Yasmine sighed.
“At least we hadn’t started actually planning the wedding and putting down deposits.That would have made everything harder.”
Mason squeezed her shoulders in reassurance.There was no rush from touching her.No heat, no sizzle.No heightened awareness.Just the warmth of her leg under his hand.Which was how he usually felt about women.
Which would have been enough except…
Yasmine wanted what he felt when he looked at Audrey.Even though it was likely to go away, especially now that his subconscious would no longer be panicking about making a major life change.Well.Perhaps once it did, he could approach Yasmine again and point that out.
“Just… promise me one thing,” Yasmine said, her head dropping down to look at her lap, where her hands were resting.
“Anything.”
“Give me a month.”
“What?”A month for what?
She heaved a sigh.
“Give me a month before I have to see you with her.I just need some time to grieve the whole… almost getting what I want, only to lose it.I need a month.”
“Yasmine… I’m not… there’s not…”
“There is.”She lifted her head now to give him a sharp look.“I think you two will be good together if you can get your head out of your ass and admit it.But I need a month.For dignity, if nothing else.Promise me.”
“I promise.”
It was an easy promise to make since he didn’t have any intention of approaching Audrey about this at all.No matter what Yasmine thought.Now that the circumstances that had sparked his unusual reaction to her were being removed, his outsized attraction to her would follow.
That was the only logical outcome.
“So,” Yasmine said, straightening up completely and squaring her shoulders.“How should we tell everyone?”
ChapterFifteen
Audrey
Walking into her bakery Saturday morning, Audrey felt both energized and oddly deflated.Going to the club last night had been a mistake, but she couldn’t have known that when she decided to go.
She should have waited a week, at least, until her grand opening was over.
Now, she was excited and terrified about her bakery opening, while simultaneously feeling like a twit for having a crush on Mason.
He and Yasmine had still not come out of their private room when Audrey left.She’d claimed she was more tired than she’d realized and needed to get home to rest before the early opening of the bakery this morning.It was a really good excuse, and everyone had wished her well.Naomi hadn’t seemed too sad to leave early, hopeful that Drew might be home by the time she got there.Ashley had stayed at the club; an older blonde woman named Leah had stopped by to let her know that Lincoln had called and would be meeting her there.
Audrey had left because she’d wanted to shut her brain off.
Surrounded by all the people happily engaged in scenes of pleasure and pain, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what Mason and Yasmine might be doing.The combination of envy and guilt that her thoughts induced had made her nauseous.
Anxiety over this morning hadn’t helped either.
She’d barely gotten any sleep last night, despite leaving early.She’d been too wound up, recipes and decoration ideas dancing in her mind, alongside the sight of a woman moaning as she was whipped from behind.Nipple clamps.Leather.Latex.Crops.
A few of her ideas for cupcakes and cookies were now more bachelor/bachelorette themed… or, really, kink-club themed, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.Maybe the club sometimes did events where they would want themed baked goods.If not, she could always use it for Cassidy’s bachelorette party.She and David weren’t engaged, but Audrey knew her brother.He was locked in, and that was where their relationship was headed.
If Yasmine had a bachelorette party, Audrey could use the ideas for her, too.
Hopefully, by then, she’d be past this dumb crush.
