by Unknown
Mase gave her another squeeze, in warning this time. "First of all, even though it wasn't intentional, I still made you upset and for that, I am sorry. Second, you are not a drama queen or bonkers. You have a rational fear that stems from a childhood trauma. Hell, I was even just thinking how composed you've been all day, considering I have three pools. And last, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. My friends, which are now also your friends, think you're as perfect as I do."
She brought her hand up and caressed his jaw. "Your beard is softer than I thought it would be. You're the first person I've ever kissed with a beard. I thought it would be scratchy, but it's not." She gave him a smile that he felt in his gut. "Thanks for making me feel better."
The feelings those simple words evoked made him feel ten feet tall and made him want to spend the rest of his life making her feel better. He was fast discovering, her happiness was his happiness. Funny how these thoughts didn't freak him out. They felt right.
He lightly brushed his lips over hers, a barely there touch, before pulling back a fraction amount to speak. "Anytime, Angel."
Mase made his way to the living room where he knew he would find Jo. Gage and the gang had left, and Kyle was out for the count, crashing out hard after a day full of sun and fun. He had one objective right now, and he hoped he didn't freak Jo out too much with his suggestion.
She sat on the couch, her back to him, and he watched her a few moments before making a move, smiling when he heard her laugh at the show she watched. He rounded the couch, picked the remote off the coffee table, and flicked off the TV before tossing it on the seat of the couch.
Jo looked up at him, a trace of a smile still on her lips. "Hey, I was watching that."
He held his hand out to her, wiggling his fingers when she took too long to grab it. She tentatively reached for his hand, and he grasped it, pulling her up and into his chest before wrapping an arm around her waist, securing her in a tight hold.
She lightly pushed against his chest, straining her upper body back to look him in the eye. "What's going on?"
"I want to show you something."
Chapter Ten
Jo's smile faded as she studied the serious look on Mase's face. It's funny how, now with the absence of his smile, she realized he usually smiled or grinned at her. His lack of facial levity made her nervous.
"What do you want to show me?" She cautiously asked.
His arm around her waist tightened before he said, "I want you to keep an open mind."
"About what, Mase? You're not making any sense." His vagueness was putting her on edge.
"I want to teach you how to swim."
Just the thought of learning to swim made her heart race and a mild panic start rising in her chest. She opened her mouth, but no words would form and she found it hard to breathe.
"Hear me out."
His hold on her was firm with no chance to get away. What choice did she have but to listen to him? Against her better judgment, she found herself nodding.
"If I teach you to swim, and you know you can't drown, I think it will help lessen your fear of the water."
She was shaking her head before he even finished his sentence. "But I can't even get near a pool, Mase. I freak out."
"I'll hold on to you the whole time. Your head will never go under the water." He released her hand to cup the side of her face, lightly caressing her cheek with his thumb. "Will you please try, for me?"
He used a low, soothing voice, almost hypnotic, and she found herself nodding even though the thought of going in the water petrified her.
He leaned his forehead against hers, sighing deeply. "Thank you, baby."
Jo closed her eyes, feeling a warmth flow through her at Mase's gruffly whispered words.
He kissed her forehead and gave her waist one final squeeze before releasing her. "Go get into your suit, and meet me in the kitchen."
Jo stared transfixed at the glowing water as it rippled in the middle pool. They stood about ten feet away from its edge, and Jo's whole body shook not wanting to move any closer. Mase had a firm grip on her hand, but he wasn't pulling, tugging, or prodding her closer to the pool in any way. He stood steady, waiting patiently for her to get her nerves under control.
With a huff, Jo said, "This is silly. I'm a twenty-six-year-old woman. I shouldn't be this afraid of a swimming pool."
Mase gave her hand a squeeze. "Let's go sit on the steps. I'll hold your hand the whole time." He turned to face her, lifting his free hand to cup her cheek. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?"
Jo closed her eyes and nodded before whispering, "Okay."
Mase gently tugged on her hand and guided her to the steps that led into the water. There was no railing, and she embarrassingly clung to Mase's arm like her life depended on it (though it was fair to note, she honestly did think her life depended on it). The water was warm, only slightly cooler than the evening air, but Jo shivered nonetheless as her feet hit the first step.
"We'll sit right here on the top step."
Mase sat and still gripping his arm, she followed him down. The water swirled about her hips, leaving most of her stomach and her upper body dry. After a few minutes, when the pool water didn't reach out to grab her and suck her under the water, her heartbeat slowed, her breathing became easier, and her tense muscles started to relax. She removed one hand from Mase's arm, still clinging to him with the other and lightly trailed her fingertips through the water.
Even though it was full dark, Mase's backyard was fully lighted and the pool had several lights glowing from under the surface of the water, as well. "Do you know, I've never even taken a bath," Jo said, breaking the silence. She watched her fingers trail through the water, not wanting to look at Mase, feeling highly embarrassed and extremely self-conscious. She gave a nervous giggle. "God, that's so pathetic."
He captured her chin, pulling her face around. "Hey, look at me."
