Episode 11

Early the next morning Tomilola stood next to the table where she'd set Demola's roses, her nose buried in the burgundy blooms. They smelled so good. Bold, sweet...heady.

Much like the man who'd sent them.

Smiling ruefilly, she took another deep whiff and straightened, trying not to let her mind wander, once again, back to the thoughts that had kept her awake most of the nights. Thoughts of Demola Adenuga.

But it was impossible.

A Man Worth Waiting for - Episode 10

Demola gulped a quick cup of coffee. Standing in his kitchen, he stared at the big house. He'd been out all morning, making sure everything was in order. He'd hoped Tomilola might make a foray onto the estate over the last two days, but not only had he not seen her since the night of their drinking, the helps working in the big house hadn't, either. She'd obviously never left the house.

He thought she was making progress toward lightening up about her dad. About the estate. At least she hadn't thrown his suggestion to keep the place and use it to help support her charity back in his face. A good sign. And he'd hoped the note from her father would soften her up even more. At least he'd hoped it would make her feel less like an outsider. Make her feel like a beloved daughter and therefore someone who belonged here on her father's estate.

A Man Worth Waiting for - Episode 9

Tomilola sat outside her bedroom on the balcony that ran the length of the back of the house. She rocked gently in one of the rockers that were strewn around the balcony and drew in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves as she leaned back, propped her feet up on the railing and watched the sun dip beneath the hill's top. The already waning twilight faded to night. Staring at the twinkling stars, she let the day's emotions take hold of her.

Fresh tears pooled in her eyes. Tears she'd been fighting all day. Tears of frustration and sadness and anger. After Demola's little bombshell on the trail, she'd come back to the estate and spent the day sifting through the bills in her father's office. It had made for a tumultuous afternoon.

A Man Worth Waiting for - Episode 8

Demola rode quietly beside Tomilola. They were in the open now. The morning was quickly warming up as the sun rose steadily above the horizon.

"I thought you'd like it here. It's one of my favourite spots. Was one of your dad's, too."

She grimaced. "Can we not talk about him today?"

His gut clenched. The pleasant ride was over. "Unfortunately, we need to talk about him. Him and your mom."

Her gaze snapped back to him, her lips pressed into a thin, hard line. "You jerk. You didn't bring me out here for fresh air. You brought me out here to ambush me."

A Man Worth Waiting for - Episode 7

Demola let her go, his arms suddenly cold and empty. She'd felt so right there. So damned right. He could have held her all night. Just held her.

A ruthless laugh echoed through his head. Yeah, right. He could have kept her in his arms all night, no problem. But holding would have turned into something much more active before long. And that was a trait he couldn't go down. Not with Tomilola Daniels.

She already had enough complications in her life; she didn't need more. And sleeping with him was loaded with complications. So he let her go and promised himself he'd keep his comforting on a verbal level from now on. Safer for both of them. He watched her stride toward the sofa where he'd dumped her bag. She swiped at the tears wetting her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I don't know what got into me. Hysterical, crying female isn't usually my style." Her voice was soft, embarrassed.

A Man Worth Waiting for - Episode 6

She felt the taxi move again, winding this way and that. And then it slowed, stopped. "This is it."

She opened her eyes and looked out the windshield. In the day's waning light, a huge log house met her gaze. A three-story building with high-pitched roofs, long balconies and lots of glass. Her stomach flipped again and an icy hand gripped her heart. The bastard. While she and her mother had been living in rat- and cockroach-infested rooms, the kind you paid for by the month, her father had been living in a luxury house. Damn his soul.

Demola's piercing brown eyes met hers. "Ready?"

A Man Worth Waiting for - Episode 5

Tomilola sat in the taxi next to Demola as the sun leaned towards dusk.

Terrified.

She didn't know what she was terrified of, but her palms were sweating. And the closer they got to the ranch, the harder her heart beat. Which was ridiculous. It wasn't like she had to face dear old dad once she got there. He was dead. Gone. Buried. But his ghost would be there. Not the see-through kind, of course. But she would be staying in his house. She would be surrounded by his things. The estate he built. His personal possessions. Every waking minute she'd be bombarded by the stark evidence that he'd cared more for his ranch than he ever had for her or her mother.