Miss Dee Dee called class to order by beating her cane on the wood dance floor a few times. Mason gave me an overconfident wink before turning to face her, giving her his full attention.
“Let’s get started,” she said, leaning on the cane for support. “We’re waltzing tonight. I think most of you know at least the rudiments of the waltz.” She scanned the faces in our group, stopping on mine. “And you’re Mason’s girlfriend?”
“No.” My cheeks burned as everyone turned to look at me. “I hardly know him.”
She stared at me, her look morphing into annoyance. “What’s your name?”
“April.”
Ivy cut in and saved me. “She’s the new house mom at Grieves House. And my dearest friend.”
Miss Dee Dee nodded once, backed up to her stool that was positioned in front of a long, mirrored wall and sat down. After she’d lowered herself onto the seat she held a remote in the air, pushing a button. Music filled the room and the couples around us started moving.
“You okay?” Mason asked me. “You look kinda pale.”
“I’m just . . . I have no idea how to do this.”
“I’ve got you.” He reached for one of my hands and raised it to his shoulder. Clasping my other hand in his huge one, he raised my arm into the air. “Elbows at shoulder height. It’s a three count. When I step forward, you step back.”
“But how will I know when that is?”
His caramel eyes glinted as he smiled. “I’ll count. We’ll start really slow.”
I looked down at my feet, willing them to move the right way.
Mason’s fingers brushed under my chin and he lightly tipped my face up. My stomach twisted from the feel of his soft touch. Asshole or not, he was hot.
“Eyes on mine,” he said.
He was a good six inches taller than my five foot seven, so I had to tilt my face up to keep my eyes on his. His dark lashes were ridiculously long.
“One two three,” he counted softly. “One two three. Feel how the music matches the count?”
“I think so.”
“On one, I step forward and you step back.”
He laid his palm on my lower back, pulling me a bit closer. “Watch Reed and Ivy and see how they move.”
I turned to the side and saw my beautiful auburn-haired friend being swept across the floor by her tall, dark Prince Charming. She was the picture of effortless grace and elegance.
As for me, I was just trying to approach this logically. I watched her feet and memorized the movements.
“So it’s like a box,” I said.
“Exactly. You ready to try?”
I took a deep breath. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Mason counted softly and I stepped back, following the pattern Ivy had been dancing in. I did it right for about ten seconds before stepping on Mason’s foot.
“Sorry,” I said softly.
“You’re fine. Relax.”
I clutched his shoulder, which was firm with muscle. There was something comforting about his big, solid presence. This would have been the perfect opportunity for him to poke fun at me, but he didn’t, and I was grateful.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Noah and his little friend Ava twirling past us. I couldn’t risk breaking my concentration by looking at them.
“Tell me they aren’t waltzing better than me,” I said to Mason. “Even if you have to lie.”
He smiled down at me. “They’re just wandering around the dance floor having fun.”
The song came to a close and another one started up.
“We just keep doing this?” I asked.
“You’re doing so well I think you’re ready for something more advanced. Ready to add some bump and grind?”
My feet froze in place and this time it was him who stepped on my foot.
“Sorry,” he said, laughing.
“It was my fault.”
“I didn’t mean to . . .” He cleared his throat. “I was kidding. Miss Dee Dee would have my head if I tried to grind on you during the waltz.”
I regained my composure and stepped back to start dancing again.
“I know you’ve got grinding skills,” I said, arching my brows. “I saw you in action at Ivy and Reed’s wedding.”
“Yeah? Liked that, did you?”
“God, no. I don’t get it. If your girlfriend’s boobs are hanging out of her dress and she’s simulating sex with you in public, what’s left? Intimacy means . . . what? You just complete the orgasm at home? Sounds like a buzz kill.”
I couldn’t tell if the tightening of his lips signified annoyance or amusement. “She wasn’t my girlfriend.”
I laughed, loosening my hold on his shoulder as I relaxed a bit.
