Forbidden Love with the Marine(39)

“I don’t know why you should worry about me,” Makayla said at last, smothering a sigh and trying not to clutch too hard on her phone. “I’m not your problem, Blade. Something tells me you have enough problems of your own to handle.”

She heard him pause. And then he said calmly, “I know where you work, Makayla. I can be there in fifteen minutes. I’m not going to let you avoid me. I’ve waited long enough for you to calm down or whatever it is you needed to do. But now we have to get some things straightened out – which I would like to do face to face. Not over the phone.”

Oh, damn! She was torn between consternation and excitement at the prospect of Blade storming into her office demanding to see her. Being such an alpha male, she had no doubt he'd already tracked down her office address. For all she knew he could be on the other side of the door, about to appear in all his righteous anger at her childish antics.

"Look, Blade; I don't want you to go thinking you owe me any explanation. After all we only just met. I don't have any right to know every single detail about you. It’s your personal life and that has nothing to do with me. I mean, I’ve got a private life too. For all you know, I could be a part-time stripper. I also probably have a husband and triplets living in Madagascar.”

“Well, do you?”

Makayla scowled. “That’s not the point. I’m just saying, you don’t owe me anything. What happened between us was what we both wanted. And we’re adults, right? So you see, you don't have to know everything about me. And I don’t have to know everything about you."

"But I want you to know so many things about me," Blade said plainly, surprising her into silence. "I want to tell you about Jamie. And about other stuff. We didn't get the chance to talk as much as I'd have wished before taking things as far as we did. But I don't regret anything, Makayla."

"Me either," she let out on a shuddery sigh and then wanted to kick herself for sounding so dreamy. "So...you don’t have a wife?"

"Not married, never have been," he said firmly. "But if you want to hear about Jamie and so much more, then I'll tell you all you need to know."

For a moment, he sounded vulnerable. Makayla’s heart tripped at the thought that Blade felt ready to open up to her in this way.

"Okay," she let out on a whoosh. "I agree that we need to meet. Maybe a bar somewhere for drinks? But I can’t...I’m not coming back to the house. Not yet. It’s just not a healthy situation for me. I mean, with you there.”

“Then I’ll leave,” he said promptly. “I can’t be the one keeping you out of your own house. How would Gina feel about that? No, Makayla. I’ll move out. I have a couple of friends in town who were on my team. We were thinking of starting a business together. And I’m about to close an agreement with a real estate agent over a piece of property I’ve found. So I’m days away from getting my own place. Come back to your home, Makayla. Please.”

Men like Blade should be outlawed for making the word ‘please’ sound so damn hot, irresistible. Makayla could bet that all he had to do was ask nicely with that smoky ‘please’ added at the end and girls were dropping their pants for him since he was a teenager.

“I’ll think about it,” Makayla said heavily. “Right now I really have to get back to work. I’ll call you when I’m done and tell you were we can meet for drinks. And then we’ll talk.”

Makayla hung up quickly before he could say more. Her mind was so confused right then. Why was she prolonging this? Why didn’t she just tell him to forget it? They’d had one night; they were done. She didn’t want to get involved in his business. Gina would be back from her vacation soon and Blade would be in his new place in a few days. Makayla had already made one wrong move by sleeping with him. Although she’d meant it when she told him she didn’t regret that night, she certainly regretted taking things too far too fast. If she had any sense, she’d stay away from Blade Weber and hopefully he’d disappear from her life as quickly as he’d appeared.





Chapter Eleven


Makayla was waiting at a booth in the elegant cocktail bar when Blade arrived.

He easily towered over every other guy in the room. And he certainly stood out with the way he walked and carried himself. Dressed smart-casual in a pair of slacks and an open-necked shirt, even his refined attire did nothing to diminish the almost jungle-cat quality about him. Guys basically just moved out of his way and girls...well, they followed his movements with puppy eyes and Makayla had to grit her teeth. He spotted her quickly and suddenly his handsome face broke in a smile.


Makayla knew she was in trouble. She shouldn’t be here. She’d told herself she’d call and cancel. Instead, she’d given him the directions and time they could meet and talk.

Right on schedule, he slipped into the seat opposite, stealing her breath away from being even more devastatingly gorgeous up close.

Makayla had never, ever given much importance to outward appearances. She wasn’t the type to fall for the ‘Prince Charming’ types, or guys who looked like they could be making money just with their looks. Now Blade had it all in terms of being hot and sexy but it was beyond his looks to his personality and that unique aura of his that was such a catalyst for her own attraction to him.