“I don’t know why I called you,” he muttered.
“Perhaps because you’re looking for love advice?”Asad suggested.“From someone who is better at it than you are?”
“I’m not in love with her,” Mason said automatically.He wasn’t.Was he?Surely it was too soon.They’d just met.
But he was having feelings for her.The protectiveness was understandable.The possessiveness… less so.
“But you’re still feeling more for her than you did the woman you were engaged to.”His cousin didn’t ask it as a question; he stated it as fact.
And Mason couldn’t argue with him.He did have feelings for her, and that was why he’d called Asad.He had no idea what to do with those feelings.
“I can’t date her openly for a few more weeks.I promised Yasmine she wouldn’t have to see me with another woman right away.Plus, David doesn’t know that I’m interested at all.”Mason turned to face the wall of his hallway, which he’d been pacing up and down pretty much since Audrey had left to go home so she could quickly change and head to the bakery.The urge to follow her there and claim a table for the day was strong, which was why he’d decided to call Asad.
“David her…”
“Brother.You know that.I told you that.What the fuck, Asad, why are you so distracted?”
“Oh, yeah, because it’smyfault you interrupted my morning blow job.You should feel honored I still picked up the phone in the first?—”
Mason hung up on him.For fuck’s sake.
He banged his head against the wall, hard enough that it hurt a little.
His phone buzzed, and he rested his forehead against the flat surface as he lifted it up so he could see Asad’s text message.
Asad: Stop being a fucking pussy and just go get the girl, dumbass.
So helpful.
It wasn’t that easy, but he supposed he couldn’t expect Asad to understand.Asad had always been impulsive, and it tended to work out for him.That had never been Mason’s style.
His phone buzzed again, but this time when he glanced at the message, he sprang into action.
All hands on deck.Someone had broken into Black Fox.
Which wasn’t easy to do, even on a Sunday.There was usually at least one person in the office, regardless of the day, plus the outside security.
His mind raced as he ran to his bedroom and threw on the first clothes he could get his hands on.
This had to be Devlin.Who else would be brazen enough to break in?Who wouldwantto?
Had the bakery just been a distraction?One that wasn’t working because Mason was handling it and hadn’t gone to David with it?
Or was this separate?
Shit.
He quickly sent off a text message to Audrey, letting her know that there had been a break-in at Black Fox and to be on alert.Just in case this was connected to the bakery in any way.
It was pretty busy there, so he didn’t take offense when he didn’t get a text back before he got to his car, but it did make him a little more worried.Speeding through traffic, he deliberately took a route that would have him passing Cupcakes and Crumbs on his way.Just so he could take a look and make sure everything was going ok.
He had the cameras, of course, which he checked when he was stuck at a red light, but he still wanted an on-the-ground visual.Camera feeds could be hacked.
Thankfully, when he drove by, it was clear that everything was going well there.The place was packed, which was why Audrey hadn’t texted him back.She was too busy.He couldn’t even catch a glimpse of her.
That was also good because it was unlikely anyone was going to try anything with so many potential witnesses on site.That meant he could concentrate on Black Fox.
He ran into Claudia in the parking lot, both of them exchanging nods as they rushed inside.
