by Unknown
Jo followed Mase's instructions to the laundry room located through the kitchen. He was right, the bulky, black and silver monstrosity was complex, but she figured it out while giggling at the fact the machine did actually talk.
She made her way back to the boys, meeting them in the upstairs hall where Mase steered a freshly pajama-clad Kyle to his room.
"Well, goodnight you two," she said, sidestepping them to continue to her bedroom.
"I want you to sleep with us, too, Aunt Jo."
That stopped her in her tracks. She retraced her steps and squatted in front of Kyle. She took both of his hands. "Honey, I don't mind you calling me Aunt Jo, but why would you call me that?"
"You're Uncle Mase's girlfriend. Doesn't that make you my aunt?"
"I would need to be married to your Uncle Mase to be your aunt. I'm not even his girlfriend. We're just friends. That also means I need to sleep in my own bed and not with the two of you."
"How come?"
"Well, only mommies and daddies sleep together." She heard Mase snort but chose to ignore him. "Now, let's tuck you into bed. I'll read you another bedtime story, how's that?"
Kyle skipped ahead to Mase's bedroom leaving Mase and Jo to trail behind. He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in close to her ear. "When we sleep together, I'll let you call me Daddy if it makes you feel better."
She felt his tongue glide along the edge of her ear, and she couldn't prevent the tiny shiver. Of course, the big ass noticed if his chuckle were any indication. She moved her head away and pushed against his chest, NOT gaining an inch. "We will not be sleeping together," she hissed quietly, not wanting Kyle to overhear.
His lips found her ear once more. "Would you rather I call it fucking?"
His voice in her ear was whisper-soft and gravelly. She felt her lips twitch and hoped he didn't see it. He also didn't deserve a response (not that she knew what to say to that).
They reached Mase's bedroom and found Kyle already on Mase's large bed, waiting for them, his book laying open on his lap. Jo had yet to see the master bedroom. It was nice, tastefully decorated in different shades of blue and tan and not what she'd pictured Mase's room to look like at all (other than the colossal size bed).
She turned to him with a raised brow, and he must have read her thoughts because he said, "I paid someone and this is what I got." He spread his arms wide, then shrugged, as if to say, it is what it is.
She smirked, went to the bed, and climbed on next to Kyle. He patted the bed on his other side, looking up at Mase. "Sit, so Jo can read to you, too."
It didn't take long for Kyle's eyes to drop and soon his even breathing could be heard. Jo closed the book then scooted to the edge of the bed. "I'm going to throw the sheets in the dryer then hit the hay."
"I'll go down with you and help."
Jo stood and held up her hand to forestall his actions. "Really, that's not necessary. Laundry transfer is a one-person job."
He stood, ignoring her protest and headed for the door, calling softly over his shoulder, "Humor me."
With a sigh, she followed. "That's all I ever do."
She was rewarded with another one of his grins.
"Can I ask you a question?" Jo said, after shutting the dryer door and having it "talk" her through the turn-on process. She leaned her butt and lower back against the almost soundless dryer, arms crossed at her chest.
Mase stood in nearly the exact pose against the wall on the opposite side of the room, only he looked better doing it. All that exposed male flesh produced a tempting display of eye candy. His crossed arms made his biceps bulge, and he had a set of clearly defined ab muscles that transitioned into a sexy-as-hell vee that disappeared into the low-slung waistband of his black, nylon shorts. Shorts that ended a few inches above his knee, hinting at a set of powerful thighs. A layer of soft-looking light-brown hairs covered legs that he had crossed at the ankle. Heck, even his feet were sexy. So unfair.
"Shoot. Contrary to popular belief, I'm more than just a pretty face." Again the grin. Honestly, it should be classified a deadly weapon, it had that much of an impact on her mind and body.
She ignored her mind and body. "Tell me, wouldn't you say the majority of washer and dryer users are female?" At his nod she continued, "Why then, would the manufacturers of such products use," she uncrossed her arms to execute air-quotes, "a sexy female computer voice, instead of a hot male voice? You'd think they'd want to target women customers."
