She nodded. “It was worth every minute.” She leaned her head against the back of the couch. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into getting all of those clothes.” Frowning, she rolled her head toward him. “And I can’t believe you won’t let me pay for them.”
“My treat.” He held up his hands.
“That’s not fair.”
He chuckled. “It was my privilege to do this for you, because you deserve it. Seeing the sparkle in your eyes and your smile made everything worth it.”
“Oh, Brad.” She sighed heavily. “I also can’t believe I wore clothestwo sizestoo large. Why didn’t I realize it?”
“I wish I knew.” But he really knew. It was her boyfriend, Tom. He was the one who controlled her. Brad would do anything to make her see that.
A small laugh erupted in her throat. “What will the girls at work think of me now?”
He rolled closer and drew his finger along her chin. “They’ll be happy that therealTyger Breanna Loveland finally came out of her shell. If you’re happy with the results, they will be happy.”
“Oh, Brad. I wish everyone had a positive outlook like you do.”
“I was blessed, I guess.”
She laughed. “You were blessed with more than that.”
He could stare into her eyes all night, which was exactly what he wanted to do. He couldn’t let tonight end. “So what should we do next?” He pulled off the couch and stood.
“Are you kidding? You want to do more?”
A lot more, my dear.“Yes.”
“But aren’t you exhausted?”
“A little, but I don’t want this day to end. I’ve enjoyed my time with you today.”
Her smile softened. “So have I.”
He walked to the framed pictures lined on a shelf. Cade was in a few of the pictures. One was with her and Cade and they appeared much younger, like they were still in high school. They were with an older couple. Probably the people who adopted them.
His Tyger was a pretty girl, which of course is why she turned into a beautiful woman. A few other photos were of her and a man with mousy brown hair. He stood beside Tyger with his arm around her, and yet he didn’t smile. It appeared as if the man was irritated because he had to be in a picture. It was clear, however, that she didn’t start dressing differently until after meeting Tom.
“Oh, look how cute you were,” he said teasingly, pointing to the younger picture of her and Cade. “And look at your brother. I wouldn’t have recognized him at all.”
“Yes, that’s us right after we were adopted.”
“Is this your boyfriend?” He pointed to the one of her and Tom.
“Yes, that’s Tom.”
He kept silent for a few seconds, afraid to say anything about her boyfriend. He knew whatever words exited his mouth would not be kind. “Hey, I know what we can do.” He turned around and faced her. “Let’s have a little party tonight.”
She chuckled. “No, Brad. Although the party was fun the other night, I can’t have another one here at my place.”
“Why?”
“Because when Tom found out, he exploded.” The smile disappeared from her face. “And he’s right. I shouldn’t have let so many people into my apartment without his permission.”
“Are you serious?” Brad couldn’t bite his tongue any longer. “Tom doesn’t live here. This isyourplace. Breanna, this isyourlife. He shouldn’t be the one controlling it.”
Sadness encased her expression. Slowly, she lifted off the couch and walked toward him, stopping only a few inches away.
“No, Brad. Tom is my boyfriend. He’s the man I’ll marry one day.” A sob caught in her voice, so she cleared her throat. “He’ll be living here with me, so it’s only right—”
