Chapter 33: Unexpected Guest

JAMIE

I stood on the terrace of the beach house with a warm mug of coffee in my hands.

The day wasn’t as cold compared to yesterday; there were even some walkers on the beach with their pets.

Maybe I would like a dog someday, to run around the garden. A garden full of lilies.

Last night with Mason was weird. Not in a bad way, just different from what I was used to with him.

I was turned around on all fours on the bed expecting him to take me hard and fast from behind. Only this time he didn’t.

Mason had turned me around and looked at me, moving my hair gently back from my face before moving over me and pressing his naked skin against mine.

Missionary! That was the type of sex we had.

The man who took the piss out of people for doing the missionary position gave me exactly that last night.

It was so intimate and soft. Again, definitely unexpected.

Mason Knight likes me. But I’m so in love with him!

I don’t know how to interpret any of the things he does.

A blanket was placed around me and I turned around.

So very handsome, that man.

He was dressed casually, taking me by surprise yet again. Just seeing him in jeans and a T-shirt was making me flutter.

I was also appreciating the fact that he cared enough about me to bring me a blanket for warmth. “Good morning.”

“Yes, it is.”

He covered my lips with his. It was sweet and left me wanting so much more.

“I wish you’d woken me when the workmen arrived, Jamie.”

“You looked like you needed the extra hour. I let them in. No trouble.”

I drank from my coffee cup, taking in the morning fuel I needed.

“So, let’s talk about this blanket. Are you showing me your sweet side, Mason Knight?”

He grabbed my hands as I swatted at him playfully and he pulled me toward him.

“You called me Mason. You don’t usually call me anything but Mr. Knight.”

“Things change, I guess.”

~Like the way I feel about you.~

I just feel like letting it out and telling him exactly how I feel—like, right this second.

I also feel like I’m totally going to puke.

“Oh God, no!”

I ran toward the glass door and through the kitchen area full of working men.

“Jamie! What’s wrong?”

Mason followed me up the stairs and toward the en suite bathroom in the big bedroom.

I shut the door behind me, not wanting him to see me puke up everything I’d eaten this morning. It’s not very attractive to see a woman puke.

I crouched over the toilet, heaving until I couldn’t be any emptier and finally felt the ease of the nausea.

Ugh.

Must have been the eggs.

It came on so suddenly.

I washed up before opening the bathroom door.

Mason was leaning against the wall, waiting for me. I was embarrassed—he’d been standing right there listening to me puke.

“Are you okay? Maybe you ate something off, that sounded like a lot.”

“I’m fine, I’m good now. It could’ve been those eggs.”

I grabbed my bag from the window seat and took out my toothbrush and toothpaste.

“Well, I order you to spend the day in bed. You should rest. And if you're feeling better later, I’ll make us both dinner.”

I like the sound of those orders.

“I hope you’re not planning on staying with me. I don’t want to make you sick. I might be contagious.”

Mason walked toward me and pressed his lips to my forehead.

“I don’t care about that. I’ll grab you a water. Get settled in bed.”

Isn’t that sweet? I thought he was going to run a mile at the sound of me throwing up, but obviously I was wrong.

He wants to take care of me.

***

After six, the workers left, having fixed up the kitchen to order.

I was feeling better by then—famished, in fact—and Mason left to get takeout from a nearby restaurant.

I walked around the kitchen, cleaning every dusty surface down after the workmen.

The doorbell went all of a sudden, giving me a fright.

Who the hell could that be?

I walked toward it and looked out the side panel of glass.

Of course I was doing the smart thing and not just opening the door to anyone.

A man was on the other side, a man with dark hair and in casual wear. He smiled when I opened the door.

“Hello. You must be Jamie?”

He knows who I am?

“Er—sorry, but who are you?” My heart was in my throat.

“I’m Eoin. Mason’s cousin.”

I didn’t know of any cousins.

Then again, why would I? Family is just one of the many things we don’t discuss.

“Harry told me you two were here for the weekend. He said I could come by and pick up some boxes for my dad.”

“Mason is—he’s not here right now.”

I stood hesitant. He knew Harry and Mason by name, and I did happen to see a box sitting on the sideboard.

“But I’ll let you in.”

I opened the door up and let the man I didn’t know into the house. He was taller now that he was in front of me.

Mason had better hurry back.

“Thank you for letting me in. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve been here.” He scanned the downstairs. “Looks the same, just about. Fewer pictures on the walls.”

“You mean there were a lot more than this before?”

There were many family pictures on the walls, more than I’d ever seen on any other. I walked toward the kitchen counter and stood there.

“A few. Family ones. I remember ones of Mason and me on the beach when we were younger. We spent every summer here as kids.”

Eoin walked over to the sideboard and looked at the box.

“Is this the one?”

“I think so. It’s the only one I’ve noticed.”

I glanced out the window and didn’t see any sign of Mason.

I’m sure he’ll be surprised to see that his cousin is here.

Eoin carried the brown box toward the kitchen island and set it down on the countertop.

He opened it and pulled out a stack of family pictures, some framed and some not.

“Oh, these are great. My father will love them.”

“Mason’s mum—is your mum’s sister?” I picked up my water glass to tide over the hunger that was making me nauseous. I had to take a stab.

“My dad’s.” He looked at the framed photos and smiled before looking back up at me. “You look a bit pale. Are you okay?”

~Some makeup might have been a good idea, Jamie.~

I tucked my hair behind my ear in awkwardness.

“I’ve been feeling sick, I think I must have eaten something bad, or maybe I have a bug or something.”

“Or maybe that cousin of mine has gotten you pregnant,” he joked, glancing back down at the photos and shaking his head.

What kind of a joke is that?!

Now I could feel heat in my cheeks.

“No. Definitely not. I just ate a bad egg. That’s all it was.”

The front door opened and Mason walked in carrying takeout bags.

“I probably got way more than I should have done, but after the morning—”

He stopped cold when he saw us.

“Eoin, what are you doing here?”

“Just picking up this box of photos for Dad. Your dad said it was okay I popped by.” Eoin smiled. “Good to see you, cousin. It’s been a while.”

“It has. You’ve grown some facial hair since the last time I saw you.” Mason set the bags down on the island and looked at me.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine.” I folded my arms over my chest. The smell of the food was making my stomach rumble like crazy.

“I’ll get going and let you two enjoy your night.” Eoin packed the pictures back into the box. “Nice seeing you both.”

I was feeling guilty—with so much food, we should have asked him to stay.

“Eoin, please do stay. There’s plenty of food here for the three of us. Stay and have dinner.”

His lips curved into a smile.

“I really wouldn’t want to impose on you—”

“You’re not imposing. It’s just dinner. You and Mason need to catch up anyway, since you’re already here.”

I removed some containers from the bags and glanced in Mason’s direction in hopes that he would say something.

Anything.

Eoin looked at Mason. “Is that all right?”

Mason considered for a moment, then relieved me by walking to the kitchen cupboard and pulling out three plates.

“Don’t see why not.”