"It's men that design and build that shit." He waved his arm in the direction of the machines. "We don't want to hear another dude talking."
Jo straightened her back in indignation. "Well, that was a sexist statement."
Mase shrugged. "Don't know what to tell you, a fact's a fact."
"So you don't think there are any women designers or builders?"
Mase shrugged again. "There might be, but probably not many. It's the same with cars and other gadgets. Most of those have female voices, too."
She pondered that a moment and realized he was right, so kept her silence. He gave her a smile, obviously knowing what her silence meant. Whatever. She looked down at her bare feet, noticing the bright pink polish on her big toe was chipped.
The room seemed to grow smaller, Mase's presence growing bigger as the silence stretched. She knew it was time to make her escape, scurry back to her room and hide until morning when Kyle's proximity would create a buffer. She raised her head, her eyes locking with Mase's fierce stare. He took a step toward her, then another, his intense focus pinning her in place as he stalked to her and all thoughts of flight fled.
*
Mase wondered at Jo's thoughts as she stood silently with her head bowed. The harsh, fluorescent light in no way distracted from her beauty nor did the baggy T-shirt and cut-off sweats she wore as pajamas. In fact, there wasn't one thing about her, he found displeasing. Other than maybe her resistance to him. A resistance he planned to break apart piece by piece until not a speck was left to find.
She raised her head, her gaze catching his, her body stilling, and he silently willed her to stay immobile as he slowly advanced. As he drew near, he saw her eyes widen and her lips slightly part. The lips he's been fantasizing about for the last four fucking days. The lips he planned on taking now with no interruptions and no distractions.
He softly traced a finger down the side of her face from her temple to her jaw before lightly encircling her neck, feeling her pulse beat against his palm. He came within inches of her. The tips of his bare toes, touching the tips of hers as he placed his other hand on her hip, squeezing it tight.
"I'm going to kiss you now, Angel, so be prepared because I plan on devouring you." His voice came out low and gravely.
He didn't give her a chance to reply. His mouth covered hers immediately finding and sucking in the bottom lip he'd been craving to taste. He slid his hand around to the back of her neck, up into her hair, clutching a handful, and tilting her head to have better access as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. Heaven. He'd just been introduced to heaven, and he didn't give a shit if those thoughts made him a pussy because he was right where he wanted to be, feeling his Angel melting in his arms.
His already hard cock grew harder, and he had to force himself not to pull her in close and grind against her like a rutting dog. Without letting go of her mouth, he lifted her from under the arms, setting her on top of the dryer, and spreading her legs so he could position himself between. He again buried one hand in her hair while the other searched for and found the hem of her shirt. His fingers encountered soft, smooth, silky skin and they went on a journey, only stopping when they encountered the ridged peak of her nipple that he rolled and pinched as their tongues continued to battle.
She moaned into his mouth, and he felt it in his dick. He prided himself on always being in control, but a little squirming, some heavy breathing, and a soft moan from his Angel had him nearly coming in his pants. He felt her hands grip his shoulders, her fingers diggi
ng in as she pressed her body into him. Their panting breaths commingled, and he heard something like a growl that could have only come from him. He separated from her lips and stepped back far enough to grab the hem of her tee and whip it over her head.
It didn't take him long to figure out, that was a very bad move.
Chapter Eight
The loss of Mase's lips and the cool air suddenly against her naked breasts snapped her out of her Mase-induced, sensual daze. She pushed against his shoulders and quickly crossed her arms over her chest. Mase took a step back. Her T-shirt gripped in his fist.
Without meeting his eyes, she kept one arm across her breasts, hoping at least her nipples were covered, while reaching out blindly with her other hand in Mase's general direction. "Can I um..." She cleared her throat. "Can I have my shirt, please?"
After a few, long seconds of silently watching her shirt still clutched in Mase's hand and not being handed to her, she dared to meet his gaze. She watched him for another few, long seconds. He looked intense, very serious, and maybe a bit calculating. What he didn't do was speak, and she had no idea what he was thinking.
