Dance With Me - By Hayden Braeburn Page 0,40

I'm not saying you're scared of your office. I'm saying you should take a little more time before you put in a nine hour day.” She smiled. “I know you. You've missed two days of work and you'll try and make up that lost time in one day, cramming in as much as you can. You won't eat lunch, you might remember to do something besides drink copious amounts of coffee, and then you'll come home exhausted.” She gave him an 'am I wrong?' look. “You, my dear, love finance and that's wonderful considering you're a banker and all, but you shouldn't push yourself too hard.”

His lips turned up in a half-smile. “So, instead of going to work today and working myself into a stupor, you think I should stay home and miss another day? I fail to see how that is helpful.”

Well, crap. He had her there. She held up her right hand in defeat. “Fine. Go to work, but please promise me you'll eat.”

He nodded as he tried to contain a chuckle. “I promise.” He crossed to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I won't even stay late.” He lifted her chin with a finger, fitted his mouth to hers in a long, soul-searing kiss. “I will be home at a decent hour. We have unfinished business.”

Oh how she loved kissing him. She pulled his mouth to hers again, pouring her love and worry into the kiss, exploring his mouth with her tongue. “I'll be waiting.”

~*~

Mason picked up his very dead phone, turning it over and over in his fingers. He knew he had a phone—and Priscilla's arrogance for taking it with her—to thank for saving his life. Oh, he knew Dylan Black had taken bullets for him, and that was a debt he could never repay, but Dylan wouldn't have been there to save him if it hadn't been for a similar rectangular contraption. After he plugged it in to charge, he sorted through the stack of paperwork on his desk. While he'd been fighting for his life, people still bought cars and houses, businesses and engagement rings. What else was happening all around them no one knew about? What other craziness was right outside the door? He shook off the thought. No darkness today. He'd promised Kat a reunion. He cracked a smile. Now, that was a better topic for dwelling.

Incessant blinking drew his eye from the report in his hand. Good lord, he'd missed ninety-seven calls and text messages, and an astounding fifty-six of those were from Camryn. He gave himself a mental smack. How had he forgotten to call his baby sister?

Camryn picked up after one ring. “Oh my God, Mase! Are you okay? What really happened? Mom made it sound like some twisted, reverse Lifetime movie.”

He laughed despite himself. “Nice, Cam. You really have no filter on that brain-mouth connection of yours, do you?”

“Sure don't.” She giggled before asking, “No, really, what happened?”

“Evidently Priscilla,” he choked on her name, “wanted me, so she took me.”

She gasped. “Mom said you were kidnapped and then when you were rescued one of the guys that came for you was almost killed.”

“In a nutshell.” His baby sister sure didn't mince words. “Thankfully, he's going to be all right.” He heard her draw a breath, but she didn't say anything further. “I'm really okay, Cam, I promise.” He'd been worried sick when she had decided to go to New York City, yet he'd been the one abducted from his own office. He took a deep breath. Time for a subject change. “So, did you get that big part?”

“Um...” she stalled. She sighed heavily, causing the phone to almost buzz in his ear. “No, I didn't.” Another sigh. “It's not a big deal. I'm happy where I am.”

She was in a postage-stamp of an apartment, waitressing during the day, and a part of the ensemble in the revival of A Chorus Line. It sounded like hell to him, but what did he know? Instead of playing the overprotective big brother, he said, “As long as you're happy.”

Cam spent a little time assuring him she was happy, and made him promise to call more often before she had to run off.

He hoped she was telling him the truth about being happy, but he doubted it. His usually bouncy baby sister seemed to be trying a little too hard to convince him everything was wonderful. So much younger than the other three Everett kids, she had been doted on and