by Inara Scott
She would call Erica in a few hours and see if she could recommend someone who walked dogs in the city. Wick would be fine with a couple of walks a day. He didn’t need her. And she could get back on the schedule at the vet clinic. Salvador, the manager at the apartment building down the block, had also left her a message that he had a new job for her at another apartment complex. She had a lot to do. She simply didn’t have the time to worry about Mason.
Her computer screen had gone blank, so she swiped her finger over the track pad to wake it up. She hadn’t accomplished a thing this morning other than to retrieve Astro from Gracie, who had kept her overnight. She felt bad about having had to ask, because she knew Gracie would get in trouble if her landlord knew she had a dog in the house.
Just one more reason not to spend any more nights as Mason’s place.
She took a sip from her coffee cup and barely choked it down. Cold and bitter.
“That is not a metaphor,” she said to Astro, who was lying on her dog bed near Tess’s feet. “It’s the coffee that’s cold and bitter, understand? Not me. Definitely not me.”
With a groan, Tess pushed back her chair and headed for the kitchen. Maybe a fresh pot would help.
She passed through the hallway and glanced toward the front of the house. Large windows overlooked the street from the living room, and she noticed a sleek black car driving slowly down the street toward her house. It looked like a cross between an SUV and a sports car, and definitely did not belong to one of her neighbors.
A faint feeling of unease passed over her as the car drew closer, then pulled over in front of her house.
“Oh no,” she breathed. Damn it, she knew that car. She’d ridden in that car last night.
A tall figure stepped out of the car and headed for her porch. A wave of dizziness passed over her. Why on earth was he there? What could he possibly want? Astro barked when she saw the man on the steps and ran for the front door. Tess followed, picking up buckets as she went and stashing them in the dining room. There was no rain in the forecast today, and Mason already saw too much.
He didn’t need to see everything.
After taking a deep breath, she opened the door and pointed to the rotten floorboard. “Watch your step.” Some time ago, she’d gotten a can of white spray paint and outlined and put a big “X” through it so no one would walk on it. Hopefully that would suffice.
Astro barked and ran outside, jumping up on Mason’s leg. He tucked something he was carrying under his arm, picked her up, and rubbed behind her ears as he made his way toward Tess.
She stayed in the doorway and tried to focus on her dog, who had surrendered into Mason’s arms with an adoring expression that probably looked a lot like Tess had last night. “I try not to pick her up too much. I don’t want her to think she’s a baby.”
“Good morning to you, too.” He stopped in front of her and gently set Astro to the ground. Then he studied her silently.
“What are you doing here?” she blurted out when she was unable to bear his regard any longer.
“I figured you probably meant to invite me over.” Smoothly, he ducked past her and into the house. He stopped in the dining room. She could feel him taking it all in, from the buckets to the sideboard that held her grandmother’s old china. “This was your grandparents’ place, right?”
“Yes. Mason, what are you doing here? I told you I had a lot to do.” She tucked her hair behind her ear.
“I know.” He held up the object he’d been carrying. It was a slim silver thermos. “I figured you needed some decent coffee.”
Her stomach did another somersault. Resolutely, she held up her cup. “Thanks, but I’ve got it covered.”
He continued to walk through the house. He paused to study a picture on the mantel of Tess and her grandmother. It had been taken a few years before she passed away, not long after Tess had moved back in. They stood at the entrance to the path into the woods behind the house. Tess was just coming out of her rebellious phase then, still wearing lots of dark makeup, along with a tight miniskirt and tank top. Cece had taken the picture, and because it had been the last time her grandmother had been strong enough to take that hike, Tess cherished it. Grandma had declined pretty steeply after that. The last couple of years, she only left the house to go to the doctor, which she would rarely agree to do.
“How old are you there?” he asked.
“Seventeen,” she said.
“May I?” He held out his hand toward the picture, asking permission to pick it up. She nodded. He studied it more closely. “Where were you living when you got pregnant?”
The question should have surprised her, but it didn’t. “In Phoenix. With my mother. Sort of.”
“Sort of?”
“She was never around much.”
“And the guy?”
She shrugged. “Not worth the time to describe him.” She took a deep breath and gestured toward the thermos. “Why don’t I get you a cup for your coffee.”
“Sure.”
He handed her the thermos and followed her into the kitchen, with its speckled white Formica counters and lime green linoleum floor. She poured out what was left in her cup, then opened the thermos and split its contents between her mug and a clean one she pulled out of the dish-drying basket beside the sink. Without prompting, he retrieved the cream from the fridge and added some to each cup. The ritual was so familiar it was painful. She gestured toward the round wooden table in the corner as she spooned sugar into her coffee. “Have a seat.”
Astro pawed at his leg, and with casual ease, he lifted her into his lap.
A hint of humor broke at the corner of her mouth. “For a guy who doesn’t like little dogs, you seem pretty comfortable carrying her around.”
“I guess I’ll just have to cling to my big TV and beer to prove I’m a man.” A smile ghosted his lips for a moment before his expression returned to somber. “Your mother, what happened to her?”
“You don’t know how to let it go, do you?”