He took the step back to her, and she tilted her head to keep his eyes. His fingers dived into her hair, his head began to lower, and she knew she had to stop him before they had a reenactment of the last five minutes. She reached out with her free hand to push against his chest and keep him from coming any closer, but before she could make contact, quick as a blink, Mase had her wrist held firmly in his hand, and her shirt was now laying on the floor.
"I'm on a very thin edge, Angel, and one touch from you will push me over." His eyes strayed to her breasts spilling over her arm.
She swallowed. Um... okay. Shit. Fuck. No, not fuck. No fucking! Yes, these were her thoughts. Her brain was completely befuddled and it was all Mase's fault.
"I know you want to run." She quickly nodded in agreement. "But I'm not going to let you run from me." Her eyes grew wide at this announcement. "I am going to let you go, for now." He raised the arm he held and kissed her palm before releasing her and taking two, big steps back.
Jo quickly sprang into action. Not one to miss a golden opportunity, she jumped off the dryer, snatched her shirt from the floor, and made a dash for the door.
Mase's next words halted her exit. "Just so we're clear. You've been claimed, that kiss was my brand, and now you're mine."
Yikes!
Jo, once again, found herself tossing and turning, trying to find sleep. Only, this time, it wasn't Mase's almost kiss that kept her awake but Mase's actual kiss. That man seriously knew what he was doing. And if his kisses were that spectacular, causing her to completely forget her vow of no jock ever, she could just imagine how well he did other things, and she had a very vivid imagination that liked to imagine a lot. Hence the tossing and turning.
His parting remark also kept replaying in her head. What did she do with that? He knew she didn't want to start anything with him, relationship or otherwise. He said they could just be friends but since he'd said that, he'd been acting way more than friendly. And to be honest, the whole situation would be much easier if her body didn't go haywire every time he came within fifty feet of her.
She closed her eyes, starting to drift off. The perfect solution to her Mase problem formed briefly in her tired brain, I should just sleep with him to get it out of both our systems, but the thought disappeared before it could take root. That's okay, she thought, half sleep. It'll come to me again tomorrow.
Jo's eyes flew open as a big something landed on top of her, startling her awake. She got up on her elbows and stared down her body into the eyes of the eighty-pound canine draped across her legs and lower stomach. Charlie barked then did that tongue-sticking-out panting thing that all dogs do before he used stealth maneuvers to inch his way up, making a final lunge to lap at her face.
"Oh, no you don't, doggie." With her own ninja skills, she dropped from her elbows, reached behind her for the pillow, and covered her face. Charlie barked again, and she heard a small giggle from the foot of the bed.
"What the hell?" This was said in a masculine voice she was growing way too familiar with. "Charlie get down."
Jo felt the weight leave her limbs and took a chance by peeping out from under the pillow. Mase stood in the doorway, hands on his hips, his gaze directed on Kyle. He walked fully into the room, stopping when he reached the side of the bed near the foot, giving Jo his back. He was shirtless, and she saw his tattoo clearly for the first time. The night before she had seen flashes of it enough to know it was a dragon, but not the intricate design of the fierce creature that, with the upper half of the dragon's body, the incredibly detailed head, and the fire it blew, covered the whole top expanse of Mase's back.
"I told you, three times, not to come up here and wake Jo up."
"Mase," Jo warned. He reached back with his arm, holding up his hand, palm facing her in the universal sign for, shush. Her back stiffened, and she glared at said hand, wanting to smack it.
"Why didn't you listen to me?"
Jo looked at Kyle. His eyes were downcast, and his little bottom lip was trembling. "Charlie said he missed her."
Translation, he missed her. Jo felt her heart melt. She also hoped Mase caught on to Kyle's hidden meaning, going easy on him.
