A Passionate Kiss

by Sharon C. Cooper

“I have never in my life met a man who can put away food like you.”

  “That was a long time ago. I don’t eat like that anymore.” Now that he was getting older, he was more conscientious about what he ate. “Okay, we won’t go to an all-you-can-eat place. I have another idea.”

  “Oh boy,” she moaned.

  Mason divided his attention between the road and London. He had to do something to cheer her up. He guided his truck toward Midtown. One of his friends told him about Top Golf, a place where they could hit a few golf balls, listen to music and eat. According to the guy, it was a cross between a bowling alley and a nightclub, only you got to hit golf balls.

  “Have you ever golfed?”

  Turning to him, London frowned. “Does miniature golf count?”

  Mason chuckled. “Nah, that doesn’t really count. Although that is a good way to work on your short game.”

  “Short game?”

  “Putting,” he explained. “I’m thinking we’ll check out this new spot where we can hit a few golf balls and eat.”

  “Masonnnn.” She dragged out his name, exasperation dripping from the two syllables.

  “Come on, Tiny. Spend the rest of the day with me. You know you want to.” He wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

  She laughed and the sound warmed him. “Fine. But if I accidently hit you with the golf club don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  Now he was the one laughing. “I’ll take my chances.”

  A short while later, Mason stood behind London, his hands over hers as he explained the proper way to grip the club.

  “Try to relax and drop your left shoulder,” he said close to her ear, her familiar fragrance enticing all of his senses. Suddenly standing behind her, with her butt rubbing up against the front of his body, wasn’t his best idea. He felt like a jerk since all he wanted to do at the moment was grind against her backside and kiss her scented neck.

  “This is too hard,” she grumbled.

  Heck, he was too hard. And getting harder by the minute each time she moved her sweet little ass against him.

  “We have all afternoon. You’ll get it. As you swing the club back, keep your left arm straight and your attention on the ball.”

  “How am I supposed to do all of that at the same time, especially with you breathing down my neck … literally?”

  Mason burst out laughing and straightened. “You know what? Just hit the damn ball.” He backed farther away when she glared at him playfully and held the club as if planning to hit him.

  For the next hour they laughed, swung at golf balls, and munched on chicken wings and cheese fries. It was good to see her smiling again. If only for a little while, Mason had done what he set out to do: make her forget about her problems. He could help her get acclimated to the city and help her find a place to live. Unfortunately, he hadn’t figured out what to do about her jerk of an ex-boyfriend.

  *

  Days later, London stood outside of Mason’s door even though it was ajar. He had buzzed her up to his loft minutes ago, but she hadn’t ventured inside.

  This is a bad idea.

  She had called earlier to see if he would be home, telling him she wanted to stop by for a little while. He hadn’t asked why, but told her he would be home all evening.

  London’s gaze jerked up when the door eased open. Mason stood in the doorway with his cell phone to his ear and a frown on his face. He looked so good in a fitted Hawk’s T-shirt that stretched across his chest and hugged his thick biceps.

  “Wiz, hold on a second.” Mason lowered the phone to the side of his jeans, covering the mouthpiece. “What’s wrong? Why are you still standing out here?”

  “I … I didn’t want to just walk in.”

  He studied her for a moment, his gaze meeting hers as if searching for something in her eyes. Without a word, he reached for her hand and pulled her inside, closing the door behind her.

  “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be off the phone in a second.” He strolled into the kitchen and resumed his conversation.

  London roamed around the loft, taking in the exposed brick and duct work that gave the space an industrial feel. The wall of windows, the focal point of the living space, drew her to them. There were no pictures on the walls and the floors were bare of any rugs. She moved around the huge, brown leather furniture—which was so Mason—and smiled. Harper had been trying to get him to let her decorate the space, but he wasn’t having it. Mason liked comfortable and simple. His sister didn’t do simple.

  London peered out the window, taking in the park across the street. She had an important question to ask Mason and she had no idea how he would respond.

  “Yeah, I’d appreciate that. You can just email me the information,” she heard Mason say before disconnecting his call.

  “Have you eaten?” he asked from across the room.

  London glanced over her shoulder. “Are you going to ask me that every time you see me?”

  “Yes.” He set a plate in the microwave and London turned back to the window.

  Seconds later the microwave beeped. The smell of something sweet and tangy permeated the air and London groaned. It was as if the delicious scent had some type of power over her, pulling her back toward the kitchen.

  “That smells amazing.” She sat at the breakfast bar and Mason slid the plate closer to her.

  “Glad you think so. I’m sure Cam will be glad to hear that, but maybe you should taste it first.”

  Spearing a meatball, London dipped it into the buttery mashed potatoes. “Are you kidding me? Everything he makes is scrumptious.”

  Mason placed a glass of wine next to London and a beer on the counter for himself. He sat on the stool next to her, a mound of food covering his plate.

  “I don’t know where you put all of the food you eat.”

  “Like you, I have a fast metabolism. Unlike you, I don’t forget to eat.”

  “I eat.” Her words lacked conviction. He was right. For the last few weeks, eating had been the last thing on her mind.

