He sighed after she waited too long to answer, and shook his head. “You’re going to shoot me down again, aren’t you?” His genuine disappointment surprised her.
Heart thumping oddly, she said the exact opposite of what she wanted. “I’m sorry, Mason. I can’t.”
He let out a heavy sigh and dug into his pancakes again. After a few quiet bites, he pointed his fork at her and said, “You know this means I’m only going to try harder.”
She laughed. “I can’t imagine Mason Adams gives up very easily.”
“He doesn’t,” he assured her, making a panty-dampening amount of eye contact. “I’m just going to have to up my game in the bedroom,” he remarked with a smirk.
She nearly choked on her pancakes. Up his game? Was that even possible? Oh, bring it on. “It’s worth a try I guess,” she told him, suddenly aroused all over again. “I can think of a few things I’d like to try.”
He dropped his fork and cleared his throat. “Oh, babe, if you want me to make those dirty fantasies of yours come to life, I am your man. Literally, anything you want, I will make it happen.”
She pressed her knees together and just casually mentioned, “I think the sofa.” She nodded toward it. “Looks about the right height ...”
“Jesus Christ, Gabi,” he said, standing up so fast his chair fell over. “You make me so fucking crazy.”
“Good,” she said and then squealed as he grabbed her, bent her over his sofa, shimmied her dress up over her hips, and fucked her until she couldn’t stand anymore.
Mason
Mason cursed when she left again that morning and was still no closer to getting her to say yes to a date. He couldn’t figure her out. They could screw their brains out, eat breakfast together, but dinner was off-limits?
It was so far out of the realm of his reality that he didn’t know how to handle it. He was frustrated, angry, and his pride was hurting. Did he embarrass her in some way?
The worst part was, the more she turned him down, the more he wanted her, and that by itself was terrifying. She was offering him the perfect relationship: absolutely mind-blowing sex with zero strings attached. What man wouldn’t want that?
If he didn’t want it, then who the fuck was he? He could barely recognize himself anymore.
Irritated but determined to have a more productive day at work than he had yesterday, he showered quickly, downed a very large, very black coffee, and pulled into work only to find Gabi’s little red car sitting out front next to Mrs. Finch’s town car.
He groaned and kissed all his ambition good-bye. He knew Mrs. Finch wouldn’t let him get away from her in under a half-hour, and it seemed like every time he laid eyes on Gabi, he lost his goddamn mind for at least a half-day.
He sat in his truck for a few minutes, toying with the idea of just speeding off down the road, but instead let out a “fuck,” and just bit the bullet. Besides, he couldn’t physically let the chance to see Gabi pass him up even if she had been in his shower just two hours ago.
“Good morning, Mr. Adams,” a chorus of female voices greeted him when he walked in. Veronica, Mrs. Finch, and Kylie were all smiling at him. Gabi was looking down at her feet, as red as the dress she was wearing. He groaned inwardly at the way his cock reacted immediately to her nearness. Would he ever get over this?
“Good morning, ladies,” he answered, laying on the charm. He gestured to all of them. “If this isn’t the best way to start work, then I don’t know what is.”
“Oh, you,” Mrs. Finch cooed and reached out to thread her arm through his. “You are such a charmer. I bet you can have any young woman you want.”
He cleared his throat and couldn’t help glancing quickly at the redhead that kept turning him down. She swallowed but didn’t make eye contact. “You’d be surprised, Mrs. Finch, you’d be surprised.”
The woman laughed as if he had said the funniest thing imaginable, and then touched his chest with her free hand. “Well, I suppose you’re wondering why we besieged you this morning.”
“I would say ‘graced,’ but yes.”
She smiled. “Miss Turner and I have been discussing the family room, and I remembered that absolutely stunning zebrawood coffee table you have here, and I wanted to see it again.”
The memory of Gabi reaching down to touch it the first time he saw her hit him square in the chest, and he realized he couldn’t sell that table to Mrs. Finch. He couldn’t sell it to anyone. “I’m so sorry,” he lied, “it just sold last evening. I was going to pull it off the floor this morning.” He looked up at Veronica with wide eyes. “Isn’t that right, Veronica?”
“Just last night,” she concurred. “I meant to put a sold sign on it this morning and totally forgot.” She smiled prettily at Mrs. Finch. “I’m so sorry for the confusion, I’m still getting to know this job.”
Wow. Veronica was really something. He was going to have to double her hourly wage.
Just as Mrs. Finch was about to respond, he pulled her closer and lowered his voice. “But what I can do for you, is make you another one. I have a few pieces of zebrawood in the back. You’d be able to choose and then also edit the design for size and taste. It would be another Finch Exclusive.”
“A Finch Exclusive.” She sighed. “I like the sound of that. All right, it’s a deal, Mr. Adams.”
He grinned at her and snuck a look at Gabi, who was eyeing the zebrawood table sadly. Thank God he hadn’t sold it. “Come on back to the workshop, I’ll pull down the samples for you, and I can show you how all your other projects are coming along.”
“Oh, how wonderful,” she said, grabbing his bicep with both hands.
