“I’d better stop while I can,” Mason murmured against her skin before he slowly lifted his head. “I can already tell that keeping my mouth and hands off of you is going to be nearly impossible.”
London grinned, feeling happier than she’d felt in a long time. “I’m counting on that.”
He flashed a smile that melted her heart as they returned to the sofa. London sat so close to him … a little bit more she’d be sitting on his lap.
“So that I’m clear, is this relation— I mean dating that we’re doing, is it like friends with benefits?” London asked.
Mason shook his head. “Not friends with benefits. That wasn’t the intent with my proposition. I was serious about us spending time getting to know each other. I already know you on a moral level, your likes and dislikes, now I’m looking forward to knowing everything else about you. I’m going into this setup, or should I say relationship, with my eyes wide open.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“So why now? Harper said that you were against committed relationships. What’s that all about?”
Mason leaned forward, his hands clasped together. “I’ve had two serious relationships, or at least what I’d consider serious, and they both ended badly. The first one was right after high school, before I joined the military. The woman was so insecure that she kept accusing me of cheating.”
“Were you?” London looked at him pointedly, remembering when he had asked her the same question.
“Never. And I never will. I would just walk away before doing something like that to any woman. My last relationship was an off and on one. It was short and made me realize that I don’t have any tolerance for stupid shit and drama. She liked to argue. I don’t. It was always some issue with her. So I decided that I didn’t want or need anything serious with a woman.”
“So why proposition me?”
“Because you’re special and I care about you. And because, according to you, we want the same thing. I want us both to see how or if we can get along well enough to even consider having and raising children together. As far as anything more than that … I don’t know what to tell you. Right now, I don’t see myself married. So if you know you want more than what I’m offering, tell me now.”
London said nothing. They sorta wanted the same thing. She was ready to start a family. She was willing to give up the idea of getting married in exchange for Mason fathering her children. But in her heart, she would love for them to be married first. For right now she would just see where this relationship took her.
“Okay, is there anything else I should know going into this relationship? Are there going to be women lurking in the background or coming out of the woodwork?”
“If there was someone else in my life, I wouldn’t have stepped to you like this. So that’s one area you definitely don’t have to worry about. What about you? Besides Cory, is there anyone I need to be concerned about?”
“Nope. You don’t even have to worry about Cory. He’s history.”
Mason said nothing and London hoped his silence didn’t mean that he’d been in contact with Cory. There was no telling with Mason, but she didn’t want to ruin the moment and ask. She had moved on and was looking forward to getting to know him.”
“So does dating you include sex?” London blurted.
Mason chuckled. “I was right. You have changed. I’m going to have to remember that you’re not the shy, little kid who used to sneak into my bed.”
London smiled. “Is that a yes?”
Mason burst out laughing and leaned away from her shaking his head. He laughed for a while before he said, “It can be included, but let’s play this by ear. I’m a little rusty with the whole dating scene, but I’m looking forward to some new experiences with you.”
“Does this mean that you’ll be willing to attend an opera or a ballet with me?”
“Oh hell no.” He scooted over on the sofa, but London grabbed hold of his arm. “Tiny, I haven’t changed that much.”
“But you’re open to new experiences, right?”
Mason narrowed his eyes at her. “Some new experiences.”
That was good enough for London. Giddiness bubbled inside of her and she felt like a little kid in the Disney store. Dating Mason was going to be fun.
Chapter Six
Despite the strobe lights, Mason saw her when she stepped into view, but then again, who could miss her? The way Faith Hanson’s hips swayed from side to side in a rhythmic motion with each long stride she took, garnered attention from both men and women. A beautiful woman with flawless skin, doe-like eyes, and long, flowing hair, Faith had a body that would make any man’s mouth water.
Mason felt nothing.
For the past month, he only had eyes for one woman. What he once felt for Faith was nothing compared to the way his heart raced and pulse pounded whenever London entered a room. The woman he’d known since childhood had officially snagged his heart and was starting to make him believe in a lifetime love.
Spotting him, Faith headed to the stairs that led up to the VIP section, where Mason stood. He’d been pulled in different directions all night. One of his guys had to leave because his wife went into labor and they’d had two call-ins that night. He didn’t mind filling in, though. Hanging out in the club gave him a chance to see how well his security team was managing. It also gave him an opportunity to see if there were any shortcomings in the systems they had in place.
“Well, hello, handsome. It’s been a long time,” Faith crooned over the music, invading Mason’s personal space when she attempted to kiss his lips. He leaned back in time for her kiss to catch air, but not in time to avoid the assault of her overpowering perfume.
Mason coughed, trying to catch his breath. What the heck did she do, swim inside the perfume bottle?
“Hello, Faith,” he finally responded. “Yes, it has been a while.”
“I’ve missed you.” She batted her long eyelashes and placed her hands on his chest, her fingers inching their way up before he could stop her. Grabbing her wrists, he set her back away from him, ignoring the way her red lips pouted. “Oh, so it’s like that?”
