Mason:I think you’re hot, too
Anya:For real?
Mason:For real, for real
Anya:What do you like, in particular?
Mason:Everything
Anya:Yeah?
Mason:You know this already
Anya:Just realised I actually texted the wrong person
We love playing this game. It’s dangerous, but I don’t want to stop.
I go to the kitchen and snag a bottle of water from the fridge before heading out the back. The cool night air washes over me and I can breathe again. I’m surprised by how cold it is tonight, given the heat we had throughout the day. Making my way around the side of the house, I find that this part of the yard is deserted. Leaning against the wall, I gaze up at the dark, starry sky.
‘You should be careful out here all alone,’ a voice murmurs.
Turning my head, I see Mason. He flashes me his trademark smile – the one I fall in love with more and more each day.
‘I needed a breather,’ I admit. ‘It’s so loud and busy inside.’
‘It is,’ Mason agrees. ‘Are you having a good time?’
‘Sure,’ I say. ‘Are you?’
‘I am now.’
Pressing my lips together, I peel my gaze away from him.
‘You look beautiful, Blush,’ Mason murmurs, sending a shiver down my spine.
‘What are we doing, Mase?’ I ask, a little exasperated. ‘You tell everyone I’m like a little sister to you. You deny anything ever going on, but here you are, telling me that. Kissing my freckles. Getting angry when boys show interest in me.’
He’s quiet for a long moment. Digging his hands into his pockets, he sighs. ‘We can’t be together right now. Your family has become my family, and Zayden is everything to me. There’s a lot going on for the both of us right now. We just have to wait it out a bit longer.’
My heart crumbles, but I nod. It’s always the same answer. Every time I tell myself to stop asking, to walk away. But I never do. ‘Right.’
‘But,’ he murmurs, stepping closer to me. ‘I’m unable to stay away from you.’
Gulping, I risk a glance in his direction, and the heated look in his eyes makes everything inside me clench.
‘I don’t know what that means,’ I confess in a broken whisper. ‘You’re confusing the hell out of me, Mase.’
‘I know.’ He sighs. ‘I’m sorry.’ He moves in front of me. Capturing my hand in his, he brings it to his mouth, kissing it. He pulls it to his chest, and I feel how hard and fast his heart is beating. Swallowing, I lift my eyes to his. I wonder if he feels the same way I do.
I splay my fingers across his muscles, letting them roam his chest, then sink lower to his stomach. He applies a little pressure on my hand, giving me encouragement to go further. My fingertips brush the top of his waistband. His gaze connects with mine, his eyes appearing darker in the dim lighting out here, as my hand skates across the bulge in his pants. I’m barely breathing at this point, too scared to blink and suddenly wake up, realising this has all been a dream.
This time, he is the one who is breathing heavily.
Heis affected byme.
Applying a little more pressure, I move my hand. He closes his eyes, his other hand slamming against the wall near my head. He presses his forehead into the side of mine.
‘I want to touch you,’ he groans, his voice hoarse and rough, like when he first wakes up in the morning. ‘But I know I shouldn’t.’
