by Parker, Ali
I smiled, knowing he was playing up the serious side of things to make me feel better. That’s why I was falling for him. He seemed to know me so well. He knew exactly what I needed because he and I were so much alike. That was a terrifying thought.
Chapter 41
Mason
I woke up and was instantly aware I was alone in my bed. I didn’t like the feeling. I had enjoyed waking up with Adelaide in my arms yesterday. I wanted to make a habit of her sleeping over. She’d gone home last night, knowing she had an early morning. She said she needed to get her work clothes washed as well. I hated that she spent so much of her life worrying about her shop or working in her shop. I was hoping she would take me up on my offer, and I wasn’t afraid to admit it was for selfish reasons. I wanted to spend more time with her. I knew there was no way she would pull back from her shop if she wasn’t confident things were in a good place.
I rolled out of bed, feeling a little better today than I had the day before. The bruises were still tender, but for the most part, I felt almost back to my old self. I was supposed to be meeting my insurance guy today. He was pulling the police report and then going after the other guy’s insurance. I knew it would be a while before I would ever get a check for the totaled bike. It still pained me to think of such a beautiful machine turned into a hunk of scrap metal.
With the coffee maker going, I opened the freezer and pulled out a box of frozen waffles. I was about to pop a couple in the toaster when I heard the buzz at the door. It was early for visitors. I had a brief thought it could be Adelaide but realized she would be in her busiest time of the day. I looked down at my bare chest and the shorts I had pulled on and figured whoever it was deserved to see me half naked since it was still technically early.
When I opened the door, I found my mother and James. She was carrying a basket of goodies, and James had a paper bag and a tray of coffee. My mother didn’t wait for me to invite her in. She pushed past me and scanned the room, walking into the kitchen and looking around as if she was going to catch me doing something I shouldn’t be.
“Good morning,” I mumbled to James.
“Sorry,” he said, following my mother into the kitchen.
I shut the door and joined them. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“Well, since you couldn’t be bothered yesterday, I decided to come by before you had a chance to tell me to stay away,” my mother said, clearly pissed about my text from yesterday.
“Mom, I don’t need you to check in on me every day. I’m a big boy. I’ve been living on my own for quite some time now,” I reminded her.
She ignored me, moving around my kitchen, grabbing plates and dishing up the mini muffins she had brought with her. I took a seat on a barstool, James sitting next to me.
“Coffee?” he said, handing me one of the cups.
I took it, needing caffeine to deal with them that early in the morning. I wasn’t a morning person. I wasn’t a people person and I sure as hell wasn’t a family guy. All three of those things at eight o’clock in the morning was pushing my limits.
“How are you feeling?” she asked, making a big show of cleaning up the leftover take-out bags from yesterday.
“I’m fine, Mom. I’m almost back to normal,” I assured her.
She stared at my bruised shoulder and ribs before pointing at my bandaged arm. “Oh, yes, you look perfectly fine.”
“It’s some bruises and scabs. I’m good,” I muttered, popping a muffin into my mouth.
“Are you taking it easy? What did you do yesterday?” she pressed.
I took a deep breath, not wanting to snap at her, but she was pissing me off. “I laid around all day. I called the massage therapist and got a massage.”
She looked at me in that mom way. “Alone?”
“Nope.”
“A woman?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I’m seeing someone if you must know.”
Her eyes lit up. I knew the idea of me having a serious girlfriend was exciting news for her.
“The girl from the hospital?” James asked.
I nodded. “Yep. Her name is Adelaide, not that you or anyone else bothered to ask her.”
The look on my mother’s face revealed exactly what she thought about me seeing a woman who worked in a coffee shop. My mother wasn’t a snob by any means, but she had been wealthy for a very long time. She tended to stick to her social class and not venture out much at all. I knew she wanted me to marry someone in her social circle.
“Is that one of Dalton’s friends?” she asked in a tight voice.
“Yes. She is one of Deanna’s friends. We’ve known each other a very long time,” I told her.
“Oh. I didn’t realize you and Dalton were still close,” she murmured, clearly not happy.
She didn’t like Dalton or his family. She was convinced they had somehow turned me against her and my father. They had taken me in when my own family refused to see—or accept—me for who I was. My mother was jealous of my relationship with Dalton and his family. In her mind, if I would have had nowhere to escape to, I would have been stuck with my own family. I would have been forced to deal with their bullshit and conform to their idea of who I should be. Dalton was to blame for me becoming the man I was, the man she didn’t care for.
“We are close. He’s my best friend and like a brother to me. Deanna is like a sister to me,” I said, not caring if that bothered her.
“You have brothers, real brothers,” she shot back.
“I do.”
“You know you have to be careful,” she said, starting in on the same lecture we had all heard a hundred times before.
“Adelaide isn’t after me for my money,” I assured her.
“Well, you know you never truly know a person until money is involved,” she lectured.
“Like I said, I’ve known her a long time and my money doesn’t mean shit to her,” I said in a tight voice.