“I take it all back, then. If she’s just your ho, you probably don’t care much about intimacy anyway.”
His eyes sparkled and I knew he was amused this time. “My ho?”
I turned as I felt something tapping the bottom of my elbow.
“Up!” Miss Dee Dee said in a scolding tone. “Elbow up!”
She nudged my elbow up with her cane. I lost my concentration and stumbled over my own foot, landing against Mason’s chest with a thud.
Damn, did he smell good. I took in the scents of sandalwood and some sort of manly soap for just a second before pulling away.
“You okay?” he asked, his hand tightening against my back to support me.
“Yeah.” I cringed and sighed at the same time. “I can’t believe I agreed to showcase my inadequacy like this.”
“You’re not inadequate. Come on, take a deep breath and we’ll start again.”
Reed and Ivy swept in next to us, both grinning. Reed dipped her down low and they were off again, their moves worthy of Dancing With the Stars.
“Now that,” Miss Dee said, nodding with approval, “is how waltzing is done.”
I met Mason’s gaze, trying to apologize with my eyes. He winked and took up counting out loud again.
He was nothing if not confusing. Teasing me one minute and coming to my rescue the next. I decided not to think about it. Waltzing and remaining upright at the same time was requiring all my energy.
FUCKING MEETINGS. THEY WERE the bane of my existence. I held the phone away from my ear as Andrew Porter made his long-winded case about why I should lower the sale price of my retinal scanning software.
“You know I’m right,” he finally finished.
What I knew was that we’d been on the phone for more than fifteen minutes and had gotten nowhere, and I was losing patience. We were wasting time.
“Look, Andrew, when I told you the price was seven hundred and fifty thousand, that’s what I meant. The price is seven hundred and fifty thousand. I’m not one of those bullshitters who sets the price high and then wastes everyone’s time with meaningless negotiations. I came to you first because we’ve worked together in the past. But if you pass, I’ll sell it to someone else.”
There was a long pause and then he sighed deeply. “No. I’m not passing. If that’s your final price then I’ll pay it.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it. My brother Reed handles all my legal work now so I’ll have him send the contract to your lawyer at the beginning of next week. The terms and conditions are very similar to our last contract, but we’ve changed some of the exclusivity language.”
“Okay, we’ll expect the docs Monday or Tuesday. We’ll be in touch.”
Then Andrew cleared his throat, trying his best to sound nonchalant. “Say, what else are you working on?”
“I’ve got a couple of things cooking but nothing I’m ready to talk about yet.”
“You’ll give me first dibs, I hope?”
“Always, man. If I don’t develop them myself, that is.”
Andrew and I signed off and then my cell phone buzzed against the wood surface of my desk.
“Cyrus,” I said in greeting after seeing his name on the screen.
“What’s up, Lockhart?”
“Just the usual.”
“You in this weekend?”
“Nah, I’m busy,” I said. “Next weekend, though.”
“Okay. See you then, man.”
“Yes you will.”
We hung up and I scanned my unread texts. I’d been hoping April would text me. I’d enjoyed spending time with her at the dance class and giving her my number was code for ‘I like you and want you to use this’. But since she hadn’t texted, I still didn’t know her number.
I was usually drawn to women with an abundance of confidence. But April was different. It wasn’t that she didn’t have confidence; it just wasn’t the kind I was used to. She didn’t lock eyes with me across the room with a sultry gaze that promised a night of seriously good fucking. She didn’t twirl her hair around her fingers or bite her lip or “accidentally” brush up against me.
And I knew it wasn’t just because she wasn’t interested; though, for the record, I was pretty sure she wasn’t. April did have many assets, but she didn’t flaunt them. She was lean, with feminine curves that got my blood pumping. I’d barely skimmed my fingertips over the top of her ass when we were dancing, but I had a pretty good idea about what she had going on. I’d had to force myself to keep my hand from sliding lower.
