by Erin Noelle
“Always. I have some strange aversion to them.” I climbed off the bed and began a search for my shoes while I talked. “I’ve never met anyone else who feels the same way, so I guess it’s my unique quality.” I snickered.
“I knew there was something different about you. I never would have guessed it was moniker-a-phobia,” he teased.
“Dare I ask where the name ‘Rat’ comes from?” I couldn’t help but make a face every time I said it.
“My last name is Templeton,” Mason said like that explained everything.
I looked at him blankly, clearly not making the connection.
“You know, Charlotte’s Web,” he began. Instantly, the image of Templeton, the rat that had gotten so fat after eating all of the food at the fair crossed my mind, and I erupted in giggles. “You think that’s funny, huh?” He picked me up over his shoulder and lightly spanked my ass as he strode across the room to the door. “Consider yourself lucky I need to go now; otherwise, I would make you pay for making fun of me, angel.”
I wiggled and squirmed and kicked trying to escape his grasp, but I had no chance. Instead, I laughed and started pinching his butt while he walked. It seemed that my request to not be called pet names fell on deaf ears when I talked to both him and Ash. And surprisingly, not only did it not bother me, I kind of liked it.
When we made it to the door of the apartment, Mason slid me down his hard chest until I was standing in front of him, facing him. He gently pushed me against the door with his body, and I could feel his cock pressing against my belly. His warm breath on my neck sent shivers down my back. He planted several soft kisses up my neck until he reached my ear.
“We will finish this conversation when I’m done, angel. Tell your friends I will take you home later, and meet me next to the stage when the show’s over. I’ve got a surprise for you. I hope you like it.” He continued his trail of kisses across my jawline to my mouth. I loved the feel of the warm lips accompanied by the cool metal ring as it dragged across my skin. When his mouth met mine, he kissed me with craving and desire, a promise of what was yet to come.
Seventeen
When we exited the hallway to the main warehouse, Mason went to gather up the other members of Jobu’s Rum, and I walked directly over to the table where Evie and Mina still sat with the guys from 32 Leaves. Evie jumped up and ran toward me as soon as she saw me.
“Are you okay? Where the hell have you been? What happened to you? Did you fuck him? You look like you fucked him.” Her eyes ran over my appearance, doing an inventory of each hair that was out of place and looking for smudged lipstick.
“I’m fine, Evie. As a matter of fact, I’m more than fine.” I smiled as I saw Mason disappear into the back with his band. “And no, I didn’t have sex with him, at least not yet.”
Evie jumped up and down in excitement. It was like she was my own personal sex cheerleader. Up until tonight, I wasn’t sure who wanted to get me laid more, her or me. However, after feeling what I had earlier with Mason, my desperate want to lose the V-card definitely outweighed her hopes.
I gave her a quick rundown of what happened as we walked back over to Mina. She told me that she was most likely going home with Max, and I let her know it was no problem, since Mason would take me home later. We were both anxious to watch him perform, since we had only seen the end of his first set. I knew I would look at him completely different now, after what happened in the apartment. I tried not to let myself get too excited. I knew Mason, much like Ash, probably hooked up with several different girls a week. As a matter of fact, with his front man rocker image, he probably put Ash to shame. Why was it that I was insanely attracted to manwhore musicians? So, I knew that whatever happened or was going to happen between us, wasn’t anything special to him, but I was elated nonetheless.
As I waited for Mason and Jobu’s Rum to take the stage, I found myself scanning the pool table area to see if Mason was right, that Ash had stayed. It didn’t take me long to find his messy, long sun-kissed hair in the crowd. He was standing against the wall while his date mauled him from the front. Even though they were locked in a kiss and she was pawing him frantically, his eyes were open and staring across the room, directly at me. I rolled my eyes at him, irritated he was even still here. He closed his eyes and I saw his hands weave into blondie’s hair, as if he was suddenly interested in the skank in front of him. Whatever.
Nearly thirty minutes later, I finally heard Mason’s deep voice echo throughout the warehouse. I immediately turned to look at him and loved that he was staring directly at me, smiling. I shot him my biggest smile back and he began his performance. I didn’t recognize the majority of their songs, and based on the raw emotion I heard in his voice while he sang each lyric, I assumed he had written most of them. When it seemed like they were wrapping up the set, the music stopped, Mason grabbed the microphone off the stand, and he addressed the crowd.
“’I hope everyone’s having the fucking time of their life tonight. I know that I am,” he yelled and then paused as everyone started screaming and shouting. He rewarded them with his flirtatious grin. “That’s what I like to hear. All right, well before we call it a night, we are going to play a few extra songs for you. This is a little different from what we usually do; it’s a little old school, but I think you’ll recognize most of them.
“You know,” he continued, his voice growing softer and more serious. “Every so often in life, you randomly cross paths with someone who touches you in a way you really can’t explain, but somehow you know you will never be the same again. A person that is unknowingly so incredibly beautiful, both inside and out, that they truly take your breath away. Recently, I met someone exactly like that. As a matter of fact, I’m still not convinced she isn’t an angel here to protect me from myself and the rest of you crazies.” He chuckled and the crowd cheered again.
I heard one girl scream, “I’ll protect you, Rat!”
Another panty-dropping smile. “No, seriously though, these next few songs are for my angel. I hope the rest of you find your angel someday. Just remember, don’t let go when you do, even if they try to fly away.”
