The Young & the Sinner: An Age-Gap Romance (The Entangled Past Series)

by V. T. Do

  I wondered when this stage would end. Lizzie stopped being so awkward when she turned seventeen. Of course, that was also the time she lost her virginity to Dereck Sunner. Would that be all I needed to rid myself of my awkwardness? Then my cheeks reddened deeper when I realized what I was thinking about while sitting next to Mason.

  And perhaps it was because the man exuded sex. Even when he was doing nothing more than sitting there and drinking coffee, I started thinking about what it would be like to have sex with him.

  And… my cheeks were getting worse. A thin layer of sweat coated my forehead and it took everything in me not to bring my hand up to wipe it off.

  Mason’s eyes were on me, and I pretended to study my coffee intently while becoming increasingly aware of his close proximity, his hard body, and even his delicious smell. I had never been around anyone who smelled as good as him. The boys at school could use a lesson or two in personal hygiene.

  I cleared my throat. “So, Max tells me you were in New York?”

  He nodded thoughtfully, but I didn’t think his expression had anything to do with my question. He answered, “Yeah. I was helping my ex-girlfriend move.”

  “Your ex-girlfriend?”

  He shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. “Yeah. But let’s not get into that. Why don’t you tell me about yourself, Olivia?”

  “Oh, okay.” I looked up and met his eyes, and he shot me a reassuring smile. I smiled back at him again, suddenly feeling way too shy. I had always been reserved, even as a child. But I didn’t think I was shy. Mason made me feel things I didn’t want to examine too closely.

  The attraction I felt for him was insane, especially since this was our first meeting, yet I couldn’t help but both want to lean in closer to him and pull away at the same time. And he was at least a decade older than me. He was also my guardian’s brother.

  Ah, hell.

  “There’s not much to tell. Did Max tell you about why I’m living with him?”

  Mason nodded, and I saw a flash of sympathy in his eyes, as well as something else I couldn’t identify, right before he masked his expression with mild curiosity. “Yes. I’m sorry for all that you’re going through.”

  I shrugged like it was no big deal. “That’s okay. It’s not your fault. And besides, I have Max. He’s more than enough.”

  Mason grinned. “Yes, my brother is definitely something. He absolutely adores you, Olivia.” He paused, his gaze shifting a little to my left, before he brought his eyes back to me. “I know he loves your mom, and it kills him just thinking about what she did to you, but I’m glad he has you.”

  “Thank you.”

  I took a sip of my coffee, not knowing what else to say. Mason’s praise made me feel like I’d done more than I really had, when it was Max who had done everything for me. Not the other way around.

  Clearing my throat, I looked back at Mason and found his eyes still on me. He looked at me like he couldn’t quite figure me out. And I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to. I had never reacted to anyone the way I reacted to Mason in my short seventeen years of life, yet I knew this wasn’t something that happened often.

  I doubt I would ever find anyone who could evoked these strong emotions from me with a single glance.

  “Do you live here?” I asked. Considering he wasn’t close with my mom, it made sense that we had never met until now—and yet, how could that be? How could I be so close to Max and not know about this other important person in his life? The only explanation was that he didn’t live here.

  He surprised me, however, when he answered, “Yes. I live about twenty minutes away from here, closer to downtown.”

  My eyes widened and his grin grew. “I can’t believe we’ve never met before.”

  Though the smile was still on his face, the light in his eyes dimmed considerably. “Actually, we met many years back.”

  “Really? How come I don’t remember you?”

  He laughed, and a shiver worked its way up my spine. I loved the sound of his laugh. He should do it more often. “Probably because when I met you, you were barely out of diapers.”

  “Really?”

  He looked at me, his eyes softening, and his smile was almost… affectionate.

  “Yes. But I keep myself pretty busy with work. And I’ve been living in New York for the past six years. I just moved back a couple of months ago. That would explain why we haven’t met again until now.”

  “What do you do?” I asked.