“Yeah, it is. But you knew that already since I’ve told you that on more than one occasion. I’m still not interested.”
“I figured you’d change your mind once you remembered what you were missing.” She ran her hands slowly down the sides of her curvaceous body, purring as she watched him watch her. The little black dress she had on was so damn tight, it was a wonder she could breathe.
“What do you want, Faith?”
She stepped closer again. “You.”
“That’s not gonna to happen.”
He stared down at her, disgusted with himself that he’d spent any time with her in the past. She was a drama queen and as fake as the cubic zirconia stones dripping from her ears and hanging around her neck.
Now that he and London were building upon their relationship, he realized that he didn’t want just companionship, but possibly a serious commitment. The thought didn’t freak him out as it once had.
“Well, I guess if I can’t have you, I’ll have to settle for the VIP section.” She stepped to the left, but Mason blocked her path to the stairs.
“Sorry. The VIP sections are off limit tonight. We have a few private parties going on.”
Mason almost laughed when her sexy smile quickly turned into an angry pout. “You and your men used to always let me up there!”
“Mase, London’s on her way over,” Hamilton announced in Mason’s earpiece.
“All right, thanks,” he responded.
Ignoring Faith and her pouting, Mason glanced around until he spotted London weaving between people, heading his way. When she came into better view, his heart skipped a beat and his shaft stirred.
Damn.
Seeing her in the short, one-shoulder, red dress made him want to find a secluded spot and have his way with her.
The left corner of his mou
th lifted slowly in appreciation. She was wearing the hell out that dress. Most importantly, she was all his.
Mason looked forward to seeing her every chance he got and tonight was no different. With their hectic work schedules, finding time to spend together was proving to be more challenging than he had originally thought. But he had every intention of changing that. Being part owner of the club had its advantages. He planned to adjust his schedule around hers.
After not seeing her for the last two days, he had invited her to the club when he snagged an invitation to one of her favorite actresses’ birthday party. The A-lister had reserved two of the club’s VIP lounges to celebrate. Mason hadn’t been sure London would attend since her work day had started at three that morning, but here she was.
Faith huffed out a breath. “Mason I don’t appreci—”
He tuned her out and tension descended on him like a lion on a herd of gazelles when two college-age guys stepped to London. He didn’t know what they were saying, but when one of the guys, with broad shoulders, blocked his view of her, Mason almost left his post, but stopped. One by one, they handed London a slip of paper and she scribbled what he assumed was her autograph on them. There were times when Mason forgot that she was a television personality. Lately when they were out, people walked up to her asking for an autograph or acknowledging that they’d seen her on TV.
She eased around the guys, nodding and smiling at something they said. Mason hated being an overprotective jerk, but with her, he couldn’t help it. She was one of the sweetest people he knew and she was so petite, he felt people tended to try and take advantage of her. Then again, she was a grown woman, capable of taking care of herself. Yet, he wanted to be the one to take care of her.
London resumed her trek toward him, but slowed when she saw Faith standing way too close to him.
“You need to back off of me, Faith,” Mason said with more force than intended, but it worked. She took a step back, but there still wasn’t enough space between them as far as he was concerned.
“So you gon’ let me upstairs or what?” she asked, her sultry tone more irritating than seductive.
“Like I said, the VIP sections aren’t available. Maybe another night.”
Mason reached for London when she stood back, probably waiting for Faith to get out of the way considering she was still standing directly in front of him. He didn’t know what Faith was up to, but she’d been blowing up his cell phone, not catching a hint of his disinterest. Maybe it was time for her to see one of the reasons why he no longer had an interest in her.
“Hey, baby,” he greeted London when she molded her sexy body against his. She turned her angelic face up to him and smiled. “I was wondering if you were going to make it. I’m glad to see you.”
“Not as glad as I am to see you.” Her mouth covered his in a scorching kiss and suddenly Mason didn’t give a damn about the VIP sections. He would never get tired of tasting London’s sweet lips, which currently tasted of peppermint and liquor. Apparently she’d been at the club for a while if she’d had time for a drink.
Mason almost moaned when she pulled her mouth from his. “Well, hello to you, too.”
“Hi.” She stared up at him, a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her delicious lips. “Have you missed me?”
“You know I have.”
“Ahem,” Faith cleared her throat. “I guess I know why you haven’t returned my calls. You’re sampling a new flavor this month.”
Mason stared down at London, his arm around her waist, his hand resting possessively on her hip. “Nah, Faith, she’s more than a flavor of the month.”
“Really?” Disdain dripped from the one word as she looked London up and down, turning up her pert nose. “So you’re telling me that you gave up all of this, for … for her?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. Let me introduce you to my woman. London, this is Faith. Faith, London.”
“Hello,” London said, and Faith nodded, neither bothering with a handshake.
Faith squinted and pointed a long, manicured finger at London. “Haven’t I seen you before? You look a little familiar.”
“She’s a news anchor on Hot Atlanta News.”
