by Inara Scott
“I never wanted to trick you. But what choice did I have? There are a million ways we could have done this together, but you wouldn’t know that, because you refused to talk to me about it. The whole concept of letting people help doesn’t seem to exist in your world.” His voice tightened, went rough. “For God’s sake, you didn’t even call me when your house burned down.”
She winced at the memory of that night. Of her terrified flight home and the feeling of relief when he’d arrived. She’d been running ever since then, really. Running away from Mason. Running away from her own feelings.
“I know you don’t understand why I have to do this,” she said. “Cece doesn’t, either. But I’ve depended on people in the past, and I watched my mother go from man to man, and I know what happens. You lose. You lose every time.”
“You are not your mother, and I’m not those guys. I’m not that asshole who left you in a motel room when you were sixteen and pregnant. I don’t know how to heal scars like that. I wish I did. I wish I could erase what you went through, but then you wouldn’t be you, and that would crush me because I’m in love with you. Not some perfect, idealized version of you. This you. I just wish there was some way to convince this you that not everyone leaves. Not everyone takes advantage of you if you show weakness.”
A thick lock of hair fell in her face, and she pushed it back, fighting for control. “I never thought you were going to take advantage of me. I just…I just didn’t know what to do.”
He had approached her from behind, and she felt it when he stopped, a few inches away. “Tess, look at me.”
She tightened every muscle in her body, knowing it would take everything to resist him right now. Slowly, she forced herself to turn her body and meet his gaze.
“Am I just a friend to you? Is that really all this means?”
The question was so patently, obviously stupid she swung out, hitting him on the chest with the flat of her hand. “Of course not, you idiot! But you happen to scare the crap out of me, okay? One minute you’re a headline, San Francisco’s most eligible bachelor, the guy with a four-date rule. And now you’re in love with me? And I’m supposed to just trust that?”
He caught her hand and held it against his heart. “I wake up every morning wondering if you’re still there. I leave for work and I don’t know if you’ll be here when I get back. You’ve disappeared on me twice already. You aren’t the only one who’s scared.”
“I don’t…” The words caught in her throat. “I’ve never…” Golden-flecked eyes were staring at her with a feral sort of intensity that made it almost impossible to breathe. For the first time it occurred to her that he needed to hear the words as much as she had. She gulped air, seeking for the strength to be honest with him. “Of course that’s not what this is about. I…I…” She trailed off, mouth flopping like a goldfish. “I…”
He glared at her. “Seriously? Are you seriously going to make me walk out of here?”
She swallowed. “Would you?”
“Damn right I would,” he roared. “Now finish your damn sentence so I don’t have to!”
A tiny hint of relief broke over her, and something that was a cross between a laugh and a sob rose up in her chest. “Did you really buy a plane ticket? And pack your bag?”
He marched over to the door and unzipped the suitcase. When he showed her the contents, tears crested in her eyes.
It was empty.
“Connor told me I needed to do something dramatic. It was the only thing I could think of.”
“You let Connor give you relationship advice? Now I know you’re crazy.”
“You’d be surprised. He knows a lot about bodies in motion.”
“If you say so.”
He held up the suitcase. “Should I be packing, Tess? Because I am crazy in love with you, but I can’t do this all by myself.”
“No. Don’t go.” She finally forced the words out over a crest of emotion. “Of course I love you, you crazy man. That’s why I keep running away. You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. Things I never expected to feel.” She walked over and pulled the suitcase from his hand and set it down on the ground, then touched his jaw with a tentative hand. “I don’t have a lot of experience with this. Or rather, I don’t have any experience with this. All I knew was that the deeper my feelings went, the more terrified I got. It never occurred to me you might feel the same way.”
When he finally reached for her, the touch was electric. He fit her against him as her arms encircled his neck. He kissed her softly, gently. “Well, I do. Every day of my life is better now that you’re in it. Now, say it again.”
She felt her cheeks grow warm. “I love you.”
“Once more?” He looked so hopeful, she couldn’t help but smile.
“I’m completely and utterly in love with you.”
“Good.” He kissed her again, and this time she felt the stamp of commitment. Of finality. Of a door closing on years of doubt and fear, and another opening to a lifetime of love and trust. “Because I don’t think I could face Connor giving me any more relationship advice.”
“I can’t think of anyone less qualified to give you that advice. Except maybe Nate.”
