Mimi Mine

by Aubrey Cara

  “What are you doing?” Mason asked. He didn't mean to sound so accusing but that's how it came out.

  “Oh, I needed to head over to my parents house early...I was going to call you.”

  Yep, sure she was. “Well, I guess it's a good thing I wanted to spend some time with you two before we went to your parents' place.”

  Mason had foolishly been ecstatic to see her again. Even a few hours away from her had seemed like too long. Looked like the feeling wasn't mutual. The knowledge she hadn't been looking forward to seeing him at all hit his gut like acid. He felt like a chump.

  Walking over he took the pie carrier to place it in the trunk of his jeep and then walked around to open the doors for Mimi and Zeke.

  Zeke climbed in the back but Mimi hesitated, grabbing his arm when he would have walked around to get in the driver's side. “Hey, you’re not mad at me, are you?”

  “No it's fine. No big deal,” he said lying through his teeth.

  “I'm sorry,” she said, still looking guilty.

  “Mimi, let me ask you this. Did you really need to go to your parent's house early?”

  Not looking at him, she scuffed the toe of her black suede shoe against the ground. “No,” she confessed.

  “What happened between this morning and now?” When he'd left her, she'd been all glowing smiles in her sleep mused state.

  Shrugging she said, “I don't know. I got scared, I guess.”

  The knot gripping his stomach eased a bit. He had to remind himself her marriage had been scarring. It was only reasonable she'd be skittish. Just because he was feeling the big L didn't mean she was on the same page. Mason blew out a breath searching for what to say. Mimi looked so damned vulnerable in this moment he just wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her how much he already cared for her and that he'd give her anything she wanted just as long as she didn't shut him out.

  Then he frustratingly recalled he'd already asked her point blank not to shut him out.

  Taking her face he gently pressed his lips to hers, no longer caring if Zeke saw or not. Mason was in this for the long haul and the sooner Mimi realized it the better. “We'll talk about this later. Let’s go to your parents’ house. Together. As a couple.”

  Mimi gulped, nodding silently.

  “And Miriam?” he said, stopping her as she moved to step into vehicle. “We will be talking about this later. Is that understood?”

  Mimi's mouth opened a little and a light tremor raced over her body as she nodded. Biting her lip she got in the car, her face blazing. Mason had said it out of genuine frustration, but seeing her reaction flipped a different switch inside him that had nothing to do with annoyance.

  Wasn't that just damned confusing.

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” Going back to the trunk, he pulled out the football he'd gotten for Zeke. When he got in the driver's seat he tossed it back to Zeke and looked over his shoulder as the kid squealed in delight.

  “Football! Is this for me?!” Zeke asked.

  “I noticed you didn't have one,” Mason said smiling. “I thought we could play catch with it this afternoon.”

  “Yay!!”

  “What do you say, Zeke?” Mimi asked looking back at her son.

  “Thanks Mason! You're awesome.”

  “That was really sweet of you,” Mimi said, a smile playing at the corner of her sweet lips.

  Mason shrugged as he turned his jeep around and headed out of the parking lot. “He seemed to be really into the game last Saturday when I watched him. Besides, every boy needs a football.”

  They listened to Zeke's imaginary commentary as he played in his own world in the back seat. “He tumbles the ball for an intersection. Now the other team's got it. He's going, he's going, he's in the goal box for a touchdown. The Tigers win the race! The Tigers win the race!”

  Mimi looked at Mason her eyebrows raised in question and Mason shrugged quietly chuckling. “We need to work on his lingo, but he's got the concept down.”

  Mimi laughed and he couldn't help taking her hand in his. Her fingers were long and slender and fit in his perfectly. Surprisingly she didn't pull back but let him casually hold her hand between them as they drove to her parents’ house.

  “Quick question,” he said glancing over at Mimi bathed in the sunlight of the passenger side window.

  She looked up at him hesitantly. “What's up?”

  “Where exactly do your parents live?” he asked, smiling.