“No. Not today.”
She took a shaky breath. “I don’t know. She’s still in Phoenix, I assume. Or maybe not. She didn’t like staying in one place.”
“Did she know what happened to you?”
“She wouldn’t have cared.”
He leaned forward. “Tell me about it.”
The window over the sink overlooked the side yard, where a tangle of overgrown shrubs made a wall of green between her house and the closest neighbor. At the far corner of the yard was the beginning of the footpath that led into the green space that followed a winding ridgeline and the ravine behind it. For years, she’d retreated to those bushes and that quiet path when things at home were their most bleak, and she wished she could do that now. But something about Mason’s undivided attention made it impossible to retreat, or hide herself away.
“I didn’t have the money to go on the pill. We were using condoms, but then he started complaining about that and I didn’t know what to do. We were staying in a hotel. I was trying to get a job, but no one wanted to hire a grubby sixteen-year-old with an attitude problem. When I showed him the pregnancy test he packed up his bag and left. I never heard from him again.”
She gave a short, harsh laugh. “At first, I thought he was just surprised. But then when night came and he didn’t return, I realized he wasn’t coming back.” She’d been terrified, alone in that room with no idea what to do next. She’d walked the eight miles back to her mother’s apartment, let herself inside, and waited on the couch for her mother to return. But by the time she had, three weeks later, Tess was no longer pregnant.
And that was when she’d made a vow never to rely on anyone, ever again.
“I’m sorry you went through that.” His voice was soft.
She forced a laugh. “I guess it made me stronger, right?”
“How did you make your way back here?”
“My grandmother called. She was sick and needed someone to take care of her. But really
, I think she was just trying to save me. She’d been trying to do that all my life, but my mom wouldn’t let her step in. I’d probably be on the street now if it weren’t for her. She gave me a reason to try to make myself better.”
“When did she die?”
“About five years ago.”
She could feel his eyes on her, taking in every line, every inch of her body. “You’re incredible.”
That was a joke. She forced herself to turn back toward him. For the sake of her dignity, she couldn’t fall apart. Not now. “Look, I appreciate that, and I had a great time last night, but we both know where this is heading. I thought it would be easier not to drag it out.”
“See, that’s the funny thing. Because I don’t know where this is heading.”
She gave a short laugh. “Come on, Mason. You were there when they told me about your four-date rule last night. I figured I’d save you the effort of trying to find a way to let me down easy.”
“The four-date rule?” His voice got quiet. “This is about that?”
“I’m not the smartest tool in the shed, Mason, but I’m not a complete idiot. Your friends were pretty clear that I shouldn’t be making any plans to stick around.”
His gaze went flinty. “And after all the time we’ve spent together—including last night—you figured you’d let a bunch of strangers you’d just met tell you all you needed to know about me?”
“I’ve known you for two weeks, Mason. They’ve known you for, what, ten years? What was I supposed to think?” He didn’t respond right away, and she swallowed hard. “Look, I have three assignments due on Tuesday, about six hours of yard work at the apartment building tonight, and I’ve asked Erica to put me back on the schedule at the clinic. I don’t have time for drama. We had fun last night, but that’s all it was. Anyway, you don’t really need me around anymore. Wick just needs walks like any other dog. He doesn’t need a paid companion.”
“So now this is about Wick.”
“Is there some other reason you’re paying me four hundred dollars a day?” Her chin tilted defiantly. “I’m not sleeping with my boss.”
He exhaled sharply. “You want to be fired? Fine. You’re fired.”
“Too late,” she snapped. “I already quit.”
“Good. Then you can’t sue me for harassment.” He set Astro on the ground and rose.
Every instinct told her to flee. But Tess had always been good at ignoring her own best instincts. She raised a hand to maintain his distance. “If I’m so crazy for believing Luke, tell me the truth. What’s the deal with the four-date rule?”
He sighed. “It’s just a joke. A guy thing. Nate made it up.”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t believe that. Zoe mentioned it to Cece, too. She texted me this morning. There must be some truth there. What is it?”
He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “The truth? I don’t know. I guess the truth is that I just don’t do commitment. I never have.”
“Never?”
He leaned back against the table. “I had my first feminine disaster in middle school. Brittany was in eighth grade, I was in seventh. She kissed me behind the school after practice one day and told me she wanted to be my girlfriend. I said no. Honestly, I didn’t have a clue what to do with her. I was too young for my grade, but because I was big and had no trouble keeping up in class, they kept moving me ahead. I just wanted to play football. Brittany told everyone that I’d strung her along and broken her heart.”
“And people believed it?”
“People believe what they want to believe. In ninth grade, I dated a couple of different girls but again, all I really cared about was football, so nothing ever lasted. People started saying I just used girls and dumped them when I got bored. Even my family started giving me a hard time for being the love ’em and leave ’em type. I had my first real girlfriend in tenth grade—not a cheerleader or anything, just a nice girl from my math class—but I was a lousy boyfriend. My first priority was my team and the game. After we broke up, my sister Gillian told me if I was going to be such a jerk, I shouldn’t go out with anyone at all.”
“That’s a little harsh.”