I didn’t know April well yet, but I knew that even if I did she wouldn’t let me squeeze her ass, in public anyway. She’d have some choice words for me if I even tried. She’d made me reassess what confidence meant. Maybe it was more than knowing you could bag any guy in the room, maybe it was knowing you were too good for that.
If I wanted her attention—and damn, did I want it—I’d have to earn it. Deep down, I was a gentleman, but sometimes I’d let my better nature slide because women made it so easy to do so. Why wine and dine them when they’d let me fuck and flee?
April was too good for a one-night stand. Hell, she was probably too good for me period. But I couldn’t help wanting to get closer to her. She was a truly good person and she didn’t take any bullshit. Earning one of her smiles made me feel about ten feet tall.
Since she wasn’t going to text me, I’d just have to find another way to see her. Today was Friday, and our Tuesday dance lesson was too far away. I’d have to figure out something. I was a tech entrepreneur, for Christ’s sake. If I was able to develop computer programs that blew everyone’s mind, I could definitely invent an excuse to see April.
A BLANKET OF WHITE snow covered the large front lawn of Grieves House. I pulled back the curtain covering one of the living room windows for a better look. From the tall stack of snow on the front porch railings, I could tell we had already had several inches. I was so glad I had made the trip out here when I did. Getting stuck in a snow bank with a trailer full of stuff would not have been much fun.
It was Saturday morning, and I was grateful I didn’t have to go out today, but some of the girls had to work. The carriage house that served as our garage held my car as well as Erica, Jess and Taylor’s cars, but the driveway behind it would have to be shoveled before anyone could get out. And it was a very long driveway.
With a sigh of resignation, I finished my coffee and headed down to my bedroom to get dressed and bundle up in my winter gear—a down coat and a bright red stocking hat with a giant fuzzy ball on top. I had to dig through a box in the back of my closet to find my snow boots and gloves before I was able to head out to the shed for a shovel.
I stepped out the back door and was surprised to see three figures in the driveway with shovels. Well, one of them had a shovel. The two smaller figures, both wearing black snowsuits, were tossing snowballs at each other.
A small snowball smacked one of them on the side of their heads and I heard a young boy’s howl. “Ow, Jordan! That hurt!”
The shovel-wielder turned and I recognized Mason, wearing a brown canvas work coat, dark gloves and boots. His cheeks were red and his breath made a cloud in front of his face.
“Back to work, boys,” he said. “No video games when we get back to my place if you’re slacking.”
“This isn’t fun, Uncle Mason,” said the younger boy, who I now recognized as Kyle’s son Eric.
“Sure it is. And it’ll give you arm muscles. You want those, don’t you?”
Eric mumbled a response as he resumed shoveling. “How come you told Uncle Reed not to plow over here?”
“Because you guys need to learn how to do this. Hard work’s good for you.”
“I need a Kleenex,” Jordan said.
“And I have to pee,” his brother added.
Mason looked at the back door and saw me.
“April?” He gave me a lopsided grin.
He must not recognize me with my hair hidden under my coat and hat.
“Yes, it’s me.” I walked over to the two boys. “You guys go right in and do what you need to do. You know where the bathroom is?”
They nodded in unison and took off.
“You guys take your boots off at the door!” Mason called after them.
I picked up the shovel Eric had dropped and joined Mason in clearing the driveway.
“Oh, no,” he said before I’d finished my first scoopful. “You’re not shoveling.”
“Why not?” I gave him an indignant glare.
“You’re just not. It’s freezing out here.” He wrapped a hand around my shovel’s handle. “We’ve got it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Because I’m a woman? But it’s okay for children to do it?”
“They’ll be men one day, and they need to learn the value of hard work. I wrapped them both up like Eskimos, don’t worry.”
“I really don’t mind helping,” I said, pulling on the shovel.
He pulled back. “I mind.”
“Mason . . .”
“April.”
