“Colton?”
Mason sat back, stood, and adjusted himself, looking down at me. “Maybe. Could be nothing. I’ll go check it out.”
I bit my lip nervously, the pain of landing against the concrete sidewalk still fresh.
“Hey,” he said gently, his eyes on mine. “I’ll deal with him if he’s out there. He won’t get near the inside of this house.”
“But . . . he could have a gun. And he was . . . I don’t know, Mason. He just had a ruthlessness in his eyes. He could be strung out on drugs.”
He cupped my cheek in his palm. “I’ve dealt with guys like that. I don’t need a gun. Trust me, okay?”
I nodded; my worry for him making me realize my heart was already open to him, whether we’d slept together or not.
“Just be careful.”
He smiled. “It’s probably just a squirrel or something. Go get in bed and I’ll meet you there when everything’s clear.”
“Okay.”
He walked toward the side door, turning back to me when he was halfway across the room. “Don’t come outside, alright? I’ll see you in bed.” The corners of his lips turned up in a wicked smile. “Actually, I’m gonna do a lot more than see you.”
It was like he’d flipped a switch, and my arousal was back. I was warm and achy again. He slipped out the side door and I heard the beep of him pushing buttons on the outer keypad to the security system.
I walked downstairs slowly, questions firing through my mind.
Should I do this?
Am I going to end up heartbroken?
When’s the last time I shaved my bikini line?
I knew the answers: no, probably and four months ago, but still I was dying for Mason to climb into bed with me. He touched me in ways I’d never been touched before, and not just physically. With him, desire was more than just wanting. It was deeper. Stronger. Needier.
I thought about undressing, but decided I wanted to feel him peeling my clothes off one piece at a time. I didn’t get under the covers, knowing I wouldn’t fall asleep laying on top of my bed in my clothes.
My eyelids were so heavy from not sleeping the night before, though. I wasn’t going to sleep, but I decided to rest my eyes. Just for a few seconds.
MY FINGERS FLEW OVER the keypad next to the door and the double beeps of the security system disarming sounded. Another set of numbers and the deadbolt clicked open. I liked being able to lock and unlock it from inside or outside the house.
But security wasn’t on my mind right now. I stepped inside and entered a long set of numbers on the inside keypad, quickly changing the code required to get in or out of the house before seven AM. My aptitude for remembering long sequences of numbers came in handy on occasion.
I locked the deadbolt and took a deep breath; relieved there had been nothing outside. I wanted to kick the shit out of Colton, but not tonight. Tonight all I wanted was April. I’d been serious about aching for her. It was stronger now that I knew how it felt to have her legs wrapped around me.
I went into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of champagne I’d put in the fridge earlier, along with two glasses. Tonight was cause for celebration. April wanted me the same way I wanted her, and this time I wouldn’t get cock blocked by anyone going into labor.
The soft glow of the wall sconce just outside April’s bedroom lit the path downstairs. I stepped through her open bedroom door and there she was: sprawled on the bed, mouth slightly open, about to get to the whistle part of a snore.
With a sigh, I set the champagne bottle and glasses on a nightstand. Not tonight, either, then. Damn. I wasn’t all that surprised since she’d been up all of last night. I’d noticed dark circles under her eyes at dinner and she’d fallen asleep in her clothes.
I wanted to sleep next to her, but this wasn’t like the other times I’d been in her bed. She’d needed me when I lay down with her after she came back from the hospital. And we’d needed each other after she got attacked.
Tonight I’d just let her sleep. I picked up the champagne and glasses, careful to keep them from clanging together, and crept out of the room. I’d take the couch again.
THE SOFT BRUSH OF fingertips on my forearm woke me up with a start.
“Huh?” I said, waiting for my eyes to focus in the darkness.
“It’s me. April.”
“Oh, hey. What time is it?”
“It’s six-forty-five. I’m going up to make breakfast. I just wanted to say I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t fall asleep because I wasn’t . . . you know. I just crashed.”
