CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The rest of the day passed in a blur. After my fight—or whatever it was—with Mason, I drove home and skipped my afternoon classes. Eva did too. She and Alec had broken up, and when she saw my car pull into the drive, she arrived at my apartment to cry on my shoulder.

I think consoling her was the only thing that kept me from sobbing for myself. It felt as if I’d lost Mason forever.

God, maybe I had.

When E. curled up on my couch and took a nap, I called Ethan and broke off my plans with him, since I knew that was going to be a flop before it even started.

He didn’t seem too surprised, though he did have the grace to sound disappointed. “Lowe didn’t take the news well, did he?”

I couldn’t think up a reason to lie, so I shook my head. “No, he didn’t.”

After a moment of silence, Ethan said, “You know, you don’t have to turn me down just because he…” He must’ve realized he was about to say something that would totally offend me because he stopped abruptly, his words fading into a sad chuckle. “Right. Good luck with him, then.”

Good luck. Yeah, I needed more than luck to get Mason back. I needed a freaking miracle. Or maybe a crowbar to beat some sense into him. Or maybe I needed to beat some sense into myself, because hell, I couldn’t tell which one of us was being the stupidest right now.

The only good thing about all this was that I was too heartbroken over Mason to worry about my paranoia over Jeremy. I still locked all my doors and checked my purse for my mace and Taser, but at least my fear had settled back down to the level it had been before my mom’s fateful phone call.

Damn, had that only been last Saturday that she had called? So much had happened in the past six days. So many people had been hurt.

To avoid the pain, I decided to keep going and follow my typical routine, hoping the regularity of my actions could settle me into a blank state of blissful oblivion.

At my regular babysitting time, I arrived at Dawn’s house, opening the front door without knocking and stepping inside. The television ran the evening news with the volume turned low.

I thought about calling a greeting but decided to go the sneaky route and surprise Sarah. She did like the attention of people jumping out at her and screeching, “Boo.”

I had a feeling my little buddy was the type who would adore bloody, slasher, horror movies, but I wasn’t ready to go there quite yet, mostly because I was definitely ~not~ that type. Give me romantic comedy any day of the week. Or ~Harry Potter~; that was about as dark as I got.

As I moved down the narrow passage toward the kitchen, I approached Sarah’s bedroom and noticed immediately that across the hallway, Mason’s bedroom door hung open.

He never left his door open. What was more, there was someone talking inside his room.

I paused. He wasn’t home, was he? Crap. I hadn’t paid enough attention when I’d pulled to the curb to remember if his Jeep had been sitting in the driveway or not. I wasn’t sure if I could face him right now without breaking down and weeping.

But I was curious to know what his room looked like. I crept forward, stepping easily so the creak midway down the hall didn’t give away my presence.

The lights were off inside, but I knew he—or someone—was in there when I heard bedsprings squeak.

The talking paused, only to start again. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, even as muffled as it was. I scanned the dark blue walls before I had a full glimpse inside, surprised he wasn’t the messy type. He didn’t hang many pictures and he didn’t have a cluttered floor. I wouldn’t have called the space stark, but he definitely wasn’t a junk collector.

Then I saw his bed with a plaid comforter thrown neatly over the mattress. Mason sat on the edge, his feet on the floor as he focused all his attention on his cell phone he held in his lap. He was watching a video where a fuzzy image shifted across the small screen.

“…~be Eva instead~,” the pitchy phone speakers blared out my voice. “~Good morning, Mason. Looking good today. What say we skip classes and have some...fun.~”

My mouth dropped open as I watched a grin spread across his face. He wiped his thumb over the phone screen, touching the video version of me.

Oh, my God. He hadn’t deleted that stupid, impulsively made video yet?

Oh, my God, times two. Was he watching it ~again~?

I clapped my hand over my mouth because my grin kept spreading wider and wider as a smile consumed me. My eyes grew watery.

He loved me.

If this didn’t prove he loved me, nothing did.

Mason Lowe loved me.

Sensing my presence, he lifted his face. When he saw me, his eyes grew big. He dropped his phone screen-down on his bed and surged to his feet. “Reese! What’re you doing here?”

He was dressed to go to work, his brown loafers adorning his size-twelve feet and his pale blue Country Club shirt tucked into his pleated slacks. I had to look away because staring at him made me feel achy and full of depressing angst.

“It’s Friday,” I said blankly and shook my head, confused. “I always babysit on Friday.”

“But...” He glanced down at his watch. “Shit. I’m running late.”

I watched him scurry around to grab his cell phone and wallet. When he turned toward the doorway to find me blocking his path, and not budging, he faltered, looking a little panicked and trapped.

“I thought you might like to know I cancelled my date.”

