by Unknown
Jo shook her head. "I don't know. Something about a favor, but," Jo raised her hand in a signal for silence when she saw Brandy open her mouth to speak, "I blew him off, again, and hung up on him. I'm sure that's the last I'll be hearing from Mason Connor." Jo turned back to her computer (again). "Now, I really want to get this done, so I can go home."
Thankfully, Brandy let the subject drop, and she hurried to finish her report. Her mind no longer on the task, she hoped she didn't make too many mistakes. She'd double-check it in the morning when she had a clear head.
Brandy began to pack up her stuff. "You ready to get out of here? We can walk to our cars together."
"Yeah, I'll be ready in just a sec." Jo logged off her computer and got her stuff together. "Ready," she said, standing from her desk.
"I can't wait to get home and go to bed. This has been one long-ass day," Brandy said, as she hit the elevator down button.
They were silent on the way down and through the lobby each wrapped in their own thoughts, so Jo was a bit startled when Brandy exclaimed, "Well, looky what we have here."
Jo, who'd been looking down as she walked, quickly lifted her head. Standing on the other side of the glass lobby doors in all his manly hotness was Mason Connor.
Chapter Three
Jo took a stuttering step, causing her to almost trip when her eyes locked with Mase's. He gave her that devastating smile of his, and her heart rate picked up speed. She narrowed her eyes in censure as she approached the exit doors. What was he doing here, anyway?
Brandy grabbed her arm to steady her then leaned over to whisper in her ear. "The last you'll be hearing from him, really? That boy has seen what he likes and that is you. Don't be a fool, Joanna Welsh. He might like the little cat-and-mouse game you've got going on, but that cat will want his cream, and I'm thinking sooner rather than later."
Jo gave her an exasperated look right before they stepped out the door and walked over to Mase. "What are you doing here?" God, he looked sexy in a tight, black T-shirt that accentuated his muscles, worn, comfortable-looking blue jeans, and lightly scuffed, black cowboy boots.
"I've come to take you to dinner." He held up a hand when Jo started to speak. "And I won't take no for an answer."
"She'd love to go." Brandy butted in. Mase gave her a smile, and she held out her hand. "Brandy Davis." Mase took her hand and she continued, "You have any trouble with little Miss Skinny over here," she pointed her thumb at Jo, "you just give me a call. I'll straighten her out."
Jo looked pointedly at Brandy. "Didn't you say you were tired and needed to go home?"
Brandy laughed and gave Mase a wink. "She's a little feisty, but I think you can wear her down." She turned and started walking to her car before Jo could say anything else.
Mase stood with his fingers shoved in his front pockets, only his thumbs sticking out. "It was nice meeting you, Brandy," he called out to her retreating back.
She gave them a little wave over her shoulder. Jo turned back to Mase. "Listen, I won't go to dinner with you. I'm sorry you wasted a trip down here, but I did tell you not to come."
Mase gave her a slow smile while going an eye sweep of her from head to toe then back up again. "Feisty, huh? Yeah, I can work with that." He took her by the arm and led her into the parking lot.
She gave her arm a tug, dug in her heels, and came to a stop, forcing Mase to either come to a stop, too or risk pulling her arm from its socket. Lucky for her, he picked option A. "Didn't you hear what I said?" He still had a hold on her arm as if afraid to let go lest she run away. Smart man.
"Yes, I heard you. You said you won't go to dinner with me."
"Then why are you dragging me through the parking lot?"
"To take you to dinner."
She raised her brows. Was he crazy? "Then I don't think you understand what that means."
"Oh, I understand. You said won't, not can't. Can't implies you have other plans or something else to do. Won't just means you're stubborn. Lucky for you, I'm overlooking that flaw in your personality and taking you to dinner anyway."
Jo was so engrossed in trying to decipher his logic, she didn't notice him steering her through the parking lot again until they stopped by his car. As much as she hated to admit it, his words made sense. "So me not wanting to go to dinner with you has no bearing on the situation?"
