“My cock, later,” he replies with a wag of his eyebrows and I can’t hold the laughter in. It’s near painful. By the time we reach the nightclub I have to check my makeup using my front-facing camera.
Marie and Jacob meet us inside, Marie is already half cut and looking stunning in a shiny black crop and matching shorts. Her legs are so long and toned.
She hugs her brother with a loud, “HI, MASON!” And then stumbles into me.
Marie is not one for displays of affection, so I know she’s definitely drunk.
“You smell so nice,” I say, sniffing her hair. “Seriously, what is that?”
“I don’t know, some new shit from Maya.” She grins at me and then hollers, “SHOTTTTTTTSSSSS!”
The people within earshot all cheer as though part of our posse and I notice women eyeing Jacob already like Marie isn’t standing with him, a huge rock on her finger. I don’t know how she deals with it. I don’t know how he deals with it. It’s so intense.
“Come on, this way,” Marie grabs my hand and drags me to the bar where she forces me to drink a shot of a creamy, pink-looking rose tequila. We order a couple of flavored gin mixes to chase them down and I already know this night is going to be messy.
“Dude, I love this song, I gave Jacob head in the back of a cab to this song,” she volunteers without prompt while swaying to the beat.
I laugh because it’s just so Marie and let her drag me onto the dance floor. We move together, swaying to the music, waving our hands, shaking our hips, splashing our drink over our fingers.
It’s great to just let loose like this, uncaring of who is watching. Though it’s not like we’re bad dancers. We always seem to attract unwanted male attention when we hit the dance floor.
Luckily for us we’ve got big beefy men at our backs, refilling our drinks and letting us get all sweaty.
They eventually join us too once they get the courage and I laugh when Jacob and Marie both move from side to side, looking at each other as they lean, his hands on her hips. They’re so silly and cute.
Mason grinds up against me, spinning me under his arm so my back is to his chest and then his front. Chris and I never danced like this, never let loose like this. It just wasn’t in his nature.
We head up to our lounge about seven good songs later and three drinks in and slide into the booth seats that overlook the dance floor below.
“This is awesome,” I shout over the music, taking in the atmosphere.
Marie agrees, bopping her head to the music while checking her phone.
“Where’s Loryn though?”
Marie looks at Jacob who then checks his phone. “They’re on their way,” he replies, looking up when three young women stop at our table looking at Jacob with eager eyes.
They say something to him and Marie pulls a face at me which makes me giggle. She pulls another one when Mason wraps his arm around my shoulder and bites my ear.
“Having fun?” he asks, and I nod rapidly. “Another drink?”
I shake my head. “Not if I’m going home on the bike. I’ll fall off sideways.”
His lips touch my ear again and a chill runs down my spine. “So you are coming home with me?”
I turn my face toward him and he captures my lips, nipping at them before tasting my tongue with his. He tastes like cola and so much sin. I melt into him, moaning against his mouth, forgetting about where we are and who we’re with.
“Can we do what they’re doing?” Jacob asks which makes my eyes fly to him and Marie who is looking over the balcony rail at the dancers below.
“Not while I’m trying to shake the visual of my brother doing it with my best friend,” she replies, grimacing.
Jacob laughs and Mason wags his eyebrows all the while I panic wondering if she’s upset by what’s going on between us, but I brush that off when Loryn and Lucas announce their arrival and claim the leather seats at the end of the table.
They both look stunning, Lucas in a black button-up and dark blue jeans, Loryn in a white high-collar dress that comes to her knees, hair curled over one shoulder.
“I could hit you, you look so pretty,” I say as she helps herself to some of Marie’s drink.
“So do you, I really do love that hair color.” She’s the one that fixed my hair so she’s probably biased.
Smiling at her, I place my hand on Mason’s which is now on my thigh. He really doesn’t mind who knows that we’re doing this together. I don’t know if I like it. I love his attention, but it feels disrespectful to Chris.
What happened to us being friends? Did he forget already? I can’t remember what we agreed to.
I suppose it’s a bit too late to worry about that now.
