Leaning in closer, I tested her response. She tilted her face toward me, her lips parting slightly. When I made no move to close the distance, she inched forward, her mouth meeting mine in a raw display of hunger. Pleasantly surprised by her fervor, I matched her enthusiasm as our tongues explored, teased, tasted.
It was only a kiss, but everything with Lexi seemed amplified. Reluctantly, I pulled away from her and gazed upon her face, my fingertips lightly wiping away a few stubborn drops of water. She leaned in closer, her lips searching for mine. I dropped a couple of light kisses at the corner of her mouth and lifted her up. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around my waist.
Dropping my hand to her breast, I gave it a gentle squeeze. Shit. My fingers were shaking, and I couldn’t remember the last time a woman had this effect on me. Slowly, I slid my fingertips beneath the edge of her top, peeling the fabric back and exposing her taut nipple. Cupping her ass with one hand, I traced her breast with the other, noticing the weight of its fullness as I lifted it and bent down to tease her nipple with my tongue.
When I drew it into my mouth, she groaned, thrusting her breast toward me as she entwined her fingers in my hair. Her tiny gasps of pleasure assured me that she was enjoying this every bit as much as I was.
My hand slid along her waist beneath the surface of the water, eased past her bikini bottoms, and stopped at her thigh. I massaged her flesh, working my way toward her center. Her hands groped at my shoulders while her hips ground against me. Her response to me was empowering, and I savored the knowledge that I could have her squirming with just a few touches.
Separated by a thin layer of nylon, my fingertips brushed against her cleft. She clutched my face in her palms and drew my lips to hers.
Ending the kiss, she closed her eyes and rested her forehead against mine. She unwrapped her legs, slid down my body until her feet reached the riverbed, and adjusted her top.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Everything’s just moving so fast.”
“I tried to tell you to slow down, but you just keep on jumping my bones.”
She smacked me in the arm. “I do not. You are so bad.”
Chuckling, I leaned over and kissed her chastely on the corner of her mouth. “Let’s get out and talk for a while.”
She grabbed my hand as we made our way to the bank.
“You want to sit on this rock?” I asked, motioning to a large boulder that jutted out over the edge of the stream. The top of it was large and flat and perfect for relaxing in the sun.
“Works for me.”
I helped her climb up the short distance onto the rock, admiring her sweet ass from behind.
Once she reached the top, I quickly pulled myself up the rest of the distance and joined her. She lay on her stomach, the water draining off her and creating a dark outline on the otherwise dry stone.
“This rock is so warm,” she said, laying her cheek against it. “It feels so good.”
I sat across from her, leaning my forearms on my bent knees. “It is rather toasty.”
“It reminds me of the time when my parents took Seren and me camping when I was a kid. I think we were twelve. We met a bunch of girls our age, and we swam in the lake and sat on a rock like this one. One of the girls took us back to her tent and stole a bottle of her dad’s beer. She passed it around, so we could all have a taste.”
“And did you like it?”
“I didn’t really drink any. I put the bottle to my lips and pretended like I did. When I finished, I wiped my mouth off with the back of my hand. I could still taste it a little, and I hated it.”
“What about Seren? Did she like it?”
Lexi folded her arms under her chin. “She said she did, but I saw the look on her face when she got a big swig. I’m pretty sure she thought it was as disgusting as I did.
“Did you ever go camping growing up?” she asked, looking at me thoughtfully.
“Nah.” I scanned the stream, thinking about my childhood. “My mother never had the money or the inclination to take us on vacation.”
“Never?” she asked.
Hearing the pity in her voice, I didn’t turn to look at her. I sure as hell didn’t want to see it in her eyes. “Nope.”
“Did your mother ever take you anywhere? Like a staycation?”
“She did take us to a ballgame once.”
“Was it fun?”
An amused laugh escaped my lips. “Yeah, until she got drunk. It wasn’t long after that until we were asked to leave—which she did screaming and cussing. It was a wonder they didn’t call the police on her.”
“I’m sure they would have nowadays.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I agreed, remembering the day my mother stumbled out of the ballpark.
“Is that why you didn’t go to college? Because your mother didn’t have the money?”
“Part of the reason why, I guess. My mother never really talked about college, and I guess I never thought much about going. It wasn’t until after….” Stopping midsentence, I realized there were things I wasn’t ready to tell her, things I didn’t want her to know.
“After what?” she asked.
I glanced at her and pasted on a smile. “Nothing. I did eventually register for college, but I had to work to take care of my responsibilities. In the end, I withdrew from my classes. College just isn’t a feasible option for me.”
“I’m sure if it’s something you want to do….”
“It’s not an option. End of story.” I hated the gruffness in my voice. Lexi had no idea of the shit I’d been through. It wasn’t her fault if she had parents who wanted the very best for their child, parents who would never imagine neglecting their child the way my mother had neglected her children.
I was glad she didn’t understand. “Besides, plenty of people are successful without a college degree,” I said, softening my tone. “I really wanted to buy the bar from Spanky, but even though he sold it to someone else, I still plan on opening my own bar someday.”
