mason’s face threw me for a loop. Why in the world would he say that to Jim? I mean, I wasn’t interested, but how would he know? The more I thought about it, the angrier I became.
“You know, Jim, I was actually thinking dinner might be a good idea.”
“What?” Jim and Mason both said at the same time.
Nodding, I flashed him a sexy grin. “Sure, why not. We can talk all things rum.”
“You can do that right now,” Mason said with a growl.
“Tonight?” Jim asked, his face laced with hope.
Sliding my phone across the bar, I replied, “I have no plans.” I did, though. Mary and I were going to some dance club she insisted I needed to check out.
He quickly added his number, and the guy on the other side of me huffed and got off his stool. Not bothering to look at him, I turned to see Mason staring at Jim while he typed his information into my phone.
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched Mason’s jaw muscles flex from clamping down so hard.
Shit. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to go out with Jim. After all, I was with my boss during a work meeting and I’d shamelessly flirted. I wished I could take the last five minutes back. I knew better, but Mason had just made me so angry. What was it about this guy that pushed my buttons so much?
Jim handed back my phone, and I gave him a weak smile as I placed it in my purse. I moved uncomfortably around on my seat, feeling the heat of Mason’s stare. I tried hard not to look at him as I fought to keep my cheeks from turning red with embarrassment for the childish stunt I’d just pulled.