  “I’m a lawyer.”

  I nodded, impressed. I didn’t really know the extent of what being a lawyer meant, besides arguing with people in court, but I knew it was a prestigious career. And here I was, still trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I was going off to college soon at the University of Chicago, but I had yet to decide on a major.

  Max always said I had an old soul, but sitting next to Mason, I felt juvenile.

  Mason took a sip of his coffee and my eyes followed his movement. He had stubbles, especially around his jawline. I had never met anyone who had facial hair like him, aside from Max.

  It was so masculine. The boys at school barely had peach fuzz.

  I squirmed in my seat and cleared my throat, trying to remember what it was that we were talking about just now.

  “Do you like it?” I asked, proud of how steady I sounded.

  “Yeah. I can’t imagine doing anything else in my life.”

  “Max said you’re always on the run. That you never have time to do anything.”

  “He did, did he?”

  I looked down, blushing. Perhaps I shouldn’t have said that. He gently tapped my shoulder and I looked back at him. “It’s okay. Max is always saying stupid stuff like that.”

  My lips twitched with a threat of a smile, and I knew that was his intent. “I think Max missed hanging out with you.”

  “He’s one to talk. He makes my sixty-hour work week look like a teenager’s part-time job.”

  I smiled then. “He’s not working so much anymore. We have dinner together most nights.”

  “That’s good to hear. I would hate the thought of him keeping his regular working hours now that you’re living with him.”

  We both stopped talking when we heard the garage door opening. I put my coffee mug down, excited. I missed Max. He was only gone for four days, but it might as well have been four months.

  “He’s home,” I told Mason, who smiled indulgently at me. I ignored the way his smile made my heart stutter, putting it off as my excitement of seeing Max again. And then the door leading to the garage opened, and Max walked in, his carry-on hanging off his shoulder, his clothes wrinkled, and his hair a mess.

  “Max!”

  He looked at me, and all tiredness was wiped from his eyes as he dropped his carry-on to catch me. He made an oomph sound when I reached him, but he didn’t move from where he stood, wrapping his long arms around me, making me feel safe and protected.

  “I missed you,” I whispered, still aware that Mason was behind us, witnessing the scene. I blinked away the moisture forming in my eyes. I didn’t want to lose it in front of Mason. That would just be embarrassing.

  “Ah, I missed you, too, Olive. But look at how well you did with me being gone for four days. I’m proud of you, kiddo.”

  To others, it might seem like a weird thing to be proud of, but I practically flourished under his praise. I would live the rest of my life trying to make him proud. My arms tightened a fraction around his waist, not wanting to let him go, but knowing I had to.

  I stepped away after a long second, and he ruffled my hair. “How were things at home? Throw any wild parties while I was away?”

  “Of course not,” I said seriously.

  Max laughed. Then he looked behind me and his smile widened. “You know, a little warning would be nice before you drop in.”

  I cringed at the reminder of my reaction from earlier, even if it was a normal reaction to seeing a strange man in your house.

&
nbsp; Mason laughed as well. “I thought it would be nice to surprise my big brother on his birthday. I didn’t even know you left the States.”

  “And I didn’t know you were back,” Max said meaningfully. “How was New York?”

  “As expected,” Mason replied.

  I got the feeling he only said that because I was around. Max looked at me then, and I shot him a smile. “Happy birthday.”

  “Thanks, kiddo. What do you say I change out of these clothes and we can go out for dinner?”

  “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

  “You’re joining us, Mason,” Max said, and it wasn’t a request. I looked back at Mason and found him grinning at his brother. I was happy to see how close they were. Sometimes I wished I had a sibling growing up. It would have made my childhood less lonely.

  “Sure. I never say no to free food.” Mason winked at me, and my cheeks flamed red. I looked away and caught Max’s probing gaze.

  I cleared my throat and looked away from him, walking to the empty coffee mugs. “I’ll clean up while you get ready,” I said.