"None whatsoever." He gave her a wicked smile. "Besides, I haven't told you my proposition yet. We'll discuss it over dinner."
He opened the passenger side door. "I don't think I want to be propositioned by you."
He chuckled as he lightly forced her in the front seat. "Come on, it's just dinner. What have you got to lose?"
That's true, she thought as she grasped her seat belt and buckled it. Besides, she was really hungry. She watched Mase walk around the hood of the car to the driver's side door. She waited for him to get settled before she spoke. "Fine. But I get to pick the restaurant."
He looked over at her and grinned. "Deal. Where to?"
"Freddie's. You know it?"
Mase pushed a button to start the car, and it roared to life. She wasn't sure what kind of car it was other than it was black, sporty, and hi-tech. "If there's a burger to be had in Vegas, then I know where to find it, and Freddie's has the best."
Jo nodded in agreement as Mase backed out of the parking space. His scent filled the car, something spicy and fresh, and she found herself taking a deep inhale, wondering what it was.
"Did you just sniff my car?" Mase asked, making a right out of the parking lot.
Jo felt her face heat. "I've been having sinus trouble lately. Summer allergies."
Thankfully, he didn't comment and after a few minutes, they pulled into the parking lot of Freddie's. Jo unhooked her seat belt but stilled her actions when she felt Mase's hand on her thigh. Startled, she looked over at him, but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were on his hand. Her own eyes followed his gaze. His hand was large, spanning more than the width of her thigh, with long powerful looking fingers topped by neatly trimmed, short-clipped nails.
"I wanted to thank you for agreeing to come. I know you really didn't want to." He looked up at her, and she saw something in his eyes. She didn't know him well enough to pinpoint what it was exactly, but his words sounded sincere and heartfelt, something she wouldn't have expected from him. "Don't move." He gave her leg a squeeze, got out of the car, walked to her side, and opened her door.
He held out his hand to her, and she grasped it as she climbed out. She also didn't expect him to be so chivalrous. He kept hold of her hand as they walked into the restaurant, and Jo, not wanting to cause a scene, didn't try to pull her hand away. Yeah, that's the excuse she'll go with. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that his hand was warm and strong and felt damn good holding hers.
They were seated quickly. Most likely because it was a weeknight and past the dinner rush. But also, she was sure, because Mason Connor was practically a national hero in these parts.
Mase had asked for a back, corner booth, so they were semi-secluded from the main dining area. Freddie's had been around since before she was born and had long ago mastered the perfect burger. The decor, fortunately, had changed several times over the years and currently sported a trendy, fifties retro vibe.
Jo picked up her menu and opened it, not because she didn't have it memorized and already knew what she wanted, but because reading the menu would use up a chunk of her "alone with Mase" time. She had already, in the brief time she'd spent with him, learned he was nice, courteous, and charmingly arrogant. She definitely didn't need to discover anything more she may like about him. Her attraction to him was seriously interfering with her stay away plan. She needed to get this dinner over with then stay the hell away from him. The less time she spent in his company, the better.
"Do you know what you want?" He asked, pulling her from her musings.
Jo closed the menu and set it back on the table. "I'll have the Flaming Freddie."
Mase raised his brows in surprise, and she gave him a challenging grin. She knew what he thought. How could a little girl like her eat such a spicy burger? But she loved it. Thick, juicy patty topped with pepper jack cheese, piled high with jalapeno peppers, and dripping with Sriracha aioli. Yum. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.
Their waitress, an older woman with short, blonde hair, walked up to their table pad in hand. She stared at Mase a few seconds too long before asking, "You two ready to order?"
Before Jo could reply, Mase ordered for both of them. "We'll have two Flaming Freddies."
The waitress scribbled on her pad. "Onion rings or fries?"
Mase gave Jo a questioning look. "Fries," she said.
"Fries on both," he said, to the waitress before turning back to Jo. "What would you like to drink?"
