“You have reached your destination” finally came out of the car speakers.
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the apartment complex was nothing like the one in my dream. No, that one was all Melrose Place; this was more like what you’d find in the city.
Nervous energy blended with excitement ran through my body, causing my fist to shake when I knocked on Mason’s door.
No answer.
I knocked again, a bit harder this time.
Still, no answer.
I glanced at my watch. Thanks to traffic, it was after seven p.m. He should be home from work by now.
Fear settled in my chest. What if he was on a date? What if he was inside with some woman?
Before I could have a panic attack, a man’s voice came up behind me.
“He’s not home.”
When I turned, I stared at the man speaking to me. If I had to guess, he was about my age. Blond hair, brown eyes, and a smile worthy of a toothpaste commercial.
“I’m Bryce. Mason’s neighbor. He’s at the gym; I just saw him there.”
Thank God he didn’t say his name was Spencer. That’s when I noticed his attire—a sweaty USC T-shirt and basketball shorts. He had a great physique, but I wasn’t there to ogle.
“I’m Gretchen, a friend of his. Do you know when he’ll be back?”
Bryce’s eyes widened. “Gretchen? As in Gretchen from Virginia?”
“Um . . .” This guy looked as if I’d said I was from Publisher’s Clearing House and had a million-dollar check for him. “Yes, how do you know me?”
He chuckled. “Man, I wish I didn’t have a casting call right now. I’d love to see Mason’s expression when he sees you. I’ll assume he doesn’t know you’re coming, or he wouldn’t be sweating it out at the gym. He’s going to be so pissed if he doesn’t shower before he gets here.” He let out a hearty laugh.
I must have looked like a puppy as I stared at him with a tilted head.
“Anyway,” he said, “speaking of a shower, I need to get moving. It was great to finally meet you.” He walked to the door next to Mason’s and unlocked it. “By the way, you’re much hotter than he said.” With a wink, he walked into his apartment.
Hotter?
I turned around to go wait in the car when I spotted Mason jogging up the stairs.
“Gretchen?”
An audible gasp escaped me at the sight of him. Baseball cap turned backward, damp blond curls peeking out from underneath, a light blue tank top hanging loose over black running shorts.
Without missing a beat, I threw my arms around his neck and hung on for dear life as my feet were lifted off the ground. “Hi.”
“I’m all sweaty.” He tried to pull back, but my hold remained firm.
“I don’t care.” That was the God’s honest truth. It didn’t matter; all that mattered was him.
He let out a chuckle as he rubbed my back. “Come on in.”
Once I finally released him, he unlocked his door and welcomed me into his apartment. The decor was all Mason. A picture of him and Lucy was on the end table next to a picture of him and an older couple, who I assumed were his parents.
“I’m sorry to barge in on you.”
“Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? Is Lucy okay?” He walked across the small living area to his kitchen. “Would you like a bottle of water?”
“Yes, she’s fine. Honeymooning with my brother on some remote island or something. Water would be great, thank you.”
I sat on the couch, my leg bouncing a mile a minute. When he turned to walk away, I noticed he didn’t have a tattoo on his shoulder. Another figment of my imagination. Bummer.
He sat next to me after he handed me my drink. His was half gone by the time I was able to take a sip.
“You still didn’t answer my question.”
Using his words from my dream, I said, “I took a detour.”
He laughed again. “Where were you going that a detour landed you in California?”
Not knowing where to begin, I thought I’d start out with some questions. “Before I explain, can I ask you a few things? Just humor me for a bit.”
“Of course.”
Mason’s gaze softened, transporting me back to the time he told me he wanted me. Of course, this was all in my imagination, but it was still real to me.
“Do you have a friend named Amber that you used to sleep with? You know, a friend with benefits?”
Water from the bottle that was tipped to his lips spurted out a bit. He wiped his mouth with the hem of his shirt, revealing tight abs. At least they were the same.
“No.”
“Do you surf?”
