Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 35550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 178(@200wpm)___ 142(@250wpm)___ 119(@300wpm)
In with anger.
Out with love.
This man, she couldn’t believe him.
Actually, she could.
He thought he could have anyone and everything and to hell with the consequences. This wasn’t a game to her. She didn’t know Sandy and had never said more than a few words to her, but that still didn’t give him the right to cheat on her. She didn’t know anything about Sandy or Brice, but it didn’t sit well with her to be with men who were with other women.
She felt annoyed for Sandy.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him on his cell phone. He let out a chuckle before pocketing it.
“You know I’ve heard you’re one hell of a cook,” he said.
“You ever watch an episode of my show?”
“Nope.”
“Then you don’t know if I am or not.”
“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?”
“I don’t do this, Brice. Not ever. I have no interest in dating you or being anything with you. Honestly.”
The doors opened on her floor.
“You know I love it when a woman plays hard to get.”
She stepped off the elevator and turned toward him. He was a good-looking man. Sexy, hot, short dark hair, he didn’t seem to have a drinking problem, nor did she smell the lingering stench of cigarette smoke. For the most part he was one hell of a catch. She knew if her parents ever found out that he’d asked her, they would be thrilled. More than thrilled. But, and this was a huge but, she didn’t date men who had no respect for women. When she did finally meet a man, she wanted to have the fantasy. The fairy tale. To be with someone who loved her, not just what she could do for them.
“I’m not playing, Brice. Lovely to meet you, but no thanks.”
She spun on her heel and made her way to her apartment. Closing and locking the door behind her, she kicked off her ridiculously high heels and gasped as her feet touched the cold floor.
“Now that is heaven.”
Removing the necklace, rings, and finally earrings, she walked back to the respective boxes and packaged them up ready to be collected by tomorrow. She’d been approached to wear a certain brand of jewelry that had been handcrafted. They were beautiful pieces, expensive, and ones she never intended to wear again.
With them waiting to be collected, she walked to the bedroom.
Removing her gown, she placed it in the laundry basket and took a quick shower, washing off the long night. Her feet hurt, and her head was throbbing a little. Too much champagne and not enough food.
Once she was dressed in a nightshirt and shorts, she entered her kitchen. With a packet of pre-cooked noodles, she set about making herself a quick chicken stir-fry. She didn’t even bother using a bowl. Putting a heatproof mat on the table, she set her wok down and began to eat.
Thinking about Brice, she shook her head.
“That man is insane if he thinks it’s going to be easy to win me over.”
Admittedly, she found it charming that he offered her a ride and also the way he touched her. The moment his hand grazed her skin, her body had come alive as if it had a mind of its own.
Bad news.
Very bad news.
Chapter Two
News just in, one-night stand or something more? Bachelor Brice Ivory smitten with the Goddess in the Kitchen!
The following morning, Brice did something he hadn’t done in a very long time. He called his parents. They were usually busy. Too busy for him, but he didn’t mind. He had his own life to lead, and it didn’t involve talking with his parents.
This was new territory for him.
“Hello,” his mother said.
“Hey, Mom, it’s Brice.”
“Sweetie, I’ve got caller ID. I knew who it was the moment I accepted the call,” Louise Ivory said. “Your father is here. Say hello to him.”
Brice rolled his eyes as he greeted his father.
“It has been too long since you called us. I feel ashamed to call you my son.”
Again, he didn’t give a fuck. His mother could call him as well. This went both ways.
“Why are you calling, son?” Phillip asked.
Brice gripped the back of his neck. He wondered if he should lie his way through this call and just get a private investigator to do the work for him.
Still, if anyone was going to know anything about a Knox, it would be his parents.
“You know, I saw you with that dreadful model the other day. I really think you need to consider who you’re dating. When are you thinking of settling down? Starting a family?” his mother asked.
“I wanted to ask you if you knew about a Danielle Knox?” He decided against his own sanity and just putting it out there.
“You mean Rachel and Andrew’s daughter. The Goddess in the Kitchen girl?” his father asked.