She knew she was about to climax again, feeling as if she were tiptoeing to the edge of a cliff, ready to spread her arms and soar over a gorgeous canyon. She lifted her hips and rocked with Mason as he whispered loving words into her ear. She matched his moves stroke for stroke and his pace increased; his powerful thrusts growing faster and harder.
“London, aw, baby,” he groaned, his body more jerky.
She held on tight until she couldn’t. An orgasm seized her body and a scream ripped from her throat. Her head thrashed against the pillow and she fell apart beneath him.
Mason was right behind her. His release was hard and commanding as he growled out her name before collapsing on top of her. As if suddenly remembering she was beneath him, he rolled to his back and pulled her to his side. Still breathing hard, he kissed the top of her head.
“I guess it’s safe to say that you definitely don’t think of me as a sister. And for the record, I never thought of you as my brother.”
Mason chuckled. “Good to know.” His eyes drifted closed.
Their sweat-slicked, naked bodies hummed from their lovemaking. London snuggled even closer to Mason, their legs intertwined. Had he realized that they hadn’t used a condom? Or maybe he was like her. She realized it, but she wouldn’t have been able to stop even if she wanted to. If they created a baby, wonderful. If not, that was okay, too.
Disappointment pierced London’s heart. Who was she kidding? Spending the last few months with Mason, she knew without a doubt that he was the man for her. Unfortunately, she wanted way more than just his babies. She wanted all of him, which was still more than he was willing to give. This was what London wanted all the time. Not just his warm body lying next to her, but also the way he made her feel whenever they were together.
She made circles with her finger on his chest, his breathing back to normal as his snores filled the room again. Regret consumed her body. What had she been thinking? Their original plan would never be enough for her. She wanted the whole fantasy and because she’d been a fool to think she could settle for less, she might ruin what was once a special friendship.
Chapter Twelve
Mason stood inside of the jewelry store, staring at the engagement ring he’d had designed for London. The elegant, heart-shaped diamond with a diamond-studded twisted band and platinum setting was perfect for her.
“Does it meet with your approval?” the sales lady asked. “If not, we can send it back to the designer and—”
“No. It’s perfect.”
“Great. I’m so glad you approve. I’ll just need you to sign for it.”
Mason followed her. He hadn’t decided when he would propose to London, but he knew it would be soon. He wanted to wait until the situation with Cory had been rectified. It had been three weeks since the tire incident. Three damn weeks and no Cory. It was as if the guy had fallen off the face of the Earth.
Minutes later, Mason jogged to his truck, dashing through the steady downpour of rain. He climbed in, and his cell phone vibrated. Starting the vehicle, he activated the Bluetooth.
“Hello.”
“Hey.” London’s sweet voice drifted through the speakers.
“Hey, baby. You ready?”
After a slight hesitation she said, “I’m already home. Can you come over?”
“What the heck? How’d you get home?” He made a U-turn and headed toward Midtown wondering what was going on. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I got off of work early and took Uber home.”
“London, why didn’t you call me? I would’ve picked you up.”
“I … can you just come over? We can talk when you get here.”
Mason agreed and disconnected, all types of thoughts rolling through his mind. He gripped the steering wheel tighter as he sat impatiently at a stoplight, anxious to get to her. He couldn’t believe she hadn’t waited at work for him. They had an agreement—he would drop her off and pick her up every day until Cory was found. For the past three weeks, they’d fallen into a solid routine. So why hadn’t she waited for him today?
Now that Mason thought about it, she had been acting strange for the last couple of days. Quieter and more distant than she’d been since the tire incident.
For the most part, everything seemed normal. They had gotten into a good rhythm and it was as if they’d lived together forever. She had even started giving him cooking lessons. And having her share his bed every night was like the icing on a cupcake.
So needless to say, Mason had been surprised when she told him a couple of days ago that she was ready to return to Harper’s place. Even though Harper was back in town, and the security at the loft was tight, Mason wanted London to stay with him. He enjoyed having her close and was getting used to having her around. Had someone told him months ago that he would actually enjoy having a woman share his space, he would have laughed them out of the room.
Mason’s phone vibrated and again he activated Bluetooth.
“Yeah.”
“Mase, this is Larry Conner.” Larry, Mason’s contact in Charlotte, North Carolina, was an assistant state prosecutor. They had met years ago through a mutual friend. Larry had told Mason that he would keep him abreast of any information that came through about Cory.
“Tell me the cops found that asshole.”
“Well, yeah they found him. He’s dead.”
Whoa. That was news Mason hadn’t anticipated, but he couldn’t say that he felt a lick of sympathy. “What happened?”
“The situation is still under investigation, but the police found him on the side of an apartment complex last night. He was shot to death.”
“Do they have any leads?”
“They picked up a person of interest, but the guy hasn’t been formally charged. Supposedly Cory was having an affair with this man’s wife, but the guy hasn’t admitted to killing Cory.”
“Damn.”
“I know, right? Well, I gotta get going. I wanted to give you an update. Once they have a few more details figured out, I’m sure someone from Charlotte’s Police Department will be contacting London.”