  Mimi huffed out a chuckle as she rolled her eyes and gave him directions.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  From the kitchen window, Mimi watched Mason chase Zeke around the backyard of her parents’ house. Mason had been teaching her son how to throw the ball and make a pass for a while. Now it looked like they were having a mock scrimmage. Mason caught Zeke about the waist and ran the boy—who still held the ball—in the opposite direction for a touchdown.

  She could hear their laughter from here. Mason's rich and masculine, Zeke a tinkling squealing gale of adolescent delight.

  Her heart pitched and a huge chunk of the walls she'd been valiantly trying to keep erect crumbled. She couldn't help but notice how good Mason was with Zeke. They acted like they'd been the best of pals forever and Mason seemed genuinely happy to be teaching Zeke how to play football.

  “That's some guy you got there,” her mom said, startling Mimi.

  “He's not my—” Her mom's knowing look cut her off. “Yeah, he's pretty great,” Mimi hesitantly agreed. She couldn't shake that voice in the back of her head that said he couldn't possibly be as wonderful as he seemed. “We just started seeing each other, Mom. We're still getting to know each other.”

  She turned her face to hide her flushed cheeks as recalling how well they'd been getting to know each other. They'd gotten to know each other enough to make her eyes cross yesterday. She was still wincing every time she sat down.

  “Whatever you say, dear.” Elaine Westfall said slyly. “For what it's worth I know some women who'd sell their soul to have a man look at them the way Mason looks at you. Your sniveling ex-husband never looked at you like that. That's for sure.”

  “He does not,” Mimi said, ignoring the barb about her ex-husband. Her parents hadn't ever cared much for Jay. She should have taken that as a sign. Silly how she had thought it was special she could see in Jay what others couldn't. Turns out her parents had been the ones seeing clearly, not her.

  “Like I said. Whatever you say, dear,” her mother said offhandedly while putting the mashed potatoes in a serving dish. “Why don't you tell them to come wash up. Dinner is about ready.”

  Mimi chose to drop the conversation on how Mason did or didn't look at her. Just being around the man warmed her in ways that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with her heart. She wasn't ready to be feeling as deeply for Mason as she already was.

  “I thought Auntie Tita, Missy, and Mini were coming,” Mimi said. Not that Mimi would mind if they didn't show up. She loved her crazy aunt, but she could do without her cousins. Auntie Tita's daughters were perpetually competing with each other, and seemed to believe Mimi was also in competition with them.

  “Tita just called. They'll be along shortly.”

  Just then Mimi heard the front door open and a “Hey, y'all!”

  Mimi groaned. That would be Mini. Her Texas twang was thicker than molasses.

  “Are you just going to block the door all day, Min?”

  And that would be Melissan, or Missy for short. Still sweet and even tempered as ever, Mimi sarcastically thought to herself.

  Missy was full blood Native American and looked much like Pocahontas, if Pocahontas wore Louboutin heels and ate unsuspecting rich men's souls for breakfast. She'd been a stereotypical pharmaceutical rep since right after college. She was a bit over the top in every way, as well as shallow, but Mimi had to give it to her cousin for excelling at her chosen profession. She made excellent money as one of her company’s top sales people. Now if only Miss
y would stop thinking everyone wanted to be her, Mimi might be able to like her.

  Heading in the opposite direction of the front door, Mimi went through the den to the sliding glass doors. She stepped out wrapping her sweater around her against the nip in the air. She spotted her dad on the patio sitting in one of the lounge chairs looking relaxed and happy as he watched Mason and Zeke play ball.

  “I thought you were inside watching the Macy's Day Parade,” Mimi said walking over to where her dad had been sitting, just as he was getting up.

  “I was for a while. I thought I'd come out and get some fresh air. I like this one,” her dad said and nodded his head in Mason's direction. He dropped a kiss on her forehead as he passed her and went inside.

  Mimi swallowed thickly. Coming from her father that meant a lot. “I like him too,” she said more to herself than her father.

  “Mama! Watch this,” Zeke called out across the yard as he threw the ball in a decent spiral to Mason who easily caught it.

