Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men, #1)(34)

Eva blinked as if she didn’t understand my confusion. “ReeRee, Ty is the son of a judge. This…person is nothing but a holier-than-thou male prostitute.”

“A prostitute who turned you down,” Mason taunted. “Pride stung much?”

She glared at him. “You are such a smug—”

“—bastard,” he finished for her, his voice pleasant. “Yeah, I remember.”

“You don’t belong here.” She balled her hands into fists, damn near vibrating with fury. “How dare you crash my party? You’re a nobody from nowhere who—”

“Hey!” I jumped in front of him, facing off with my cousin. “Back off. You invited everyone and their dog to this party tonight. Stop being such a stuck-up snob. I want Mason to stay. He’s fun to talk to.”

E. stared at me hard, as if searching for something before glancing over my shoulder. Eyes narrowing, she clutched my arm. Keeping a censorious gaze on him, she spoke quietly in my ear. “Remember what I told you, ReeRee. Don’t do it.” Then she plowed past us, shoulder checking Mason as she left.

I stared after her, confused as ever with the burning need to apologize for her.

“Don’t do what?” Mason asked from behind me.

I whirled to face him and my breath caught. God, it was too late; I had totally disregarded Eva’s warning already and fallen big time. Into what, I wasn’t exactly sure. But Mason Lowe definitely had a hold on my emotions.

“I think she’s worried I’ll follow in her footsteps and try to throw myself at you like she did.”

“You think?” His eyes scanned my face. “Well, you do tend to act like her little lemming.”

I gasped, appalled and hurt he saw that in me. “I do not.”

His eyes gleamed with amusement before he tapped the end of my nose. “New nose ring,” he noticed, sealing his point.

I covered my diamond stud with my hand, hiding the evidence. “Okay, but I don’t follow her over the cliff every time.”

“No,” he agreed amicably. “But I’m glad you did this time. That ring makes you look incredibly…hot.”

He sounded surprised by that fact.

I was surprised he thought so. Clearing my throat, I glanced away, knowing I should respond somehow, but I just couldn’t.

Mason blew out a breath. “I knew you’d be here tonight.”

Whirling back, I gawked badly. “You…you’re here because of me?”

He shifted, glancing away briefly, looking uncomfortable before he turned back and suddenly thrust something at me that I hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. “Here. I wanted to return this.”

I stared down at my Harry Potter book in shock. Frowning, I took it slowly. After slipping it from his hand, I looked up. “What? You mean, you finished it? Already?”

He nodded and actually blushed. “Sarah...she kept pestering me to read it to her. I think I missed a couple of homework assignments because we had to read it every free chance I had.” He breathed in a deep breath, lifting his shoulders. “So…what’s the name of the second one? The Secret Chamber, or something like that?”

I sputtered and gaped down at the book in my hands, still stunned he’d actually read it. He was definitely turning out to be full of surprises. “It’s The Chamber of Secrets,” I corrected as I ran my thumb up the spine of The Sorcerer’s Stone. When I looked at him, I squinted suspiciously. “Did you really, really finish this already?”

“Yes!” He sounded flustered and kind of embarrassed. “Do you want to quiz me about it, or do you want to give me the next book already?”

My mouth popped open. “You want to read the next one?” A smirk knotted my lips. “You liked it, didn’t you?”

He shook his head. “Sarah wants to know what happens next.”

“But you do too,” I taunted and leaned closer. “Admit it. You liked it.”

He sent me a warning scowl. “Don’t even think about saying I told you so.”

“Ha!” I crowed, shooting my hands into the air, one full of alcohol, the other full of Harry Potter. “I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I so told you so.”

“I see you’re one of those gracious, humble types of winners,” he said dryly, though his lips twitched with amusement.

“This is so awesome,” I went on, totally ignoring him. “I created a Harry Potter fan. You know, if this keeps up, J.K. is going to have to give me a cut of her royalties. Don’t you think?”

“I think you’re pushing it, Randall.”

For a second, I blinked, wondering why the heck he’d called me Randall before it clicked into place. Oh, right. My new last name.

Reese Randall, Reese Randall. Don’t forget it.

“Whatever,” I rolled my eyes as I grinned. “This is still awesome. I can go get you book two right now if you really want it.”

He frowned. “You carry Harry Potter books around with you to college keggers?”

I lifted the volume he’d just given me and shook it in his face. “What? You do too.”

He laughed. “Wow, you really are aiming to be the top recruiter of the year.”

“You know it.” I grinned and tapped the dimple in his chin playfully with the edge of my book. “But seriously, my apartment is right above the garage, which is, like, twenty feet away from that back door, so…I can get it for you in two minutes tops.”