As soon as she was on her feet, he dropped his hands and stepped away from her.It was wrong to be this attracted to another woman when his fiancée was standing right there, even if their relationship was an arranged one.While he couldn’t help the attraction, he could at least keep his distance and not touch the object of it.
“Just my dignity,” Audrey said, brushing her pants and avoiding everyone’s gaze as several others started coming in to see what all the noise was about.She was wearing the same outfit she had been in earlier that day, her bouncy ponytail drawing his attention as she moved.
Stop looking.
“Don’t worry about it, we all trip sometimes,” Yasmine reassured her, smoothing things over exactly the way Mason would have expected her to.Her kindness was one of the things he really liked about her.“It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“You, too.”Audrey’s cheeks were a hot, bright red, and she groaned as her brother came in, wanting to know what the ‘thud’ they’d heard was.
Mason couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.He wanted to tell her that even her fall had been cute, but he didn’t think that was appropriate.
“Hey, Mason, did you just call Yasmine your fiancée?”Jensen asked.Since the rest of the team—sans Zeus—was all now gathered in the foyer, as well as David’s grandmother, Mason guessed they were making the big announcement.Jennifer, Black Fox’s receptionist/office manager, gasped as she looked back and forth between him and Yasmine.
“Yes,” he confirmed, lifting Yasmine’s hand to show off the ring.They’d gone the other day to pick it out together.“We’re getting married.”
A round of ‘congratulations’ was immediately offered, some of them sounding a little confused.Which wasn’t a surprise.Other than David, Mason hadn’t even told any of the team that he was letting his parents arrange his marriage.It had felt too weird.
“You guys were dating?”Jensen asked.He turned to Claudia, who was their team’s sniper as well as being one of Yasmine’s friends.She was also a Dominatrix at the BDSM club they all belonged to.“I didn’t know they were dating.Did you know they were dating?”
“Well… I knew what was going on.”Claudia raised her eyebrow at Mason.“I don’t know that I would call it dating since Mason asked his parents to arrange his marriage, and they picked Yasmine.There wasn’t much dating involved.And I didn’t hear anything about it from Mason, just Yasmine.”
“You didn’t tell them we were getting engaged?”Yasmine elbowed him in the side, looking a bit exasperated.Mason covered the spot protectively before she could do it again.“I gave all of my friends a heads-up.”
“I figured it would be easier to tell them all at once.”Because then he wouldn’t have to explain it over and over again.
“But this party is to welcome Audrey to Pittsburgh.”
“Yeah, but everyone’s here for it.”From the look she was giving him, that did not excuse not telling them.“I didn’t think it would be that big a deal.”
“Men.”Yasmine rolled her eyes.She directed another smile at Audrey.“Sorry.I knew Mason wanted to tell everyone that we were officially engaged tonight, but I thought he’d prepped them all.We didn’t mean to steal your thunder.”
Oh.Oh.
He hadn’t thought about it that way.It just seemed practical to make the announcement when everyone was gathered.Plus, he’d figured the focus would be on Audrey’s arrival, so that there would be less attention paid to him and Yasmine.
It hadn’t occurred to him that they might pull attention from her that was supposed to be hers.
“Sorry, I definitely didn’t mean to do that,” he said, feeling chagrined now as he looked at Audrey.“I was hoping we’d kind of fly under the radar since tonight is about you.”
“Oh, thanks,” Yasmine teased him.“Under the radar is exactly how I always dreamed of my engagement.”
Mason threw his hands up in the air.“Sorry, sorry.I’ve never been engaged before.I don’t know how to do this.”
“It’s fine, I’m just messing with you.”Yasmine snickered, and he mock-scowled at her.
See?This was why they worked.They were comfortable with each other.They got along.The fact that she didn’t make his skin tingle and that he was hyperaware of another woman when he was beside her… well, that didn’t have to mean anything.It was just a strange version of cold feet.
“I’m confused,” Audrey said, looking back and forth between them, hesitation all over her face.She wasn’t the only one.
“Right.Let’s go into the other room and get some food, then we’ll explain everything.”He put his hand on the small of Yasmine’s back, turning her toward the living room.
Touching her in front of Audrey shouldn’t make him feel weird.Or wrong.If anything, it should be the other way around.His brain needed to get back on board with what was happening.
Everyone dutifully followed them into the other room, some of them taking the time to grab their own plates and drinks before arranging themselves around the living room.All together, they filled up both of the couches and the chairs that were available, leaving some standing room.
Audrey was across from him, allowing him to see her every expression, as much as he tried not to look.
Audrey