Jo brought her eyes to his.
"Where are you right now?"
She looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Where are you, physically, right now?"
She wasn't sure what his goal was, but she answered him just the same. "Um... sitting on the step in your pool?" She didn't know why she made it a question. She knew where she was, although, she wasn't sure if that was the answer he wanted.
"That's right. Now tell me, what's your greatest fear?"
Again, not sure where this was leading, but answering him anyway. "Water. Drowning."
He leaned into her, so close she could see his individual eyelashes. "It takes a very brave person to do something that terrifies them. Whether you remember it or not, you lived through something scary and traumatic. You, sitting here in this pool, tells me you're anything but pathetic, and I don't want you thinking that shit about yourself. You're beautiful and brave and soon you'll know how to swim and never have to be afraid of the water again. Understand?"
Jo couldn't imagine a time she wouldn't be scared of the water, knowing how to swim or not, but Mase had a look, a look that said he meant what he said and no one better disagree with him, so she nodded, thinking it best to just agree. She would just keep her inner doubts to herself.
Mase chuckled, shaking his head slowly, a large smile curving his lips. "You are so full of shit. But that's okay, you'll soon discover I'm always right." He kissed the tip of her nose, loosened her fingers from his arm, and grasped her hand before gliding off the steps to stand on the pool's bottom.
"What are you doing?" Jo all but shrieked, her arm outstretched as far as it would reach while Mase still held it as she maintained her spot on the step.
"You can't learn to swim while sitting on a step," He said, taking a step to his side, causing her to either leave her perch or let go of his hand, the latter of which she would not do. She reluctantly let him pull her off the step until she stood before him. With her feet planted firmly on the bottom of the pool, the water hit her just under her breasts.
She began to shake again as images of losing her balance and going under the surface of the water filled her head. She closed her eyes and took a couple of deep breaths, refusing to embarrass herself further by throwing herself at Mase and clinging to him like a vine.
"Tonight, I'm going to teach you how to float. I'm going to lay you on your back, but my hands will be under you the whole time, and I promise not to let your head go under. Okay?"
No, she wasn't okay. But she was tired of being afraid. And if Mase thought he could teach her to swim, and it would help with her fear, then she was willing to try. "Yeah."
"Good." He scooped her up. The move was unexpected, and her arms automatically flew up to lock around his neck. He shook his head. "No holding on, Angel."
"Promise you won't let me go."
"I've already told you once, Angel, I'll never let you go."
Mase didn't let her out of the pool until she could float successfully on her own with no help from him. The first time he had removed his hands from her back, she had panicked and her head would've gone under, but as promised, Mase hadn't let that happen. He reacted quickly, keeping her head afloat and that knowledge gave Jo the confidence she needed to learn. As soon as they'd stepped out of the water, Mase had drawn her into his arms, spinning her around, and planted an exuberant kiss on her lips, telling her how proud he was of her. And Jo, clearly flustered, escaped to her room with the flimsy excuse of needing to shower and change.
She honestly didn't know what to make of Mase. She had never encountered someone like him before, someone that wouldn't take no for an answer, and although she had always found him sexually attractive, his relentless pursuit of her was a turn-on she hadn't expected. She was finding he was a lethal package in more than one regard, and while she might be able to keep her distance if she only had to fight against one of his irresistible attributes, having several bombard her senses was weakening her defenses. She pondered her dilemma while blow drying her hair, taking everything into consideration, really giving it her full attention.
Fact: She couldn't stop thinking of him (obviously, which was why she was having this debate with herself now).
Fact: Every time he looked at her she turned into a hot pool of need (even petrified while in a pool for the first time since her accident, she couldn't stop the dirty thoughts that formed while staring at his chest).
Fact: She didn't trust him (not his fault, she knew, but hey, once burned twice shy or however the hell the saying went).
Fact: He scared her (he was proving to be so much more than just a pretty face and sexy body and if not careful, she feared her heart may become a casualty).
Fact: He needed to back off (his whole Casanova routine was wearing down her defenses, and he needed to stop).
Solution: Have no-strings-attached sex with Mason Connor until they both worked each other out of their systems. Then she would finally stop obsessing about him. Perfect.
Right, now the hard part, she needed to talk to Mase and put her plan into action. Jo looked at the clock, ten after ten, still fairly early for a Saturday night. Before she lost her nerve, she grabbed her phone to text him.
Jo: Can we talk?
It took less than a minute for Mase to reply.
Mase: On the phone?
Jo: LOL No in person. I didn't know if you were busy, so I thought I'd check first.
Mase: Not busy. Just watching TV. I'm in the game room.
Jo: Okay, be there in a few.
She tossed her phone on the bed and belatedly realized, she had thrown on her usual cutoff sweats and baggy tee after getting out of the shower. Not exactly enticing attire. She searched through her suitcase, but the best she could come up with was a ribbed tank and a pair of cute, terry cloth short-shorts. Unfortunately, when she had packed, she had chosen her clothes for comfort and not seduction, so no lingerie. Well, at least it was a white tank and if she went braless, that could be a little enticing, right? She sped through the changing process and hightailed it out the bedroom door.
