Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men, #1)(78)

Shaking my head, I snorted out a sound of disbelief. “And you could have told her to leave you alone over the phone too.”

His arms tightened around me. “Reese. Please.”

I closed my eyes and pulled up every ounce of willpower I had inside me. “You might not have charged me a fee, but kissing you is too big of a price for me. I didn’t sign up for this. Now let me go.”

He sobbed out a choked sound against my back but loosened his arms. I squirmed free of the rest of his hold and stumbled toward the door, shoving my way outside.

I didn’t look back once. I know, my willpower even startled me. When I got behind the steering wheel of my car and started the engine, I didn’t look up at his house. I simply put the gear into drive and pulled away from the curb.

I got a block and a half down the street before my hands started to shake. Gritting my teeth, I pulled to the curb and called myself every vile name in the book. Then I killed the engine and yanked the door open to stumble out into the warm evening. I sprinted all the way back to his house, my chest heaving, unable to stay away.

Hey, I never claimed to be a wise, rational person.

Yeah, okay, this probably topped my impulsive list. Going back there was the cherry on the double fudge icing of my stupid cake.

I was stupid, stupid, stupid. I know!

But I had to see if he was really going to go to her. I just had to.

Keeping close to the shadows, I stole into his back yard. I almost threw up when I saw his back door open.

A Mason-shaped figure darted to the gate separating his yard from hers.

I couldn’t believe it. He was going to her. After everything he’d just confessed to me— “Can you make this little talk quick?” Mason snapped. “My sister is home alone.”

I tiptoed closer to the gate and kept just out of sight.

“Well, it looks like you’re already worked up and ready to go,” the evil voice of Patricia Garrison cooed back. “So, don’t worry. I doubt it’ll take us long at all.”

“It’s not going to happen.” Mason’s voice was hard and unforgiving. “And do you mind never spying on me again? Your rude-creepy vibe just went through the roof.”

“I thought you said the little babysitter was just your friend.”

“And I thought I said it was none of your damn business. That part’s still true.”

“Tsk, tsk. There’s no reason to be insolent, Mason.”

“Jesus, why do you care if I get a girlfriend or not? What do you care if I have sex with every female in Florida? You're the one who sent me to other women in the first place.”

“But, darling, sex is not the problem. Everything would’ve been perfectly fine if you’d only screwed her and moved on. It’s you falling in love with her that’s the problem. Because once you fall in love, you’ll want to be all monogamous or some such horseshit. I know you, you will. And judging by the way you look at her, you already have. But I can’t allow it. I can’t allow some silly little twit cheerleader of a girl to play havoc on my extracurricular activities. I’m not finished with you yet.”

“Well, I assumed you were. You brought your fiancé over to Sarah’s party and paraded him around in front of my mother like you were taunting her for not having her own man. You don’t need me anymore.”

“Mason, Mason, Mason, you poor deluded boy. You couldn’t be further from the truth. Ted is a dear, sweet man. Rich, charming, handsome. In fact, I will love being married to him.”

“Then you probably shouldn’t cheat on him.”

“But, sweetie. I won’t be able to help it. He just doesn’t do it for me in the bedroom. Not the way I’ve trained you to. I need you more than you realize.”

“Well, that’s too bad, because I’m never touching you again. We haven’t been behind on our rent in over a year.”

“Well…with inflation and the economy the way it is, I’m afraid I might have to raise your rent.”

“I don’t care. We’ll pay it. Whatever it is. And if it gets too ridiculous, we’ll just move. You have no hold over me whatsoever.”

From the shadows, I fisted my hand and pumped it into the air, silently cheering him on. You go, Lowe! Keep it up.

“Is that so?” Mrs. Garrison gave a small, amused laugh. “And what if I called a certain police officer I know to tell him about an illegal prostitution scandal going on over at the country club?”

Mason’s return chuckle was low and hard. “Go ahead, Patricia. I don’t give a damn. I’ve already stopped taking clients anyway. No one is going to arrest me for speculation and since I’m finished, no one can catch me in the act.”

“Wow, you think you have it all figured out, don’t you?”

“Yeah, for once, I do. Now when are you going to get it through your thick head that it’s over? I will never have sex with you again. There’s nothing you can say or do to get me to walk back into your house.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Really. Because I was just about to tell you I know your girlfriend’s little secret.”

Say what?

My skin went ice cold as I crept closer to the gate, peeking through the cracks to see Mason’s stiff back as he faced the half-opened back door, unintentionally blocking his landlady from my view.