Fallen Crest High(115)

I turned away and started for my room, but I paused when I heard her whisper. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm so sorry."

Then I gripped the rail and went back to my room.

It was 8:30 when I checked my phone again and I had three text messages from Miranda, along with a voicemessage from her. Dinner had come and gone.

They wanted to know where I was, if I was going. I had finished listening to her message when Mason knocked on my door.

I frowned and motioned for him to come in.

He studied my face. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head. "Nothing I can't handle."

My phone vibrated again. It was another text from Miranda—they'd all gone to some bar. I glanced up at Mason and asked, "You don't want to go somewhere with me, do you?"

He grinned back at me. "What? This late? What would your mother say?"

I couldn't stop my laugh. "I don't think she'll be saying much after what I said to her."

He stopped grinning. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, that she was lucky I was still here and we didn't really have a relationship anymore."

His eyes studied me. I felt his intensity and wanted to curl up against it. He asked me, "Did you mean that?"

I jerked my head in a nod. "I did." My eyes found his. "I'm close to asking David if I can live with him. He raised me all my life. If my mom knows who my real dad is or not doesn't matter to me. David raised me. He's my dad and she knows I'll push that if we'd ever go to court. The fact that I'm here, it's by a hairs' width."

He came inside and perched on the arm of one of my couches. "So where did you want to go?"

"Some bar. Some people at school invited me to their dinner. I didn't go and now they're out. I feel a little bad that I ditched on them."

Mason shook his head. "Let me guess, these aren't the people that are used to being ditched?"

I shook my head too.

"Do you know what you're doing?"

I wrapped my arms around my knees. "No."

His eyes held mine.

And I grinned. "But I don't really care either."

He mirrored my grin. "What bar are they at?"

I texted Miranda the question and she gave me an answer a second later. I held the phone up. "The Ryder."

Mason bit back a laugh and pulled out his phone. "I'm sure Logan's had his piece by now. Maybe he'd meet us there."

I stood and ran sweaty hands down my pants. I frowned at them. Why were they so sweaty? Then Mason looked back up when he was done. He grabbed my hand and pulled me between his legs. I held my breath as he leaned in close and pressed a kiss to the crook of my neck. He inhaled and held me close. I felt him fit between my legs and almost closed my eyes. I wanted to tell him to forget it and pull him to my bed.

When his phone vibrated, he lifted it for me to see.

'We're there!'

He chuckled against my neck and kissed it lightly. His hand curved around my waist and held me tighter. "Looks like its game on. Your quarterback's going to be there?"

I wrapped my arms around him and tilted my neck at an angle. His mouth started to explore it. Then I sighed against him. I didn't know if I'd ever get enough of him.

Mason moved back and whispered as his lips teased my skin, "You're going to ride me long and hard tonight."

I grinned against his neck. It was what every girl wanted to hear.



CHAPTER THIRTY

When we got to The Ryder, I sat it was a bar attached to a hotel. As soon as we entered, I remembered that Amelia's dad owned the place. It explained why they could drink at the bar and when we got there, they had congregated in a back corner, away from the other customers. It was a ritzy hotel and the neon red and black lighting set an intimate tone to the bar.