“You can make it up to me,” I said, rubbing my face as I sat up.
“Oh yeah?” There was a smile in her voice. “What do you have in mind?”
“Spend this evening with me.” I tried to think fast about what she might like to do. “We can dance upstairs if you’ll be able to keep from kissing me this time. And watch a movie if you want.”
“Is it okay if I ask Dan to join us?”
“The fuck? Are you serious?”
“No.”
I glared at her, even though she probably couldn’t see me in the darkness. The only windows in the basement were in the two bedrooms.
“Don’t joke about him,” I said, my blood boiling as I pictured Dan’s mouth on hers.
“You’re broody this morning.”
“What can I say? Blue balls make me broody.”
She snort-laughed and I couldn’t help grinning up at her from my spot on the couch.
“And it’s all my fault?” she said.
“Yep. Second night in a row . . . not that I’m counting.”
“Erica was in labor.”
“I’m teasing you, relax.”
She sat down on the coffee table, facing me, her hands gripping the edges of the table.
“So . . .” she said, looking down at the carpet, “are you expecting sex tonight?”
Her nervous tone caught me off-guard. I’d thought she wanted sex. I reached out and squeezed her knee through the fabric of her fuzzy pink bathrobe.
“I’m expecting dancing and a movie and whatever else you want,” I said.
She nodded, still fixated on the floor. “I don’t mean to be uptight about it, it’s just that I haven’t slept with many guys, and . . . I don’t think I’d do well at casual sex.”
“I don’t want you to be nervous with me, April. Ever. If you aren’t comfortable, I wouldn’t want it anyway.”
She finally raised her eyes and looked at my face in the near-darkness. “I want to, I just . . . need to go slow, I guess.”
“I like slow. It feels good to want you so much.”
She stood. “Thanks . . . for understanding. I’m making waffles for breakfast, do you want some?”
“Yeah, I’d love some.”
She went upstairs and I took a shower and got out my laptop to check my email. I had a full day of work ahead, and I’d have to find a way to focus on what needed to get done instead of the night ahead with April.
Easier said than done. As soon as I walked upstairs and saw her standing at the island making waffles in that pink fuzzy bathrobe, I started fantasizing about her.
It felt domesticated and intimate, watching her make waffles for the girls in her robe. This could easily be us the morning after a late night of amazing sex. And after the girls went to school, I could unzip the robe, set her on the island and slowly kiss my way from her ankles to her pussy. I’d bring her to a screaming, writhing orgasm next to the cooling waffle iron.
“Coffee?” she asked, already pouring me a cup.
“Thanks.”
I took a sip and set the cup on the counter, walking up behind her as she removed a waffle from the iron. She poured more batter in and closed the lid, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my front.
I could tell from her gasp that she felt my rock hard dick pressing against her ass. When I bent down and buried my face in the long curls lying on the crook of her neck, she let out
a breath that turned into a moan.
“Your ass is so damn sexy,” I said, moving my hands to her hips and grabbing them like I would’ve if I were fucking her. “I’d love to pull up this robe right now and smack it.”
“Smack it?” she whispered.
“Hard.”
“Hard?” She put her hands on the island in front of her and pushed her ass against me.
Sweet little April liked dirty talk. She wasn’t a woman I could dive straight into sex with. She needed the buildup of foreplay that stretched for days at a time. I took two fistfuls of the robe at her waist, hiking it up an inch, and she arched her back and worked her ass against my raging hard-on.
“Three hard smacks on one cheek, ‘til it was hot and red with my handprints,” I said in her ear. “Then the same for the other cheek. Then I’d bury my cock in your pussy and fuck you so good, baby. Long and hard. And I’d pull my cock out and come all over that bright red ass.”
“Oh, God.”
At the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, I backed up a step and gave her ass a single, gentle pat. Then I adjusted my erection so it wasn’t so prominent and took another sip of my coffee.
Taylor came into the kitchen, looking back and forth between us.