  They ate and, as usual, small talk flowed easily between them. This was what she missed living alone in North Carolina. Even when she and Cory were together, dinnertime wasn’t comfortable. He constantly complained about work or his family. But with Mason, conversation was different. Their topics ranged from entertainment news to real estate, and everything in between.

  “Thanks again for going to the cemetery with me the other day.” London wiped her mouth with the napkin he’d handed her. “I knew I wanted to go and visit them, but it wasn’t something I was looking forward to.”

  Mason leaned over and bumped her shoulder with his. “Anytime, baby. I’m here for you. You know that.” He always said the right thing, making her love him that much more.

  Mason turned slightly to face her. “Although you’re always welcomed here, what sparked this visit?”

  With her elbows on the counter, London toyed with the napkin in her hand. She had never been shy about going after what she wanted, but this time was different. Her heart and self-respect were on the line.

  “I have a proposition for you,” she blurted.

  Mason’s left brow rose. “Okay.” He stretched out the word. Taking a swig of his beer, he waited for her to say more.

  “I want to have your baby.”

  *

  Beer spewed out of Mason’s mouth and he slammed the bottle down on the countertop.

  “Wh-what?” he sputtered, wiping his chin with the back of his hand. He grabbed a few napkins and cleaned up the wet mess. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  He hovered over her, one hand on the counter and the other on the back of her barstool. Clearly he had heard her wrong. The London he knew wouldn’t make an offer like that to anyone. Not even him.

  She stood and walked into the living room, effectively putting space between them. She didn’t sit; instead, she paced in front of the sofa. Mason had a feeling he was the one who needed to sit down for this conversation. H
e reclaimed his seat at the breakfast bar, spinning the stool in order to face her.

  “I was thinking,” she started, still moving and not looking at him, “I’m ready to start a family and since you want children, I figured—”

  “Wait.” Mason eased out of his seat trying to control the sudden tension gripping his shoulders. “The only way you could know that I’m ready to have children is if Harper said something to you. And I know you guys weren’t sitting around talking about my personal business.”

  London glanced at him, her bottom lip twisted between her teeth. She looked so damn cute when she did that, but right now he was ready to wring her neck as well as his sister’s.

  Mason shook his head, still trying to make sense of her proposition. He felt as if he was in a race and everyone was suddenly ten paces ahead of him and he hadn’t seen them pass. What could she be thinking? He wanted to ask, but didn’t know if he was prepared for the answer. He’d be lying if he said that since London’s return to Atlanta, not a day had gone by that he hadn’t thought about her.

  Guilt boiled in his gut. Unfortunately, his thoughts had bordered on X-rated. Definitely not the brotherly behavior he used to have where she was concerned. From day one, when they were ten years old, there was a powerful pull he felt whenever she was near. Today he couldn’t explain it no more than he could back then. But this …

  “Let me get this straight. You want to have my baby.” He folded his arms, noting her discomfort as she paced. She stopped to glance at him, and then started pacing again. “Did my sister happen to tell you the part of our conversation when I told her that I had no intention of getting married?”

  “Yes.” London stopped moving. “She told me, but I don’t care. I’ve thought about this long and hard. I want you to be the father of my children. I don’t need to be a wife to become a mother.”

  Mason’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t be serious, Tiny. You’ve always wanted to get married and have a family. Even I know that. That’s all you and Harper talked about growing up. Why the change?”

  “Because I want you to be the father of my children. Whenever I have talked about marriage, it’s been with you in mind. But since you don’t want to get married, I’ll just settle for having your children.”

  Mason released a humorless laugh as he approached her. His heart hammered an erratic beat as he tried to process what she was saying. Where the heck is all of this coming from? To say he was shocked by her revelation would be an understatement. There’s no way she was prepared to give up her dream of marriage. And though he knew enough people with strong marriages, that wasn’t the path he wanted to take. He lived a simple, comfortable life with no drama. He already knew that when a woman was added to that equation, drama followed.

  “London, you don’t have to settle for anything. You’re an intelligent, gorgeous, and remarkable woman. Any man would be lucky to have you.”

  “But there’s only one man I want.” The words were spoken so quietly, Mason barely heard her before she sat on the sofa.

  Sighing, he rubbed his head. He’d taken out targets in Afghanistan from a hundred yards out and survived several tours oversees, yet he was way out of his element with the route this conversation was going.

  He sat next to London and gathered her in his arms. The same electrical spark that always consumed him whenever he touched her was stronger than ever, but he tried to ignore it. He had to figure out how to talk some sense into her.

  “Where is all of this coming from?” His lips grazed her temple as she snuggled closer. “Why now? Why proposition me now?” What had Cory done to her to make her settle for less than what she wanted?

  He planned to find out everything he could about Cory. Mason’s friend, Wiz, a former Navy SEAL who was now a private investigator and part owner of a security firm in Chicago, was digging into Cory’s life. A computer genius, Wiz would no doubt find information about Cory that his own mother didn’t know.

