by Unknown
Like a car accident, she couldn't pry her eyes away from the realistically detailed (for a cartoon) image. She quickly thought back, trying to remember the last time she used her suitcase. Two years ago, New York City, Missy Turner's bachelorette party getaway, and the only evidence left of that trip, laid forgotten in her suitcase.
A hand came into her field of vision, snatching up the bag. Too late, she made a grab for it but missed. "Give that back, there's nothing in there you'd want to see."
Mase, who had an eye in the bag, reached in and slowly withdrew a pair of heart-shaped, plastic handcuffs. "What about me, would lead you to believe, I wouldn't want to see these?" He asked, dangling the cuffs in front of him, swaying them back and forth.
Jo felt a giggle form right before it escaped, releasing a tight knot of embarrassed tension. And once started, she couldn't seem to stop. Her giggles turned into laughter that she could only get under control once her stomach started hurting. She looked at Mase. He had a smile on his face, but not one of his cocky, sexy smiles, no this one seemed genuine. He looked truly happy. The knowledge of that sobered her humor. She wiped at her eyes and the lingering tears on her cheeks. She shook her head. "It was from a bachelorette party a few years ago. I don't even remember what's in there."
"Let's find out," Mase said, throwing the cuffs on the bed and reaching into the bag once more.
"I'm not sure I want to know."
He gave her a grin as he pulled out what looked like a packaged action figure. He looked at her, raising a brow and turning the package her direction. "Grow a Weenie?"
Jo covered her mouth with both hands to contain another round of giggles.
Mase turned the package back around and continued reading. "From wee wee to whopper put it in water and watch it grow to six times in size." He looked back up. "Six times, really?"
Jo walked to the side of the bed to get a better look, strangely fascinated. "Maybe we should put it in a cup of water to test the theory?"
"Sweetheart, if this thing grows six times in size like it says, you'd need to put it in the bathtub."
Jo didn't succeed in containing her giggle that time. "What else is in there?"
Mase turned over the bag and a deck of cards fell out. He picked it up and read the title. "Sex position playing cards. These we'll take with us," he said, tossing the box in the suitcase. "They might come in handy." He stood from the bed and swatted her ass. "Hurry and pack or we're gonna be late."
Like that was her fault? He was the one fooling around. She gave his back a dirty look as he headed for the door. He turned around when he reached it. "Oh, and don't forget to pack a bathing suit."
Her stomach did a little flip-flop at his words, but he was gone before she could say anything. She looked at the deck of cards he'd tossed in the suitcase and debated a full minute before plucking them out and tossing them on the bed with the other party favors. The last thing Mase needed was any more bright ideas. He seemed to have plenty already.
Jo felt her jaw fall open as she drove through the gates, entering Mase's driveway, and his house came into view. Did she say house? No mansion. The thing was huge. Like massively huge. She parked behind Mase at the base of a set of stairs that led to a set of dark wood, front doors and got out of the car. She did a full body turn, taking in the view. The property was beautiful. Doubly so, due to the setting sun. Green trees and flowers of every color were in abundance, and this was only the front of the house. She could well imagine what the backyard must look like.
She walked to Mase, who waited at the bottom of the stairs. "Sam's here already," he said, dipping his head in the direction of a silver minivan. "Be prepared for the third degree."
"Third degree?"
"Yeah, she's my older sister and takes that responsibility very seriously."
He took her hand and started up the stairs. She was about to ask him to elaborate his answer when the front door flew open and several things happened at once.
A woman (presumably Sam) shouted, "Finally! We're going to be late for the airport."
A boy that looked to be about five or six came flying at Mase, wrapping himself around his thigh, and yelling up at him, "Uncle Mase, Uncle Mase."
And last, a furry mountain charged at her, jumped up on her chest (which if Mase hadn't been holding onto her, she'd have fallen backward down the stairs), and barked twice in her face before attacking her with his tongue.
