Breaking All The Rules (Book 1 - Second Chances Series) by Rhonda McKnight Read Free Book Online Page B

anywhere. His father could always get him on there if he came back to Garrison. Besides, if he hadn’t been in the way I would have made my move.”
    I sat back and crossed my hands over my chest. “That would have been a waste, because I have rule about dating younger men.”
    “Yeah, what is it?”
    I shrugged. “Don’t do it.”
    Ethan raised his hand to his heart. “I’m so disappointed. What kind of a rule is that?”
    A humming sound came from inside his pocket.
    Glad for the interruption, I waited for him to answer his phone, but he didn’t seem to have any plans to. I asked, “Aren’t you going to get that? It might be your girlfriend.”
    “I don’t have a girlfriend, but I do have voicemail, so tell me why you don’t date younger men.”
    Suddenly feeling a little silly about my answer, I shied away from his gaze. “I never want to be called a cougar and I don’t ever want the man in my life looking younger than me.”
    Ethan chuckled and threw his head back. “Stop the madness woman. Black don’t crack, and for the record, you don’t look a single hour over twenty-eight.”
    I worked hard to be as diva divine as I was, so I was flattered, but I wasn’t going to let it show. I shook my head. “I live in New York. You live wherever you land, so we don’t need to have this ‘not happening dot com’ discussion.” I stood, looked at my watch and said, “I need to meet with the florist.”
    He stood with me. “We’ll continue this conversation at dinner.”
    I reached for my check. “If you plan to talk about this at dinner then let’s go ahead and cancel.”
    He took my hand and pulled the slip from it. “I’ve got this.” He let his eyes sweep my body. “I promise. No more stories about how I’ve been in love with you since I was ten.”
    My heart was racing. This was the first time in years I felt like I had weights in my heels. I couldn’t move. He’d actually paralyzed me with those eyes. I cleared my throat and pulled myself together. “I’ll be ready at six,” I replied, forcing myself to move. That was some serious flirting. I left the restaurant with a ding in the air above me and a little more pep in my step.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    I was ridiculously excited about seeing Ethan again. It was only five thirty and I was showered, dressed and putting on makeup. Technically it wasn’t a date. We were hanging out, keeping each other from being bored to death in Garrison, and taking my mind off the only wedding that I’ve ever not wanted to plan.
    As if she could tell I was thinking about her, Janette entered the room and plopped down on my bed. She looked tired and her feet seemed to be a bit swollen. She stood all day at the salon, but she’d been home for hours and they’d been up the entire time.
    “Where are y’all going to eat?” she asked.
    “A new place in town. Palermo’s,” I replied, thinking I’d kill two birds with one stone and check the place out as a potential spot for her bridal shower party.
    “I heard that was nice. Terrance and I were planning to go, but he’s been so busy working lately that he’s hardly had time for dinners out like that.”
    “Really? Is the plant that busy?” I asked, misting my hair with a moisturizer.
    “Not at the plant. He’s trying to get some business off the ground and he hasn’t shared the details with me yet. That’s why our money has been kinda short too.”
    I raised an eyebrow. I couldn’t imagine marrying someone who was starting a business that I didn’t have the details about, but I wasn’t my sister. She would go with the flow assuming Terrance wouldn’t have them in the poor house.
    “I appreciate you pitching in and paying for stuff for the wedding. Don’t think I don’t know it’s costing you a lot. I promise if things take off with Terrance’s plans, I’ll pay you back with interest.”
    I didn’t respond to that. We both knew that money had never been repaid between us, no matter how big