Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 28455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 142(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28455 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 142(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
“I take my job very seriously. It’s my life.”
I see the glint in his eye as he replies, “We have that in common.”
“All that’s left is for you and Marissa to sign the paperwork. Then she can pack her bags. We’ll leave for the training facility in Colorado Springs as soon as she’s ready.”
“I can understand your sense of urgency, but I committed to having this dinner with your competition tonight. I’m nothing if not a man of my word. Stay, have some food and wine. I don’t think anyone will be able to top what you’ve presented, but I will still reserve my decision until tomorrow.”
He holds out his hand, and I shake it firmly. I didn’t expect him to sign off right now, but I had to ask. I know he’s already made his decision, but he has a game to play. He wants me to think he’s the one in control, and I’m going to let him. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth, but Marissa is worth me letting her father posture for twelve hours.
“Marissa, why don’t you take Mr. Mason out to the garden for a drink? The rest of our guests should be arriving any minute.”
She nods and smiles at me. “Mr. Mason, come with me.”
I take her arm and walk with her to the stone patio at the rear of the home. A team of banquet staff has been busy turning the backyard into a tented outdoor restaurant with a bar set up on the patio. This type of extravagance is a little overboard but not completely unexpected from parents who live vicariously through their children. Marissa’s talent is the only thing that differentiates her father from his neighbors, and I suspect that this show is more for them than for her or the agents.
“That was impressive,” Marissa says, drawing me out of my head.
“I told you, sweetheart. You’re mine.”
“Oh really? I think you’re forgetting one thing, Mr. Big Shot. I’m an adult. My father’s approval is merely a courtesy. In the end, I could be the one to turn you down.”
I squeeze her arm and pull her close to me, almost groaning at how soft her skin feels against my rough hand. “But you won’t. I already told you. You want me just as much as I want you.” I say it but I wonder if anyone else could want someone as much as I want her.
Her cheeks turn red, and she fumbles on her words. “Well, uh, I…I suppose we’ll see tomorrow.”
“You’ll be packing your bags tonight, little girl.”
As difficult as it is to leave her, I step to the bar and order myself a whisky. I can feel the sexual tension growing between us now, and I want her saturated in it. I need her longing for my attention. That’s the surefire way to get her stuffing her life into a suitcase.
The vultures file out onto the patio in groups of two and three. They pretend to be friendly, but every one of them would toss the others under a bus to eliminate the competition. I keep my distance and watch as they take turns groveling at Marissa’s father’s feet.
It’s comical really. Not one of them stands a chance in hell of getting her away from me. Each time Marissa and I make eye contact, she rolls her eyes and shakes her head. I decide it’s time to move in and see what her father thinks of my competition. When I start in his direction, I notice that Marissa is no longer seated beside him.
I scan the clusters of men milling about and don’t see her with any of them, so I deduce she must have gone inside. Who can blame her? This can’t be any fun for her, so I head inside to liven things up for her a bit. I step through the doors and follow the sound of her voice toward the front of the house. She’s speaking in her normal tone at first. As I move closer, I hear her raise her voice, so I speed up and nearly slam into her when I round the corner.
She’s against the wall with her hands at her sides with a young man in a suit standing in front of her. I hear her say, “I think it’s extremely offensive of you to talk to me this way.”
My blood boils. I grab the younger man by the shoulder and yank him away from her.
“What are you doing? Get your hands off me.” The stench of alcohol on his breath nearly knocks me over.
Fucking disgusting.
“Buddy, you’re drunk and you’re making a fool out of yourself. Why don’t you go back to your hotel before you make things worse for yourself?”
“I know who you are. You’re Malcolm Mason. Do you think she’ll sign with you if you play knight in shining armor? Well, you can forget it. Her father had his mind made up before we even got here. They’re just wasting our time, and I was telling her so.”