Her mouth gaped open. “You could have been killed.”
“Yeah, well, ten-year-olds don’t think about mortality.”
“Clearly, you made it.”
“I did. Because of that, my status was elevated to ‘daredevil.’”
She leaned back in her seat. “From then on, you had a reputation to uphold.” She shook her head.
“It wasn’t as stupid as it sounds. At the time I was the shortest kid around and probably the heaviest. Status was everything back then.”
“You were short? And fat?”
Mason leaned close. “If you look at the photos in the hallway, you won’t see one of Liam. I think he was embarrassed about how he looked.”
Liam chuckled. The son of a bitch was enjoying this. “I’ll admit it.”
“That was a defining moment for you, then.”
He hadn’t thought about it that way. “Maybe. When you have a lot of older siblings, and they’ve already had so many achievements, it’s hard to be special in your parents’ eye.” Shit. He shouldn’t have let that slip. He shoved a mouthful of spaghetti into his mouth.
Sarah seemed to let it go and turned to Mason. “Where are you from?”
“Boise.”
Liam wondered how long it would take for Sarah to pull out the details of his roommate’s life.
Mason gobbled the rest of his food and pushed back his chair. “I just remembered I was supposed to let Riley know the result of today’s investigation.” He pulled out his phone and walked down the hall to his bedroom.
Her barely-there blonde brows pointed south. “What was that about?”
Now he’d have to field questions about his roommate’s abrupt and rude departure. Shit, Mason. “Don’t worry about him, honey. He’ll tell you in due time.”
“Tell me what?”
He shouldn’t be the one to say, but a little hint wouldn’t hurt. “His mom’s dead. It’s not a good subject.”
Her gaze lowered. “Oh.”
As if she was a bit embarrassed, she stabbed at her salad, but only managed to push the ingredients around. “Should I apologize for asking?”
“Hell no. Mason is a big boy. It’s not like he killed her. He was only six.”
Maybe he shouldn’t have let that slip, but secrets were evil things. They were like mold. Once it entered the walls, it was damned hard to get it out. In the meantime, it caused all sorts of health issues.
They finished up in silence. From the way Sarah slowly lifted her fork and took forever to chew, she seemed to think she’d done something wrong, when she hadn’t. Mason was a difficult person to get to know and didn’t let many people inside his head. If he and Mason had any chance of sharing Sarah, there were definitely some walls that needed to crumble.
Chapter Six
As soon as Mason heard the dishes rattling, he figured it was safe to come out of his bedroom. Hiding was akin to being a coward, but he wouldn’t lie to Sarah. Maybe someday he’d tell her how, if he hadn’t fallen asleep in the car, his mom might be alive today.
Both Liam and Sarah were cleaning up.
Liam looked up. “Where are you going?”
“To town.” He wasn’t going to say he needed a break from being around Sarah and that she messed with his mind. He wanted her, but he totally got that she wasn’t in a good place right now.
“Because?” Liam’s lips had firmed.
“I want to.” Mason wasn’t in the mood to discuss his reasons. Sarah would be perfectly safe with Liam. However, from the way her cheeks had slackened, she might be thinking he was leaving because of her. Partly that was true, but not for the reason she’d think. “I’m going to see if I can pick up some scuttlebutt about who might have wanted a revered man dead.”
He grabbed his keys and headed out. What he said to Liam and Sarah was true. The best place to hear stuff would be at the Mountain View Bar & Grill. Both Luke and Preston, the bar owners, were key sources of information. According to what Gavin said about his cousin, Sheriff Justin Bradford, more than once one of the owner’s comments had led to solving a crime.
Inside, the place wasn’t very crowded, but there were a few seated at the bar. Mason would have considered asking one of his other team members to join him, but he figured they’d want to be home with their woman.
He slid onto the barstool. Luke nodded and came on over. “Hey, Mason. What brings you here?”
Ever since all of the shit happened with Harrison Kaplan, his visiting days had been few and far between. “Trying to help out Justin with the Dunwoody murder.”
Luke swiped the counter with a clean cloth before leaning forward. “That was horrible. Preston is out there now, putting up more lighting. I always said that back alley was dangerous.”
“You hear anything?”
“Nah.”
Shit. “Did anyone say they knew him?”
“Nope. But I’ll keep my ears open.”
Well, this was a bust. “Gimme a draft.”
Luke stepped over a few feet and drew a beer and placed it on the counter. “Maybe the medical examiner can give you better details.”
“Maybe.” He sipped the tangy brew and it went down slow and smooth. “I’m worried about Sarah.”
“Sarah? The same Sarah you protected after her abduction?”
“The same.” He told them about the reunion and how Sarah spent some time with Mr. Dunwoody. “He was like her mentor.” He shook his head. “I don’t like it. When we brought her home after the reunion, her key was missing from her purse.” He wouldn’t mention Sarah’s sleepwalking episode. He wasn’t sure that was relevant.
“I hope you got the locks changed.”
“We did, but there’s something going on. Only I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Where is she now?”
Normally, he wouldn’t just blurt out this fact, but he trusted the Caulfield men. “With us.”