  “Good job, sweetie! It's almost dinner time. Why don't y'all come on in?”

  “Aww man,” Zeke said.

  “Come on kiddo. Let's wash up,” Mason said as he ruffled Zeke's hair and started walking up toward the house. Mason seemed a bit winded and his button up and jeans were rumpled from playing out in the yard with Zeke.

  She thought he'd never looked sexier. His gaze locked on Mimi and his lips kicked up in an open smile. Was that the look her mother was talking about? It certainly made her heart stutter in her chest for a second.

  Football tucked under his arm, the other arm out stretched, Zeke raced passed Mimi into the house, yelling, “Turkey!” all the way.

  Mimi called out behind him, “Wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds before you touch anything, young man.”

  Mason's arm wrapped around her waist pulling her back against him as he kissed her cheek. The move was casually playful and knocked down the rest of the wall Mimi had erected around her heart like it hadn't even existed in the first place.

  Placing kisses along her neck Mason murmured, “You smell like pumpkin pie and roasted turkey. It's making my mouth water to taste you all over.”

  Being tasted by Mason was an experience she remembered all too well. Her eyes slid closed as she tilted her head back against his shoulder to give him better access.

  “Mmm, you're going to make me want to skip dinner, woman,” he growled in her ear.

  Skipping dinner sounded marvelous. Who needed dinner when you could have hot, dirty, sweaty—she groaned at her thoughts’ direction. Mentally they were already in Mason's jeep, ripping each others clothes off. Too bad they had a house full of people ready to eat dinner with them.

  “I think our absence would be missed,” she said in a husky voice not moving an inch.

  “Where's your sense of adventure?” he teased.

  She turned in his arms as he eased his hold on her. “Have I mentioned my mother offered to take Zeke tonight? I didn't even have to ask.”

  “Have I mentioned how much I love your mama?” Mason said a naughty twinkle in his silver gray eyes.

  That drew a giggle from her. She was ready to buy her mother a giant bouquet of flowers for that one herself. Biting her lip she looked up at him and asked, “Does this mean I'm forgiven...for earlier?”

  “For trying to leave without me?”

  Mimi nodded. She wasn't sure what she'd been thinking. It wasn't like she wouldn't have seen him when he showed up at her parents house for dinner. And she knew deep down he was going to be upset with her.

  Mason smiled a wicked smile and gave her tush a significant two handed squeeze. “You will be forgiven...later.”

  “You mean—” Her voice dropped to a whisper even though they were alone outside. “You're going to spank me for that?”

  At his nod she at once felt giddy excitement, trepidation, and—slightly annoyed. This wasn't one of her romance novels. How dare he think she'd just meekly be spanked for whatever infraction he thought she should be spanked for. “I like getting spanked, but I don't think that's fair. I was confused and—”

  “You just asked to be forgiven, now you're telling me you did nothing wrong?”

  “Well...yeah,” she said settling her mouth in a mutinous frown and looking away from his penetrating gaze. Mimi didn't care for how much sense he was making.

  “When you are scared or confused you talk to me. You at least let me know that is how you're feeling. Don't just leave me in the dust trying to figure out what went wrong. I'm not a mind reader. I can't know what's going on up here,” he said, touching her forehead. “Not unless you tell me.”

  Having someone she she could open up to when she felt conflicted or upset was a new concept to her. She didn't share herself that way with people. She was an only child and somewhat of a loner growing up. When the going got tough she built a fortress around herself and went into survival mode. It was how she'd always gotten through everything life had thrown at her, and she didn't know anything else. Could she open up and share herself that way with Mason?

  “Your face is so expressive,” Mason said cupping her cheek in one hand and drawing her gaze back up to his. “Did you know that?”

  She hadn't actually. It wasn't fair. His expressions were always so indecipherable. Ninety percent of the time she couldn't read him at all.

  “Don't over-think it. You'll drive yourself crazy, Mimi.” He ran his finger down where her nose and forehead were scrunched in thought. She immediately relaxed at the feeling and huffed out a breath. She knew he was right.