“You need to be more drunk!” Marie tells Loryn and clicks her fingers at Lucas. “We need Tequila Rose and more gin.”
“Not that stuff again, I still haven’t gotten over my last hangover,” Loryn cries over the loud beat.
I laugh, remembering that so well. It was Maya’s wedding, Loryn got so drunk she climbed on the bar and tried to do a dance from Coyote Ugly, Marie joined her, then Maya, but Loryn slipped, and they went down like dominoes. We were so lucky one of them didn’t end up dead.
It was around that time I snuck away with Mason and ended up in his bed.
I can’t even say that it was an in-the-moment thing. We’d been flirting for days and that day in particular… we knew what we were going to do. I try to tell myself we didn’t, but we did. We had so much heat between us from the moment we met I’m just surprised it didn’t happen sooner.
Lucas goes to the bar with Jacob, it’s a private bar for the VIPs and those girls, who unfortunately happen to be VIPs too, follow Jacob over there while trying not to seem like they’re following him.
“Want me to rip out their fake hair?” I make a claw with my hand and point it at the blonde one in the middle.
“They are an embarrassment to the female race,” Loryn snaps, frowning as she moves into Jacob’s seat.
Marie doesn’t even seem to notice. She looks up from her drink and utters a single, “Huh?” When she looks where we’re looking, she just rolls her eyes. “If I got mad over every single bitch that did this to my man, I’d never have time for anything else.”
She has a point. “Maybe if you kick the shit out of one of them the future bitches might be a bit more wary of approaching Jacob.”
“But I just got my nails done,” she deadpans and Loryn and I laugh.
Mason doesn’t react, I notice his eyes are on Lucas and Lucas does not look happy in the slightest. His green eyes are practically glowing in the dim lighting. He’s mad about something and I worry it might have something to do with me.
“What’s his deal?” I ask Loryn who shares a look with Marie. When neither of them speaks, I push, “No, come on. Tell me.”
“He’s Chris’ friend,” Loryn answers, shrugging apologetically.
I look at Mason who just winks at me, as carefree as he always is. He’s not bothered by Lucas’ ire at all and now I’m wondering why Lucas came at all.
“He just thinks it’s a bit disrespectful that Mason’s here while Chris is—”
“Loryn,” Lucas cuts her off and places her drink in front of her.
“Chris is what?” I ask, frowning so deep my eyebrows ache. He doesn’t reply, he just sips his drink as though I haven’t said anything at all. “Chris is what, Lucas?”
“He’s a mess,” Jacob answers for him. “He’s not taking the separation well.”
My stomach twists with pain and nausea. “What does that mean?”
“Come on, Summer, not tonight,” Marie implores, taking my hand over the table. “You’ve been drinking, you’re about to get emotional.”
I level Lucas with a look, ignoring my best friend against my better judgment. “He won’t talk to me, Lucas. He won’t talk and to be honest what is there left to say?” Lucas doesn’t respond, he keeps his eyes on the table and a muscle ticks in his jaw. “My marriage, or lack thereo
f, is my business.”
There’s an awkward silence and now I just wish I never came to begin with.
“Summer.” Loryn slides her drink to me but I shake my head. She glares at Lucas and snaps at him, “Will you chill out? You promised you wouldn’t do this.”
“I didn’t know I’d be witnessing them sucking face.” Lucas levels me with another intense look. “How the fuck do you think Chris will feel when he sees this all over social media tomorrow? Does he even know you’re shacking up with the guy you left him for? Because let’s be honest with ourselves, Summer, that’s exactly how it’s looking to everybody right now.”
“I’m gonna give you to the count of three to shut your fucking mouth, King, before I shut it for you,” Mason grits and I didn’t realize how mad he was until I heard his tone.
“Mason, no,” Marie begs, now gripping his wrist.
“That’s right, threaten the guy looking out for the husband of the woman you’re keeping your dick warm in. Let’s be real, shall we, she’s your temporary conquest, she’s hurting, she’s vulnerable, you swooped in and saved the day and in a couple of weeks you’re gonna leave her ass.” Lucas slams his beer on the table. “She’s going to be left broken, penniless, with a messy divorce on her hands and you’re gonna be sticking your dick in the next her that comes along.”