“That’s cool.”
Though Mason hadn’t necessarily wanted the guy dead, he was glad Cory was no longer a threat to London. Now they could move on with their lives.
*
London paced the length of Harper’s loft, her flip-flops squeaking against the floor. Until a few days ago, she thought she could be with Mason knowing that he had no intentions of marrying her. But after playing house with him for the past few weeks, she had fallen deeper in love. Dating him would never be enough. She wanted more.
Tonight she had to tell him that she couldn’t keep going the way they were going. What had she been thinking in the first place? There was no way being the mother of his children and not his wife would be enough. She had been wrong. She wanted Mason as her husband.
She groaned and wandered into the kitchen, pulling a bottled water from the refrigerator. This was going to be the hardest conversation she’d ever had. Tonight the man she wanted to build a life with might walk out that door and want nothing else to do with her. The thought made her heart ache. Why couldn’t he see that they were perfect together?
Removing the cap from the water bottle, her hands shook and water spilled over the top. Why were her hands shaking? She set the bottle down on the countertop and ripped off a paper towel to clean up her mess. Think positive. She and Mason had agreed that if at any point their arrangement wasn’t working they would discuss it. They had always been able to talk, maybe this conversation wouldn’t be as challenging as she was imagining. But what type of discussion could they really have when she went into the relationship knowing the deal. Mason had made it clear what he wanted and what he didn’t want. Her misery was her fault.
London’s head jerked up when there was a knock at the door.
“Tiny, open up, it’s me,” Mason announced from the other side of the door. Part of her didn’t want to let him in, knowing that this might be
the end for them. But if she didn’t let him in soon, he would just use his key.
She swung the door open and he stepped across the threshold, pulling her into his arms. No words were spoken.
When Mason released her, he cupped her cheek and searched her eyes. “Why are you crying?”
She wasn’t crying, but her eyes probably were a little teary.
“We need to talk.” London knew men hated those words, but she didn’t know what else to say. She stepped out of his arms. No way could she say what needed to be said with him touching her.
“There’s something I need to tell you first,” he said.
London’s cell phone rang, and she glanced at the dining room table where it was sitting. Instead of answering, she returned her attention to the handsome man standing before her.
“Mason, I need to go first.” She moved around the living room and then the attached dining room, unable to stand still. It felt as if her heart was literally crumbling inside of her chest.
“I can’t keep going like this.” Her cell phone rang again, and again she ignored it. “I love you. God, I love you so much, but—”
“London.”
She lifted her hand. “Mase, please let me finish. You were right. Being the mother of your children is not going to be enough for me. I respect that you don’t want more from me … from us, but I want the whole dream. I want to be married to the father of my children. I want my babies to grow up within a family, like I once had.” London didn’t have her parents long, but the years she did have them were wonderful. Not many days went by that she didn’t think about them and her grandparents.
Mason stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, looking as if he was going to speak, but stopped when London’s cell phone rang again.
Whoever was calling wasn’t giving up.
“I’m sorry. I’d better get that. It might be the station.” She swiped the phone from the table. “Hello.”
“Oh thank God, I caught you.” London immediately recognized her old neighbor from Charleston. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Cory’s dead.”
London’s hand went to her chest, her pulse pounding loudly in her ears. “What?”
Shock rocked her body and she looked up to see Mason moving toward her.
“Cory was shot to death outside of an apartment building. I just saw it on the news. He was shot two times. Once in the shoulder and once in the stomach.”
London tuned out everything else her neighbor was saying. All London could do was stare at Mason. She vaguely remembered saying good-bye when she disconnected the call.
Mason reached for her, his hand gripping her elbow and pulling out one of the chairs. “Here, sit down.”
“No.” London shook her head and moved away from him. “Cory is dead. Shot two times.”
Sighing, Mason lowered his head. “That was part of what I wanted to tell you when I—”
“You killed him,” London said as a statement more so than a question. She knew how much he hated Cory and had threatened to go after him. “How could you? How could you do this knowing how much you have to lose? You might go to jail, and for what? He wasn’t worth it!” she yelled.
Mason’s eyebrows drew together. “Wait a minute. You think I killed him?”
“Didn’t you?”
“No I didn’t. I might have wanted him out of your life, but I didn’t do this. Besides, when would I have had a chance? I’ve been with you every day.”
“But we haven’t been spending all day together. You had time to go to North Carolina. Or you could have gotten someone else to do it.” London covered her mouth with her hand, unable to believe that Mason would go so far as to kill for her. He might’ve ruined his life … because of her. “I never wanted—”
“It wasn’t me, London. I didn’t kill him.”
London said nothing, her mind spinning. Cory was dead. She wanted him out of her life, but not like this.
Mason tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “You think I’m lying to you?”
He said the words quietly, but London didn’t miss the hurt in his tone. At the moment, she wasn’t sure what to believe. More than once she had heard him say he would love to get his hands on Cory. Mason had always been a hothead, especially where she was concerned, but she never thought he would kill Cory. Then again …
“You know what? You don’t have to answer. Your silence is speaking volumes.”