“Morning,” I said.
“Good morning,” she said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at April. “Are you okay? You look really hot.”
“She does, doesn’t she?” I approached and put a hand on her forehead. “Yep, definitely hot.”
April cleared her throat. “Want some waffles?”
“Oh, yeah,” Taylor said, sliding into a chair at the kitchen island.
“I’m going to the gym,” I said.
“What about the waffles?” April asked, taking another one out of the waffle iron.
“I’m okay, but thanks. Just coffee’s good.” I glanced at the spread of waffle ingredients and toppings on the island. “Whipped cream? Might take some of that later.”
April’s face darkened and her mouth curled into a shocked smile as she looked at me. Damn, was she cute in that pink bathrobe. I fought the urge to stay and play some more. It was good to leave both of us wanting more. Whetting the appetite and all. No one said it wouldn’t burn a little. Or leave my dick so hard it hurt.
I HELD UP A pair of dark, well-worn jeans.
“Can I borrow these?” I asked Ivy.
“Of course. Take anything you want.”
She dropped an armful of hanging shirts onto her bed.
“This one will look good on you,” she said, passing me a long-sleeve black t-shirt. “And this one. Oh, take this, too.”
“I only need one outfit. Just for tonight.”
She gave me her best puppy dog eyes. “But this is fun. You’re going out with Mason. I want to help you get ready.”
“Actually, we’re staying in,” I corrected.
“Even better.”
I sighed and sat down on the bed. “Why am I so uptight? Even you know he’s amazing in bed. Why can’t I just sleep with him?”
She pushed some clothes aside and sat down next to me. “Why can’t you? I mean, are you asking me?”
“No, I know why.”
She nudged me with her shoulder. “So tell me.”
“I’ve only been with two guys. And Mason . . . it’s hard to explain.” I looked down at my hands in my lap.
“You can tell me,” Ivy said gently. “You’re my best friend. I won’t judge you, even if you tell me my brother-in-law’s a manwhore. He kind of is.”
I smiled and looked up at her. “It’s not that. It’s because . . . he makes me feel beautiful. And sexy. I’ve never felt sexy before. This morning in the kitchen he . . . you know, said some stuff . . .”
“And you liked the stuff, judging by the look on your face right now.”
“It was hot. And I felt how much he wanted me. I mean, literally, felt it against my ass.”
Ivy laughed, but quickly forced her expression back to a serious one. “Sorry.”
She was fighting back a smile, and it made me burst into a fit of laughter with her.
“Seriously,” I said, regaining my composure, “if I sleep with Mason, I’m afraid I’ll fall in love with him.”
“And you’re afraid it’ll just be sex for him.”
“See, you know exactly why I feel that way, don’t you? Because you know me and you know him.”
She nodded. “Yeah, Reed told me Mason hasn’t had a serious relationship since college. He had a serious girlfriend then but they broke up and there hasn’t been anyone since.”
“It’s not just some guy, either, it’s your brother-in-law. And I love being at Grieves House. I plan to stay a long time, if you guys want me to, and I don’t want awkwardness between me and one of your family members.”
“First of all, if things don’t work out between you guys, that won’t change anything between you and me. Reed would be pissed at Mason, but he’d never want you feeling awkward.”
“I know, but I would. What if he marries some bimbo and I have to see her all the time?”
Ivy shook her head and smiled. “April. Mason likes you. Maybe you’ll be the one he settles down with.”
I covered my face with my hands. “It’ll be the best sex of my life and no one else will ever compare. Have you seen his body?”
She just smiled, probably not wanting to comment on her brother-in-law’s body.
“Okay,” I said, my face still hidden, “I’d never ask you how well-endowed your husband is, but since they are brothers . . . how scared should I be of getting impaled?”
“Well, you know I don’t have much experience, but Reed’s is big. It’s really long, and . . . what’s the word? Girthy, maybe? He’s girthy, too.”