“Mason,” Marie hisses keeping her eyes on him, pleading with him not to react.
Meanwhile, I’m literally on the verge of sobbing while scorching tears leave trails of despair in my makeup.
“She’s nothing to you,” Lucas spits and then looks at me. “When this feeling ends, and it will, you’re going to regret every single thing you’ve done since leaving your husband. You might not have ever wanted to go back to him but you sure as shit have made this really fucking hard on yourself. Mason cares about you about as much as he cares about the last girl he dicked.” Lucas moves his head to look at him. “Philla was it? Leggy blonde with a stupid-ass name. Made her think she was your world, fucked off to wherever you went and you conveniently lost her number. Had her crying down the phone to Loryn because he wouldn’t take her calls.”
“Lucas, enough,” Loryn barks and Marie adds, “Please, Lucas. Why tonight? Fuck, man.”
I place my hand on Mason’s arm as his furious eyes glare at Lucas who is not backing down.
Jacob seems to think the entire exchange is hilarious because he’s laughing into his glass. Marie looks terrified her brother is about to swing for Lucas and by the feel of his bulging bicep under my hand I actually think he might be.
“Let’s go,” I say to Mason who looks at me and his eyes soften. “Okay? Let’s just go.”
He stands and takes my hand in his.
“Guys, don’t go,” Loryn begs. “Lucas can go. He’s the one with the issue.”
Lucas shrugs not seeming to care in the slightest.
“Mason,” Marie begs, and I see her smack Jacob upside the head, sobering him a little. He looks at me apologetically, no longer giggling into his glass. “Please stay. Summer… fuck.” She glares at Lucas and says something, but I don’t stick around to find out what.
I cling to Mason’s hand and he leads me out of the club, forcing people to move out of his way with the helmets in his other hand.
People grumble and hiss at us, but when they see my tears and his face, they’re quick to turn a blind eye to how rude we’re being.
When we step into the cool air, I wrap my arms around myself and follow him across to the parking lot. We don’t speak until we reach his bike and it’s only him saying, “Put this on,” referring to his jacket.
Shivering, I slip my arms in and watch him zip it up.
“Can you take me back to Maya’s?” I ask when he goes to put my helmet on my head. He stops, lingers for a moment, and then places it on the handle of the bike. “If that’s okay?”
“Because of what that asstard said back there?” He looks peeved.
Shrugging my shoulders, I wipe under my eyes and assess the black marks that stain the tips of my fingers. I must look a mess.
“Because of what he said about Philla?”
“Lucas was right, that is a stupid-ass name.”
He lets out a laugh and then a heavy sigh. “It’s not as dramatic as he made out. Philla was… she was batshit crazy.” He touches my cheek. “She wasn’t like you, Summer.”
“What does that even mean? She wasn’t like me? You hardly know me.”
He leans on his bike and looks at me with warm gray eyes. “I like what I do know about you, and it might not be much but it’s enough to make me crazy about you.”
“Do you get this crazy about every girl you meet?”
He shrugs. “It’s been known to happen, but you’re different.”
Oh my God. I roll my eyes. “Really, Mase? I’m different? How? My red hair? How clumsy I am? My endearing smile?” I’m being sarcastic of course.
“You roll with the punches, Summer. You’re a great wife stuck in a shit marriage. You’re the kind of girl a guy takes home to his parents.”
“You want to take me home to meet your parents?” I raise a skeptical brow. I’m not asking him to do it, I just want to see what he says.
“Not yet but maybe soon, who knows?”
I let out a laugh, it’s harsh and short. “Oh my God. You’re such a smooth talker. You really are.”
“I’m not smooth-talking you. I actually do like you.” He’s standing now, his hands gripping my elbows gently. “We have amazing chemistry and you know it. We’ve been hot for each other since the first time we met.”
“And how many women have you bedded since the first time we met?” I know I’m married so I could never expect exclusivity, but this question is a genuine one.