“Good. If you need us to do anything, let us know. Chelsea can prepare a wicked meal if you need to stay in the house.” The sparkle in his eyes implied he thought they were having sex with Sarah.
“It’s not like that.”
He shook his head. “Only takes one time, man. Trust me. I know.”
Mason laughed, though he wasn’t feeling a lot of cheer.
* * * *
Sarah didn’t like that Mason had stormed out right after dinner, but she understood that the men were worried about the murder and about her safety. If Mason really thought he could find some clues on a Wednesday night, then so be it.
She and Liam had watched a little television, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open long enough for Mason to return. “Would you be offended if I took a shower and jumped into bed? I think all of this has finally hit me. My body is crashing.”
“Sure, honey. You don’t have to ask permission to do anything. Treat this like your house. Pretend you’ve lived here a decade or more.”
Wouldn’t that be nice? She’d cook with Liam, then they’d all sit around the table and eat a nice meal. Afterward, they’d snuggle up on the sofa.
Not that she was thinking about anything permanent, but tonight had shown her a different side of Liam. He’d been softer, more caring, than what she’d seen two months ago. Or else, she’d been too self-absorbed in her own horror after the abduction to have noticed a different side to him. “Thanks.”
As much as she wanted to wait up for Mason, exhaustion was taking its toll. If she didn’t get some sleep, she’d be a zombie tomorrow. Ugh. The problem was she didn’t want to take that stupid sleeping pill. She entered her room and made sure to close the door. This was really the first time she’d had a moment to herself. There was no doubt that Ceci knew about the murder, either from Liam or Mason telling her or from the general Pleasure gossip vine. Her friend was probably waiting for the call.
She dropped on the bed and called her.
Ceci picked up on the first ring. “Oh, my Lord. How are you? I can’t believe what happened to poor
Mr. Dunwoody.” While she and Ceci hadn’t been in the same math class, both she and her sister, Brooke, had been his students.
“It’s terrible. I still can’t believe it. Why would anyone want him dead?”
“I wish I knew. How are you holding up?”
“Better now that I’m at Liam and Mason’s.” Normally, she wouldn’t announce her location, but most likely she knew anyway.
“They’ll keep you safe.”
Now why would she say that? “Just because someone I know is murdered doesn’t mean I’m in danger. Or do you know something I don’t?”
“No!” Sarah believed her. “So tell me about their house.” Ceci was back to her conspiratorial girl voice.
That made Sarah chuckle. “I can’t believe you’ve never been here.”
“When the guys get together, we’ve always met at Riley and Gavin’s place. They have a nice television.” Ceci had mentioned that her men didn’t have one.
“It’s nice and comfortable. My en suite bathroom is awesome.”
“Why are you talking to me? You should be with your men, snuggling with them.”
Leave it to Ceci to think about sex. Her friend had been such an ice princess before Dylan and Gabe came along. “It’s not like that.”
“Uh-huh.” She cleared her throat. “You do realize they share their woman?”
“I figured, but I’m not so sure that’s what I need right now.” Or ever. She wasn’t ready to talk about her issues, even with Ceci. Sarah yawned loudly. “I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”
“You better show up to our happy hour next Wednesday. I’m sure Brooke will also tell you how wonderful it can be with two men.”
“Stop. I haven’t even kissed them yet.”
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry. I bet you’re missing out on something good.”
Ceci better not have first-hand knowledge. Her words sunk in about happy hour. Crap. “Did you guys meet today?”
“No. We didn’t think it right in light of what happened behind the Mountain View.”
She could understand that. “If my jailers will let me out, I’ll be there next week. For sure.” She didn’t want her life to be interrupted.
“Works for me. Hugs.”
* * * *
Sarah surprised herself when she fell asleep and more or less slept through the night. Her body had been programmed to get up for school, yet when she cracked open an eye, sun was streaming through the windows. The clock said it was after nine. She sat up and smelled the scent of divine coffee trickling under the door.
Noise clattered down the hallway, implying one if not both of the men were home. She bet they were waiting for her, as they probably had to be at work. After washing her face, she changed, and headed to the kitchen.
Only Mason was there, cracking eggs in a bowl.
“Shit.” He dipped a finger in the gooey mess and extracted a shell. He looked up. “Oh, sorry. Liam is being mean and making me cook.”
“Want help?” He was too adorable.
“You mind?”
While she was no gourmet, she could prepare scrambled eggs. “Happy to.” She moved next to Mason, lifted the next egg, and cracked it open—without the shell being attached. “You want to get out the frying pan?”
He grinned. “Know where that is.”
“How did you survive not knowing how to cook?” If his mother died when he was six, was he raised by his dad or did an aunt or grandmother step in and care for him?
He shrugged. “Managed somehow. I’m good with a toaster and a microwave.”
“Ah.”
He pulled the pan from under the island and placed it on the stove. “I thought we could take a ride today.”
His tone sounded upbeat, but she couldn’t tell his motivation for asking. “Don’t you have to work?”
Mason faced her. “Liam is working the case. We do have a few other cases on the back burning, but I’m taking the day off.”