Eyes flaring with liquid heat, he grasped my elbow. “What? I told you, you didn’t have to do that. Why did you cancel? Did he do something to you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just…I can’t go out with him.”

“You…” Mason stepped even closer, right into my personal space, his clean, musky scent invading my senses. “Why?”

I turned my face aside and wiggled my elbow out if his grip. “Now who’s playing dumb?”

“Jesus.” He spun away, ripping his hands through his hair. “I ~knew~ I shouldn’t have said anything to you. I swear to God, I’m sorry. I was a jealous tool, and you deserve to date and be happy and…and live your life however you want.”

His love for me showed through every pore of his being. I could tell it killed him to say this, but he honestly thought it was for the best to let me go.

At that moment, I knew. I would do whatever I had to do to make him mine. “Well, thank you, Mason,” I said, gifting him with a bright smile. “I’m so glad I have your approval to live my life however I want, because I plan to do just that.”

I tried to walk away, but he caught my arm, looking way too suspicious.

“Why do I have a bad feeling there’s an ulterior motive behind that statement?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe you’re paranoid.” When he opened his mouth, I cleared my throat and smoothed my hand over my stomach because I think watching Eva doing that fifty times an hour was beginning to rub off on me. “Where’s Sarah?”

“Right…here.”

My little buddy saved me from getting more questions by rolling her chair to the doorway of Mason’s room.

Without glancing at her brother, I hurried to her and spent the rest of my time with her before he left for work. He didn’t get to interrogate me further.

He looked pissed as he walked out the door, though. His gaze burned into me with promise for retribution. I wasn’t too certain what had gotten his panties in a wad. I hadn’t threatened, warned, or intimidated him in any way. I had backed off as he seemed to ~want~ me to. I’d even cancelled my date for him. Yet he looked more tormented than ever.

Gah, Mason Lowe was going to be one hard shell to crack.

After he left, my evening with Sarah lagged on. She went to bed half an hour after her usual time, which was fine with me because tonight I liked her staying up with me; I ~needed~ her companionship. With her asleep, I trudged from her room, my shoulders dragging with depression.

Lonely, all I could think about was Mason. What if he never thought he was good enough for me? Hell, ~why~ didn’t he think he was good enough? I wasn’t anything special. Was he completely blind to all my strange habits, whiny traits, and impulsive comments? A man who could look past all that and still like what he saw in me was worth…well, he was worth everything.

I slumped to the kitchen to get myself a glass of ice water, not expecting to see anyone sitting at the table. So when I did, I yelped and stumbled into the arched entryway. At first, I thought it was Jeremy. I’d been so stupid and careless these past few days; he’d finally found me.

But then I focused on his face, and wow, he looked nothing like my psycho stalker ex-boyfriend.

I set my hand over my heart and slumped against the wall, beyond relieved. “Oh, my God. Mason. What’re you doing home so early?”

He glanced up from the chair where he sat slouched and sent me a look of utter defeat. “Fate hates me.”

“Huh?”

A bitter laugh rumbled from his chest. “I was sent home early and suspended for a week.”

Oh, shit. Had the country club learned about his past? I pushed away from the wall. “What happened?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I was freaking distracted and backed into a valet car when I was parking another one. Dinged both of them.” Plopping his face forward until he thumped his forehead against the tabletop, he let out a drained sigh. “I think the only reason my boss didn’t fire me on the spot was because I’m usually a good employee.”

Knowing I had to be the reason for his suspension, I gulped in a lungful of guilt and reached for his back but pulled away at the last second. Folding my arms over my waist, I whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” When he looked up, he squinted at me in confusion.

I fluttered out my hand. “You know, for causing your distraction.”

“You didn’t. I…” He pushed his chair back and stood, his eyes full of concern. “My suspension had nothing to do with you.” He took a step toward me, and my heart beat through my entire body. “It was all me. You…you’re not to blame for ~anything~. You’re the good part in all of this.” Two steps later, he was all up in my grill in a very pleasing, overwhelming, I-couldn’t-breathe-I-was-so-excited way. But it was so, yeah, ~overwhelming~, I moved back, only to find myself trapped between him and that wall, the very wall he’d wanted to take me hard and fast against.

“You’re the warm sun that shines when everything else is dark,” he went on, lifting his hands to rest them against the wall on either side of my face. “A smile and a hug in a roomful of disapproval. You’re…” Wincing, he pressed his forehead against mine. “You’re everything.”

A single tear trickled down my cheek. My smile trembled with effort. “I love you too.”

Mason choked out a sound and then shook his head. “You…No. You shouldn’t.”

I touched the side of his face. “But I do.”