“Oh yeah, that’s it. I saw your face on the side of a bus.”
Neither Mason or London said anything, but again Mason questioned his choice of past women in his life. It was good he cut her loose when he had.
“I guess I’ll see you around, Mase.” Faith squeezed his arm. The seductive smile was probably meant to entice, but only disgusted him since she was clearly disrespecting London. “Give me a call sometime. Maybe we can pick up where we left off since I’m sure you’ll soon realize what you’re missing.” She sauntered away, an extra swing in her hips.
London waited a moment before saying, “You sure know how to pick ’em.”
He chuckled, glad she wasn’t one of those women to fly off the handle seeing her man talking to another woman. “And you sure know how to make an entrance. Walking in here looking like every man’s fantasy. You look hot, baby.”
“Thank you. I wore this little number for you.”
“In that case, I should be the one to take it off of you.” He placed a lingering kiss against her temple and moved closer to her ear. “You should come home with me tonight. That dress has me imagining all the wicked things I want to do to you.”
“Mmm, sounds enticing and I don’t have to work tomorrow.”
“Even better.”
*
Hours later, Mason carried London into his loft, pushing the door closed with his foot. She held on tight, her arms around his neck, her strappy, red sandals dangling from her fingers. All night she kept thinking about how they were about to take their relationship to the next level.
“You can put me down now.” Her feet had been aching while at the club, and the moment she climbed into Mason’s truck, she slipped off her shoes. Once they arrived at his place, she started to put them back on, but he stopped her by lifting her out of the truck. He had yet to put her down. “Mase, I don’t expect you to carry me all the way upstairs.”
Without responding, he turned slightly and flipped a switch that casted a dim light near the stairs. London loved his loft. It was simply decorated, but it had some of the coolest features like blinds that were operated by a remote control, and stairs that lit up when stepped on.
Once they were up the stairs, Mason headed to the master bedroom. The moment they strolled across the threshold, the scent of sandalwood and citrus permeated the air. The bedroom, large with a huge bed in the center of the room, smelled like Mason.
London yawned the moment he set her on her feet near the bed. At two-thirty in the morning, she had been up twenty-four hours and exhaustion was setting in. Yet, she wasn’t tired enough to forego a night that she’d fantasized about on more than one occasion.
Mason turned on the small lamp on the bedside table, which dimly lit the room. He removed his gun holster, setting the gun in the top drawer of the table and placing the holster on a nearby hook.
London watched as he quickly went through his routine before going back to the hall and turning off the light. Suddenly the room was even more romantic. She had been in his bedroom before tonight, but they had only slept together. No sex. They had come to an agreement to focus on getting to know each other before adding sex to the equation.
Tonight would be different. A quiver raked over her flesh. They were really going to do this.
She remained next to the bed as Mason tossed his suit jacket across the lone chair near the window and loosened his tie before discarding it into the chair as well. All the while, his gaze remained on her. Sometimes his intense eyes held so much mystery, but tonight all she saw was desire … and love.
“Come here,” he said. He turned on the small speaker that held his iPod. The sexy sounds of R&B singer, Leigh Bush, filled the room. “I didn’t get a chance to dance with you tonight.”
London’s brows
shot up. “And you want to do that now?”
A crooked grin spread across his mouth. “Yes, now.”
London ambled across the room, the hardwood floor cool beneath her bare feet. She was six or seven inches shorter than Mason when she wasn’t in her heels, so this was going to be interesting.
He pulled her into his arms. With one of her hands within his, she looped her free arm around his waist and laid her head against his chest. The steady beat of his heart along with the lyrics from “A Night in Forever” washed over her like an intimate caress. She had heard the song before, but tonight the words seemed so fitting to where she and Mason were in their relationship, and where they were in that moment.
Their bodies swayed to the smooth melody and she fell more in love with him. She never pegged him for the romantic type, but with dimmed lights, music, and dancing, she could easily get used to this side of him.
She lifted her head. “I thought you didn’t like to dance.”
Mason gave a slight shrug. “I wouldn’t necessarily say I don’t like dancing, but I’m particular about who I dance with.” He spun her, which wasn’t easy in her bare feet, and pulled her back to him. “And I love dancing with you.”
Cradling the back of her head, he lowered his mouth to hers, still swaying to the beat of the music. He gently coaxed her lips apart, kissing her with a hunger that mirrored the lust swirling within her. Shivers of desire raced through her body, nipping at every nerve ending as his kiss grew more demanding. She wanted him. God, she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything in her life.
As the song ended and the next one started, Mason cupped her face between his hands and stared into her eyes. Her heart squeezed at the intimacy of the moment. This big, sexy, loving man was all hers.
“Did I tell you how beautiful you looked tonight?”
“You might have mentioned it a time or two.”
They stood there, staring into each other’s eyes, and London wondered what he was thinking. She knew he wasn’t planning to change his mind about their next steps—they both were more than ready—but she wasn’t sure what to make of his hesitation.
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