When he led his entourage into the workshop, all work stopped almost as if on cue. Cruz looked up from his saw, eyes going immediately to Kylie, and Jim and Michael stopped talking over their staining projects. The silence was jarring after all the sound that had filled the space.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “this is Mrs. Finch, Kylie, and Gabi.” He could have kicked himself for the tenderness he heard in his own voice when he said Gabi’s name. He felt her look at him when he said it.
Max and Joe just nodded and grumbled something along the lines of “ladies.” But Cruz pulled off his protective gear and was next to them in a flash, kissing Mrs. Finch’s hand and, of course, Kylie’s. He passed on Gabi as silent deference to Mason. He appreciated it.
Both of them giggled, and he could have sworn Kylie blushed. A rare feat indeed.
Once he explained to Cruz what they were there for, his charming friend tagged along, and it was another hour before the ladies were finally getting ready to leave.
He was disappointed. Except for a few stolen, heated glances, he hadn’t really gotten the chance to talk to Gabi. She was flushed the entire time, and all he could think of was how he could steal her away for a quick fuck in his office.
But before he could make that a reality, they were all standing at the front entrance saying their good-byes. Gabi lingered just a touch after the other two left.
“It was good to see you,” she said quietly, smiling shyly. “Have a good day, Mason.”
He wanted to reach out and touch her cheek but refrained. “You too, Gabi.” How was it that they could be this shy after spending the last two nights in each other’s arms? It didn’t make sense.
Once she was gone, he turned around to a staring Veronica, who clearly understood what was happening but was smart enough not to say anything.
“Thank you,” he said, “for saving me back there with Mrs. Finch.”
She smiled. “Anytime. Is the table really sold?”
“No,” he answered truthfully, “but it’s no longer for sale.”
She watched him but didn’t comment on it. “I’ll put a sold sign on it for now.”
“Perfect, thank you.” Because that table would never belong to anyone other than Gabi. He left that part out.
Chapter 20
Gabi
Even though she tried every night to
say no to Mason, Gabi found herself at his house one night after the next like a junkie ready for her next fix.
But, God, there was just no way she could stay away. Not when he brought her to new pinnacles of pleasure each night and cradled her in his massive arms until daybreak. The only thing she had left to hold on to was her absolute refusal to go on a date with him. It was small, but it was something.
“I’m going to be out late tomorrow night,” he told her as they laid in bed, worn out and catching their breath. “Dom’s bachelor party.”
“Sounds fun.” She absentmindely traced the outline of his abs.
“So I was thinking, if you don’t mind, that I could come to your place when it’s over and I could just crawl in bed with you.”
She smiled to herself. “Just crawl in bed, huh? No other activities at all?”
He laughed. “Well, I’m not saying I wouldn’t be interested ...”
“That’s what I thought,” she teased. Of course she wanted him to come over, but something about this felt different, more meaningful. But the thought of sleeping alone in her bed again while he was across town made up her mind. “Of course you can come over.”
He let out a breath, and she was surprised to feel him physically relax under her fingers. Did it really mean that much to him? A rush of pleasure rolled through her, and she tucked her head against his shoulder, amazed that she might matter, even in the slightest bit, to this man.
“I promise I’ll make it worth your while,” he told her, kissing the top of her head.
“I have no doubt.”
After a few minutes, he added, “I may be pushing my luck here, but does this mean you’ll go to my brother’s wedding with me in a couple weeks?”
She laughed. “How many times are you going to ask me that?” He had been hounding her all week.
“As many times as it takes to get a yes. I already told everyone I was bringing a ‘plus one.’ It wouldn’t be very nice of you to make me look foolish.”
She propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. Jesus, he was handsome. And the vulnerability she could see in his eyes made her heart pound heavily. “I never claimed to be nice,” she answered, trying to play it off cutely.
It didn’t work this time.
He pulled himself up into a sitting position and looked at her carefully. “Gabi, why won’t you go out with me? Don’t play cute or toss me some bullshit answer, just be honest, okay? I can handle it.”
Crap.
With a sigh, she pulled herself up into a position to match his and took a breath. “Honestly, Mason, I’m not sure. I know that sounds stupid, but I don’t have an answer.”
He pursed his lips and inhaled heavily before asking, “Is there someone else?”
The ridiculousness of the suggestion made her laugh, but she reined it in once a look of horror crossed his face. “No, there isn’t anyone else.” She reached out for his hand. “It’s just you.”
He let her take his hand but didn’t look her in the eye.
She was aching to tell him about Matt, about what he put her through, still put her through, but the words stuck. They made her throat sore. What would he think about her falling for a man like that? For staying with him for as long as she did? How could she admit to this man that she had been so stupid?
“I really like being with you, Mason,” she admitted instead. “And I don’t want whatever this is to stop, but I’m not ready for anything else. Is that okay?”
He was very still and so quiet she thought he was going to ask her to leave, but instead he broke into a grin and looked up at her. “So you like being with me, huh?”
She groaned and punched his arm.
“Ow,” he complained, rubbing his arm. “Miss Turner, I think you’re going to have to pay for that.”
Desire swirled through her like a spring tornado. “Oh, really?”
“Really,” he growled and pounced on her.