Jo scratched the dog behind his ears murmuring, "I love you, too, but you need to get down. You're heavy." And it wasn't until the dog got down, she gave him a few more ear scratches, and she looked back up, that she noticed everyone had gone silent and all eyes were on her.
Her eyes landed on Mase. "What?"
He gave her hand a tug, and her front collided with his side. Surprised by the swift, possessive maneuver, she looked up, finding his face hovering just inches from hers. Tiny tingles ran up her spine, and she found it hard to swallow. "Charlie's not usually that friendly with strangers."
"No?" The word came out quiet and sounded more breathy than she'd intended.
He gave a slight shake of his head then leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "He must sense the same thing I do."
She felt his hot breath caress her ear as she waited for him to finish. After a few beats of silence, she hesitantly asked, "And that is?"
"That you're special."
He had moved in so close, his lips had brushed against her ear as he spoke, sending more tingles down her spine. And then, shockingly, she felt the soft, wet glide of his tongue as it licked a path up the shell of her ear, sending, not only, more tingles up her spine but also other places down below. Okay, time to apply the brakes. Mase had just taken things so far out of the friend zone, it wasn't even funny. And as soon as his sister left, and the tyke was put to bed, they were having themselves another chat.
She took a hasty step back as far as their held hands would allow, knowing by his tight, firm grip he wouldn't let go and not wanting to cause a scene in front of his family, didn't push the issue or struggle to be released.
Sam was the first person to break the silence. She closed the distance between them and held out her hand. "You must be Jo. I'm Sam, and this is my husband, Derek."
Derek held his hand out, as well, and she politely shook it after shaking Sam's. "It's nice to meet you both."
"Mase has told me so much about you. I'm so glad we're finally getting a chance to meet."
That took Jo aback. Finally? How many times could he have mentioned her to his sister? They'd only met a few days ago. "He has?" She looked over at Mase, but his head was down, talking to his nephew.
Derek spoke up. "Sam, we need to get going."
"Right. Mase, I talked with Cassie earlier today. Gage is going to call. Set up a time they can come over with Logan. I wrote all our contact info down in case our cell phones don't work and also a medical release note for Kyle."
"Say what?" Mase interrupted.
Jo leaned close to Mase and whispered so Kyle didn't overhear, "In case he gets hurt. It gives you the authority to make medical decisions for him."
Sam chattered on, reminding Mase of the foods Kyle didn't like, his favorite TV shows, and so on. Jo tried to absorb it all, but the three-minute long info-fest was more than her brain could retain. She looked over at Mase and saw he wore the same dazed look that she felt. After another prodding from her husband, she squatted and pulled Kyle into a big hug. Derek did the same. Then with a kiss on the cheek from his sister and a slap to Mase's back from Derek, they were on their way.
"Alone at last." He looked down at Kyle. "Well, almost." He gave her a wink before scooping Kyle into his arms and throwing him over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. Kyle, of course, squealed with laughter. "Let's get in the house before the bogeyman gets us."
"Uh, Mase..." But he'd already taken off up the stairs with a giggling Kyle. Jo followed with Charlie, thinking Mase mentioning the bogeyman one minute into their babysitting gig
was not a good start and realizing for the first time, Mase had been right. He needed her help.
*
"I'm telling you, that's not a good idea."
Mase closed the refrigerator door then unscrewed the cap on the bottle of water he'd pulled out. "The kid says he thirsty."
"I'm thirsty. I'm thirsty." Jo and Mase looked at Kyle who sat on a stool next to Jo at the kitchen island.
"See. He's thirsty."
"Yes, but giving him all that water right before bed is a really bad idea."
Mase plopped the bottle down on the counter in front of Kyle. "Just drink a little bit, okay?"
"Okay."
Mase saw Jo roll her eyes, and he gave her a devilish grin before turning back to the fridge. He opened the door and looked at her over his shoulder. "You want something to drink?"
Jo shook her head. "No, I'm good, thanks."
Mase shrugged, pulled out a carton of orange juice, and took a slug before putting it back.
"Please tell me you remembered to buy fresh milk."
