by Unknown
She walked farther into the room, around the side of the couch, and sat on its arm closest to Kyle. He gave her a quick, happy smile while executing a butt jump on the couch cushion then just as quickly turned back to the TV before saying, "I'm kicking Uncle Mase's butt."
Jo cringed inwardly. "Did Uncle Mase just teach you that?"
"Yep," he said, popping the P, never once taking his eyes from the screen.
She looked over at Mase, and his eyes were already on her. He gave her a sheepish grin. He'd gotten dressed since she'd last seen him. He had on a pair of soft-looking, faded jeans that had a hole in the knee and a torso-hugging, navy-blue T-shirt. His short, spiky hair, usually a shade between dark blond and light brown, appeared stiffer and darker than usual, indicating the use of some kind of product. It was the first time she'd ever seen him bother.
He tossed the game remote on the coffee table and ruffled Kyle's hair before standing to stretch. He stacked his hands behind his head, his raised arms pulling the hem of his shirt up, revealing an inch-wide band of tan skin that her eyes were immediately drawn to.
"Jo?"
The sound of her name startled her out of her Tummy Trance. Her eyes flew to his face and, of course, he had a knowing grin plastered all over it. Her face heated from having been caught staring, again. Seriously, what was her problem? It was just skin for goodness' sake. Okay, so it was tanned, muscly, Mase skin but still, get a grip. Sheesh.
"I said, slight change of plans. My friend, Gage, called. He and his wife, Cassie, will be here in a few with their son, Logan. I figured we can hang by the pool and have a BBQ."
At the mention of Logan's name, Kyle paused the game. He smiled up at Mase to shout, "Logan's coming over? Yay." Jo remembered hearing their names yesterday from Sam and got the impression Kyle and Logan were good friends.
Mase dropped his arms, shoving his hands in his back pockets. "There are donuts in the kitchen, and I made a pot of coffee."
He sounded so proud of himself, she couldn't resist teasing, "Is that the first pot you've ever brewed?"
"Yeah, well, I'm scared of that, too. Too many settings. But at least the damn thing didn't talk to me."
Jo laughed, but after a minute, she felt the air grow thick, and her laughter slowly faded. Mase had a look she couldn't quite discern, and it was directed right at her.
*
Mase stared, consumed by the sight before him. Jo was beautiful, but Jo laughing was glorious. His already captivated heart took the plunge, and he was a goner. He didn't know how it happened so fast, but it was true. He had fallen for her, and now he just needed her to take a chance on him.
Her smile faded, and her head tipped to the side. That cute-as-fuck little line was back in the center of her eyes as she now watched him as intently as he watched her. She slowly stood from the arm of the couch as if afraid to make any sudden moves, like prey around a predator, always cautious and alert.
"I'm um..." she pointed her thumb over her shoulder, "going to grab a cup. Can I get you anything?"
He shook his head. She took a step back, chancing a quick glance over her shoulder as if gauging the distance to the exit and wondering if she would make a successful escape. She would. He would hold his ground. He'd made a mistake earlier, he just now realized. The harder and faster he pursued, the more on guard she became. He needed to softly coax her to his side. Calculate it so she thought, she was the one in control. And when she became comfortable and unsuspecting, like a true predator lulling its prey, that's when he would pounce.
Chapter Nine
"So how long have you've been dating Mase?"
Jo turned from watching Kyle and Logan splash in the water to look at Cassie, who sat in the chair beside her at a round, glass, patio table. A large canvas umbrella inserted through a hole in the table's center, shielded them from the harsh, midday sun.
The Hunter clan had arrived about an hour prior, creating quite an entrance. Cassie, in a full rant at Gage whose arms were piled high with food, were the first to enter. Logan, all smiles and laughter seemingly unfazed by his parents bickering, followed close behind. And following him, two dogs, one large and one small, barking and head-butting their way past the trio, trying to reach the equally excited to have friends over, Charlie.
Jo was surprised by many things upon the group's arrival. First, Gage, of Cassie and Gage, was Gage Hunter, lead singer of the rock group, Engage. Jo was a huge fan and tried very hard to contain her body from going into full-out fangirl mode.