He gave a sheepish laugh. “I have to admit, Nate also told me not to lie to you about buying the lot. I finally figured if Nate was telling me I was being too high-handed, I definitely needed to rethink my plan.” Then his expression turned serious. “Is there any way I can convince you to stay here with me?” he asked. “I’m not asking you to give up your land. I would never do that. But is there any way you could think of this as your home, too? Here, with me?”
A knot inside her slipped loose. “I told you once that my grandmother’s house was the only place I’d ever felt safe. And that was true. But I feel safe with you. I don’t know if any other place will ever feel quite like the home I lost. But you feel like home to me. Does that make any sense at all?
He kissed her again, whisper light. “It does. Now, is there any chance you’ll let me help you find a way to rebuild out there?”
She pulled back to study him, the glimmer of a thought rolling around in her head. “I’ve actually got a really good idea for what I want to do next. It may be crazy. I don’t know. But I’ll definitely need your help.”
“Good.” He kissed a path from the base of her throat to the edge of her jaw, then took her face in his hands. “Crazy or sane, it doesn’t matter. As long as we’re together.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later…
Tess shaded her eyes from the crisp autumn sunshine as she stepped out of the car and set Astro onto the ground next to her. A light breeze played with her hair, the air rich with the smell of fall, and she stood beside the car, marveling as she always did when she came back and watched her crazy idea become a reality.
“The windows look great,” Mason observed, closing the car door behind him. “And I love the paint colors Gracie picked out.”
The construction site was still a mess, with puddles of water from a recent storm, stacks of discarded lumber, and a pile of gravel near the newly poured sidewalk. Landscaping wouldn’t go in for months, and the interior had barely been touched. But the houses were up and standing and, according to the builders, should be ready for move in by January. They were both Craftsman styles, with deep front porches and low, sloping gables over the porch. Tess’s house had a single large dormer with windows over the centered front doorway, while Gracie’s had twin dormers on either side of a center gable, along with a small balcony between them.
“I still can’t believe things went so smoothly this summer. Christine thought it would take months to get all the permits.”
“I guess Nate was right about the builder. He’s done an incredible job.”
Tess covered her ears. “I refuse to give Nate any more credit. He’s smug enough as it is. I think the one we have to thank is Christine. She figured out all the crazy legal stuff, not to mention how the loan would work.�
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“What about me?” He frowned. “Don’t I get any credit?”
She grinned at him. “Goodness, you men are so insecure. Yes, Mr. Moneybags. Without you we never would have been able to make any of this happen.”
The idea had been straightforward—Tess would divide her lot and sell half to Gracie, who had been saving her money for years in the hopes of someday buying a house. She’d use the money from Gracie to build on her half, and by selling at a reasonable price and helping with the construction process, she’d make it possible for Gracie to finally build and own her own home. But the reality had been far more complicated. Between the permitting and financing, they’d needed help from someone with deep pockets who was willing to advance them the money they needed to get the project off the ground.
Tess had been nervous about mixing up her relationship with Mason and a financial transaction, but he’d made the whole thing incredibly simple. He’d set up a short-term low-interest loan and worked directly with the builders to get the project launched. Once the houses were built, Gracie would get a regular mortgage and pay him back—and she’d have equity built into the house, because the land was so valuable.
Tess would also have a small mortgage based on the construction costs. But unlike Gracie, who couldn’t stop talking about how excited she was, Tess wasn’t counting the days until she could move in.
In fact, she wasn’t thinking about moving in at all.
“You have the keys?” Tess asked. This was their first chance to go inside since the builders had put in the kitchen cabinets and installed the new door.
“I do.” Mason cleared his throat. His face had taken on a strange, almost greenish cast, and Tess squinted at him.
“Are you feeling okay? You don’t look right.”
“I’m fine.” He motioned for her to head toward the house.
She hoped he wasn’t getting sick. If there was one thing she’d discovered in six months of living with Mason, it was that he did not deal well with having a cold. Somehow he managed to turn a sore throat into a near-death experience, or at least a national emergency.
She clucked to Astro, who stayed close by Tess’s side, having little interest in getting her paws muddy. Walking up the path to the house, Tess imagined purple and white pansies flanking the concrete, just like the ones her grandmother had planted every summer. It meant a lot to her, it really did, to think of the new house and how—with a lot of help—she’d been able to restore what had once been a magical place. But the thought of living there no longer stood out in her mind like a sort of talisman. She had her memories of Grandma and how much she’d always been loved by her. That was all that really mattered.