He reached back in the fridge and pulled out a full gallon. "Not even opened yet."
"Bring it here, so I can see the cap."
She leaned across the counter, and he had to command his eyes not to stray to the cleavage-inducing display. "What, you don't trust me? That wounds me right here," he said, dramatically, placing his hand over his heart.
"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you." She gave him a coquettish smile while fluttering her eyelashes.
Mase's body went solid. His heart rate increased, and his breathing grew shallow. She was beautiful. His mind did a fast forward, five years from now, ten years from now, twenty, and Jo was by his side, looking at him with just that smile. Strange, how his thoughts didn't induce panic or make him feel trapped. No, that's not what he felt at all. Instead, a strange peace settled over him like a wave of tranquility.
"Are you okay?" She asked, pulling him from his musings.
He gave her a smile and put the milk down in front of her. "Tamper resistant tag still in place."
She watched him. He saw something working behind her eyes. She was trying to figure him out but couldn't. He knew that by the small frown that appeared on her face.
"I'm not thirsty no more, Uncle Mase."
They both looked over. Kyle had an empty water bottle sitting in front of him. Jo looked to Mase, eyes wide, and he had a pesky feeling Jo had been right. A bottle of water before bed was a really bad idea.
Jo was the first to speak. "Come on. Let's go change into our jammies, and then maybe Uncle Mase will read you a story. Did you bring any books with you?" Jo hopped off her stool and held out her hand to Kyle who took it before jumping down, himself.
He ran out of the kitchen, shouting, "I have some in my bag. Let me show you."
Jo turned back to Mase, giving him a smile. "Looks like that's your cue, Ace."
Mase raised his brows, giving her a questioning look. "Ace?"
"I find it fitting. You are, after all, an expert in your field. Are you not? A big shot, the top dog, a superstarrr." She gave him another adorable grin. "Besides, it rhymes with your name. It's pretty ingenious if you ask me. I'm truly surprised no one has thought of it before." Her grin faded into a frown. "Or have they. Is Ace already your nickname? Did someone beat me to it?"
Mase tipped his head back and laughed. It was a minute before he pulled himself together enough to say, "Trust me, no one else would dare call me ace but you."
She gave him a smile. "It's all mine, then?"
Mase ate the space between them with a few long strides. He captured her face between his hands, tilting her head back. He watched the smile fade from her face, and her lips slightly part. "Yeah, Angel, it's all yours."
Chapter Seven
Jo watched, enthralled and her heart racing, as his lips slowly descend towards hers. She knew he would kiss her, knew she should try to stop him, but she made a split-second decision, she'd allow it just this once. She rationalized that decision as conducting an experiment. Maybe the kiss would be horrible and this silly infatuation she had would go away. Or maybe, if she knew what his kiss felt like, it would better fortify her against any future advances he might make. Or maybe, she was just a floozy who really, really wanted to kiss Mason Connor.
"Hey, you guys coming or what?"
Mase halted his progress but a hairsbreadth away from her lips at the shout from the other room. With a sigh, he leaned his forehead against hers then shouted back, "We'll be right there, Sport." Then quietly he said, "We are not done, not by a long shot." He skimmed his thumb lightly across her lips. "These will be mine, soon."
And with his vow hanging thickly in the air, he left the kitchen.
Jo lay in bed, desperately trying to fall asleep but not having much success. And knowing Mase was in his bed only a few doors down did not help with her slumber dilemma. To avoid further Mase-alone-time, after they'd gotten Kyle tucked into bed, she'd slunk off to her room with the excuse, she was tired and still needed to unpack before bed.
That had been at least two hours ago, and still she tossed and turned not finding sleep because her brain would not stop replaying Mase's almost kiss. Only in her version, he actually did kiss her, and it was fan-fucking-tastic.
