The entire team was on edge, but also feeling triumphant after getting one over on Devlin.Of course, Mason couldn’t help but wonder if Zeus had been the one to find the planted information because he’d been the one to plant it… He seemed to be the only one who was that paranoid, though.Even Drew was making more of an effort to exchange greetings with the man.
None of that changed Zeus’ demeanor.He was the same as ever.At some point, Mason wanted to do a deep dive with him, but short of forcing him into a chair, he wasn’t sure how to make it happen.He couldn’tproveZeus was avoiding him… but somehow he managed to never be alone with Mason.
Mostly, though, there was a new focus of determination, especially with an upcoming event for the senator where they would be providing her with extra security.MacLeod would be there too, which meant Devlin would most likely be there with him.Hopefully, frothing at the mouth at being thwarted and not smugly satisfied that his trick to make them trust Zeus had worked.
That wasn’t the biggest change, though.
The biggest was Audrey.
The daily texts.
The fact that he missed her on the nights they weren’t together.
That he couldn’t stop thinking about her, even at work, where he’d always been good at compartmentalizing his personal life away from where his focus needed to be.
Part of him was freaked out about it.He’d never been like this with a woman before… but that had been true about her from the beginning.And he couldn’t stop.Couldn’t get enough of her.It felt like he was a plant and she was the sun, and he finally knew what it was like to bask in its warmth.
But he really couldn’t stay away, which was how he ended up at her bakery Tuesday evening, waiting for her to get off work so they could spend the evening together.Brenda was there with her friends when he walked in, and she immediately waved him over.Ashley smirked at him from behind the counter.Audrey was nowhere in sight, which meant she was probably in the back with Alexis.
“Hello, Mason, have a seat.”The gleam in Brenda’s eye could mean a lot of things, but Mason found himself oddly intimidated.
“Uh, well, I was going to get… something.”He waved his hand toward the display case of goodies to his side.
He was met by three gimlet stares.
“Sit,” Brenda ordered.
Mason sat.When Brenda was being serious, he wasn’t going to mess around.
She reminded him of an old-time gangster with the way she folded her hands in front of her and leaned forward to give him a hard-eyed look, regardless of the sky-blue sweater with a giant rooster she was wearing.Especially with Mary and Karen on either side of her, also giving him their best stern gazes.Mafia grandmas, all of them.
“I would like to know what your intentions with my granddaughter are.”Brenda arched her eyebrows at him.
“Well, we’re still getting to know each other-“
“Skip the flummery, Mason.I expect I don’t have much time with you before she comes out,” Brenda said, waving her hand.
Well, there was a word he’d never heard used in real life before.But he knew what she meant.
“I like her, Brenda.A lot.”He spread his hands wide.“I don’t agree with Yasmine that she’s cursed, and that’s why none of her relationships work out, but as for the person she was with findingtheirperson after she breaks up with them… there’s a possibility that pattern is holding.”
Which was the closest he’d come to admitting out loud how much Audrey already meant to him.Even though it didn’t make sense.Even though they hadn’t known each other that long.Even though, on paper, he and Yasmine checked more boxes.He didn’t know if what he and Audrey wanted out of life aligned.
It was a conversation that would need to happen eventually, but not until he was ready to admit to her that his feelings already went far beyond ‘fuck buddy’ status and that they were doing this for real.Though he supposed he’d already sort of told her when Claudia had told Ian that Mason was Audrey’s boyfriend.But it was important to him to define actual boundaries at some point.
Once he figured out how to do it.
And maybe just a little more time to make sure the emotions were still sticking.Just in case.
Karen, Brenda, and Mary all leaned forward, but toward each other, not him, speaking in low voices, even though he could hear them clearly.
“He doesn’t sound very sure,” Mary said, sounding skeptical.
“Maybe he’s worried about her brother?”Karen suggested.She glanced at him.“I think he can take him, though.”
Somehow, Mason managed to keep a straight face.
“He could probably hold his own with David; maybe he’s worried he can’t keep Audrey satisfied in bed after Yasmine left him.”Brenda eyed him as if daring him to say something.