I laughed nervously. “I’m scared and turned on at the same time, how screwed up is that?”
“I can’t fit it all in my mouth,” Ivy said.
“Okay, I get it.”
“Just relax and change into these jeans,” she said, reaching across the bed. “If I know anything about Mason, it’s that he’ll make sure it’s good for you. Reed and I have amazing sex.”
“Are you guys trying to get pregnant?”
“Not yet. We decided to wait and have it be just the three of us for at least a year before we think about more kids.”
I just looked at her for a few seconds. I’d been a new teacher, not much older than her, when she’d moved in with me as a pregnant teenager. I didn’t find out until later that she’d been raped by her own father. She’d somehow found the courage to keep going. And now she’d grown into her beauty and was living the life of her dreams.
“I’m so proud of you,” I said, taking her hand. “Seeing you so happy is the best feeling. You’ve come so far.”
“Not without taking some leaps of faith,” she said, putting the jeans in my lap. “The only sure way to fail is to not even try.”
I arched my brows skeptically. “Does that sage advice really apply to decisions about sex with hot men?”
“It applies to all things. And I’m pretty sure you’ll have more than just sex with Mason. He’s a funny, sweet, crazy smart man. He’s also loaded, by the way.”
“Hmm. I didn’t know that. Not that it matters.”
“He’s got a lot going for him, but no one to share it with.”
I stood and pulled off the yoga pants I was wearing. “I think he’d have an easy time finding someone if he wanted to.”
“Water seeks its own level,” Ivy said. “He’s never had a woman who was smart and strong enough to challenge him.”
I slid into the jeans, grateful Ivy and I were the same size. “I couldn’t survive a day in Multivariable Calc. Much as I hate to admit it, he’s smarter than I am.”
“You’re a thousand times smarter than the woman he brought to our wedding.” She eyed the jeans. “Those look great on you. Put this shirt on.”
I pulled off my sweater and slipped on a dark green t
-shirt with three-quarter sleeves.
“That’s so pretty with your eyes,” Ivy said. “Let’s go into the bathroom and I’ll do your eye makeup.”
I followed her, my stomach churning with nervous excitement. I hadn’t felt this way before my date with Dan. Or any other man, for that matter. Mason was in a league of his own. I wouldn’t let myself think about what an epic fall I was setting myself up for. Ivy was right: nothing ventured, nothing gained.
TAYLOR MADE SPAGHETTI FOR dinner and Mason came up from working in the basement to eat with us.
“You look nice,” he said, eyeing me from head to toe.
“Thanks.”
“Do you have a date or something, April?” Jess asked.
How to answer that? I bit my lip as I considered, feeling my cheeks warm.
“She’s got a date with me,” Mason said, saving me from having to decide whether or not it was a date.
“With you?” Jess stared at him in disbelief.
“Yep. We’re staying in, but it’s still a date.”
Taylor looked back and forth between the two of us. “Wait . . . you guys are . . . ?”
“But you just went out with someone else the other night,” Jess said, giving me an accusatory look.
“He’s a jackass, though,” Mason said. “She won’t be going out with him again.”
I cocked a brow at him. “Oh, I won’t?”
He shook his head. “I’m pretty sure that by the end of this night, you won’t want to go out with anyone but me.”
Taylor squealed with excitement. “Look at her blushing! Oh my God, you guys are adorable.”
“The spaghetti’s good,” I said, desperate to change the subject.
“Thanks,” Taylor said. “Gene taught me how to make sauce from scratch. It’s actually not that hard.”
She was working at the diner and often talked about how much she liked it. Now if she’d just ditch her abusive loser boyfriend, she’d have a shot at making a good life for her and her child.
Mason stood and carried his plate to the sink. “Sorry for cutting out, ladies, but I need to go take a shower.”
He was looking at me. It felt like a low current of electricity, sending a charge through my body. When I met his eyes, he smiled and arched his brows. My stomach lurched with nervousness and excitement as I remembered his words to me this morning in this very room.
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