shoe. “Little girl ran out almost an hour ago. She said she was going to the grocery store. Nobody asked me, but she looked mighty upset about something.”
Worry consumed him. Upset? Had she been worried about his and Sasha’s discussion? Had she given up? “Did she say something?”
“No. It was just a look she had on her face.” The curmudgeon gave him a pointed look. “Maybe she isn’t keen on a man walking in and out of her house uninvited.”
He gritted his teeth and nodded, forcing himself to be polite. “Thanks, Ms. Nancy. I’ll catch her later.” He tried to keep his shoulders straight as he walked back to his place, despite the fact that he felt as if someone had just taken his dessert away from him.
Veiled Desire
Chapter Fourteen
The ring of his phone woke Mason up, and he groped for it. “’Lo?”
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
He blinked awake and rose on his elbows. He hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch. The eventful night and day must have taken its toll on him. “Leyla. Hey. Where have you been? You weren’t answering your phone. I had some news.”
“I had to take care of some errands. How did things go with my brother?”
“He’s moved from killing me on principle to maybe bludgeoning me if I hurt you.”
Her soft laugh filled his ear. “I knew you could sort it out. I’ll talk to him again tomorrow. Maybe we can have dinner together next week, once he has time to get his mind around it.”
Privately, Mason figured it would take more than a week for Sasha not to freak out over him and Leyla showing up at a restaurant together. God forbid they should hold hands or something. He made an affirmative noise.
“Well, I’m glad that sort of worked out.”
“Where are you? I want to see you.”
“Can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Turn off your light.”
He cast a glance at the lamp on his end table. He started to turn toward his back door. “Are you home?”
“Nuh-uh.” Her voice was sharp, and he froze. “Don’t look yet. Just turn off your light.”
He smiled a bit goofily and leaned over to switch his light off. The room plunged into darkness. “Okay.”
“Okay.” There was excitement in Leyla’s breathless voice. “Look now.”
Savoring the moment, he stood from the couch and looked out his back window.
She stood inside her sliding glass doors, surrounded by glowing candles. The flickering light cast shadows on the creamy skin of her face.
She wore a lacy little red…he didn’t know what it was called. A robe? But robes were terrycloth and utilitarian, and this number was anything but. It hit her at mid-thigh, and there were so many holes in the lace, her skin played peek-a-boo with it.
Mason threw his phone on the couch, and he watched her do the same with her own. Her smile was all femme fatale. A bit dazed, he walked closer to his door, unlocking it. As he slid it open, her hands went to the knot at her waist, and he froze.
The robe parted, and underneath she wore the next best thing to naked in his mind.
The red bikini.
With a sexy shimmy, she dropped the robe to the floor and smiled. There she stood proudly, every fantasy he’d ever had. Her luscious, petite curves were highlighted in the bright red fabric, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder. As he watched, she pushed it back so he had an even better view.
He didn’t care that he was walking barefoot across their shared backyard, didn’t care that he was stripping in public, pulling his shirt off and dropping it on the grass and unbuttoning his jeans. He didn’t care about anything but finally touching the dream that had been haunting him for so long.
Her door was unlocked, and she studied him with that knowing smile as he came inside. He locked the door and then pulled the blinds. When he turned around, he pushed his jeans and his boxers to the ground in one smooth motion. “If you were hoping we’d talk first, you went about it the wrong way,” he said
Worry consumed him. Upset? Had she been worried about his and Sasha’s discussion? Had she given up? “Did she say something?”
“No. It was just a look she had on her face.” The curmudgeon gave him a pointed look. “Maybe she isn’t keen on a man walking in and out of her house uninvited.”
He gritted his teeth and nodded, forcing himself to be polite. “Thanks, Ms. Nancy. I’ll catch her later.” He tried to keep his shoulders straight as he walked back to his place, despite the fact that he felt as if someone had just taken his dessert away from him.
Veiled Desire
Chapter Fourteen
The ring of his phone woke Mason up, and he groped for it. “’Lo?”
“Hey, sleepyhead.”
He blinked awake and rose on his elbows. He hadn’t even realized he’d fallen asleep on the couch. The eventful night and day must have taken its toll on him. “Leyla. Hey. Where have you been? You weren’t answering your phone. I had some news.”
“I had to take care of some errands. How did things go with my brother?”
“He’s moved from killing me on principle to maybe bludgeoning me if I hurt you.”
Her soft laugh filled his ear. “I knew you could sort it out. I’ll talk to him again tomorrow. Maybe we can have dinner together next week, once he has time to get his mind around it.”
Privately, Mason figured it would take more than a week for Sasha not to freak out over him and Leyla showing up at a restaurant together. God forbid they should hold hands or something. He made an affirmative noise.
“Well, I’m glad that sort of worked out.”
“Where are you? I want to see you.”
“Can you do me a favor?”
“What?”
“Turn off your light.”
He cast a glance at the lamp on his end table. He started to turn toward his back door. “Are you home?”
“Nuh-uh.” Her voice was sharp, and he froze. “Don’t look yet. Just turn off your light.”
He smiled a bit goofily and leaned over to switch his light off. The room plunged into darkness. “Okay.”
“Okay.” There was excitement in Leyla’s breathless voice. “Look now.”
Savoring the moment, he stood from the couch and looked out his back window.
She stood inside her sliding glass doors, surrounded by glowing candles. The flickering light cast shadows on the creamy skin of her face.
She wore a lacy little red…he didn’t know what it was called. A robe? But robes were terrycloth and utilitarian, and this number was anything but. It hit her at mid-thigh, and there were so many holes in the lace, her skin played peek-a-boo with it.
Mason threw his phone on the couch, and he watched her do the same with her own. Her smile was all femme fatale. A bit dazed, he walked closer to his door, unlocking it. As he slid it open, her hands went to the knot at her waist, and he froze.
The robe parted, and underneath she wore the next best thing to naked in his mind.
The red bikini.
With a sexy shimmy, she dropped the robe to the floor and smiled. There she stood proudly, every fantasy he’d ever had. Her luscious, petite curves were highlighted in the bright red fabric, her dark hair cascading over one shoulder. As he watched, she pushed it back so he had an even better view.
He didn’t care that he was walking barefoot across their shared backyard, didn’t care that he was stripping in public, pulling his shirt off and dropping it on the grass and unbuttoning his jeans. He didn’t care about anything but finally touching the dream that had been haunting him for so long.
Her door was unlocked, and she studied him with that knowing smile as he came inside. He locked the door and then pulled the blinds. When he turned around, he pushed his jeans and his boxers to the ground in one smooth motion. “If you were hoping we’d talk first, you went about it the wrong way,” he said
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