She squealed and then cried out when he entered her. It always felt so fucking good, and this time there was something a little different. This time he moved slower, more tenderly, and when he was done, she felt as if she had been worshipped. Adored. And her grip on her heart was so very tenuous.
Mason
The wonderful thing about Saturday morning was that Gabi was still in his bed past nine o’clock. In fact, she was still out cold at ten, and he wasn’t going to do anything to disturb her, even if the entire left side of his body was numb and she was drooling a little.
He would have stayed there all day if he hadn’t heard his phone buzzing followed by an incessant knock on his front door. He groaned when he remembered that Lu said she was coming by that morning.
“Gabi,” he whispered, “I’ve got to go downstairs, Lula is here.”
She mumbled something unintelligible and he struggled to untangle himself from her limbs. It took a full ten minutes before he was answering the door in his sweatpants and a very obvious inside-out T-shirt.
“Sorry, Lu,” he said, pulling the front door open. His future sister-in-law stood there smiling, looking stylishly nerdy in polka-dots and purple glasses. “I was sleeping.”
“Late night?” she asked playfully, entering the house when he waved her in.
“You could say that,” he answered, knowing he couldn’t hide anything from her if he wanted to. Lula was like a radar that picked up on every single micro emotion he had. It was irritating as fuck.
She just smiled and pulled a drawing out of her bag. “This is what we were thinking for the archway. Nothing overly complicated. Just kind of rustic and sweet.”
“Simple,” he answered after he took the paper from her, “like Dom.”
She laughed but slapped him in the shoulder. “Hey, that’s my future husband you’re talking about.”
He shrugged. “You know it’s never too late to back out.”
“You’re the worst,” she declared. “Anyway, do you think this is manageable in two weeks?”
“I could have it done in a day, Lu, but for you, I’ll take two days just to make sure it’s perfect.”
She beamed at him and stood on her tip-toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Mace, it means a lot.”
“Hey, I’m just glad you’re allowing my brother to marry you. I’m not sure he deserves it, but thank you for taking him off my hands.”
She giggled and then her attention was drawn to movement by the stairs.
Gabi was standing there in just his T-shirt, looking mortified. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I didn’t know anyone was here.”
Mason didn’t know what to do.
But it didn’t faze Lula in the least. She rushed toward her with a big smile and an outstretched hand. “Hi, I’m Lula. Dom’s fiancé. That doofus over there”—she pointed at Mason—“is going to be my brother in two weeks.”
“Hi, Lula,” she said, taking her hand, relaxing a little, “I’m Gabi.”
“It’s so nice to finally meet you. Mason has been talking about his ‘plus one’ for days now, and I wasn’t sure if you were really real. But here you are.”
Mason almost laughed at the horrified look on Gabi’s face as her eyes went from Lula to him and back again. He held his hands up innocently. He hadn’t planned this, but boy did he wish he had. He would make anything Lula wanted from now on, a bench, a fucking house if it meant Gabi was at his side at the wedding.
“Here I am,” she repeated, eyes huge.
“It means so much to Dom and I that you would come and share our special day,” Lula gushed, making it harder and harder for Gabi to do anything but agree. She was nodding stupidly. “She’s gorgeous, Mason,” Lula told him.
As if he didn’t know. “Yes, she is,” he answered.
He must have said it with a particularly tender tone because both women looked at him with the widest eyes he had ever seen.
Eventually Lula cleared her throat and shook Gabi’s hand again. “I have to run, but it was so nice to meet you. I can’
t wait to see you at the wedding. Maybe you can help me keep the brothers in line.”
“Of course,” Gabi answered, warming to Lula as everyone did. “It was lovely to meet you too.”
Lula bounced over to him, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered, “Don’t fuck this one up. I like her.” And then was gone before he could answer.
He looked up to find Gabi staring at him with one hand on her hip and an accusatory look in her eye.
“I swear to God I didn’t plan that,” he said, leaning against the wall. “But I wish I had. You should have seen the look on your face.”
She ran a hand down said face. “I can’t say no now.” She sighed.
He pushed himself off the wall, walked over to her, and gathered her up in his arms. “I promise I didn’t plan that.”
After a moment, she melted into him and rested her cheek against his chest.
“And I promise I’ll make sure you have the most fun you’ve ever had at a wedding.”
“You’re going to owe me,” she warned.
He chuckled. “There is literally nothing I won’t do, gorgeous.”
Picking her head up off his chest, she gave him a playful look and said, “Well, there is that chair in the living room we haven’t tried yet ...”
Growling at the way she could make his cock spring to life, he picked her up, carried her to that very chair, and made sure she enjoyed it.
Chapter 21
Gabi
“Dad!” she answered, so happy to see his name flash across her screen that afternoon. “How are you?” She quickly abandoned her Saturday laundry and curled up on the edge of her bed with her phone.
He chuckled. “I’m good, ladybug, I’m good. Better now that I’m talking to you. How has your week been?”
She blushed as she thought of all the things that had transpired since he had left. Not a bit of it was shareable. “Pretty good, things are moving forward with the Finch house and”—she took a deep breath knowing he was going to get it out of her anyway—“Mason too.”
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