Mason gave her a crooked smile. “I am probably the least-deserving person in the world for sympathy. It wasn’t like I was dying to get into a long-term relationship. And then I had the best excuse not to get seriously involved with anyone.”
Tess considered his profile. That classic bone structure, like something from a Greek statue. The firm jaw, finely shaped lips. Thick, golden hair and arched brows. Was it any wonder everyone expected him to break hearts?
“So basically, everyone expected you to be a player, so you became one?”
“I don’t like hurting people, and I don’t like letting people down. It’s a whole lot easier not to make promises than it is to break them.”
“How did four dates become the limit?”
He gave a short laugh. “I’m telling you, it’s not a real rule. I guess lately that’s just been the way it’s gone. I dated a few women more seriously when I was living in Boston. But I think the longest was a few months.”
“No broken engagements?”
“I couldn’t even get that far. I tried once—asked a woman to move in with me. I had visions that maybe she was the one. But she just laughed. She didn’t think I was serious. Even when I told her I was, she just sort of smiled and shook her head. Said I wasn’t built that way and it was pointless to try.”
Tess studied his face, noticed the sadness underneath his relaxed exterior. Being turned down that way had hurt him. He didn’t like to admit it, but it had. “Well, that’s awful.”
He shrugged. “She was right. I wanted it to work, but I guess I just wasn’t made with the commitment gene.”
Tess rested her back against the counter. “You wouldn’t be the first, I suppose. But I’m not sure getting turned down by a woman who obviously didn’t know you very well is the true test of your capacity for love.”
He waved off the suggestion. “What’s your dating record? You said it had been years since you’d slept with someone.”
“Yeah, it took me a while to get back on my feet after the pregnancy, and longer than that before I slept with anyone again. Before the pregnancy, I just wanted someone to care about me, and sex seemed like a good way to get that. But after…” She trailed off, struggling to find the right words. “I didn’t get out much while I was taking care of my grandmother. My neighbor, Gracie, stayed with her while I was working, but I didn’t like leaving her alone any more than I had to. And then after she died I had a lot of debts to pay down. We didn’t have any money, and being sick is really expensive. I ran up credit cards for medications, and it took a lot of work to pay that off. Now, I’m really busy. I don’t meet a lot of people. And honestly, I don’t have a lot of trust left in me. Which seems like a sort of basic prerequisite to having a relationship.”
He gave a short laugh. “Sounds like you’ve got your own version of the four-date rule.”
“Yeah, it’s more like a no-date rule, but I guess the theory is the same. Don’t get involved when you know what the end result is going to be.”
He moved beside her, and she felt the pull of him. She shot him a wry smile as she moved a few feet to the right. “I wish you’d stop doing that.”
“What?”
“I don’t think very well when you’re standing near me.”
Some of the tension between them eased, and he followed in her path, keeping them close. “You mean like this? This makes it hard for you to think straight?”
Her voice grew husky. “Something like that.”
He moved in front of her and put one hand on the counter on either side of her hips, trapping her body against his. “What about this? Are you thinking straight now?”
“Can’t say that I am,” she managed to squeak out.
A soft kiss landed on her neck. Then another behind her ear. “I could do this, and you couldn’t
come up with a reason to object?”
“Mason!” Her voice was as garbled as her thoughts. He was a bad influence. A disaster waiting to happen. So why was she letting him kiss her?
His hand teased along her waist, stroking and gliding the vulnerable spot between her navel and her ribs. “That’s interesting. What if I told you that I wanted you back in my bed, as soon as possible, and it didn’t matter that we were both totally unfit for a relationship? Would you disagree?”
“This isn’t a good idea.” Awful, wonderful things were happening between her legs as he continued to stroke her skin. Instead of pushing him away, she found herself relaxing against him.
“I think it’s a great idea.”
She sucked in a breath as he lowered his mouth to her collarbone at the same time he unbuttoned the top of her pants, then let his hands trace a path up her shirt. “Tell me one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Why me?”
He paused to meet her gaze. “Because I can be real with you. You see all of me, Tess. I’ve never been with anyone like that. They all expect something from me. You want the real me.”
The warmth of his gaze dissolved her remaining inhibitions, but did nothing to calm her fears. Because what she gave him was a novelty. He’d said so himself. It wouldn’t be enough to keep him. “I’m not interested in dating anyone.”
“That’s good, because dating isn’t really my thing.”
“Wha…” He was tracing the edges of her breasts now, gently stroking their sensitive tips through the thin fabric of her lacy bra, and her head was spinning. She fought for control. “What is your thing?”
“You. And me. Whatever we’re doing. Which clearly isn’t dating.”
Cool air hit her belly as he lowered her zipper. Involuntarily, she gripped the counter behind her as he gave a tug on the material at either side of her hips. Her jeans fell in a puddle around her ankles.
“I knew your fondness for baggy pants would come in handy someday.” His hands were strong and warm as he lifted her to the counter, slipping her pants from her ankles. “Honestly, Tess, I have nothing to offer you. And you deserve a lot more than that—you deserve everything, really. But I’m selfish enough that I don’t want to let you go.”