“In Creekview?” she asked, rising up on her elbows.
“I reckon. Who knows? Maybe I’ll find me a nice little spot on the beach somewhere. I even had a name picked out for it.”
“What was it?”
“Whiskey Nights. I’ve had a lot of whiskey nights in my life, and I don’t know…it just seemed to fit.”
I’d been banking on being able to buy the bar from Spanky. That had been the only option of being anything other than a bartender that I’d considered. I thought about the day Lexi told me that sometimes we had to pursue options, that sometimes we had to create them.
Gazing at her, I realized that she made me think about things differently. I didn’t know whether she was right, whether I really could create options for myself.
One thing I did know…Lexi Swafford made me feel better about myself. Hell, she made me feel better about life.
I was starting to think that I needed to keep her around.
Chapter 11
Sweet Dreams
Lexi
Over the next couple of weeks, Mason and I spent nearly all of our free time together. He had taken things slowly, which I had appreciated, giving us the opportunity to get used to the change in our relationship before it escalated into something more.
Every night, I went to bed thinking about him, and even though I was the one who’d wanted to slow our progress, I often thought of the times when we’d had intimate contact. He made me giddy and silly and incredibly aware of him. With every touch of his hand, tiny shivers cascaded through my body and my heart flipped in my chest, making me want to forget all the cautions that would protect me from heartbreak.
I knew the pain caused by falling in love with someone who wasn’t committed to me all too well. It was an agony that I never wanted to experience again, one that I would go to great lengths to avoid.
As I folded laundry, I thought about him and our relationship, about what I wanted. I wasn’t sure if it eve
n mattered anymore. Perhaps it was too late. All he had to do was shoot me one of his endearing grins, and I was lost, craving him with a ferocity that I’d never experienced. What was it about him that could render all intelligent thought useless? I already knew I was letting my heart guide me, not my head.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I tossed a pair of his boxers back in the pile, crossed the living room, and looked out the peephole.
Focusing on the pretty blonde that stood on the other side of the door, I watched her as she pushed her hair over her shoulder. She leaned toward the door, looked in the peephole, and knocked again.
A twinge of jealousy ricocheted through my body. Was this one of the women with whom he’d had sex? The thought left me feeling queasy.
She knocked again, and I reluctantly pulled the door open.
I could tell by her shocked expression that she hadn’t expected a woman to be in Mason’s apartment.
Her mouth opened, closed, and then opened again before she finally spoke. “I was looking for Mason.”
I recognized her from the photo in his room. Was she an old girlfriend? “He’s not here right now. He should be back in a few minutes, though.”
“Oh.”
Having no idea who she was or whether Mason would want to see her, I wondered if I should invite her in. A huge part of me hoped that she would turn around and leave.
“I’ll just give him a call on his cell.”
“Okay.”
She offered me her hand. “I’m his sister, by the way.”
Relief flooded my body, and I immediately relaxed as I shook her hand. “Haley?”
“So you’ve heard about me?”
“Yes. Mason’s spoken very fondly of you.”
She beamed, and seeing the resemblance, I wondered why I had noticed it sooner. Her hair was lighter than his, but she had the same easy smile, the same dimples.
“He better speak fondly of me. I’m his favorite sister.” Her smile widened. “Of course, I’m his only sister, but that’s beside the point.”
Realizing that I’d left her standing outside, I quickly motioned for her to enter the apartment. “Come in.”
She stepped inside and glanced around. Turning to face me, she said, “I’m sorry, but are you a friend of his?”
I splayed my fingers across my chest. “I’m his roommate, Lexi.”
“I didn’t realize that he’d found a roommate. I have to admit that I’m kind of surprised.”
“You are?”
“His roommates are usually guys.”
“I needed a place to stay temporarily, and he was kind enough to help me out.” We sat silently a moment, while I tried to think of something to carry on the conversation. “Mason tells me that you’re a nursing student.”
“Yeah, this is my last semester, so I’m pretty excited about that. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a job as soon as I graduate.”
“That’s the good thing about being in the health care field. You’ll always be in demand. I just graduated myself with a business degree.”
“Have you found a job yet?”
“Well, right now, I’m working at the bar, but I’m definitely keeping my options open.”
Haley checked the time on her phone.
“He shouldn’t be long. He told me that he wanted to pick something up before our date tonight and that he should be back in half an hour.”
Haley’s mouth dropped open. “Your date?”
I realized that Mason hadn’t mentioned me at all to his sister. The front door opened, and Haley and I both looked at it expectantly.
“Lexi, where are you, love?” he called as he came in the living room, carrying a colorful bouquet of flowers.
I walked toward him, unable to hide the smile that forced its way across my face. “Are those for me?”
“Just a little something to let you know how much I’m looking forward to our date tonight,” he said softly, handing me the flowers as he kissed me on the cheek.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?” Haley asked from the couch.
“Haley!” Mason seemed pleasantly surprised when he saw her. “You didn’t tell me you were coming.” While I put the flowers in water, he greeted Haley, tousling her golden tresses.