Next, she noticed Gage was super hot in person. She remembered, back in college, dorm room walls had been lined with Engage posters, but they hadn't done him justice. His straight, black hair fell in a line to his shoulders, framing a face with sharp, masculine features, and the brightest blue eyes Jo had ever seen. He was tall, taller than he appeared in photos and on TV, especially standing next to the pretty, petite, blonde who currently had her hands on her hips, glaring up at the too-hot-for-words rock-star. Was she insane?
Logan was a mini-replica of his dad right down to his toes. They even wore matching T-shirts. Too cute!
"If you would've let me make the potato salad like I wanted to, we wouldn't even be having this conversation." Jo's attention was brought back to the argument.
Gage, already on his way to the kitchen, stopped suddenly, turning on his heel to face his wife. "No woman of mine is gonna slave away for hours in the kitchen, peeling potatoes and shit, when she complained, not an hour before, that her back was hurting."
Cassie threw up her hands. "My back is always hurting. It'll be hurting for the next five months. Are you planning to keep me out of the kitchen that whole time? What are we going to eat?"
"I'll hire a chef!" He turned and stormed off to the kitchen, Cassie hot on his heels. Guess she wasn't done with him yet.
Jo felt a warm presence at her back and turned. Totally excited and unable to suppress her fangirl enthusiasm now that Gage was no longer around to see, she tipped her head back and whisper-yelled excitedly at Mase. "That was Gage Hunter!"
"Yeah," he said, looking bemused.
Jo grasped his arms, right above the elbow. "Gage Hunter is in your house."
"Yeah, babe, I know." Clearly irritated, he placed his hands on his hips which dislodged her hands. "Why didn't you get this excited when you met me?" He asked in a disgruntled tone.
"I didn't know who you were," Jo said, too absorbed in her fangirl bubble to let his annoyance faze her. "And I've loved Engage for years." She did a happy dance before stopping to look back at Mase. "This is so exciting."
Jo watched as Mase shook his head from side to side as his irritated expression slowly morphed into a smile and then a low chuckle. He gently grabbed her upper arms and pulled her to his chest. "You're cute when you're excited," he rumbled. "And I've got to tell you, I'm very happy you said you love Engage, the band, and not Gage Hunter."
Jo tipped her head to the side and pondered his words. "Mason Connor, are you... jealous?"
If possible, he pulled her closer and tipped his head, so their faces were only a few inches apart. "Green with it."
She arched her back as far as it would allow. Wow, he looked it too. With a nervous giggle, she said, "Well, there's no need to be. Besides, it looks like Gage has his hands full with Cassie."
Mase chuckled. "Yes, that he does."
Jo took a sip of her iced tea before answering Cassie's question. "Mase and I aren't dating." She took another sip, eyeing Mase over the rim of her glass. He stood over the BBQ flipping burgers in a pair of black board shorts. He was shirtless, but his chest was covered by a ridiculous apron that said, Kiss the Chef.
"You're not?"
Jo cut her eyes back to Cassie. She looked surprised. Why was that so unbelievable? Jo shook her head. "Nope."
"But I thought... well, with you being here... and with what Mase told Gage, I just thought..." Cassie, clearly flustered, quickly shut her mouth, her cheeks turning pink, thinking she let something slip.
Wanting to put her out of her misery, Jo waved a hand nonchalantly in the air. "Don't pay any attention to what Mase says. We're just friends. I'm only here to help him with Kyle while his sister is away." Jo leaned closer to Cassie and said in a low voice, "And between you and me, he could use all the help he can get." Jo sat back in her chair, picked up her glass, and took another sip of tea.
Cassie sat quietly, more than likely, pondering the latest info Jo had imparted. Info, she was sure, that skewed drastically from the make-believe story supplied by Mase.
A scream from the pool caught Jo's attention. She could tell it was a happy shriek, but that didn't stop her heart from pounding heavily in her chest, nor the light sweat that broke out on her forehead. Jo couldn't swim and was deathly afraid of water and drowning which made Mase's backyard (at least in her eyes) a virtual deathtrap with its three, large swimming pools.