When he doesn’t answer I rip my hand through my hair and mutter a curse.
“You’re a massive player. I bet I’m just one of many that are tapping your ass right now, aren’t I?”
His gray eyes lose that spark, the spark he said he had for me. I think I just killed it. Fuck.
“We’re done,” he states simply, pushing my helmet into my hands.
My heart drops, my face falls. I can hardly breathe. “Done?”
“As in put your fucking helmet on so I can take you to Maya’s.”
That’s what I asked for, that’s what I wanted, isn’t it?
“Unless you have a problem riding on the back of my bike now as well as my dick?”
“Mason, I didn’t mean to offend you… I shouldn’t have…”
“Shouldn’t have what?” He swings a leg over his bike and revs the engine. When it settles he looks at my shoes and blows out another heavy breath. “Shouldn’t have said what you meant to say?”
“I was just emotional.”
“But did you mean it?”
I can’t answer that question because I don’t know how. Is he saying that he hasn’t slept with anybody since meeting me? Would it matter if he had? It’s none of my business either way. Just like it’s none of his if I fucked anybody else. Technically I was still fucking my husband, if you can call it fucking.
“No,” I finally answer. “I had no right to question you.”
“No, you didn’t,” he replies harshly and yanks on his helmet. “Get on, Summer.”
I point to the road with my thumb. “I can just get a cab.”
“Not fucking leaving you in a parking lot late at night alone.”
“I’ll go to the club then and get Marie or something.”
“Get on the bike,” he barks and I quickly yank on my helmet.
“Okay, okay,” I mumble. “No need to be so bossy.”
I swing my leg over and grip his waist like before. This might be the last time I ever get to hold him like this again. I really offended him and fuck if I’m not mad at myself right now.
I mean fushka…
No… I mean fuck. I’m not censoring myself anymore.
We stop on the curb outside Maya’s apartme
nt high-rise and I dread climbing off his bike. I wonder why she chooses to stay here more than her dad’s house where she grew up, but I suppose that has painful memories for her.
I yank off my helmet and wish he’d do the same because I can’t talk to my reflection in his visor.
“Mason, I’m sorry,” I say, hoping he hears me. “I didn’t mean it.”
I pull off his jacket and hand it to him after he clicks the helmet to the side of the seat.
“Please, Mase, don’t you hate me too,” I beg and I see his shoulders sag. “I’m really sorry.”
“Go inside, Summer,” he commands and folds his arms.
I turn away, pressing my lips together so I don’t cry, and wrap my arms around my body. My strides are wide but slow because I’m dreading going up there feeling like this. I can hardly cry to Maya about it, I haven’t told her about the romp I had with Mason a week ago so she wouldn’t understand this.
She’s gotten judgy in her old age.
Kidding. She hasn’t, she’s just been through a lot.
“Ah fuck it,” he grunts and I hear his heavy booted feet stomp closer.
I turn to look at him but don’t get much of a look as his lips are against mine. He gives me a long, closed-mouth kiss and I’m surprised that even a kiss like this can make me want to climb his body like a tree.
“Get back on my bike,” he instructs, nodding to the beast behind him.
All of my prior concerns melt away and I smile tearfully up at him. “You forgive me?”
“Couldn’t stay mad at you if I tried.”
“I really didn’t mean it. I’m just… my head isn’t in the right space.”
He touches his forehead to mine. “I know. We’ll figure it out. Come on.”
I pull his head down to mine and kiss him like I’ve never kissed him before and he kisses me back just the same.
When I woke up this morning in Mason’s arms, in his bed, in his house, I almost cried. Lucas’ words hit me hard last night, not the part about Mason leaving me high and dry, but the part about Chris being a mess and being hurt.
I don’t want that for him.
The Mason part is as it is. I don’t expect anything from him. He is a player, and he might not have slept with anybody else since sleeping with me, but then again he might have. I’m not trying to change who he is and I’m not looking to get remarried or whatever. What Mason and I have is a perfect distraction from the shit in our lives.
A Little Bit of Guilt: Little Bits #5 Page 7