"I'm fine with water."
Mase picked up both menus and handed them to the waitress. "And a couple extra waters." He gave her a charming smile and a wink.
The waitress hesitated a moment, fiddling with the menus before tentatively saying, "My husband would kill me if he found out I waited on you and didn't get an autograph. Do you mind?"
She handed him her pad and Mase asked, "What's his name?"
"Stuart."
Mase signed his name under their order.
"Thank you so much. My Stuart, he's a huge fan. He has a calendar hanging on the wall and counts down the days until football season."
Mase reached out and plucked her notepad back out of her hand. He flipped a page and started writing, all the while saying, "You tell your husband to call this number and ask for Frank." He flipped the page back and handed her the pad. "He'll hook him up with season opener tickets. I'll call Frank and get it squared away."
And now Jo could add generous to her list of things she liked about this man. If she were smart, she'd turn tail and run fast in the opposite direction. And she'd made herself a vow to always be smart, so that's exactly what she would do. After her Flaming Freddie, of course. Until then she would just play it cool, be aloof, and pretend he didn't affect her in any way.
Their waitress, Mandy, her name tag read, thanked Mase profusely before rushing off to put in their order. "That was nice of you."
Mase raised a brow and gave her a small smile. "Not hard to spread the love. I'm sure you do that a lot in your career, as well."
Jo picked up her napkin and concentrated on tearing off little pieces. She didn't really want to talk about herself. She didn't want to know any more about him either. She wasn't here for a meeting of the minds or a fervent heart to heart. She was here because he coerced her with food.
She watched him from under her lashes. He leaned back in the booth, arms stretched to the sides, staring at her, probably waiting for her to say something. Nope, not going to happen, buddy. You may have suckered me here, but that's all you're getting.
"How long have you been a social worker?"
Jo sighed dramatically and dropped the napkin on the table, giving Mase her full attention. "Look, I'm not exactly sure what you want from me. I know you're probably used to women throwing themselves at you, and I appreciate the pretense of you wanting to get to know me, but if all you want is to get in my pants, then know now, that's not happening. You're a nice guy, but I'm not interested (liar, liar, pants on fire), so the whole getting to know me thing is a total waste of your time."
*
Mase waited a moment, collecting his thoughts as he watched Jo from across the table. She had a determined look on her face. Sharp eyes, tightly pressed lips, but the red that stained her cheeks told him she wasn't as immune to him as she would like him to believe.
Earlier, when he'd arrived at her office and paced the front walk, waiting for her to come out, he recalled that first instant he'd seen her on the field and the overwhelming attraction he'd felt for her. She'd taken his breath away with her beauty. The sight of her big, brown eyes, heart-shaped face, and full, pink-kissed lips had sped his heart rate and made his dick go hard.
For three days he'd watched her, tried to get her attention, and for three days, she'd kept her distance. But he'd caught a few of her longing looks, and knew she wasn't totally unaffected. So he decided it was time for a little push.
And he'd known that was the right decision when he'd spied her through the glass, walking toward him, and one look was all it took for his heart to pound, his throat to tighten, and his dick to swell. He had that reaction every damn time he looked at her and knew she was something special. More than his usual, casual hook-up, she was someone he not only wanted to fuck, but also get to know. He liked the way he felt while in her company. She brought forth a longing in him that needed to be filled, a possessiveness he never knew he had, and a protectiveness he'd never felt for another. He knew that all sounded crazy for the short time he'd known her, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. Let it be crazy. For the first time in his life, he felt something more than just physical attraction for a woman, and he wasn't going to let her get away. She didn't know it yet, but he planned on making her his.
Looking at her now, he knew he had a battle ahead of him. A battle he was ill equipped for. Sure, he had charm, personality, money, and looks, things that in the past had been all he needed, but with his angel, he knew he needed more. He just wasn't sure what that more was yet, but he aimed to find out, arm himself, and attack.
