Chapter Eleven
As they walkedthe short distance to the local pub, the silence between them was deafening. Mason glanced at Piper, and although he’d wound his arm around her waist, and she was leaning into him, he had the unshakeable certainty that she wasn’t really with him at all.
No, because she’s thinking about Colton.
He tried to kill the thought, but it wouldn’t die. When he’d walked into her room, and seen all that stuff spread out over her bed, it’d been like a physical punch to the gut.
He’d forgotten his brother had given her so many things. But it was the earrings that burned into his brain. Those classy, expensive diamonds his brother had got into debt over. The earrings Piper had been reminiscing about when he’d turned up.
What the hell had he been thinking to give her two kittens for V Day? It was a stupid idea. And it was too fucking late to do anything about it now. He’d given his word to Drake. Plus the idea of dumping those two fluffy terrors at a pet shop pissed him off.
The icy February wind cut through him, but didn’t register until Piper shivered. Instinctively he tugged her closer.Is she still thinking about Colton?
It wasn’t something he could ask her. Apart from anything else he didn’twantto know if she was still thinking about his brother. TheSlug and Lettucewas only a ten minute walk along the road and they’d been there a couple of times before, but tonight the journey took forever. Finally they arrived at the seventeenth century pub that had once been a favorite smugglers hangout, and he pulled the door open for her.
He ducked his head as he followed her inside, but the dark wooden beams and low ceilings didn’t give the same cozy atmosphere as usual. Instead, claustrophobia clawed through him.
“Same as usual?” They reached the bar he pulled out his wallet.
“I asked you out. My shout.” Piper raised her finger and the bartender appeared instantly.
She always offered to pay whenever they went anywhere, but tonight it bugged him. Had she ever paid whenever she’d gone out on a date with Colton?
She was only seventeen back then.Get the fuck over it.
He couldn’t.
When his beer arrived he took a long swallow. It didn’t help mellow his mood.
“There’s a free table at the back. Do you want to go over?” Piper gave him a smile he couldn’t figure out at all. It was almost as though they were strangers who’d just hooked up five minutes ago.
“Sure.” They made their way to the back of the pub, where a huge open fireplace displayed massive logs. It was all for show. The pub had central heating.
The table was wedged into one of the numerous nooks and crannies that was a feature of the old building. Any other time he would’ve joined Piper on the faded red velvet loveseat, but tonight he sat on one of the godawful stools instead.
She drained half her glass of wine in one long swallow, which wasn’t like her at all. Finally she looked at him.
“We need to talk, Mason.”
Her words were like a death knell.She’s finishing this thing between us.Just like he knew she would from their first night together, except he’d lost sight of that as the weeks went by.
“What about?” He sounded like he couldn’t give a shit and he took another swig of beer so he wasn’t tempted to grab hold of her, haul her across the table and kiss her until every last memory of his brother was burned from her mind.
If he hadn’t managed to do that by now, one last kiss wouldn’t do anything but remind him of everything he could never have.
She licked her lips and her fingers tightened around the stem of her glass. “Us.”
Of course it’s about us.He leaned his forearms on the table and ignored the tightness in his chest. “I already guessed that.”
Could he sound more like a total jerk if he tried?
She shifted on the seat and refused to meet his eyes. “I only want to define the boundaries of our relationship. That’s all.”
“We have boundaries?” He took another mouthful of beer so he wouldn’t say something he’d regret.Of course we have fucking boundaries. You’re mine, for Chrissakes.
She released her death grip on her glass and flattened her palm on the table. “Well, that’s why I want us to talk. So we can, uh, figure out what’s going on here.”
You’re killing me.Any other girl would tell him she’d had enough and to sling his hook. Not that he’d know. He’d never hung around the same girl long enough for that to happen.
