Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,3
but yeah. She was convicted of embezzling and fraud.” She blew out another breath. “You don't want to be with me.”
“Yes I do,” he bit out. “You are not your mother, you are not your debt. You are Katerina Nemecek, ballroom champion, owner of Dance With Me, and the love of my life.”
“You see it that way, but will anyone else?” She tapped a finger on the glass. “Or will everyone think I'm manipulating you for your money? Will they think I am a gold-digger and a whore?”
“I'll kill them if they do,” he vowed.
“Just remember I love you, Mason. I always will.”
He started to answer, but instead parked the car in his parent's circular drive before he turned to her. “I love you,” he said as he took her left hand in his, kissing her fingers as he pulled an enormous diamond ring from his pocket. “Marry me, Kat. Forget all this talk of gold-digging and just know I love you,” he promised as he slid the platinum ring on her finger.
“I do know you love me, Mason. Of course I'll marry you.” She stared at her hand for a moment. It was official. She had a diamond on her hand and was walking into Carolyn and Charles Everett's house as their future daughter-in-law. She suppressed a shudder at the thought of meeting Mason's parents, but took the hand he offered to pull her from the car. As they made their way up the pathway she let out a short bark of laughter, causing Mason to turn to her with an eyebrow raised. “Why are you the only one without a C name?” she asked.
This earned her a grin. “My mother's maiden name is Mason,” he explained. I'm the only Everett not to have a C name in a couple generations.” He laughed. “I think my dad first started dating my mom because her name was Carolyn.”
“Would we have to name our children with C names?”
“We can name our children whatever you want,” he answered with a squeeze of her hand.
It was at that precise moment the door opened, Cassidy Everett in the center of the mahogany frame. “Hi big brother. Didn't know it was date night,” she greeted, tilting her head toward Kat.
“Tonight's special, nugget.”
Cassidy shot him an exasperated look. “Really? You have to call me nugget?” She narrowed her eyes. “Special?”
“Very much so,” he answered.
“Alrighty, then,” Cassidy said, gesturing for them to come in. “It isn't every day my brother comes home with a beautiful woman.” In fact, never. He'd never brought a woman home for Thursday dinner. Cassidy looked the woman over from head to toe. She was exquisite, with a little bit of a Snow White vibe going on there, and–holy shitballs–a diamond on her engagement finger. A big-ass, I'm-marrying-Mason-Everett diamond on her hand. Quickly, she stuck out her own hand. “Since my brother is oh so wonderful at introductions, I'm Cassidy Everett.”
Kat took Cassidy's hand. “Katerina Nemecek. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Cassidy answered. Something about this woman was familiar. She tilted her head. “Do I know you?”
“I own Dance With Me. You might've seen an ad.”
She didn't think that was it, but nodded anyway. “Yes, I'm sure I have. Ballroom dancing?”
“Among other things,” Kat replied with a smile.
~*~
Doctor Caleb Everett came into the dining room at the same time Kat, Mason and Cassidy did and stopped dead in his tracks. His brother had his arm around a stunner of a woman. “Mase?” he called as he made his way over.
“Cale! I haven't seen you in almost a month. What's up with that?” Mason asked, the woman tucked to his side.
Caleb gave his brother's woman a once over. Some guys had all the luck. “I've been working. Trauma docs don't keep banker's hours,” he answered with a smirk. “You planning on introducing your lady, or do I have to do it myself?”
Mason chuckled. “Katerina Nemecek, meet my baby brother, Caleb.”
She took his outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you.”
He raised his eyebrows at his brother. “The pleasure is all mine.” Caleb held onto her long enough to watch his brother's coffee eyes heat. With a grin at Mason, he dropped her hand. “So, Katerina is the woman you've been mooning over lately?”
Mooning over? Was he that dopey? “I've asked Kat to marry me.”
A high pitched screech sounded from close by before their youngest sister appeared. “You're getting married!” She skidded to a stop, her cloud of auburn hair flying. “Mom! Dad! Mase is getting married!”
“Thanks, Cam.