Her eyes locked on mine, and I ran my tongue over my bottom lip. Was sex a horrible idea? Would she stop me if I tried? Her gaze flitted to the drawer—which we both knew was full of condoms—then came back to me. Wait. Did that mean she wanted this too?
But a knock at the door broke the silence. She sat up and stared at it.
I turned toward the door, not sure if I should be pissed or thankful for the intrusion. “Were you expecting someone?” I asked.
She grabbed her tank top and pulled it over her head. Then tossed me my shirt. “No. Let me see who it is.”
As she walked to the door, she adjusted her skirt, tugged her shirt then smoothed her hair. It didn’t help much though because she still looked more disheveled than not. She opened the door and said, “Hey.”
“I was looking for Mason…”
Colby. I stepped out of her room.
He paused when he saw me then glanced between us. His gaze shifted back to me, and he’d have to be an idiot to not catch on to the fact that he’d shown up at a bad time—and with the way he sort of rambled when he talked, clearly he’d figured it out. “I, uh, called your phone but you didn’t answer, so I stopped by figuring you were pissed at me. But when you weren’t there I thought you might be over here.”
“Yeah. What’s up?” I walked up behind Felicity, who stepped to the side, allowing us to talk.
“Owen called me, and, well, I owe you an apology. I’ve been an asshole to you all week, and I feel shitty about it.”
“It’s cool. I get it. You thought I’d done something pretty fucked-up. No harm, man.”
“I haven’t said anything yet, but I think it’s only fair to you if we clear it up with my dad too. No point in making you look like the asshole in this whole situation.”
I shrugged, really not giving a shit what Uncle John thought about all this. “It’s fine. I don’t want him busting Owen’s balls over it.” Not to mention I’d say whatever it took for Colby to leave so I could go back to figuring out what was about to happen with Felicity had he not shown up.
“Yeah,” he went on, “but he’ll also think you were messing around with another girl, and, you know…” He gestured to Felicity. “Dad loves Felicity, and if you guys are, uh, dating…”
Well, fuck. I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe I didn’t care what he thought but would she? I plopped down on the couch and ran my hands through my hair. “Yeah, shit.” I looked at her. “What do you think?”
Her face twisted into some hard-to-read expression, like maybe she was annoyed or frustrated, then she shook her head. “I don’t care. Whatever you think.”
But I’d seen through her indifference. If I knew Felicity, then she didn’t care what people thought because it wasn’t their business either way. It was between her and me, and no one else. This whole town seemed to have their nose in her relationships, and she was sick of it.
I shrugged. “Let your dad think what he wants. No point in dragging the kid down. Tell Owen it’s not a big deal. Felicity is cool with it, and so am I. Let’s forget it happened.”
She smiled at me, like I’d said exactly what she’d hoped to hear. And I smiled back, happy that I could read through her emotions.
Colby nodded. “Okay, if y’all are good, I’m good.” He glanced between us again then looked toward the bedroom, where his gaze paused, then he spun away. And I knew exactly what he must’ve spotted, because I’d noticed them the second I’d sat down too. Felicity’s aqua-blue lace panties. Right in her doorway.
“I’ll let you guys, uh…See you later.” He headed for the door looking extremely flustered, and I tried not to laugh.
Felicity looked completely confused as she said ’bye then closed the door behind him. She glanced back and froze.
I grinned at her. “Guess he noticed those.”
“Oh my God, you knew they were there? Just lying around for anyone to see?”
“I saw them about halfway through our conversation, but what was I supposed to do? Pick them up? I was trying not to draw attention.”
She laughed. “The color doesn’t exactly help.”
“Hey, I’m not the one who chose that color.”
“But you are the one who took them off me,” she pointed out.
I smirked. “Yeah, no regrets there.”
She bit her lip then asked, “You want to stay the night? I know you have to be up at some ungodly hour, but stay with me until then?”
Like she even needed to ask. “Okay.”