She watched, enthralled, her heart racing as his lips slowly descend towards hers. His touch, soft yet firm, caressed her lips with just enough pressure to send tingles down her spine. His tongue traced the seam, demanding entrance and when she minutely parted her lips, it dived in without hesitation, commanding her attention, and boy did he have it. One of his hands started to roam, leaving her face, trailing down her neck to her breast. He cupped it, squeezing tightly while his other hand glided over her stomach. Her thighs automatically squeezed together in response, trying to stop the ache that pulsed through her...
A cry filled the air, dissolving her fantasy into a puff of smoke. She sat up quickly, tossing the covers off, and jumping out of bed. Throwing open her bedroom door, she crossed the threshold, and collided with a wall of warm, solid muscle, stopping her in her tracks.
Two hands came up to steady her, preventing her from falling backward and landing on her ass. Her hands came up automatically and clutched at the first thing they found. Which, unfortunately (fortunately?), happened to be the waistband of Mase's shorts. The elastic waistband pulled down enough for her to know, he was definitely going commando.
"Whoa, Angel, if you wanted to check out the goods, all you had to do was ask."
Jo righted herself and promptly released her hold on his shorts. She felt her face heat and managed to force out a snort but refused to respond to his ridiculous claim. She tried to take a step back, but he kept her in place, pretty effortlessly it seemed, with a light hold on her upper arms.
Her brain took note of her situation and how close she was to Mase's bare chest. This was her first time up close and personal with it, and it was quite a sight to see. Random words flicked through her brain. Broad. Ripped. Tan. Smooth. Yum. He had a tattoo she'd never seen. The bottom half of a scaly, red creature. It started with a thick tail wrapped around his upper right bicep, the body extending up and over his shoulder, disappearing behind his back.
Kyle cried out again, jarring them into motion and as one, they made their way down the hall. The door to Kyle's bedroom was open and Mase flipped the light switch as he walked in. "Hey, Sport, what's the matter?" He asked softly as he approached the bed.
Kyle looked up at Mase, and Jo saw tears streaked his cheeks. "I had an accident."
Mase gave Jo a panicked expression, and she decided to take pity on him even though he'd been the one to let Kyle drink a full bottle of water before bed. She held out her hand. "Come on, buddy, let's get you into something dry." She glanced at the bed then back at Mase. "His bed is soaked. He can't sleep there."
"I have another guest room."
"I wanna sleep with you and Jo."
"We're in separate rooms, buddy, but you can
sleep with your Uncle Mase."
Mase, again, gave her panicked eyes. She leaned in close and whispered so Kyle wouldn't hear. "Relax, the odds of him having another accident are slim to none." She gave him a pointed look. "Unless you give him another bottle of water."
Jo went to Kyle's bag and pulled out a clean pair of pajamas. "Come on, let's go in the bathroom and get you changed."
The bathroom was connected to the bedroom and like everything in Mase's house, it was huge. She had the same setup in her room, and she noticed all the décor was done in neutral tones suitable for male or female guests. Jo quickly stopped her thoughts not wanting to think about the possible parade of female guests Mase may have had through his guests rooms. Or maybe they had stayed in his room. No, stop all thoughts, now.
She filled the tub with warm water while helping Kyle strip out of his wet clothes. "Hop in the tub and wash yourself up. I'll be right back."
She picked his soiled clothes off the floor then went back into the bedroom. Mase had stripped the bed and had the sheets gathered in his arms. "If you tell me where it is, I'll take those to the laundry room with this," she said, waving the pajamas in the air.
"Just toss those on top." He dipped his chin to the pile he held. "I'll take it to the laundry room, and Gretchen can wash them on Monday."
"Gretchen?" She tried for nonchalant and hoped she'd pulled it off.
"Yeah, the lady I pay to take care of shit around here."
Jo slowly released the breath she held in preparation for his answer and prayed she sounded calm as she advised, "Those really shouldn't sit for that long."
"Well, between you and me, the washing machine scares me. It's got all kinds of buttons and dials, and fuck me, it even talks."
Jo let a giggle slip before reaching out to take the bundle out of Mase's arms. "I'll do it. Just tell me where to go. You can get Kyle out of the tub and dressed."