“Are you worried something might happen if you leave me alone?” His eyes shifted ever so slightly. “I can stay in if it will make you feel better. I have my tests to grade.”
Mason edged closer. “Don’t you want to spend the day with me?” He ran a hand down her arm and tingles raced up her body. She liked him, and truly wanted to know more about him.
“I do.”
His grin spread across his face straight to his eyes, acting as if he’d won the lottery. She wished she understood these men better. “Great. Let’s eat and we’ll go for a ride.”
She had a few days before her grades were due, so getting out and not having to worry about anything would be wonderful. In companionable silence, they fixed breakfast. She never knew how much more enjoyable things could be when she shared them. Girlfriends were great, but being with someone so competent—okay, so he wasn’t so great in the kitchen—really made cooking fun.
Mason toasted the English muffins and poured the juice while she heaped the eggs on a platter and placed it on the table.
He strutted over. “I should take a picture for Liam. He didn’t think I could pull this off.”
She laughed. “Go ahead. I won’t tell I helped.”
He scrunched up his face. “You would have to bring that up.”
It was almost as if he and Liam had decided that what she needed was some levity in her life. Right now, she had to agree.
After they finished, Mason helped clear the table and stacked the dishes in the dishwasher.
“Okay, go put on some jeans, boots, and a long-sleeve shirt.”
“For a drive?”
“On a motorcycle.”
She’d never ridden one before, but she trusted Mason to take it slow. “You’ll be careful, right?”
When he edged closer, the heat in the kitchen seemed to intensify. He lifted her chin with his knuckle, and his dark-brown eyes smoldered. “Aren’t I always where you’re concerned?”
That melted her. “Yes. I’ll get ready.” She practically ran down the hallway. She quickly changed and returned. “Where are we going?”
He shrugged. “Wherever our hearts desire.” Mason held out his hand.
Even though they were still in the kitchen, she grasped it. “Sounds good.”
“You don’t need your purse.”
Other than her money, there really wasn’t anything she’d need. It might be nice to be unencumbered for once. “Can I bring my wallet at least?”
“Sure.”
He led her to a garage where a shiny motorcycle stood. It was a Harley-Davidson and looked expensive. She appreciated that the seat behind the driver had a back. “Nice.”
He handed her a helmet. “There’s a microphone inside so we can communicate.”
“Wow.”
He grinned again and put on his helmet then helped her adjust her strap. When his fingers touched her chin, her skin singed. Why did she have to respond so physically to both him and Liam? They were there to protect her. That was all. Right?
Nope.
The men liked her and she liked them. That was a dangerous combination.
Chapter Seven
Mason backed the bike out of the garage and motioned she mount behind him. She had to swing her leg up around him. Good thing her legs were at least average length. If Ceci’s sister had been here, she’d never have made it.
“Put your feet on the metal bars.” Mason’s voice rang through her helmet. That was cool.
She looked down and found the footholds. “Okay.”
“I suggest you hug me tight, angel.”
His comment could imply several things, but after shifting his weight and moving forward, holding on sounded real good. But what to hold onto? At first she grabbed the sides of his thin jacket, only to realize that it slipped on his body. The man had the nerve to laugh.
“Hug me means to wrap your arms around me and clasp your wrists together.”
She did as he suggested, but that forced her chest to plaster against his back. She had to admit that made her fe
el more secure.
“Tell me if I scare you,” he said.
“Trust me. I will.” For this adventure, she wanted to pretend she was the “old” Sarah Jacobsen—the one who was brave and adventuresome, not the woman who’d been kidnapped.
Mason headed west down Wellington Road, but she didn’t care where they went. The bike seemed sturdy, and with the lack of traffic, she didn’t fear they’d be run off the road.
Don’t even think bad thoughts.
She inhaled and looked around. The wind rippled her shirt, and while the air was cool, Mason’s body blocked any chance of being cold.
“You okay back there?” he asked.
“Yes.” Better than okay.
He headed south for a while. The sky was that rich blue that was usually reserved for the coldest of days. The mountains loomed in the distance and fields covered both the east and west sides of the road. The road curved and he leaned to the left. Whoa. She held on tighter and he chuckled.
“Just lean with me, angel, and we’ll be fine.”
Her heart rate spiked, but once he straightened up, she let out a breath. “Where are we going? Or isn’t there a destination?”
“Where do you want to go?”
She’d rather he decide. “With you.” Oh, crap. That sounded a bit too suggestive, but maybe she meant it. They’d only been on the bike for fifteen minutes, but already, she could see the allure. Her pants legs whipped around her ankles, but her chest was warm and toasty. She leaned her head against his back and took in the scenery. The drone of the bike soon became white noise and lulled her into being in the moment. She did have to wiggle in her seat, as her butt was becoming sore, but it was well worth it. No one could get to her here.
After a lot of twists and turns, the engine noise grew deeper and finally he slowed. “Come on. I want to show you something.” She lifted off first then Mason dismounted. He unstrapped her helmet, allowing her to take it off. Her ears still rang from the revving of the engine and her body vibrated. He placed his helmet on the seat. “Ready to be wowed?”
Unexpected Pleasures [Pleasure, Montana 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6
