I gaze up at it in awe.
Mason opens the gate for me and I step through. When I turn to face him, he hasn’t closed the gate, but he hasn’t followed me through, either.
We stare at each other as an unspoken question passes between us.
“We used to sneak over there,” he says casually. “When we were kids.”
“Of course you did,” I say lightly. “Sneaking around can be fun.”
There’s a moment of silence in which my heart pounds and I wait to see what he’ll do.
Then he steps through the gate and closes it behind him. He comes close to me. Closer. “June wouldn’t want me here, on her property.”
“June doesn’t have to know.”
I turn on my heel and follow the path that leads up to the bushes behind the Cozy Cottage. We only have to shove a few branches out of the way to get through.
The motion-activated light on the back porch turns on as I climb the steps, heart thudding.
As I unlock the door, Mason is right behind me. He follows me inside, shuts the door, peels my bag off my arm, and places it gently on the floor.
Then we smash together. Making out, groping, stumbling through the near-dark. I steer him toward my bedroom.
“Sorry the bed is so small,” I say.
“I seem to remember,” he mutters between kisses, “that we fit into a small bed ... very nicely.” He drives me over to the bed, kissing his way down my neck. He yanks my shirt up and off, over my head, and we go at it again.
But then I get distracted, wondering. Did he say that because he’s thinking aboutstayingin the small bed with me, all night?
“We’re still enemies, right?” I pant. “Just checking.”
“Of course.” He undoes my bra. “With incredible benefits ...” He whips my bra off.
“Good. ’Cause I’m not yielding.”
“Wouldn’t expect you to.” He peels down my skirt. My panties go with it.
I step out of them and he tosses them across the room. Then we keep making out.
“I don’t want you to think ...” I say between kisses, “that just ’cause you creamed me ... in sales today ... that anything has changed. I still want Pier Seven.”
“Cool. How about I make you cream right now?”
Before I can react, he pushes me back on the bed and drops to his knees on the floor. He spreads my thighs and goes down on me immediately, his hot, wonderful mouth making me melt.
“Oh god” slips out of my mouth. “Don’t I need to shower first ...? It’s been a long day ...”
“Mmm. No shower.” He laps at my clit, savoring me like I’m his favorite meal. “You just need me, making you moan.” He wraps his lips around my pussy and sucks.
“Ahh.Fuck.This doesn’t mean I like you,” I moan.
“Mm-hmm. Be a good girl and keep still.”
He focuses all his attention and that amazing mouth of his—warm, soft lips; silken beard—between my legs, and I go limp. I forget how to argue. He is so, so good at this. Kyle didn’t even like going down.
How did I live like that for so damn long?
I was blinded by love.