Chapter 22
Felicity
Mason and I made dinner then watched a movie on my laptop in bed. But at some point, I fell asleep because when I woke, my room was dark, the laptop was on the table beside my head and Mason’s arm was wrapped around me.
My clock read just after two. Mason still had a couple hours of sleep so I stayed still, trying not to wake him. I was used to disrupted sleep, but didn’t want to ruin his.
The T-shirt I’d slept in had bunched around my waist, and Mason’s hand was pressed flush to my stomach. It felt good to have him wrapped around me, listening to his gentle breathing, feeling his warmth behind me. Calming like my ocean. I snuggled in a bit deeper and laced my fingers through his. Mason’s fingers slid between mine, and he nuzzled his head into my neck. Scary how easy it would be to get used to this. Even scarier to think in a few weeks, it’d be gone.
I rolled over and rested my face on his chest, tucking myself into his warmth. If I wouldn’t get many opportunities like this, I had to appreciate the ones I did have. My lips brushed over his skin, and he stirred a bit more. I held still, knowing my constant flipping would wake him. His breathing deepened again and I exhaled. I could spend the next two hours like this with no complaints.
But after a few minutes, Mason seemed to register my shift. His hand glided up my side, his fingers giving me goosebumps as they lightly grazed my skin.
I tilted my head and kissed the underside of his chin then snuggled back into him. But his other hand came to my face and tilted it up, then his mouth was on mine. He kissed me and there was nothing slow or sweet about it. He gripped my ass and rolled onto his back, taking me along with him.
His tongue slipped past my lips as his hands pulled me flush, and judging by the hardness pressing into me…he was very awake. He rocked me against him, and I gasped.
My body found its own rhythm as he pulled my shirt up. I sat up to yank it off, and Mason’s hands went to my breasts. As soon as I freed my arms from my shirt, I slammed my back into him, wanting to feel all his bare skin against my own. His mouth dipped to my chest, and warm wet heat slid over my nipple.
I was nothing but putty in his hands, and there was only one way I wanted this to end. With him inside me. Reaching into the little drawer by the bed, I yanked out the condoms and tore one off. But Mason didn’t stop running his tongue over me as his hands pushed inside my panties.
“Mason,” I practically panted his name. “I need you.”
“I’ve got you” was his only response as his fingers glided into me.
But I was tired of doing things his way. When my body shuddered, I wanted him to be right there with me.
“I want you. Inside me.” I sat upright and held the condom up. “Now.”
“When did…” He glanced at the drawer then back at me. He looked at the condom then started to say something, and I knew in my gut he was about to be the voice of reason…but I’d seen the look in his eyes earlier, and holding back was only for me. Thing is, we’d agreed on day to day, minute by minute. And this was what I wanted now. In this moment. I’d worry about the repercussions later.
The only thing between us was his boxers, so I shifted to my knees and tugged them down. I tore the condom open and slid it on him then looked up. “It’s your turn, Mason. Are you saying stop?”
He shook his head, ran his hands over my stomach then settled them on my hips. “You sure about this?”
I looked him in the eyes as I slowly lowered my
body onto him. His grip tightened as he slipped inside me.
I paused, enjoying the feel of him then said, “No, Mason. I’m not sure about any of this.”
He froze and stared at me, knowing as well as I did it was too late for regret.
“But I am sure about you.” I pressed my hands to his chest and raised myself slightly then slowly lowered. “This is not accidental.” I repeated his words to him. “I know exactly what I’m doing.”
His gaze raked over me, and he licked his bottom lip. “I can see that.”
I smiled at him and rocked forward again. “Then just lie back. I’m going to be here awhile.”
He grinned then pulled me forward. “I’ve thought of about a thousand ways I want to fuck you. So take your time. I have a couple of hours before I have to be at work.”
Of course he’d thought about sex, considering we’d messed around quite a bit, but the idea of him picturing all those ways…well, that was hot.
“Was this one?” I sat back up and dragged my fingers down his chest, making my way to his abs.