The back door flew open and Eric came bounding toward us. “Can we go to the diner now, Uncle Mason? I’m hungry.”
“Haven’t you guys had breakfast?” I gave Mason a questioning look.
“I told them we’d eat after.”
“How about if I make you guys some pancakes?” I asked as Jordan approached and picked up his shovel. “With bacon and sausage and hot chocolate?”
“And syrup?” Eric asked, smiling.
“Of course.” I pulled his hat down to cover up his ears. “And whipped cream.”
“Yeah,” both boys said, jumping up and down.
“Is that okay?” I asked Mason.
“Sounds great.” He looked between the boys. “But we’re shoveling until breakfast is ready.”
I went back in the house and unbundled. Normally, I would have put up a fight about being just as capable of shoveling as a man. But knowing Jordan and Eric hadn’t had breakfast set my maternal instincts into motion. There was irony somewhere in there, but I decided not to overthink it.
While I was mixing my homemade pancake mix with milk and eggs, Erica walked into the kitchen, rubbing her back with one hand and her eyes with the other.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Morning,” she murmured.
“Is your back hurting?”
She nodded and slid onto a stool in front of the island. “It’s hard to sleep. I just can’t get comfortable.”
“Are you hungry?”
She nodded. “That bacon smells so good.”
“It does, I’m starving,” Jess said, wandering into the kitchen. Her long blond hair was in a messy bun and she wore pajama pants and a cotton camisole, her nipples visible through the fabric.
“Uh, Jess . . . can you maybe put on a robe?” I said. “Mason and his nephews are shoveling the drive and they’re joining us for breakfast.”
Her eyes widened. “Mason? Oh my God.” She rushed out of the kitchen and back up the stairs.
I gave Erica a puzzled look and she rolled her eyes.
“She’s got a major crush on him,” she said.
I didn’t have a chance to process that tidbit when Eric came in the back door, only his eyes visible through the sc
arf wrapped around his face. He said something, but his voice was muffled.
“Here,” I said, unwinding the scarf. He gave me a grateful gap-toothed grin.
“Are the pancakes ready yet?” he asked.
“Almost. You should probably stay in here and help me set the table.”
Eyeing the plate of bacon, he looked at me with an unspoken question. I picked up the plate and held it out to him. Grabbing a piece of bacon, he shoved it into his mouth before heading off to take his winter gear off.
A few minutes later, I was adding a pancake to the stack I’d already cooked when Mason and Jordan came in. They’d left their winter wear at the door, and Mason wore jeans and a dark thermal shirt.
“You need any help?” he asked me.
I handed him the plate of pancakes. “Can you take these to the table? And this, too?” I put a plate stacked with bacon and sausage in his other hand.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, a playful note in his tone.
The stovetop was built into the island, so I had a view into the open dining room. I watched Mason helping the boys get food on their plates and then help them cut up their pancakes. He came back into the kitchen and took the orange juice and syrup to the table, returning again when Jordan and Eric had started eating.
“What else?” he asked.
I looked around the kitchen. “I think I’m good. Go sit down and get started.”
“I’ll wait for you. Might have some coffee now, though.”
He took out a mug and helped himself to some coffee, then stood next to me while he drank it, leaning against the island with his back to the dining room. I wasn’t used to cooking with a tall, sexy man a couple feet away. It was like the dance lessons all over again. I fumbled the batter I was pouring, ending up with a giant, amorphous pancake on the griddle.
Mason gave me an amused grin.
“Thanks for shoveling the drive,” I said. “It would have taken me forever.”
I wanted to make sure he knew I could have done it. I wasn’t the kind of woman who needed a big, strong man to rescue her from manual labor.
“Sure. We still need to finish the sidewalks.”
His eyes were a dark caramel shade, made for getting lost in. I had to remind myself not to fawn over him, of all men. He thought I belonged at the front desk of a library. Not that it sounded bad, because I loved to read. But from him, it was an insult.
In Deep Page 3