“Yes.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “What about Spencer? Do you have a friend who lives here named Spencer?”
This sounded ridiculous, even to my ears. Of course he didn’t. Hell, we were sitting in his apartment that was perfectly fine. No smoke damage.
“No, I don’t. Gretchen, what the hell is going on?”
“God, you’re going to think I’m crazy.” I dropped my head in my hands.
Mason placed his water on the table next to mine. The warmth of his hand that he placed on my back was welcome.
I lifted my head and angled my body toward him, forcing his hand to drop and land on my thigh. He went to pull it away, but I stopped him, and his fingers flexed under my touch.
I needed the physical contact to keep me grounded. It was like a ground wire to electricity. Any jolt could send me into a tizzy if I thought this was another dream. Shit, I’d commit myself to an institution if that happened again.
“Here goes.”
I blew out a long, shaky breath, and then began describing my dream in full detail, from the time I arrived in Los Angeles to the day I left. Typically, when I had a dream, I’d forget bits and pieces, but not this time. No, this one I could recite word for word, describe action by action, remember each and every touch. Even the parts where I literally took on his persona and feelings.
Nothing was spared—not our first kiss, our trip, the Harley motorcycle (which he actually has), him telling me he wanted me, playing spin the bottle, doing karaoke, and of course, when we had sex. The only thing I left out was when I watched him jerking off in the shower, and the silly nicknames we had for each other.
All the memories felt so real. My hands, his hands . . .
The expression on his face went from deer in the headlights to full-blown compassion. It was when his cheeks reddened that I said, “It’s insane, right? I knew it was.” I sprang up from the couch and paced.
“I hate to bring this up, but what about Scott?” Mason stood in front of me, bringing my pacing to a halt, which could definitely leave a path on his carpet. “You haven’t mentioned him.”
“In my dream, you told me you saw him at the airport with another woman. Maybe that was because a woman answered his phone on New Year’s Eve? Ugh, I just don’t understand. Plus, he left before Christmas.”
Did Scott lie? Should I call him on it? No, we’re over. Why bother?
Mason’s brows lowered as he stared at me in disbelief. “Gretch, I did see him at the airport with someone, but I didn’t tell anyone. How did you know?”
This was insane. I was sure I was going to be sick, but I just shook my head in response.
“So, what happened with the two of you?”
Doing my best to keep breathing, I looked at Mason, focusing on every feature of his face and committing it to memory, just in case he thought I was insane and never wanted to see me again.
“We broke up. Actually, he broke up with me, or we broke up with each other.” Finally, a smile broke out and Mason’s confusion vanished. “After everything you and I went through—or I imagined we went through—I just didn’t feel right being with him.”
Cheater was the first word that came to mind, even though I hadn’t really, but my heart was fickle. Each thought of Mason made my heart flutter, wherea
s thoughts of Scott didn’t. There was a lot to be said for that.
Mason removed his cap before running his hand through his sweaty hair. Once the hat was back in place, he said, “Let me get this straight. You had a dream that we got together, and then we broke up? Are you telling me in your dream I let you go?” When I nodded, he shook his head and mumbled, “That’s more like my nightmare.”
If I weren’t so fixated on his lips, I might have missed it.
“I have one last question for you,” I said, “and please, please be honest with me.” I implored him not only with my words, but with my eyes.
“I’ve only ever been honest with you.”
“You know I’m not the type of woman who needs a man to define her.” He nodded. “I also realize that my boyfriend and I just broke up.” I looked down before looking back at him as my cheeks blazed.
With a shaky voice I said, “God, this is so embarrassing. Your non-kiss on New Year’s Eve and us discussing our resolutions must have done something to my subconscious. But more importantly, it captured my heart. You captured my heart not even knowing you had, but the worst part is, I don’t even know if you want it. Maybe you don’t even want me. In my dream, you thought I was beautiful and said you wanted to be with me.”
How conceited was I to imagine him calling me beautiful? Each of his endearing thoughts and comments about me were all in my head. Maybe I should have had my dad commit me.