“Yeah.” He took a deep breath. “Definitely.”
I moved my hands behind me, resting them on his thighs. My back arched. “Still good?”
His gripped my thighs and groaned. “Yeah.”
“What else?”
He swallowed hard then sat up, wrapping my legs around him. His hands went to my waist, and he dipped me backward then ran kisses over my chest. He grabbed each of my arms and draped them over his neck. Then he moved his hands to my hips and pulled me against him.
My grip tightened where I clung to the back of his neck, and I bit my lip as a moan built in my chest. But he wasn’t done yet. He maneuvered me back, laying me on the bed, and shifted to his knees.
My chest rose and fell as I stared at him, watching the way his body moved expertly over mine. It was crazy sexy and like nothing I’d ever experienced.
When he caught my gaze, the corner of his mouth lifted. His eyes roamed down then darted above my head. He leaned forward, pressing his hand into the mattress beside my head, and kissed me, slow and sweet, then whispered, “Hold on to something.”
There was no headboard, only a wood-paneled wall. What in the world could I hold on to? And why did I need to?
He sat back up, grabbed my ankles and swung my legs up to rest on his shoulders. He glanced above my head again then grabbed my waist and pulled me lower on the bed, closer to him. Then he thrust deep inside me.
My whole body shifted up, and I pressed my hands into the wall above my head to avoid slamming into it. And that was why I needed to hang on.
He paused, his eyes shifting up to where I’d steadied myself with my hands on the wall. “You okay?”
Inhaling a deep, shuddering breath, I nodded. “I’m perfect.”
He grinned. “I’d say.” Then he pulled back slowly and drove his way back in, over and over, until I was nothing but millions of tightly woven sensations. Like pin pricks of pleasure, overloading my brain with arousal.
I bit down on my lip, wanting to take everything he could give me, but I was burning up. My thighs trembled and my stomach pulled tight. At this rate there was no way I’d be able to hold on much longer.
“Mason…”
He grazed his hands up my legs, slowly lowering them on either side of him, then settled over me. His lips moved lightly with mine, much more gently than I would have expected, considering everything we’d just done.
My hands dropped from the wall. I brushed my fingertips over his neck then pushed them into his hair.
With amazing control, he slowed his motions, pulling out then slowly sinking back in. He repeated the process, all while covering my mouth with tender kisses.
And though it seemed impossible for things to get any hotter, the sweet only amped up the sexy. As my body molded to his, I started to lose the fight. My breathing was ragged, and my head spun as my mind drifted into that euphoric place where want and need crescendoed, leaving nothing behind but pleasure. He seemed intent on extending the process, and really, I couldn’t complain about that. Why would I ever want this feeling to end?
Gripping his back, I arched into him, allowing the fullness of him to settle deeper within me.
Mason’s lips drifted from mine and made their way to my ear. “Do you know how many nights I lay in bed thinking about this? The way it’ll feel to be inside you at the exact moment you hold your breath, bite your lip in that sexy fucking way you do and completely give yourself over to me?”
He ran his thumb over my mouth, confirming that I was in fact already biting my lip. Then he pushed up on his elbows and watched as my eyelids drifted shut and my head fell back. He wrapped my leg around his waist and buried himself in me.
Heat exploded in my belly then radiated down my thighs. I gripped Mason’s shoulders as his muscles bunched under my hands and his body tensed. My back arched, and his arm wrapped under me, pressing us flush.
Gasping, I finally slumped back on the bed, and he leaned his forehead against mine. “Fuck, Felicity. And here I thought I had a good imagination.”
I laughed and said, “I’m so in like with you right now.”
He kissed me, slow and sensual. “Mm hmm, all the L-words.”
I tensed.
He studied me then smirked. “Like, lust, longing…”
“Is that it?”
“Do you want it to be?”
“I don’t know yet.”
He ran his thumb over my cheek and whispered, “Let me know when you figure it out.”
—
Mason’s alarm went off, ripping me from a deep sleep.