  He got a mischievous look in his eyes and with his voice pitched low he said, “I'd rather you spend the evening thinking about how I'm going to spank your naughty bottom, then taste every inch of you ‘til you're so wet your honey's sliding down your thighs. Then I'm going to sink—”

  An indecipherable squeak escaped Mimi's throat as she covered Mason's mouth with her hand. She could feel her cheeks flamed bright red with shock and arousal. “Oh lord, goodness,” was all she could manage to say. She wasn't sure how she was going to get through dinner without thinking about just that. Mason had some dirty depths she could get on board with.

  Mason nipped at her fingers covering his mouth and she moaned at the zing of sensation that raced through her body when his teeth scraped over the pads of her fingers. It made her recall all the special places on her body he'd nibbled and bit last night. She'd never realized how tantalizing that little act could be.

  “Come on brat,” she said, her voice gone husky. She smiled over her shoulder as she turned to walk away. “You need to wash up for dinner.”

  He swatted her tush hard before he pulled her back around and into his arms. “I think you're forgetting who's the brat around here, little lady.”

  “Little lady?” she said with a throaty giggle at the phrase.

  “Little lady,” he reiterated in a thick, masculine Texan drawl that rolled through her in warm tingles. He cocked his head down slightly. “Also, we can't go inside yet. I need a minute before I'll be presentable.”

  They both looked down. An impressive erection strained the front of his jeans. “Oh my,” she said. She felt an answering heat from her own core. Her already damp panties just got a little wetter.

  “All the talk earlier...and thinking about having you bent over the end of my bed—or over my lap, or the sofa—” he said cutting off with a groan.

  She watched his cock twitch inside his pants. It was a delectable sight. “I don't think you’re making it better.”

  “Neither is the sight of you biting your lip while eating me up at me with those big, green eyes.”

  She rolled said eyes at his statement. “Think about baseball. Or art history,” she suggested. Both bored her to death.

  “Art history?” he said chuckling. “Sadly, I don't think I even know any.”

  “What about baseball? Is that working?”

  They both looked down at the erection still outlining
the front of his pants. “Did you take a pill? Is this one of those use-it-or-lose-it deals?”

  “Nope, this is all natural and in your honor, angel.”

  “Aw. While I'm flattered, Casanova needs to leave the party so we can go eat. I'm starving.”

  “I know. I'm trying. This isn't exactly a common occurrence.”

  Mimi giggled. “I would hope not. Could you imagine?”

  “Mama,” Zeke said coming out the sliding glass door and turning their attention away from Mason's mighty warrior. Mimi kindly kept her body in front of Mason blocking his little He-Man. “You'll never guess who's here,” Zeke excitedly exclaimed.

  Just then her cousin Missy came out, followed by—no. It couldn't be. “Craig?” Mimi choked out. Looking sheepish, Craig flushed under his artificial tan.

  “Well, that did it,” Mason said from behind her.

  A squeak of laughter escaped her before she could cover her mouth.

  “Do you two know each other?” Missy asked in a snotty tone, just as Mason asked, “What brings you here, Craig?” And Mimi uncharitably muttered, “If anything, I figured he'd be at LeAnn’s.”

  “Melissan and I have been casually dating a few weeks now,” Craig answered.

  Missy asked, “Who's LeAnn?”

  “You know Missy has a career, right?” Mimi said to Craig. And to Missy she said, “He doesn't care for women to have a career.”

  Both women looked at Craig as he seemed to grow even more uncomfortable and his mouth opened and closed. “I don't not care for it,” he stuttered lamely.

  “I'm hungry,” Zeke announced, adding to the mix.

  Mason chuckled behind Mimi and she pinched his arm he still had wrapped around her waist.

  Auntie Tita stepped outside oblivious to the awkward moment and asked, “What are y'all doing back here? Lele said dinner was ready. Come on.” She turned and went back inside clearly expecting everyone to follow. Craig clapped his hands together turning on his heel and practically raced inside.

  “Lele?” Mason asked as Mimi's ear.