“Are you kidding me right now? You’re the most beautiful woman I know.” Mason bent over slightly so we were eye to eye. “Gretchen, I’ve wanted to date you since the first day I laid eyes on you. If you don’t believe me, you can ask Lucy. So if you’re here in my apartment, nearly three thousand miles away from home, just to ask me if I want you, then the answer is yes.” He paused. “No, I take that back. The answer is hell yes, I do.”
He framed my face with his hands, his palms as warm and gentle as the lips he pressed to mine. It wasn’t a kiss filled with pent-up passion, and it wasn’t aggressive. It wasn’t even as familiar as I’d thought it would be. The kisses we’d shared in my dream didn’t hold a candle to how he made me feel in real life. When he ran his tongue along the seam of my lips, I parted for him, gladly accepting the intrusion.
When we finally broke apart, giddiness filled me. “You’re a hell of a kisser. You’ve completely charmed me, surfer boy.”
“Right back at you, princess.”
CHAPTER 29
~ Mason ~
Water splashed as Gretchen and I got into a heated cannonball contest at Jack’s house. We’d been spending just about every day together. Naturally, we had work, but aside from that, getting to know each other and exploring what could be between us was the best part.
Well, not the best part. Gretchen in a tiny pink bikini was at the top of my list at the moment, especially when she told me it came off in her dream. Since that confession, I’d been doing my best to make that part come true. God knows, I’d been trying to make all of it come true—the good parts, anyway. I’d had my own share of dreams that involved Gretchen, but not to the extent she had.
We’d fallen into a comfortable relationship since she got here, and had worked on marking things off her list—for real, this time. We’d gone out on my motorcycle, a low-riding Harley. We’d driven to Santa Barbara, then Hollywood, where she’d put her hands in Marilyn Monroe’s handprints. I’d even contemplated getting a tattoo, motivated by Gretchen telling me about how sexy she thought it was, but I wasn’t sure what I’d want to have inked on my skin. Then there was the time we made love on the beach; that was one thing on her list that I planned on checking off again and again.
“I’m getting tired. Want to go inside?” Gretchen wrung out her long ponytail as she climbed up the pool steps. Her wet body glistened in the moonlight.
Once we were back in her room, we dried off and changed into dry clothes. She handed me a pair of sweatpants, and for some reason she told me she needed to see me in them.
“Gretch, I don’t feel comfortable wearing your brother’s clothes.”
She knew I had clothes of my own in my duffel bag to change into. I’d started bringing them over when I knew we’d be swimming.
“Please. It was in my dream, and you were so damn sexy.” She moistened her lips with her tongue, a move she often made in my presence.
It felt like a tease, but I really think it was a nervous habit. Every time she did it, I thought about that tongue wrapped around my dick. That was something I’d dreamed of.
“When you put it that way, how can I refuse?” I couldn’t lie; those sweats felt as if I was wearing spun silk. “These don’t feel like any sweatpants I’ve ever worn.”
She blushed and let out an adorable giggle. “I knew you would say that. Aren’t they incredible?”
“Yes, but now that you’ve seen me in them, can I take them off? My Adidas track pants are more my style.”
Gretchen, who had tossed on a dress that looked more like a long tank top, took a few steps toward me and hitched her fingers in the waistband of the pants. She ran her thumbs back and forth, her fingertips grazing from the top of my now erect penis to the upper part of my ass. I swallowed a golf-ball-sized lump in my throat.
“How about I take them off?” she asked.
We hadn’t crossed this line yet. Even though Gretchen had told me in high-definition detail all we’d done in her dream, this was reality. This was us—our friendship and possible future. Of course, I wanted to make love to her. The need to feel her writhing beneath me, grinding on top of me, was all I’d thought about lately.
“Are you sure? This will change everything for me, Gretchen. I know in your head, we’ve been there, done this, but I can wait.”