He must have because his tone softened when he said, "Okay, Sport, but next time listen when I tell you something." He squatted in front of Kyle, placing his finger under his chin, lifting his head, so he looked Mase in the eyes. "If I tell you not to do something, it's always for a good reason, and I always have either your or someone else's best interest at heart. Do you understand what I mean by that?"
Kyle shook his head and Mase explained in simpler terms. "If I tell you not to do something, you need to listen, so you or someone else doesn't get hurt. Okay?"
Kyle uttered a soft, "Okay."
"Good." Mase stood and ruffled Kyle's hair. "Why don't you and I go play Skylanders and give Jo some alone-time to get ready."
Like a switch had been flipped, the announcement of playing video games changed Kyle's whole demeanor. His face lit with excitement and he shouted, "I get to be Hot Head," as he ran out the bedroom door.
"You handled that well. Although I would like to add, I didn't appreciate being shushed by way of a hand in my face."
Mase turned from the door. A smile tugged at his lips as he planted a knee to the bed. "Babe," he said, in a low, husky voice.
"What are you doing?" Jo asked, scooting her butt a little farther to the edge.
He was on fours now, slowly crawling across the expanse, coming for her. His movements were graceful and fluid like that of a large cat, and the predatory look on his face as he drew near made certain places start to tingle. She squeezed her thighs together and scooted as far as would allow without tumbling off the side of the bed.
"I couldn't fall asleep last night thinking about the way you fell apart in my arms." He snaked his arm out, catching her around the hips, sliding her away from the edge. Still on his knees, he straddled her thighs, leaning forward on his hands so he could whisper in her ear, "I love the way you taste. I can't wait to taste you, everywhere."
He ended the sentence with a warm exhale, and she couldn't prevent the small shudder that traveled through her body. She knew he felt it when she heard a small growl, which then produced more tingles thus requiring another round of thigh clenches. Oh, boy.
She did a backward scoot until she came up against the headboard and placed her hands on his shoulders to keep him from following her. Things were getting out of control. They needed to talk again very soon, but not now. Mase needed to go play video games with Kyle, and she needed to take a shower and get dressed.
"Don't you need to go play Skyenders?"
He gave her a smile. God, she loved his dimple. His beard was light brown, a few shades darker than his hair, and he kept it pretty short, so his dimple was always visible when he smiled.
"Landers."
Mase's smile turned into a grin. "Skylanders. The video game is called Skylanders, not Skyenders."
Mase's grin was better than his smile. He had great teeth, straight and really white, and she wondered what toothpaste he used. His pale-blue eyes got a little sparkle to them and tiny lines formed in the corners, making him look really happy. And the dimple, let's not forget the dimple, when he grinned it got just a tad deeper. The overall effect? Devastating.
And, of course, now she was no longer in a Dimple Daze but in a Smile Stupor. "Okay."
Again a chuckle. He leaned forward, easily breaking through her hand-to-shoulder barrier. She pressed herself as tightly as she could against the headboard, making herself as flat as possible, but all he did was lightly kiss her on the forehead. "Get dressed. When you're ready, we'll all go to breakfast."
She sat immobile as he got off the bed and left the room, shutting the door behind him. She stared at the solid white door, pondering this latest encounter. She shook her head. Now that Mase was out of her sight, her brain started to clear, and she realized she was in more trouble than she thought. She seemed to lose about twenty IQ points while in his presence, and her willpower became just about nonexistent. Disgusted with herself, she threw back the covers, jumped out of bed, and stomped off to take a shower.
She followed the sounds of yelling and laughter until she came upon a large rumpus room. She stood in the double-doored entry and looked around, a little in awe at its sheer size and all its contents. Mase must like his toys. There were three tables: pool, foosball, and air hockey. Two old-school arcade games and a pinball machine lined a far wall while an oversized entertainment center was along the back complete with a mega TV where, she assumed, Skylanders played on the screen.
Both boys had their backs to her, and she watched them for a few minutes, a smile forming on her lips at their antics. Mase was thoroughly involved in the game and was almost as animated as Kyle, who flung his body all over the place.