She scowled at me, clearly not appreciating my language. I would not allow her to insult Adelaide in my house. She didn’t know her and hadn’t even given her a chance. I had a feeling she would actually like Adelaide if she would just allow herself to get to know her.
“I’m happy you have found someone, but I would hate to see things get messy for you.”
“Life is messy, Mom. I don’t expect anything but messy,” I replied.
“I only want what’s best for you,” she said defensively.
“How do you know Adelaide isn’t what’s best for me? You didn’t say a word to her. You looked at her as if she were a trespasser. I didn’t say anything at the time because I didn’t want to embarrass her, but I’m telling you now, I want you to treat her with respect,” I said firmly.
She raised her brows, one hand going to her hip. “I’ve never mistreated or disrespected anyone. Don’t you take that tone with me.”
“I’m saying you certainly didn’t welcome her with open arms. None of you did,” I said, looking directly at James.
He held up his hands. “I didn’t know who she was. Jack told me later.”
“Jack told you what?” my mother asked.
James looked at me, then our mother. I could see he was uncomfortable. “He said Mason was with her.”
“I wasn’t aware you were with anyone. Grayson told me you were going out with that lovely woman Tara,” she replied.
“Grayson was wrong,” I snapped.
“I met Tara and thought she was a nice, young lady. She’s a volunteer with the charity,” she said proudly.
“It sounds like everyone met Tara. James, you’re single, take her out. Mom approves,” I said sarcastically.
“You don’t have to be obnoxious about it. I happened to like the woman. Is that so wrong? She seemed like someone you would get along well with. I only want you to be happy and settled,” she said, trying to sound as if she were the wounded party.
I knew what she wanted. She wanted me with a woman she handpicked. A woman who would make me c
ut my hair and essentially have me by the balls, following her around like a good little puppy dog. I’d be wearing a suit and making a good show for the family name. She wanted to tame me. I didn’t want to be tamed. I couldn’t make her see that. She didn’t understand me at all. She didn’t know me at all.
“I have a follow-up with the doctor this morning and then a meeting with the insurance agent. I should probably get in the shower,” I said, sliding off the stool.
“Did our lawyer call you?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Mason, you need to talk with the family lawyer. You were seriously injured, and you deserve to be compensated for that.”
“No. I don’t need money. I’m fine. Let the asshole sit in jail, but I’m not suing anyone,” I said firmly.
“This is about sending a message to that man. He could have killed you!” she said, somewhat shrieking.
I knew she’d been scared to death when she’d gotten the call. I didn’t fault her for being angry and wanting some kind of revenge. “Mom, he’s going to be in jail. Let the justice system handle him. My insurance company is taking care of everything else. I don’t want to worry about any of that.”
She didn’t look happy about it but didn’t say any more on the matter. “Fine. Can we take you to your appointment?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No, Mom. I’m a big boy. I don’t need you there holding my hand.”
“I worry about you.”
“I know and I’m telling you I’m fine,” I said again.
“Did you get your bandage changed yesterday?”
“Yes, Adelaide took care of it.”
She scowled. “Mason—”
“I’ll see you later,” I said, cutting her off.
James ushered her to the door. “Have you talked to Grayson or Jack?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. I got a text from Jack, but that’s it. I didn’t die. Everyone needs to relax,” I grumbled.
James nodded, not saying anything. As soon as they were gone, I locked the door behind them. I knew my mother was only trying to help and be nice, but it was a little too much. I had gone the last ten years or more with hardly seeing them. No matter how much they tried, they would never approve of my lifestyle. I didn’t want to deal with the constant condemnation I saw on their faces. I wasn’t going to fit into their neat little box.
I headed for the shower. I wasn’t supposed to get my arm wet, which really sucked. If the doctor didn’t give me the green light to ditch the bandage today, I was going to do it anyway. I felt fine. I didn’t need to walk around looking like a damn mummy. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, my face unshaven, my shaggy, uncombed hair and the yellow-and-purple blotches still mottling my skin. No wonder my mom had that look on her face.
I was never going to fit into her world. I wished she could see that and just accept it. I realized I did want her and all my brothers in my life, but I didn’t want to have to conform to who they thought I should be. I wanted them to want me for who I was.
Chapter 42
Adelaide
I stared at the screen, seeing red—literally. There was a lot of red numbers on the spreadsheet. My business was in trouble. My prediction that I could make it until Christmas was wrong. I wasn’t going to make it that long if I didn’t do something fast. Mason’s money could change everything. It could help me get out of the red and I could make small payments back to him. I had to trust him when he said the investment wouldn’t interfere with what we had going.
In reality, it was Mason’s money or lock the doors and turn out the lights for good. I had to swallow my pride. I had to accept help, whether I wanted to or not. I kept telling myself I couldn’t take it personally. I had to be adult enough to admit I was in trouble. If my shop failed, I would be out of a job along with the girls who worked for me. I couldn’t do that to them.