  My crush on Mason was going to be problematic. Mostly because I was never good at hiding anything from Max. He was way too perceptive to ever let me get away with anything. I was told on countless occasions by my mom that I showed my thoughts too easily. She thought it was a weakness that I needed to change, and sometimes, I wished I could.

  I thought it made my mom uncomfortable to know she had hurt me with her actions, and she wished she didn’t know.

  I shrugged away the thought, gathered up the coffee mugs and walked to the kitchen, where I washed them by hand.

  Mason followed Max upstairs, obviously wanting to talk to him in private, so I gave them their space. I sat down on the barstool by the kitchen island and pulled out my phone. I had a text from Lizzie.

  Lizzie: Is Max home yet? How’s the birthday celebration going?

  Me: He just got home. Max’s brother showed up at the house before I got home from school Me: I didn’t even know who he was. Scared the shit out if me

  Lizzie: Ur kidding?! Is he still there? Is he hot?!

  My cheeks burned reading her text. How did I tell her that Mason was possibly one of the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes on? That my heart was beating so badly in my chest, I thought something might be wrong with me.

  Me: That’s not the point

  Lizzie: Silly Olive. That is always the point. But I don’t think he’s hotter than Max

  Me: Okay, can we not talk about this? U know it makes me uncomfortable whenever you say that about Max

  Lizzie: LOL

  I rolled my eyes and put the phone away. It was true that Max was handsome. I had seen the way women looked at him wherever we went. I wasn’t naïve enough to think Max was faithfully waiting for my mom. I knew he dated his fair share of women, and I also knew he took them to his bed.

  I caught one of his one-night stands trying to sneak out of his house last year when my mom dropped me off at Max’s one morning. The awkwardness that encounter left behind stayed between us for days.

  It was the last time I ever showed up to his house unannounced.

  And now, I wondered how I was affecting his dating life. Would Max remain a bachelor forever because he was too busy taking care of me?

  I hoped that wasn’t the case, even if the thought of sharing Max’s attention with some other women left a sour taste in my mouth.

  Voices carried down the stairs, and then both men emerged, laughing about something. I smiled before I realized I was doing it. It was good to see Max so happy. Standing side by side, I could see that my earlier assessment had been correct. Mason was taller and bulkier than Max, but not by much. If you didn’t pay close attention, they looked to be built the same.

  “Alright, kiddo. Why don’t you go get ready and we can leave in fifteen minutes, okay?” Max said.

  “Okay.”

  He ruffled my hair when I passed him, and I shot him a look that made him laugh. I was going to have to put my hair in a ponytail if Max kept this up.

  I changed quickly, opting for a business-casual look: a light red dress that went down to my knees, brown ankle boots, and a leather jacket. Lo Scoglio was a nice place, but it wasn’t that nice. When I put on some lipstick, I thought I looked presentable enough for the place.

  I always thought my brown hair and brown eyes made me look mousy, but there wasn’t anything that could be done about that. And if I put in the effort with makeup, Max might think I was prettying myself up for Mason. Even if I was half-tempted to do it for that very reason, I didn’t want Max to know I had developed a small crush.

  So I pinched my cheeks a little to help with my pale complexion, called it as good as it was going to get, and walked out the door.

  6

  Olivia

  We took Max’s car to the restaurant. It wasn’t a long drive, and I liked that everyone was comfortable enough with each other.

  I was mostly quiet, which was how I usually got in front of people I didn’t know well. But I was especially quiet because I didn’t know how to act in front of Mason. What would make me seem put-together and mature? And would me acting differently somehow translate into me trying too hard?

  I didn’t know, and I didn’t know how often I would see Mason after tonight. It was obvious how close he and Max were, yet there wasn’t any guarantee that he would hang out at Max’s house. Why would he?

  And why did I care?

  It wasn’t as if there was a chance in hell I could be with Mason. Aside from the fact that he was twenty-eight-year-old—eleven years older than me—he was also my guardian’s brother. Max would have a heart attack if he could read the thoughts I had swirling in my brain right now.