She found Mase lounging on the couch, one arm draped across the couch back, his feet up on the coffee table crossed at the ankles, watching some sport-news show. He clicked the mute button on the remote and gave her his full attention. She stood there nervously as all thoughts flew from her head except one. What the hell was she doing?
He must have sensed she needed a moment to compose herself because he looked away, sat up from his slouch by placing his feet on the floor, and clicked the TV all the way off before tossing the remote on the coffee table.
She gave herself a silent pep talk, cheering herself on, knowing things would be much better between them as soon as she said what she had to say. She placed herself on the opposite side of the coffee table in front of the TV, facing him but then felt awkward so started to pace.
"Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
She stopped mid stride and looked down at her toes. Boy, this was harder than she thought it would be.
"Angel, come over here and sit down."
Still staring at the floor, she shook her head. "No, it's better if I stay over here. This is just harder than I thought it would be. I've never done anything like this before."
"What's hard?"
"Saying what I have to say. Maybe if you don't look at me, I'll be able to get it out."
Mase gave a bark of laughter. "What, you want me to turn around and stare at the wall?"
Jo picked up her head and gave him a tense smile. "That would be helpful, yes."
Mase shook his head, got up on his knees, and draped his arms over the back of the couch. "I feel like an ass."
Speaking of ass, she had a great view of his, perfectly outlined in a pair of faded blue jeans. She cleared her throat. Getting distracted by his ass was not a good thing at the moment. Maybe she should turn around, too. She felt her forehead break out in a light sweat, and her stomach felt queasy. She decided to get straight to the point before she completely lost her nerve and ran screaming out the door.
*
Mase heard Jo fidgeting and sighing and wondered what in the heck she had to say that would make her so nervous. They had a good night. He was so proud of her, bravely facing her fear by getting in the water. Now that she knew how to float, so long as she didn't panic, she would no longer drown. It was a big, first step.
"As much as I've denied it over the last few days, you know I find you sexually attractive."
Mase whipped his head around, looking over his shoulder. She gave him a glare while placing one hand on her hip, her other coming up, pointing her finger at his head. "Turn back around!"
He did as he was told, grinning like a fool at the wall, and holding his breath so he didn't bust out laughing. She was too darn adorable.
"As I was saying, you know I find you sexually attractive, but you also know I have trust issues, and that's the one thing holding me back from starting anything with you. But I also know, we both feel this pull we have for each other, so I propose we just have sex, for however long we both want it, no expectations and no relationship. That way when all's said and done, no one gets hurt."
By the end of her little speech, Mase was no longer grinning. He was also no longer thinking she was adorable. No, he was thinking she was a pain in his ass. He closed his eyes and dropped his head, resting it on the back of the couch. This is not how he saw things developing between them. He knew she would be work, and he was more than willing to work for it. Hell, he actually thought it was fun, watching her get all flustered every time he said or did anything remotely sexual. He knew he was getting to her, just as she had gotten to him. But, and never in his almost thirty years did he think he would ever say this, he wanted more than just her body. More than just a few fucks. He wanted everything. He wanted every part of her. He wanted her to be his.
He must have been silent for too long because he heard her ask in a tentative voice, "Well, what do you think?"
He flipped around on the couc
h, figuring it was safe to face her now. She still stood on the far side of the coffee table. Her cheeks were flushed and she was twisting her fingers together. She was clearly uncomfortable waiting for his response. He wanted to put her out of her misery, but at the same time, he didn't want to screw this up, and he didn't want to scare her away. He had to play this just right.
He thought a moment longer before speaking. "Your proposition holds merit, but there are a few things we need to get straight before we can proceed."
She gave a slight nod of her head. His eyes were drawn once more to her fidgeting fingers, but they soon got distracted by the bare length of leg exposed by her ridiculously short shorts. He cleared his throat, looking up to meet her eyes. She wasn't looking at him but at some point beyond his shoulder. Probably the same damn spot on the wall he'd been looking at a few moments before.
He stood from the couch and that drew her eyes. A panicked looked crossed her face as he rounded the coffee table, advancing to her side. Taking her hand, he led her back to the couch and gave a little push on her shoulder. "Sit," he ordered when he felt her resistance.
He sat beside her, capturing her nervous fingers. "That was harder to say than I thought it would be," she said, with a tentative smile and a small tense laugh.
He leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "Not as hard as it made my dick, hearing you say it." He leaned back out, inwardly smiling at the flush on her cheeks. He did so love to rattle her.
She cleared her throat. "You said there were a few things we needed to get straight."
"Yes." He paused again, his mind working quickly. How to give her what she wants and still get what he wanted, too? "I have a few conditions." He took her silence as assent and continued. "First, while we're together, I want us to be exclusive. I don't like to share." She took a breath to speak, and Mase placed his fingers over her lips. "Let me finish before you say anything."
She lost her smile, and that little line was back between her eyes. "Okay," she mumbled, around his fingers.