“Mason.”
“How can you claim to love someone who you don’t trust?” He headed to the door, but stopped, his hand on the doorknob. He glanced over his shoulder and pinned her with a lethal glint in his eyes. “Oh, and for the record, it wouldn’t have taken me two shots to kill the asshole. A bullet to the head would have done it for me.”
He walked out, slamming the door behind him.
London’s heart split open and she slumped into one of the dining room chairs.
“Oh, God. What have I done?”
*
Mason bypassed the elevator and took the stairs two at a time. Adrenaline and anger soared through his veins, propelling him forward like a car without brakes, flying through intersections. How the hell could she not believe him? He had done some shitty things in his life, but he would never lie to her. Never.
“I love you my ass,” he growled when he reached the garage. He yanked the door open, not giving a damn that it slammed against the wall. This was why he didn’t do relationships. They only came with bullshit drama. And he didn’t do drama. If he had never let London get close, she never would have been able to rip out his heart.
It’ll be a cold day in hell before I ever let anyone get that close again.
Chapter Thirteen
London pulled her suitcases from the walk-in closet and placed them on the bed, tears clouding her vision. She didn’t want to leave Atlanta, but she didn’t know what else to do. For the past week she hadn’t been able to sleep or eat. She had screwed everything up with Mason and would never forgive herself for hurting him. He wouldn’t take her calls. He didn’t answer his door. He hadn’t been at the club. If it weren’t for Cameron, she wouldn’t even know if Mason was dead or alive. He had called Cameron a few days ago saying that he was fine, but needed some time away.
London didn’t blame him for not wanting anything to do with her. Cameron had told her to give Mason time, that he would come around. For some reason, Cameron and Harper thought that Mason loved her too much to stay away for too long. But London knew better. They hadn’t seen the hurt and anger in his eyes when he walked out the door.
Breathing hard, London sat on the side of the bed trying to catch her breath. She hadn’t made much progress in packing because her body was fighting her. She not only had to leave Atlanta to get her head straight regarding Mason, but she had to get her asthma under control. The humidity wasn’t helping, but neither was the stress, crying, and the sleepless nights. All were probably playing a role in the flare-ups.
London ran her hands down her face, determined not to shed another tear. She glanced at the clock on the side table. Twelve-thirty. She’d wanted to be on the road hours ago. After not being able to fall asleep, she had finally made the decision that she needed to get out of town. A road trip to Chicago would be the perfect distraction. It was one of her favorite cities and a good place to regroup.
Needless to say her boss, Carol, the station manager, had been surprised when she called that morning to resign. She had never left a job without giving a two-week notice, but though she enjoyed the work, the hours were killing her. After a long conversation, Carol suggested London not resign, but take a few days and think about what she really wanted for her career. London wanted to hug her through the phone line. Carol always came across like a mother to many of London’s co-workers and that was no different where London was concerned. When they had talked that morning, the compassion she felt from Carol’s words of encouragement and support had her thinking about her mother.
“Okay, Lond
on, don’t go there,” she told herself. She needed to get moving. Bringing the back of her hand to her top lip, London dabbed at the perspiration forming there. Even with the air conditioner on, the room still felt muggy. She went to the closet and started removing her clothes from hangers, but her hand stalled on the red dress—the dress she had purchased solely with Mason in mind.
Her heart pounded an unsteady beat as she held the garment to her chest, emotion clogging her throat. Her life was a mess. When she had decided to move back to Atlanta, she’d high expectations. This was supposed to be the best year of her life. A new chapter. She was home. She was with the only family she had, the Bennetts, and had finally landed her dream job. Yet nothing had turned out as planned.
Unable to hold back the tears, she crumbled to the floor of the closet and sobbed. A hopelessness she hadn’t felt in months washed over her. Days like this she wished she had her mother. Even though London had been young when her mother passed away, she remembered talking to her about anything. She remembered the hugs and the whispers of encouragement against her ear, letting her know that everything was going to be okay. What she wouldn’t give to have her mother back.
London didn’t know how long she’d been in the closet when she struggled to stand. Blowing out a ragged breath, she righted herself. The tears and self-pity had to stop. Life goes on even after heartbreak.
She grabbed more clothes from the closet and set them on the bed, before moving to the dresser. She still had to get her toiletries together and she wanted to wash the linens before she left. At this rate, she wouldn’t get on the road until late afternoon.
“Hey, do you want to—” Harper started but stopped as she stood in the bedroom doorway eying the suitcases before walking farther into the room. “What are you doing?”
“Hey,” London said. Harper had spent the day and night with Hunter, so they hadn’t had a chance to talk. “I didn’t realize you were home. And to answer your question, I’m getting away for a little while. But I want you to know how much I appreciate you letting me stay with you. You have truly been a godsend. I don’t know what … I would have done … without you these last few months,” she said between breaths, frustrated with her body. She took a sluggish breath in and blew it out slowly, unable to hold back a cough.
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