  London released a weighted sigh. “I want a family of my own. I’m thirty-three years old and I’m not getting any younger. My window of opportunity to have safe pregnancies and healthy babies is closing. Besides that, I’m tired of dating.”

  “Don’t let your experience with one jerk stop you from seeking the type of relationship you want. There are some great guys out there.” Mason couldn’t believe he was encouraging her to seek out other men. He already knew he would hate all of them because none of them would be good enough for her. Yet, despite those feelings, he couldn’t be that man. Besides, it would be too weird for them to cross that family/friend line.

  “It’s not just one experience. I’ve dated and …”

  “And what?”

  “And none of them have been you. Everyone I have dated, I’ve compared to you and they don’t come close to the man you are.”

  A smile tugged at the corner of Mason’s lips. “Of course they don’t. You’re never going to find anyone as amazing as me.”

  She jabbed him in the ribs with her pointy elbow.

  “Ow.” He held on to her when she tried pulling away. “Seriously, though. You need to aim higher. I have enough flaws that will send you running for the hills.”

  “You forget,” she glanced up at him, “I know your flaws. But I also know your strengths. I know you’re fun to be around, dependable, trustworthy, a perfect gentleman, you believe in God, you’re brave, and fiercely protective of those you love. And that’s just to name a few of your qualities. Qualities that I’m looking for in the father of my children.”

  Mason sat speechless. He’d never been a big conversationalist, often preferring to be alone. So having this discussion, with London of all people, was mind blowing.

  She pushed against his side, bringing his attention back to the present. “Does your hesitation have anything to do with you thinking that I’m not good enough for you?”

  Mason frowned. “Of course not! Why would you even say something like that?”

  “Because besides that kiss a couple of years ago and the one the other day, you’ve never made a move on me. Actually, in those two instances, you didn’t make the first move. I did. What else am I supposed to think?” She stood, but he reached out for her arm, halting her.

  “First of all, you would slap my face if you knew how attracted to you I am and how often I’ve imagined you in some compromising positions … with me. The reason I haven’t made a move on you is because I have always looked at you as a little sister, a member of our family.”

  “But I’m not your sister, Mason!” She jerked her arm out of his grasp. “It pisses me off every time you say that. The way you kissed me back the other day was proof that there’s something more … something special between us. Something passionate and hot. I’m willing and ready to see what that is. What about you?”

  “I’m not looking for a wife.”

  “I didn’t ask you to be my husband. I asked you to be the father of my children.”

  Alrighty then. I guess she told me.

  Mason didn’t have a comeback. Hell, he didn’t know what to think. She was definitely the type of woman he could see as a mother for his children, but could he leave it at that? Could he father children with her without his heart screwing everything up? He doubted it, yet he couldn’t help but wonder, What if?

  Chapter Five

  Days after propositioning Mason, London made up the bed in Harper’s guest bedroom thinking that maybe she hadn’t done the right thing. Part of her wondered what she’d been thinking. Whereas the other part of her was glad she had presented him with the idea. Her rationale was that all he could say was no.

  He hadn’t said no. At least not completely.

  London organized the satin pillows on top of the comforter, thankful that Harper didn’t mind sharing her space. For the past three weeks, they had co-existed as if they’d lived together forever. London was not only grateful for the roof over her head, but also for Harper’s company. The longer she was in Charlotte, the lonelier sh
e had gotten. When Harper suggested she move back home to Atlanta, London used it as a sign. She had already been considering returning, and Harper’s words and the news anchor position that had opened up were just the encouragement she needed.

  “Hey,” London roamed into the kitchen, “I’m surprised you’re here. I thought you were spending the night with your new man.” She smiled, genuinely happy for her friend. Harper’s new beau, Hunter, didn’t live in Atlanta, but was in town for a few months on business. London had a feeling things were getting pretty serious between them.

  “Yeah, he had an early morning meeting so we cut the night short.” Harper poured her and London a cup of coffee. Croissants and fruit sat in the center of the dining room table, and a pitcher of orange juice completed the continental breakfast.

  “Well, if you ever decide you want to bring him home, just let me know and I’ll make myself scarce.” London’s mouth watered as she reached for a croissant. When she first arrived back in Atlanta, she had to remind herself to eat. Now her appetite had come back with a vengeance. “You must have been awake for a while. This all looks delicious. I didn’t even hear you bumping around.”

  “Good. I was trying to be quiet so that you could get some sleep. I don’t know how you do it. Getting up at two o’clock in the morning to get ready for work and then not getting home until after seven some days, is crazy.”

  “This schedule has been taking some getting used to.” Once she got acclimated to her work hours and new co-workers, she had no doubt life would get a little easier. She didn’t know what she would do if she didn’t have one weekday as well as the weekends off. Any free time she spent with Mason gave her even more reasons to look forward to not being at work. She loved how he always made himself available to her, but she had a feeling a big part of that was so he could keep an eye on her.

  Harper lifted her juice glass. “I have an event at the club later on tonight. What do you have going on today?”

  “Besides doing laundry, grocery shopping, and going to the gym? Not too much.” London bit into the croissant. “There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”