Yesterday, I had purposely avoided looking at the books. I didn’t want to face the truth. After my conversation with Mason on Sunday night, I had tried to fool myself into believing it wasn’t as bad as I had thought. I had focused on serving customers and keeping them happy. I had probably been a little overly cheery. I was overcompensating.
I closed the program, shut the laptop down, and took a few minutes to think things over. The skeptical side of me was telling me to avoid getting into a loan situation with someone I knew. It was one thing to take a loan from a bank, but a loan from a guy I was sleeping with didn’t sound good. There were so many things that could go wrong.
“Make up your mind, Addy,” I whispered to myself.
I’d been up most of the night, tossing and turning and running all the various scenarios through my head. This was one of those times I wished my dad was around. He’d know what to do. Of course, if my dad was around, I wouldn’t have a coffee shop dedicated to his memory.
I checked the time. It was after ten. Mason usually texted around ten. I knew he was a late sleeper. I liked that he texted me as soon as he got up in the morning. It made me feel special to know he was thinking of me as soon as he woke up. I certainly thought about him from the very second I opened my eyes. I found myself thinking about him all the time. All day long, I found myself drifting off in thought, thinking about him.
It wasn’t just sex I thought about; although, it did dominate the majority of my thoughts. I couldn’t wait for him to heal and be back to his healthy, energetic self. Mason was so much more than he seemed. I understood it. He didn’t want anyone to get close. He could keep people at arm’s length just by seeming aloof and untouchable.
I reached for my phone and pulled up his number.
“Hey,” I said when he answered.
“Hey, baby,” he said, his voice husky with sleep.
“Did I wake you?” I asked, checking the clock again.
“No, I was just lying in bed thinking about you,” he replied.
His voice was turning me on, making me hot and jittery. “Thinking about me, huh? What were you thinking about?”
“You under me.”
I closed my eyes, the image of him over me coming to mind. I let myself go into the fantasy world with him. “Are you thinking about being inside me?”
“I am. I’m thinking about how hot and wet you are. I’m thinking about those little whimpers you make when I’m inside you and how your nails always dig into my skin.”
He was going to talk me right into an orgasm. I had never really had phone sex before, but I could get into it—with him. I couldn’t imagine any other man being able to do that for me. His voice was like an aphrodisiac.
“You have to stop,” I whispered.
“Why?”
“Because, I’m at work and I can’t be all hot and flustered thinking about sex. People will see it all over my face.” I hissed.
His deep laugh made me smile. I loved to hear him laugh. For the longest time, I didn’t think he knew how to laugh. I used to think he was so serious and dead on the inside. I knew different now. He was reserved and very few, lucky people got to see the real Mason. I felt very lucky.
“Fine, I will enjoy my fantasy on my own, but just so you know, you are missing out on some serious wood,” he rasped.
“Stop.” I moaned.
He chuckled low in his throat. “What are you doing?” he asked, changing the subject.
“I’m working.”
“I know that, but you called me in the middle of the morning. You never do that,” he pointed out.
I took a deep breath, gathering the courage to say what I needed to. “Can you come by tonight?”
“Your apartment?”
I cleared my throat. “No, here.”
“Sure. What time?”
“I’m closing at six.”
“I’ll be there at six,” he said.
“I have to clean up and stuff. Seven might be better,” I suggested.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, worry in his voice.
“I’m fine, everything i
s okay. I want to talk business,” I said.
“Oh shit. That sounds serious. I’ll be there early. Maybe we can have a little pleasure before business,” he teased.
“You are ridiculous and so, so bad,” I told him.
“I am very bad,” he said, his voice dropping low again.
“I’ll see you later,” I told him and hung up before the conversation turned back to sex.
I felt a little better but was still nervous about how the whole investor thing was going to work out. I hoped he had his money guy draw up some official paperwork. I refused to take charity from him. I wanted things to be official. I wanted to have a loan agreement with interest, hopefully a low interest rate, and payments set up. It was the only way it would work. It was the only way I would allow him to be a so-called investor. That way, if things did end up drying up between us, we would both be protected. I could make the payments to his accountant and never see him again if that was necessary.
“Don’t be so negative,” I said aloud. I got up, left my phone on the desk, and headed up front.
The shop had slowed down considerably after our morning rush. It was empty. I sighed, looking at the empty seats. That was definitely a problem. I needed people in those seats if I wanted to keep the doors open.
“Everything okay?” Cara asked.
I nodded. “Fine. It got empty pretty quickly.”
She grimaced. “We haven’t had a customer in about ten minutes. Do you think it’s slow because it’s warm outside?”
I shrugged. “Maybe. I need to figure out a better way to advertise.”
“I could put up some flyers on campus. Maybe offer a student discount or something like that,” she offered.
I nodded. “That’s a really good idea. I’ll think about it.”
“If you don’t need me, I can go. I have a summer class I’m taking and could use the time to do some studying,” she offered.
“That works. I’ll see you tomorrow, though?” I asked.