“Mason, you’re messing up my hair! I’m not twelve, anymore, you know.”
“Doesn’t matter how old you are,” he said, dropping into the chair beside her, “you’re still my bratty little sister.”
“I was going to surprise you, but it looks like you surprised me, instead.”
As I joined them in the living room, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his lap. “You met Lexi, huh?”
“I did. Why didn’t you tell me you had a live-in girlfriend?” Haley asked.
“Oh,” I spoke up, “it’s not like that. We barely even knew each other when I moved in, and I’m not his girlfriend.”
“Mmmhmm,” Haley murmured with a hint of disbelief.
“How long are you here?” Mason asked, ignoring her comment.
“A couple of days.”
“It’s hotter than Hades outside. Let me go change into some shorts, and I’ll take y’all to dinner.” I scooted over to the couch beside Haley, and Mason disappeared down the hall.
“Wow!” Haley whispered. “He brought you flowers? This is serious.”
Suppressing a smile, I realized that her comment pleased me. It was a tiny indication that someone who knew Mason really well thought there was something special going on between us.
“Are y’all? Serious?” Her green eyes studied me intently while she waited for me to answer.
Excitement buzzed through me. I hadn’t really talked to anyone about our relationship, but with each passing day, he was becoming more and more important to me. “I don’t think he would describe it as serious.”
“What about you? How would you describe it?” she asked, leaning forward.
“I really, really like him. It’s hard not to be happy when he’s around, if that makes any sense.”
She clasped me on the arm and whispered, “He brought you flowers. If he doesn’t describe it as serious, it’s only because he’s a man. Sometimes, they’re the last to know just how serious they are.”
Laughing at her antics, I could tell that we could easily be friends.
“You girls ready?” he asked, walking into the living room.
Mason drove us to a casual steakhouse. As I watched them interact, I found it uncanny how similar they were. Not only did they share some of the same features, but they were both quick to smile and tease each other.
Having lived with Mason for several weeks, I knew that beneath his friendly, smiling façade, he was lonely and hurt. Maybe the ordeal with his parents had been harder on him because he was older. He knew the before and after. He knew what had been lost.
As I watched Haley, I wondered if she was suffering, too. Or had she managed to deal with it and concentrate on things that were in her control?
“Have you talked to Mom lately?” she asked Mason.
He took a drink of his beer. “Yeah, I talked to her not too long ago. She needed rent money.”
“Again?” Haley asked, her mouth dropping open.
“Again. It took me a couple of days to get enough tips to cover it, but I wired it to her landlord.”
“I tried to call her yesterday, but her phone’s cut off.” The corners of Haley’s mouth turned down in a frown. “I don’t think you should pay her rent. The more you do for her, the more she expects you to do.”
“Haley, we’ve been over this. What do you want me to do? Let her live on the streets?”
“It’s her choice. She can pay rent or she can….” Haley stopped midsentence and glanced in my direction.
My line of vision instantly dropped to my plate, and I had the strange sensation of eavesdropping.
“You know what her choice will be,” Mason told her.
“Yeah, I know.” Haley’s
voice was flat, and I could tell that her mother’s choices saddened her.
If Mason had to pay his mother’s rent frequently, it was no wonder he’d been looking for a roommate. I realized how glad I was that I had called him. While our living arrangements weren’t permanent, it would at least help him out a few months while I waited on my apartment to be ready.
It was also giving me the opportunity to know him, really know him. From seeing him at the bar, I would have never surmised he was lonely. He had tons of friends at the bar. The patrons adored him, but when he was home alone behind closed doors, the demons that tortured him clawed their way to the surface.
I wasn’t sure if he drank to make them go away or if they appeared because he was drinking. Either way, I found it difficult to watch him when he was in intense emotional distress.
“So how’s school going?” Mason asked his sister. I was thankful that the topic had changed to something a little less personal.
“I’m on schedule to graduate at the end of this semester. It kind of sucks that I had to go over the summer, but I’m almost done.”
“You need to start applying for jobs soon,” he said. “Are you going to move back to Creekview?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’ll depend on where I can find work.” She cut a bite of steak and swirled it in steak sauce.
“You know you can always come back here and move in with me if you need to.”
“Yeah, I know.” Her lips pursed and then curled into a smile. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you.”
He pointed his fork at her. “You know I got your back, but if you do need to move in with me, you’re going to have to get a job, even if it’s a temporary one until you can get something in your field.”
“I don’t think she’ll have any trouble getting a job as a nurse,” I said.
“Let’s hope not,” Haley added.
“Being a firefighter, Hawk knows a lot of people in that field. He probably knows somebody who knows somebody if nothing else. Just let me know if you want me to talk to him.” Mason pushed his empty plate back and dropped his napkin over it.
After dinner, we went to a movie. Mason was outvoted two to one, so he reluctantly sat through a chick flick. He even kept his hands to himself, although I imagined it had more to do with his sister being with us than his attempt to slow things down at my request.
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