Closing his eyes, he muttered something under his breath right before he sealed our mouths together. We both made a sound as our lips locked. He pulled back just enough to gaze at me. And then he went back for more.

It was everything I’d ever dreamed about and so much more. As his lips plundered persistently, I wrapped my arms around him and tipped my face up for more. Tethering me around the waist, he pulled us flush as his tongue stroked the roof of my mouth before tangling with mine.

My legs went around his waist, and he hoisted me higher, cupping my butt.

We tipped to the side, disturbing a row of keys hanging by the back door until a couple jingled to the floor. Stumbling into the cabinets, he propped me on the counter and deepened our kisses with long, drugging pulls that left me gasping for more. His body pushed more firmly into mine as he cradled my face. Then he ran his hands down my neck and over my back.

Even through my clothes, he knew how to make me react when he cupped my breasts. I choked out a surprised sound of need and threw my head back, cracking it on the cabinets behind me.

“Shit,” Mason gasped, his lips tearing themselves from mine. Rubbing my noggin for me, he muttered, “We can’t do this.”

But he still burrowed his face against my shoulder as he panted. I clung to him shamelessly, tucking my own cheek into his neck. Stroking his back, I whispered, “If this is going to be the only time I get to touch you, then can you wait at least a minute longer before coming to your senses?”

He released a breath. “Okay.”

Damn, my powers of persuasion amazed even me.

I lifted my face to him, he lifted his to mine, and the kiss was on again. I loved the feel of his jaw under my fingers. I loved his hands that slipped up the back of my shirt and caressed my spine. I loved the entire experience.

“Okay, we should stop now.” He gave it another halfhearted attempt, though his lips clung to mine and his thumbs became fascinated with each bump on my vertebrae. “Reese, we should stop. I need to stop before it’s too late.”

“Why?” I kissed my way down his neck.

He groaned and cupped my waist, sending thrilling tingles along my nerve endings. Then his mouth was on my throat and he was tugging me to the edge of the counter to snuggle our bodies closer.

When the heat of his erection nudged me through his jeans and my shorts, we both sucked in a harsh breath.

“Damn it.” He broke away from me, severing all contact before he backed away, putting a good five feet of space between us.

I had no starch left in my body, so I wilted against the wall as I slid off the counter. I could still feel him everywhere. Mason wiped a hand over his face before leaning his forearms against another wall and bowing his head.

“Do you realize what you’re doing to me, Reese?” His voice sounded broken as he thunked his forehead forward. “Making me choose like this…”

~Excuse me?~ I lifted my hands, beyond insulted. “I haven’t made you choose ~anything~. Have you ever once heard me ask you to make any kind of decision? I understand completely why you do this. You don’t have to ~choose~.”

Mason closed his eyes and snuffled out a bitter sound. “Except I already have. I have declined every offer I’ve gotten lately because the only person I want is you.”

Hearing him openly admit it lit up my hope like the Griswold house at Christmas. “S-since when?”

Emotion swam in his eyes as he shook his head and glanced at me. “Since the night before we almost kissed in your apartment during Eva’s party.”

I gulped, overwhelmed with joy.

It was official then. He was no longer a gigolo. He’d quit. For me.

I stepped away from the wall, but he croaked, “It might not last,” as if saying that threw up some kind of force field to keep me away.

Strangely enough, it worked. I stopped in my tracks. “What do you mean?”

Grief filled his face. “I tried getting out a year ago. I refused everyone for four months straight. But it didn’t change how people treated me. Then the bills started piling up. Not as bad as they had been before. But it worried me, made me fear that our lives would plummet again. Then one day, this client got so desperate, she offered me double my price to keep me from refusing. So…I agreed. And everyone else began to pay that price. Before I knew it, I was all the way back in again.” He looked at me and shook his head. “I want to say I’ll never go back to it, but I did before.”

I shook my head, maybe denying the whole situation, or maybe I was just that sure he wouldn’t go back.

Mason glanced at me, looking restless and edgy as he jiggled his knee. “I never should’ve told you how I felt. When I learned he was going to take you out, I should’ve just gritted my teeth and kept my mouth shut. At least we’d still be friends.”

I gave a small, helpless shrug. “But then we never would’ve kissed.”

His gaze lifted, and he actually smiled. “Yeah.” Except now he sounded more depressed than ever.

I pushed away from the wall and went to him, opening my arms and hugging him. He exhaled and wound me tight in his embrace, burying his face in my hair. “You are the most amazing person I’ve ever known. I love your spunk, your crazy thoughts on life, your caring soul.”

“And I love you, period,” I said.

He must’ve known I wasn’t going to take any kind of rejection from him, because he didn’t even attempt to pull away when I slid my mouth to his.