Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 35256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35256 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 176(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
He had also come to find that he hated seeing random men flirting with her. Married or not, they flirted with her, asking for her phone number. There had been a few occasions when he’d been waiting for her that some of the men had also been waiting to see her after hours. He made sure they were gone before Candice came out. She had confided in him that she wasn’t interested in their attention. It had something to do with what her mother would say. He dealt with them swiftly.
Draven was driving him crazy with his incessant calling. He didn’t want to listen to his brother, nor did he plan to. He needed to be left alone.
He was The Boss, the man in charge, yet over the last couple of months, he had felt even more trapped. He shouldn’t feel trapped when he was the fucking top dog. None of them should be telling him what to do, and he was growing tired of the bullshit.
Arriving at the bar, he was surprised to see the light wasn’t lit, declaring them open. The main doors were closed, with a single chain keeping them out. Candice was sitting on the bottom step of the club and the moment she saw him, she stood.
“I wondered when you were going to arrive,” she said.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“The boss decided to close for the night. He randomly does it from year to year. Picks a night and closes the club.” She shrugged. “I got the call this afternoon, and seeing as I don’t have your number and for the past week and a half, you’ve been coming to the bar, I thought I’d stay here to let you know it’s closed.”
“Do you know how long it will be closed?” Antwone asked.
“A day, a couple days, a week, maybe.” She shrugged. “No one really knows. I get the call when he’s about to open. If I had your number, I would have called you.” She held her hands up. “Not that I’m attempting to pressure you or anything. Just to tell you the bar is closed, and there’s no point in coming down, especially if you’re coming to see me. As you can see, pointless.”
It wasn’t pointless. He happened to enjoy coming to see her. Glancing over at her, he saw her sweet smile. That is what drove him to the bar every night.
Antwone kept promising himself he wouldn’t go see her, and yet every night, he found himself at the bar.
Draven had already given him the third degree on the fact he wasn’t taking care of himself, but he didn’t give a shit. All he cared about was seeing Candice. Right now, being around her was easy.
“So, I don’t know if you want to leave right away, or if you’d like to go dancing.” She clenched her hands into fists and did a little shuffle from side to side.
“I don’t dance,” he said.
“Dinner?”
He looked at her and she held her hands up. “As friends. After all, I don’t want you to feel threatened by my pancake ability. I’d invite you back to my place, but there’s a risk you’ll get the wrong idea.”
Damn it, there was that smile again. It was so fucking sweet, and wide, and fucking perfect. He wanted her so badly, but he kept those feelings in check when he was around her. Candice had made it clear she wasn’t looking for anything other than friendship, and the truth was he’d enjoyed the past week and a half with her.
“What kind of food do you have back at your place?”
“As it happens, in my slow cooker, I have totally got some meatballs and the most amazing tomato sauce boiling. It’s a recipe my mom always made. Lots of onions and garlic, and they’re homemade meatballs as well.”
“You’re eating spaghetti and meatballs, why?” It was his favorite dish, and he couldn’t believe she was eating it.
“Ugh, it’s the best meal on the planet.” She moved toward him and grabbed his arm. “Come on, let’s go back to my place.” She started to move down the street, and Antwone followed, keeping an eye like he always did on any potential enemies.
He had no idea how long he could keep Candice a secret, but his intentions were to keep her in the dark for a long time, if not forever. She didn’t need to know who he was or what he did. There was no doubt she’d change her mind about him if she knew, and that was the last thing he wanted.
“Did you have a good and productive day?”
Antwone thought about the argument he had with his brother. Draven wasn’t happy with him constantly vanishing at night. He needed time away from all the bullshit to think and be happy. He didn’t need to hear the crap his brother was telling him. Draven had a good life—kids, a family, he had it all—while Antwone had to consider dating a woman who was nothing more than a child.