This was an odd reality we were living in. Everything that was once a dream to her, I’d wanted to make come true. However, I had a lot to live up to. Not that I wasn’t up for the challenge.
“Yes, I’ve never been so sure of anything.” She placed her delicate hands on my chest. “I need you, Mason.” Her sparkling brown eyes studied me. “The thing is, I know nothing will change; it will only get better. I promise you. If you don’t like having sex with me, then we’ll just be friends, but please give us a chance.”
Not like it? I couldn’t fathom that even being a possibility. “What are we waiting for?”
She bit her lip right before I claimed it with mine.
Our kisses were what I’d started to live for. They were my oxygen, what I wanted to end and start each day with, and steal a few more in between. Her breasts felt like heaven as I palmed them through the cotton fabric of her dress. Soft, round, perfect. I studied them with each graze of my thumb over her now-pebbled nipples.
Gretchen lifted the band of my pants and boxers up and over my dick, which was now fully erect. “My dream didn’t do you justice,” she said, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
When we were both naked, I couldn’t stop looking at what was, in all actuality, my dream coming to life. “You’re just as I thought you’d be. Perfect.”
In one fell swoop, I picked her up under her ass, forcing her legs to wrap around my waist before I laid her on her bed. Her dark blond hair fanned out on the pillow, and a few damp curls framed her face. Running my fingers along her cheeks, I tucked the curls behind her ears.
“I need a condom.”
There’s a mood killer, I thought, but Gretchen wasn’t fazed.
“Nightstand.” She paused and admitted, “I snooped.”
“Was I a sure thing?”
I grabbed the packet and ripped it open, then slid the condom down my cock. Even my touch was enough to make it throb. There was no way I wasn’t going to make this last as long as possible.
I licked, nipped, and sucked her nipples until they were stiff points under my tongue. As slowly as I could, I dragged my fingers down her tight stomach until I reached nirvana. Gretchen bucked her hips as I circled her most sensitive spot with my thumb, then I inserted first one an
d then two fingers into her. She released a groan that sent shivers down my spine.
I captured her mouth with mine as I positioned my body between her legs. Between kisses, I told her, “You’re beautiful, princess.” When she told me I’d shocked her when I first called her that just as I had in her dream, it solidified for me that this was meant to be. We were intended to be.
My tip slid up and down her wetness until I slowly pushed inside, never breaking our kiss. We moved together in unison, like two lovers familiar with each other, two people who wanted nothing but to be one.
The feel of her heels on my back as she pulled me closer made me speed up my pace. My plan of making this last as long as I could was shot to hell when she began to pulse, tighten, and then screamed out my name. At that vocal declaration, I came harder than I ever had. Our orgasm rocked my world. Coming down from a high greater than I’d ever experienced while holding the woman of my fantasies was better than I’d ever imagined.
Being intimate with her was going to become an addiction I’d want to feed often. I dropped my head next to hers and kissed her shoulder.
“Mason, that was . . . you were . . .” Her words were coming out in short breaths as our hearts beat at the same frantic rate.
“You were too.” I lifted my head and kissed her long and hard before I slowly pulled out.
* * *
Gretchen and I had breakfast together on the terrace of Jack’s stunning home. I glanced around me, unable to imagine what the upkeep on a place like this was. It was as if we were at a five-star resort. Between the pool, hot tub, private beach, and the outdoor living area, it had to cost a fortune. Not to mention the inside of the home. I’d thought his house in Virginia was spectacular, but this one, being on the ocean, was perfection.
She sat on the cushioned chair with her knees pulled up, her pink-polished toes that matched her T-shirt dangling off the edge of the seat. When she caught me studying her, something she should be used to by now, she blushed.
“What are you thinking?”
“Aside from the obvious,” I said with a wink, “I was thinking how relaxed you are. This is all happening so fast. Not that I’m complaining, because I’ve been hoping to have you near me for several months, but I just wish I had your confidence.”
Charmed: A Prescott Novel (The Prescott Series Book 3) Page 22