He quickly silenced it. “Sorry.” He kissed the top of my head and gently pulled his arm from under it.
But I was already awake, the truth of what we’d done hanging over me. On one hand, I was kind of on a surreal high from finally having sex with Mason. It didn’t feel real, wedged between sleep as if only a dream. But on the other hand, I’d broken my rule. One that had been there for a very good reason. I was already scared about the shift it’d cause between us. All my feelings were even more jumbled and confusing than they’d been before, and it terrified me.
Mason pulled his shirt on, followed by his shorts, then leaned back over the bed and gave me another kiss. “You’re making it real hard to leave.”
I smiled. “You need a day off.”
“No shit. I’m not sure why in the hell I decided to spend my last few weeks of summer doing this.”
“Your hours suck, but I’m glad you did.”
The corner of his mouth tugged up. “Me too. What time are you scheduled today?”
“Noon until closing.”
He frowned. “Late night.”
“Yeah.”
“Text me when you get off.” He stood and shoved his phone in his pocket.
“Okay.”
“See you later.”
After he left I lay in bed, unable to go back to sleep but knowing it was too early to get up and do anything. Which left me wide awake with my brain on overdrive.
We could say we’d try to make this work when he left town, but eventually he’d get tired of waiting around. There was no one in Port Lucia I’d want to be with, but he had an entire campus full of prospects back home.
And this was why sex was a bad idea. It complicated relationships—for me, anyway. I wasn’t capable of just sex and add in how much I was already falling for him…What had I done? If things kept going at this rate, I’d end up brokenhearted.
Was it even possible for people to survive two broken hearts in one lifetime? I didn’t think I wanted to figure out the answer to that.
I grabbed my phone and shot a text to Mason.
Me: Since I’ll be home late, want to sleep over? I’ll leave the place unlocked for you.
Mason: Yeah.
Me: One more thing, and please don’t get mad, but…last night probably shouldn’t happen again.
I waited for a response. Considerin
g how quickly the first one came through, I knew it wasn’t a good sign when almost five minutes had passed without one.
Me: You’re mad, aren’t you?
Mason: No.
Me: Then why didn’t you respond?
Mason: Because a text? Really, Felicity? If you don’t want it to happen again, fine. But I think this at least deserves a discussion. One that we both know I can’t get into right now.
He was right. It had been shitty to drop that into a text, and half the reason I did it was to avoid a discussion. Which was juvenile on my part. He deserved to know that I was kind of freaked out about everything. About the way it made me feel. About how I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle things down the road. But it was too much to think about now. So I’d taken the low road and sent him a text.
Me: I’m scared.
Mason: I know.
The conversation ended there. I think in a few words, we’d said it all. Mason wouldn’t give up that easily and there would be a discussion, but for now, it was enough.
Chapter 23
Mason
My head wasn’t in the right place. Hell, maybe it hadn’t been all summer.
Just when it seemed shit was working out with Felicity, she pulled back…again. Not that it should surprise me. I knew better than to rush things with her, and while there were times when I’d felt as if I’d known her forever, the reality was this relationship wasn’t but a few weeks old and moving at lightning speed. We’d clicked. I knew it. She knew it. But maybe that was what made it even scarier. Maybe if neither of us cared where the other one was tomorrow it’d be easier to just enjoy the moment. But damn, that girl had up some serious walls.
And it was all thanks to this guy. Her ex, who was currently standing three feet away from me.
Since one of the crew members threw out his shoulder and couldn’t work, Uncle John decided to borrow Brody from the Bait ’n’ Tackle.
But how did the fact he was Colby’s best freaking friend escape me?
From what I’d gathered, ever since Brody had his kid he’d been busy with his family and work, which explains why I never saw him around Colby’s house. Of course, I had seen them together once. I just hadn’t realized it at the time. That first night at the carnival on the boardwalk he’d come over to say hey, and even asked about Felicity.
Just a Little Kiss Page 19
