Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men, #1)(75)

I watched him scurry around to grab his cell phone and wallet. When he turned toward the doorway to find me blocking his path, and not budging, he faltered, looking a little panicked and trapped.

“I thought you might like to know I cancelled my date.”

Eyes flaring with liquid heat, he grasped my elbow. “What? I told you, you didn’t have to do that. Why did you cancel? Did he do something to you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. I just…I can’t go out with him.”

“You…” Mason stepped even closer, right into my personal space, his clean, musky scent invading my senses. “Why?”

I turned my face aside and wiggled my elbow out if his grip. “Now who’s playing dumb?”

“Jesus.” He spun away, ripping his hands through his hair. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything to you. I swear to God, I’m sorry. I was a jealous tool, and you deserve to date and be happy and…and live your life however you want.”

His love for me showed through every pore of his being. I could tell it killed him to say this, but he honestly thought it was for the best to let me go.

At that moment, I knew. I would do whatever I had to do to make him mine. “Well, thank you, Mason,” I said, gifting him with a bright smile. “I’m so glad I have your approval to live my life however I want, because I plan to do just that.”

I tried to walk away, but he caught my arm, looking way too suspicious.

“Why do I have a bad feeling there’s an ulterior motive behind that statement?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Maybe you’re paranoid.” When he opened his mouth, I cleared my throat and smoothed my hand over my stomach because I think watching Eva doing that fifty times an hour was beginning to rub off on me. “Where’s Sarah?”

“Right…here.”

My little buddy saved me from getting more questions by rolling her chair to the doorway of Mason’s room.

Without glancing at her brother, I hurried to her and spent the rest of my time with her before he left for work. He didn’t get to interrogate me further.

He looked pissed as he walked out the door, though. His gaze burned into me with promise for retribution. I wasn’t too certain what had gotten his panties in a wad. I hadn’t threatened, warned, or intimidated him in any way. I had backed off as he seemed to want me to. I’d even cancelled my date for him. Yet he looked more tormented than ever.

Gah, Mason Lowe was going to be one hard shell to crack.

After he left, my evening with Sarah lagged on. She went to bed half an hour after her usual time, which was fine with me because tonight I liked her staying up with me; I needed her companionship. With her asleep, I trudged from her room, my shoulders dragging with depression.

Lonely, all I could think about was Mason. What if he never thought he was good enough for me? Hell, why didn’t he think he was good enough? I wasn’t anything special. Was he completely blind to all my strange habits, whiny traits, and impulsive comments? A man who could look past all that and still like what he saw in me was worth…well, he was worth everything.

I slumped to the kitchen to get myself a glass of ice water, not expecting to see anyone sitting at the table. So when I did, I yelped and stumbled into the arched entryway. At first, I thought it was Jeremy. I’d been so stupid and careless these past few days; he’d finally found me.

But then I focused on his face, and wow, he looked nothing like my psycho stalker ex-boyfriend.

I set my hand over my heart and slumped against the wall, beyond relieved. “Oh, my God. Mason. What’re you doing home so early?”

He glanced up from the chair where he sat slouched and sent me a look of utter defeat. “Fate hates me.”

“Huh?”

A bitter laugh rumbled from his chest. “I was sent home early and suspended for a week.”

Oh, shit. Had the country club learned about his past? I pushed away from the wall. “What happened?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “I was freaking distracted and backed into a valet car when I was parking another one. Dinged both of them.” Plopping his face forward until he thumped his forehead against the tabletop, he let out a drained sigh. “I think the only reason my boss didn’t fire me on the spot was because I’m usually a good employee.”

Knowing I had to be the reason for his suspension, I gulped in a lungful of guilt and reached for his back but pulled away at the last second. Folding my arms over my waist, I whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” When he looked up, he squinted at me in confusion.

I fluttered out my hand. “You know, for causing your distraction.”

“You didn’t. I…” He pushed his chair back and stood, his eyes full of concern. “My suspension had nothing to do with you.” He took a step toward me, and my heart beat through my entire body. “It was all me. You…you’re not to blame for anything. You’re the good part in all of this.” Two steps later, he was all up in my grill in a very pleasing, overwhelming, I-couldn’t-breathe-I-was-so-excited way. But it was so, yeah, overwhelming, I moved back, only to find myself trapped between him and that wall, the very wall he'd wanted to take me hard and fast against.

“You’re the warm sun that shines when everything else is dark,” he went on, lifting his hands to rest them against the wall on either side of my face. “A smile and a hug in a roomful of disapproval. You’re…” Wincing, he pressed his forehead against mine. “You’re everything.”