When I'm Gone (Rosemary Beach #11)(34)

While Mase didn’t look like a rock god’s son, Rush definitely did. From his pierced tongue, which flashed when he spoke, to the tattoos on his arms and neck, to the all-around swagger he possessed, Rush Finlay screamed Slacker Demon offspring.

His wife, Blaire, was the kind of beautiful who left you speechless for a moment because you weren’t sure if she was real. The white-blond of her hair made her seem almost angelic. There was a kindness in her smile that made her seem even more heavenly, but then she opened her mouth, and a much thicker Southern twang than even Harlow’s came out. I couldn’t help but smile. She wasn’t a model or a movie star, though that was the type of girl I expected to see Rush Finlay’s arm wrapped around possessively. But then again, she was gorgeous enough to be both, so I didn’t question it. She fit him. More so than I think anyone else could.

I talked with Blaire about Harlow and Lila Kate. She also asked me about Jimmy, since he’d given me her number after her maid retired, but she never brought up me cleaning her house. In a way, I was glad, because that would only remind me of how much I didn’t fit in here. But then, it also made me wonder if she had hired someone else. I really could use the job.

One thing that was becoming more difficult to ignore was the women who flirted with Mase. He didn’t seem to notice, but even the servers gave him looks that were meant to let him know they were available.

If getting a woman was this easy for Mase . . . why was he with me?

Two hours later, the groundbreaking ceremony was complete, and the party had moved to the Kerrington Club. And unfortunately, now that the women were all walking around in their bikinis, they were even more flirty with Mase. Several had openly walked up to him and asked him to swim or dance. He had casually declined their offers, but it was as if I wasn’t even standing there. I hadn’t taken off my sundress yet, because I wasn’t comfortable wearing a swimsuit in front of all those people. But I started thinking I might need to if I wanted to keep Mase’s attention.

I spotted Blaire across the pool, and she was still wearing the blouse and short summery skirt she’d had on earlier. She wasn’t strutting around in her swimsuit. She also didn’t seemed bothered by the women who were looking at her husband with covetous glances.

But she was married to Rush.

I was on my first date with Mase.

“You want a drink?” Mase asked me. His hand slid around my waist as he bent down and whispered in my ear.

“Yes, please,” I said, needing something to distract me.

“Stay here. I’ll go brave the bar. More champagne? Or something else?”

I didn’t want to stay here. Couldn’t we wait for a server to walk around with one of those trays? But then I doubted he wanted the fruity drinks they were serving that way. “Champagne is fine,” I replied.

He squeezed my side. “I’ll be right back.”

Just as I’d feared, women seized the opportunity and approached him as he walked away from me. He was polite and didn’t seem interested, but it was still hard to watch. Because those girls wouldn’t be nervous when he touched them. They’d have sex with him behind a palm tree out here if he wanted them to. That was what I had to compete with.

Besides, I had a twisted darkness inside my past that I would never be able to fully tell Mase about. They didn’t have that kind of problem. They were free to enjoy their bodies and make men happy. I felt sick.

A blonde wrapped her arms around Mase and kissed his cheek. He gently pushed her away, but he continued to talk to her as he got our drinks. I couldn’t watch this. I moved my attention to anywhere else. Harlow and Grant had already left with Lila Kate; they hadn’t stayed at the party long. There was no one else I knew. Mase had introduced me to several people, but I didn’t really know them.

I would not glance back at Mase. I was also considering taking off my sundress. But these women had bodies much nicer than mine. They were thin, with no added padding in their bottoms. And their boobs were all nice and round and perfectly positioned on their chests. Not too big or too small.

Taking off my dress might be a bad idea after all. At least, Mase wouldn’t be able to see exactly how imperfect my body was. God, I hated this feeling. I never compared myself with other women. At least, not in the past. Now here I was, doing it.

My gaze went back to Mase. He was now holding two drinks and headed my way. The blonde was gone. He seemed annoyed. I hoped it wasn’t because he was here with me but could be having sex right now with a number of willing, beautiful women.

I could lose him.

So very easily.

And I’d just gotten him.

When he finally reached me, he handed me the champagne. “Once you finish that, are you ready to go? I’m ready to have you alone. I’ve done my duty and shown my face here.”

I had the urge to throw back the flute and down the pink bubbly drink. I was ready to leave, too—before Mase got an offer he couldn’t refuse. I was thankful for his ranch out in Texas. I didn’t imagine there were gorgeous, model-thin heiresses throwing themselves at him there.

“Yes. I’d like to go when you’re ready,” I admitted.

Mase studied my face a moment, then took the champagne from my hand. “I’ll buy you a bottle at the store if you want more. Let’s go,” he said, putting the flute down on the table nearest to us and leaving his untouched small glass of amber liquid there, too.