Mase leaned forward, rested his arms on the table, and captured her hands. She didn't pull away (a good first step), but she did look at him intently, giving him a slightly squinted stare as if trying to dissect the meaning behind his actions.
Then the answer came to him like a holy vision. The way to win the war would be to do the unexpected, knock her off guard, tilt and rock her world. She thought she was being played, thought he was only looking for a quick fuck. Well, he was set on proving her wrong.
He played with the delicate looking golden band that encircled her right ring finger, spinning it with his thumb. The trick was keeping her close. But he had an idea for that. The "proposition" he had mentioned. Yeah, his idea might be slightly underhanded, a little sneaky, and a lot tricky, but what is it they say? All's fair in love and war. Yeah, he understood the true meaning of that now, and he'd do whatever it took to win the affections of Joanna Welch.
He released her hands and leaned back in the booth once more. He noticed, her hands once set free, immediately captured her napkin, starting the shredding process once more. He didn't know her well enough yet to know if she always had nervous energy she needed to contain, or if it was him that made her nervous. He hoped to hell it was him. Knowing he affected her at all was a plus in the "score one for Mase" column. He gave her a sly smile. And he really liked the idea of racking up points.
"So, as to my proposition," Mase started.
Jo interrupted with a raised hand. "I don't really want–"
"At least, hear me out," Mase interrupted back.
He watched her open, then close her mouth. Then with a resigned sigh gave him a small nod to continue.
"It's my sister's tenth wedding anniversary, and she asked me to watch my nephew, Kyle, while she and her husband celebrate in Hawaii. Now, I've babysat Kyle a lot, even had him overnight a few times, but I've never watched him for five days straight." He sat forward once more, reached across the table, capturing Jo's hands to interrupt her napkin mutilation. "She doesn't trust anyone else for such a long absence but me. I can't say no and spoil her anniversary, but I'll be honest and share that I feel a little out of my element here."
She gave a small tug of her hands, but he held on, his grip tightening, not letting her go. She glanced down at their joined hands then back at him. "Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm getting to that. I've seen you with your kids, and you're great with them, so I'm hoping we could do an exchange."
"An exchange?"
"Yeah, five days for five days. You stay with me for the next five days and help me with my nephew, and in excha
nge, I'll be at your beck and call for a week. Whether it's for you or your kids, whatever you need or want, I'll be there to help." And if he played his cards right, after the two weeks were up, Jo would be his.
Chapter Four
Jo successfully pulled her hands from Mase's grasp and placed them in her lap, sitting straighter in her seat. Surely she hadn't heard him correctly. "You want me to stay with you in your home for five days?"
He tilted his head in acknowledgment and gave her a grin. "Yeah."
Jo opened and closed her mouth a few times, looking like a fish, she was sure, trying to get some words out. "But... but..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, centering herself. She placed her palms flat on the table, leaned forward, then whisper-hissed, "Are you insane? We barely know each other. I can't stay with you."
"Why not?"
Why not? His question threw her a moment. There were so many reasons, it was hard to pull a specific one out and state it. "Well, for starters, like I said, we're practically strangers."
"I know you're a well educated, caring human being dedicated to helping children. That doesn't sound like serial killer qualities. You're not a serial killer are you?"
"Of course, not," Jo said with a huff.
"Well, that's a relief. What else?"
Jo decided it was time to pull out her fail-safe method. "I have a boyfriend," she blurted, in a rush.
Mase narrowed his eyes and stared at her so long, she started to squirm. "No, you don't."
"How do you know that?" Jo asked, indignantly.
"First, you're a horrible liar." Jo snorted. "Second, if it were true, you would have used that as your first excuse."
Drats, that was probably true. Next! "Why me? Surely there are hundreds of other women you can ask that know just as much about children as I do."
"I wouldn't say hundreds, but none I would trust to not expect more from me for asking a favor."
"And how do you know I wouldn't expect more from you?"
Mase gave her a shrewd smile. "Angel, you've got back the fuck off written all over you."