She stopped on the front porch. “You sure it’s okay for Astro in there? She doesn’t have her work boots on.”
“It’s fine. I checked with the builder.” Mason pulled the keys from his pocket but fumbled with them as he did and dropped the key ring in front of the door. He flashed a smile as he bent to pick them up, but somehow the expression only highlighted the strange pallor of his skin.
She reached out to touch his forehead. “You feel clammy. I think you’re really coming down with something.”
“That’s funny,” he muttered. “I wonder what it could be.”
When he finally swung open the door and turned on the lights, Tess froze at the sight. The door opened into a foyer that led directly to an open living space. There were no floors yet, just subflooring, but someone had strung little white lights all around and across the room, making the interior feel like something between a construction site and a fairy wonderland.
“Oh, Mason, what did you do?”
He motioned toward her legs. “May I?”
She furrowed her brow, confused about what he was asking. But then, before she could respond, he slid one hand under her knees and the other at her back and picked her up in one smooth motion.
Her heart skipped. “What’s going on?” The words came out in a squeak.
Without speaking, he carried her into the empty room and set her down under the lights, beside a small table on which sat a large vase full of daisies. She glanced around, noticing that tarps had been spread over piles of equipment, and a broom leaned against the wall. Someone had spent time sweeping and cleaning the living room.
That someone was now nervously patting his pockets. Tess felt her head begin to spin.
He wasn’t…
This couldn’t be…
Unable to speak, she watched, mesmerized, as he slowly reached inside his pocket, withdrew a small box, and then dropped to one knee.
“Tess Papion, starting with the first day we met, you’ve changed my life. You’ve challenged and inspired me and made me a better man. I want to wake up every morning with you beside me and fall asleep every night with you in my arms.”
He started to say something else, but Astro decided that was the perfect moment to jump up and try to give him a kiss. He sighed and glanced up at Tess, who was trying not to smile. When he didn’t immediately respond, Astro jumped again, this time resting her paws on his thigh and giving a sharp, ladylike bark.
“Astro,” he said, “we talked about this. You know, the big moment?” He stroked the top of her head and she barked again. “Any chance you want to sit down and be quiet, so I can get out my speech?”
Tess snapped her fingers. “Astro, sit.”
Mason made a sound of disgust when she immediately obeyed. “I thought by now she was supposed to listen to me, too.”
“She does,” Tess said. “When she’s in the mood. But is there any chance you want to keep going?” She motioned toward the box in his hand. “Did you want to say something about that, maybe?”
“Hmm. I suppose I do.” His eyes gleamed with humor. “But I wonder if it’s okay for me to stand up? This bended knee thing is ridiculous.”
Tess raised her hands, tears sparkling in her eyes, turning the room into a kaleidoscope. “Please, go right ahead.”
Mason stood and opened the box, revealing a sparkling diamond. “My darling, my love. You are the strongest, smartest, and most caring person I know. We could live in a house or an apartment, in the city or the Valley. I would follow you wherever you want to go, as long as we are together.”
He pried the ring from the box, and Tess couldn’t help but notice that his hands were shaking. “Will you marry me?”
Astro barked, and Tess’s throat swelled shut. She opened her mouth to speak, but when no words came, she nodded instead, finally managing to squeak out, “Yes. Yes!”
He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. With a shaky laugh, she threw her arms around his neck. “You taught me how to trust. You show me every day what it means to be loved. I can’t think of anything I want more than to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He captured her lips with a single, perfect kiss, then whispered into her ear, “Thank goodness. I wasn’t sure how we would explain it to Astro otherwise.”
She looked down at the dog, who was gazing adoringly at them, and laughed.
“I love you,” Mason said, turning back to her and taking her face in his hands. “I love you now and forever.”
“Now and forever,” she said, as a tear slipped from her eye. “Now and forever.”
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About the Author
Inara wrote her first book when she was fifteen—a romance called “A Wild and Stormy Passion” that featured swordplay, a pirate heroine, and plenty of naughty bits (all of which came entirely from her imagination). Since then, she’s written romances of the category, contemporary, and fantasy varieties. Her books are sinfully sensual and deeply emotional. Inara reserves the right to enjoy country music, puppies, and love at first sight. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time wandering around in the woods and has been known to occ
asionally dress up her little white dog in princess costumes.
Also by Inara Scott…
Rules of Negotiation
The Boss’s Fake Fiancee
Falling for Mr. Wrong
Reforming the Playboy
Seducing the Girl Next Door
Radiant Desire
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