The center pool, where the boys swam, was long but not very deep and Jo suspected it was designed with water sports in mind. It was connected to the pool on the right by a large in-ground spa that looked like it could easily hold at least twelve people. The pool to the left or the "fancy" pool, as Jo liked to call it, was also attached to the center pool by what could only be described as a mini-river. Two water bars ran along the back side and a large rock formation created a waterfall at the far end. Why someone would need three pools, she would never know. To her, the extravagance seemed silly.
"How did the two of you meet?"
Jo forced her eyes away from the boys, splashing in the water, giving Cassie her full attention. "Through a youth football program the Pursuers are sponsoring for underprivileged kids. I'm a social worker for CPS, and some of my kids joined the program."
"Wow, that's great. I run a nonprofit that rehabilitates fighting dogs. I train them to take care of disabled Veterans. Well, I did, until a month ago, that is, when we found out I was pregnant." Cassie placed a hand over her still flat stomach. "Gage has been... how do I say this nicely? A little over-the-top protective since he's known. I have a feeling I won't be training any dogs until after the baby comes. I mean, holy cow, he won't even let me make potato salad!"
Jo giggled along with Cassie before saying, "I still can't believe you're married to Gage Hunter. Hell, I can't even believe I've met him in person."
Cassie nodded. "I know what you mean. Sometimes even I can't believe I'm married to a rock-god. It feels so surreal. Until little things, like picking his dirty socks up off the bedroom floor, intrude and reality comes crashing down, and I realize I'm married to just a man, after all. And a messy one at that," she said, giving Jo a wink.
Jo noticed the smoke getting pretty thick in the vicinity of the BBQ. Nodding her head in that direction, she said, "You think everything's okay over there?"
Cassie stood from the table, laughing. "It doesn't look like it. Maybe we'd better go over and check things out."
"I'm no BBQ expert, but I don't think it's supposed to smoke that much."
"Well, I am a BBQ expert, and you're right, it's not."
Jo sighed and closed her eyes as she relaxed into the lounger, enjoying the last of the sun's rays. The heat seeped into her skin, draining away the stress of the last two days. Stress created by one Mason Connor. But she wouldn't think of him now. Now, she wanted to enjoying the tranquility of the moment, maybe catch up on some of the sleep she missed the night before. Cassie lay on the lounger beside her, just as still and quiet. Jo had a feeling she didn't have a lot of peaceful times in her life, as well.
The "big" boys were off shooting hoops at Mase's basketball court located somewhere at the side of his property and well out of their sight, thus giving Jo the courage to remove her shorts and tank, leaving her in a black bikini, so she could take full advantage of the rare tanning opportunity. The "little" boys, waterlogged and red cheeked from spending hours in the pool, had escaped into the house to play Skylanders.
Everyone was well fed, including the dogs, full of the burgers Cassie had prepared after it was discovered Mase had indeed burned the first batch. The dogs got to enjoy Mase's contribution. Jo was sure she had read somewhere that charcoal was good for their tummies, so they should be gas free for many weeks to come.
She sighed, her mind slowly slipping off to that place somewhere between wakefulness and sleep when she felt a shadow fall over her, and she was suddenly lifted. Startled, she gave a girly shriek as she was cradled against a warm chest. Mase had an arm under her knees and one across her upper back, and her arms instinctively latched around his neck.
"What are you doing?" She asked, still feeling a bit groggy.
Mase held her close, dipping his head, so his forehead touched hers. She felt them start to move. "I'm hot from my game, and you looked hot in more ways than one. That bikini, babe, fuck." She heard him chuckle. "Thought we might both need to cool off."
His words slowly penetrated her sleep-fogged brain. Her body surged with adrenaline, and she went into full panic mode.
*
What the hell? Mase's arms locked around Jo as he felt her whole body stiffen then go wild, kicking her feet and squirming. Her arms tightened around his neck, and he found it difficult to swallow. At first, he heard, "No, no, no, I can't swim. Put me down. Put me down." That soon morphed into panicked cries and incoherent sobs.
