next to
him, I started to shift on the stool. A part of me was anticipating something
as he drank me in with his soul-shaking stare.
A kiss.
When I managed to look up at Mason, I
found the strength to ask, “Why do you stare at me like that?”
“Because…” He gasped in awe, grazing my
cheek lightly. “It’s so hard not to. You’re beautiful, Bristol.”
“Are you sure about that?” I joked
nervously. “I’ve been a total mess for the last couple of days with this cre—”
“Hey.” Mason took my hand into his. “You
said we weren’t going to talk about that, remember?”
Exhilarated from the warmness of his
palm, I nodded and whispered, “Right.” Thankfully, he moved his hand away and I
was able to breathe normally again.
“You are beautiful, and really
strong for keeping it together.”
“Thank you,” I replied, my voice was
laced with a strange hunger for him. Embarrassed, I grabbed my iced fruit punch
and sucked down half the glass. It was hard to settle the jitters in my
stomach.
Not long after our food came out, we
began talking again. Afterward, we headed back to the parking lot at my
apartment.
Mason stayed close to me as I approached
my car. We dawdled by the door for a moment, searching for something to say. I
didn’t want our time together to end, nor did he, it seemed.
The radiant afternoon sun accentuated
his features so much that Mason looked more handsome than ever. His unwavering
gaze unnerved me. I yielded and dipped my head, staring at the asphalt. I could
still feel him watching me though, stripping me apart from head to toe.
“How about dinner on Friday?” he asked,
a hint of caution in his voice.
I glanced up then. “I can’t.”
His expression morphed into regret as he
said, “I’m sorry. I keep doing that… I mean, the timing is—”
“No, it’s just that my company is
hosting a fundraiser on Friday,” I explained. “I’ll be busy with that and will
probably need the rest of the weekend to recuperate once it’s over. My boss has
been working me hard.”
He smiled in relief. “Oh, I see. That’s
fine. We’ll take a rain check.”
“I’d like that, Mason.” I nudged toward
my apartment. “This would be so much better if I didn’t have that to
worry about too.”
Mason’s gaze drifted to the building.
“Right.” Looking back at me, he said, “Don’t worry. We’ll catch him.”
“Thank you.” I turned to open the car
door.
He stopped me, holding my hand.
“Bristol.” The desirous way he said my name sent an icy sensation trickling down
my spine.
Anxious, I rotated back to Mason. He
filled the distance between us. My head began to wallop with both expectation
and fear. I trembled when he caressed my fingers with his, so gentle and
sensual.
Yes, Mason. Kiss me now!
“Call me anytime,” he said, snapping me
back to my senses. “No matter what, okay?”
“Uh…” I cleared the lump in my throat
and managed to say, “Thank you. I will.”
A little upset that he hadn’t done more,
I turned and hopped in my car, started the engine, and pulled out of the
parking lot. I steadied my racing heart when I turned onto the street and Mason
was no longer in sight.
Words couldn’t describe the way he made
me feel whenever we were close. It was a mixture of safety and excitement. Such
a rush. But at the same time it scared the shit out of me.
It still felt too soon.
Dad was working overtime, which meant
he’d be home around midnight. He and his crew were trying to meet the deadline
for the Portuguese restaurant. The owners wanted to open no later than the
first week of July.
I loafed around the condo until I
decided to watch TV. After a while, my throat started to feel parched, so I
went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water out of the fridge. I wanted to
finish the ones I’d brought from my apartment before drinking any of Dad’s. I
drank nearly half the bottle as I wandered back to the living room.
Setting the rest of
him, I started to shift on the stool. A part of me was anticipating something
as he drank me in with his soul-shaking stare.
A kiss.
When I managed to look up at Mason, I
found the strength to ask, “Why do you stare at me like that?”
“Because…” He gasped in awe, grazing my
cheek lightly. “It’s so hard not to. You’re beautiful, Bristol.”
“Are you sure about that?” I joked
nervously. “I’ve been a total mess for the last couple of days with this cre—”
“Hey.” Mason took my hand into his. “You
said we weren’t going to talk about that, remember?”
Exhilarated from the warmness of his
palm, I nodded and whispered, “Right.” Thankfully, he moved his hand away and I
was able to breathe normally again.
“You are beautiful, and really
strong for keeping it together.”
“Thank you,” I replied, my voice was
laced with a strange hunger for him. Embarrassed, I grabbed my iced fruit punch
and sucked down half the glass. It was hard to settle the jitters in my
stomach.
Not long after our food came out, we
began talking again. Afterward, we headed back to the parking lot at my
apartment.
Mason stayed close to me as I approached
my car. We dawdled by the door for a moment, searching for something to say. I
didn’t want our time together to end, nor did he, it seemed.
The radiant afternoon sun accentuated
his features so much that Mason looked more handsome than ever. His unwavering
gaze unnerved me. I yielded and dipped my head, staring at the asphalt. I could
still feel him watching me though, stripping me apart from head to toe.
“How about dinner on Friday?” he asked,
a hint of caution in his voice.
I glanced up then. “I can’t.”
His expression morphed into regret as he
said, “I’m sorry. I keep doing that… I mean, the timing is—”
“No, it’s just that my company is
hosting a fundraiser on Friday,” I explained. “I’ll be busy with that and will
probably need the rest of the weekend to recuperate once it’s over. My boss has
been working me hard.”
He smiled in relief. “Oh, I see. That’s
fine. We’ll take a rain check.”
“I’d like that, Mason.” I nudged toward
my apartment. “This would be so much better if I didn’t have that to
worry about too.”
Mason’s gaze drifted to the building.
“Right.” Looking back at me, he said, “Don’t worry. We’ll catch him.”
“Thank you.” I turned to open the car
door.
He stopped me, holding my hand.
“Bristol.” The desirous way he said my name sent an icy sensation trickling down
my spine.
Anxious, I rotated back to Mason. He
filled the distance between us. My head began to wallop with both expectation
and fear. I trembled when he caressed my fingers with his, so gentle and
sensual.
Yes, Mason. Kiss me now!
“Call me anytime,” he said, snapping me
back to my senses. “No matter what, okay?”
“Uh…” I cleared the lump in my throat
and managed to say, “Thank you. I will.”
A little upset that he hadn’t done more,
I turned and hopped in my car, started the engine, and pulled out of the
parking lot. I steadied my racing heart when I turned onto the street and Mason
was no longer in sight.
Words couldn’t describe the way he made
me feel whenever we were close. It was a mixture of safety and excitement. Such
a rush. But at the same time it scared the shit out of me.
It still felt too soon.
Dad was working overtime, which meant
he’d be home around midnight. He and his crew were trying to meet the deadline
for the Portuguese restaurant. The owners wanted to open no later than the
first week of July.
I loafed around the condo until I
decided to watch TV. After a while, my throat started to feel parched, so I
went to the kitchen to get a bottle of water out of the fridge. I wanted to
finish the ones I’d brought from my apartment before drinking any of Dad’s. I
drank nearly half the bottle as I wandered back to the living room.
Setting the rest of
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