  We got out of the car and I walked over to Max. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders briefly, pulling me close to him before letting go. Mason shot us a curious glance but didn’t comment.

  I wasn’t an overly affectionate person, physically. I couldn’t even remember the last time I hugged my mom. But Max made it his mission to show me affection no matter what. And I found myself loving the hugs Max gave me. I found comfort in them.

  My eyes moved over to Mason on their own accord. He had strong arms. And a large chest. Would they feel comfortable if I rested my head there? How would I react if he hugged me? Kissed me?

  I stumbled in my steps and Mason reached out, steadying me before I could fall.

  “Thank you,” I stammered, embarrassed about my own clumsiness.

  “Of course.”

  “Are you alright, Olive?” Max asked.

  “Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t see the crack on the asphalt there,” I lied.

  “You have to be more careful, sweetheart.”

  “I know.”

  Thankfully, we made it into the restaurant then, ceasing all conversation. The place was brightly lit and hopping with customers. There were some kids here from school that I recognized but didn’t acknowledge. Like me, they were here with their families.

  And then the manager came out and greeted us personally. I thought that was strange but didn’t say anything. I couldn’t remember his name, but he had been the general manager since we first started coming here. I could probably count on one hand how many times I had seen him walking around the restaurant, but he seemed almost eager to shake Max’s hand.

  “Welcome, Mr. Kade.” He turned to me, and his greasy smile widened. I moved a little closer to Max, though it didn’t look like the manager noticed. Max placed a hand on the small of my back, offering some comfort. “Miss Williams.”

  I didn’t even know he knew my name. Finally, he turned to Mason, and his smile dimmed a little. It was so subtle; I didn’t think anyone noticed. “And Mr. Kade. I am so honored to have you three as guests. Please, if you would follow me back, I have your table set up already.”

  Mason took the lead, with me in the middle, and Max following behind. The table the manager showed us to was a big circular table that could probab
ly seat five people, and it was smack-dab in the middle of the restaurant. I frowned. I would have preferred a smaller table tucked somewhere in the corner—somewhere that didn’t make me feel like we were on display.

  I caught Max’s eye. He didn’t look so happy about the seating arrangement either. But he didn’t say anything. I followed his lead and took the seat the manager had pulled out for me. “Thank you,” I said politely.

  “Of course, my dear.” He placed a large hand on my shoulder, his touch lingering longer than was appropriate.

  I tensed. Max’s scowl deepened. “Mr. Norman, please remove your hand or I’ll do it for you.”

  Mr. Norman moved back as if I burned him. “I-I apologize. I meant no disrespect.”

  Max didn’t say anything, and after offering another stuttered apology, the manager walked out of there as if the hounds of heaven were chasing him.

  “Are you okay, kiddo?”

  I relaxed a little, now that the man was no longer breathing down my neck. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

  The server came to our table quickly, and after taking our drink orders, she beat a hasty retreat, as if she didn’t want to make us wait a minute longer. I frowned after she left. “Do you know why everyone is acting so weird here?”

  Max shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe they’re striving for exceptional service?”

  Exceptional? I supposed the service was something, although we’d been here plenty of times, and it wasn’t always like this. Sure, the staff were usually nice, but they hardly looked like they would jump through hoops to make us happy.

  I looked down at the table and studied the lace pattern of the tablecloth while Max and Mason talked about work. Mason asked Max something about finance and I tried not to yawn. I never really understood what it was that Max did exactly, only that he had a pretty high position in the company, and that most of his work revolved around money.

  My eyes glazed over as they continued their conversation. Mason then asked Max something about stocks, and Max said something which I was sure was a joke, considering Mason laughed. I smiled. Mason had a nice laugh. What would it be like to have him laugh at something I said? But I wasn’t witty. There was a better chance of him laughing at me than because of me.