Again, what the fuck? He stopped walking, planting his feet braced apart, tightening his arms around her more securely. He feared with her hysterical wriggling, she would break free from his hold, and he would drop her. And no way in hell, he would let that happen.
"Shh... It's okay baby, I've got you." He found himself whispering soothing words, rocking her in his arms, trying to calm her as she fought for every breath.
Finally, she started to settle. She no longer fought his hold, but she still had a death grip on his neck. He made his way back to the lounger, sitting with his back to Cassie, who he heard quietly get up and head into the house.
He continued to rock her, continued to whisper in her ear, letting her know she was safe, that he wouldn't let anything harm her. He knew the attack was ebbing when he felt her body slowly relax in his arms and knew it was over when he felt her whole body go limp.
Shit, she'd scared him there for a minute. He'd been witness to a few panic attacks in his life, but none with the ferocity of what Jo just experienced. The urge to take away the cause of her fear was overwhelming. Almost as overwhelming as his need to protect her. He loosened his arms a little, so he could lean back and see her face. Her head rested on his shoulder, her eyes closed, and she seemed to be concentrating on her breathing, taking deep breaths in and letting them out slowly. He stroked her hair, brushing stray strands off her cheeks, then spoke softly so not to startle her. "You want to tell me what that was about?"
She was silent for so long, Mase thought for sure she wouldn't answer. But then she spoke, in a voice so low, Mase had to strain to hear it. "I died when I was three-years-old."
Taken aback, Mase jerked his head as if slapped. "What?"
He watched Jo's chest rise as she took another deep breath. She struggled to sit up, but Mase was reluctant to let her go. She felt good in his arms. Using his shoulder to brace herself, she climbed off his lap and sat at his side. Not wanting to lose all connection, he picked up of one of her hands, sandwiching it between his two larger ones.
"We were visiting my aunt and uncle for the holidays. It was a week before Christmas or something like that." She had been looking down at their joined hands but at this point, she looked up. Mase nearly flinched at the torment he saw shining in her eyes.
"I don't really remember any of it. This was all told to me later as I grew older. I had always had an irrational fear of the water and didn't know why. I only knew whenever I got near it, I would freak out."
Mase softly rubbed his thumb along the tops of her fingers. "What happened that day, Angel?"
She took another deep breath. "Somehow I had gotten into the backyard. Their pool was
n't gated. They didn't have any kids, yet, back then. Mom noticed I was missing and someone, no one remembers who, I'm told everything was very chaotic. Anyway, someone found me unconscious in the pool.
"Thankfully, my aunt was in nursing school at the time and able to start CPR until the paramedics arrived. Nobody knew how long I had stopped breathing for, and everyone feared brain damage. Mom says it was the scariest thing she'd ever had to live through."
Mase released Jo's hand, leaned around to raise the lounger into a sitting position then straddled it, bringing Jo between his legs and pulling her, so her back rested against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and lightly rested his chin on the top of her head. She didn't fight him, for which he was grateful. Instead, she seemed to settle into him, giving him her full weight. He smiled to himself, wondering if she realized how much she revealed to him with that simple gesture of trust.
"I was deathly afraid of the water after that. Mom couldn't get me near it. She always worried that I never learned to swim, worried I would drown again if I didn't know how. But I just couldn't bring myself to go near the water. Even though I didn't remember the incident, I still remembered being so afraid. And my fear only grew worse as I got older."
Mase gave her a tight squeeze as his eyes drifted across the expanse of his backyard, seeing his three very large swimming pools in a new light. His backyard must be very disconcerting for her, yet not once did she show any unease, at least not until he picked her up and nearly threw her in the pool. Her mettle was commendable. And he felt like a big ass.
"I'm sorry, Angel, that was a shit move on my part."
She tipped her head back, dislodging his chin. "Don't be sorry, how could you have known? People throw others in pools all the time. I'm more embarrassed, at this point than anything else. Talk about a drama queen. Your friends must think I'm bonkers."