Up until this point, he had not even glanced in my direction while he was speaking. However, right before the drummer began the first song, he looked directly at me, winked, and turned my body to Jell-O with one smile. “Enjoy, angel.”
Evie and Mina were both staring at me with their mouths opened. I looked at both of them and shrugged, in disbelief myself. Evie whispered in my ear, “Are you a witch? I think you put spells on boys.”
I snorted and shook my head.
Mason opened with The Doors’s “Hello I Love You.” I sat in awe, not moving my eyes from the gorgeous singer serenading me in front of a roomful of people. I didn’t dare look in Ash’s direction. I would not allow him to ruin this for me. I had never felt so wanted in my life.
I fell a little more for Mason with each verse he sang during a grunged-up version of “Brown Eyed Girl.” He would occasionally look around the room at the other guests, but for the most part, his gaze stayed locked on me. I was euphoric.
The music paused once again, and Mason lifted the mic to his lips. “Okay, last two for the night, everyone. Let’s liven it up a little. Everyone on your feet… and feel free to join me.”
He belted out the opening lines to “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” and those who weren’t standing prior jumped to their feet. Mason and the band were having a blast, as was everyone else in the warehouse, singing at the top of their lungs and dancing. He was no longer singing directly to me, but when the lyrics said “little miss innocent, sugar me,” he pointed at me and I nearly came in my panties.
The band went directly into “Cherry Pie,” which got a similar positive response from the audience. Evie, Mina, and I were having so much fun I could not wipe the smile off my face. We were jumping around, grinding against each other, and then the next thing I knew, there was a large masculine hand wrapped around my arm, dragging me away fr
om the table and toward the door that headed outside.
I desperately tried to free myself from his grasp, but I had no leverage as I struggled to stay on my feet while being pulled through the bodies. I was dragged through the warehouse and out the main door into the cool November night. Finally, we came to a stop a few feet outside the entrance.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I screamed. Ash turned around, glaring at me through thunderous eyes. He didn’t say a word. Instead, he cupped both sides of my face in his hands and pulled me into a toe-curling, heart-stopping kiss.
As soon as my brain registered what was happening, I pushed him away. “Get off of me! Have you lost your damn mind?” I was furious.
“Scarlett, I’m sorry, but I had to get you out of there. You have to stay away from that guy. He’s bad news. He’s—”
“He’s what, Ash?” I cut him off midsentence. “He’s a self-absorbed, arrogant, pompous-ass womanizer? Is that it?” My voice was still elevated, but I had brought it down a notch, hoping to avoid any unnecessary attention from the people walking by.
He took a step forward with his arms stretched out toward me. “Butterfly, please,” he begged.
I took a step back. “Don’t,” I said, shaking my head and holding my arm out in front of me. “Just don’t.”
He stood there silent, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, just looking at me. The anger in his eyes from just moments before had turned to either sadness or disappointment or a combination of the two.
“You know, Ash, whatever this is between us, whatever we are, it’s all your doing,” I hissed. “You knew how I felt about you. You knew what I wanted. But you were the one who insisted we just be friends. I didn’t like it, but I went along with it so I could keep you as a part of my life. And now, the first time you see me with another guy, the first fucking time you feel threatened, you go all caveman on me and then play the ‘butterfly’ card?”
“That’s not true,” Ash argued. “I see you with Dylan all the time and I never say anything.”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s because you know as well as I do that nothing is ever going to happen between Dylan and me. We see each other one night a week only in locations full of other people, like a restaurant or Jacob’s.”
“Scarlett, I’m just worried about you,” he tried to explain.
“No need,” I snapped. “Look, Ash, you’re the one who told me I needed to experience life—to try new things, to meet new people, to learn about myself from my mistakes. Remember?”
He ran his hands through his hair and sighed in frustration. I knew this conversation was not going the way he planned, and much to my chagrin, I found myself wanting to hold and comfort him.
My voice softened but remained stern as I looked intensely into his eyes. “Ash, our relationship has grown into something very special over the last couple months. I could not imagine my life going forward without you in it; I cherish all the time we spend together. I also know that no matter what we call it, we will always be something more than just friends. I can’t explain it and I don’t think you can either.” He shook his head in agreement and a small smile briefly crossed his lips. “But I’m not going to sit around, waiting and pining after you while you gallivant around and fuck half the female population of Houston. I’m going to have a life, which includes dating other guys, whether you approve of them or not. I hope that doesn’t interfere with us continuing our relationship the way it was before it got all weird tonight.”
Without saying a word, he walked toward me with his arms stretched out in front of him, and this time, I did not deny his embrace. He held me tight against his body, his face buried in my neck, my arms locked around his waist. We stood there silently for a few minutes, both of us needing an opportunity to reflect on the events of the evening.
People started filtering out the door of the warehouse, signaling that closing time was approaching. Before letting me free from his arms, Ash whispered in my ear, “I know I really messed up tonight and I’m sorry. I’ll work on it. I promise. I can’t lose you, butterfly.”
I took a step back from him and gave him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay? Be careful going home tonight.”
As I turned on my heel and headed back toward the entrance, I could feel his eyes on me the entire walk. Just before I slipped inside, I glanced back at where he still stood. I gave myself a silent pat on the back for standing up to him and not giving in, even if my inner voices were having a knockdown, drag-out over whether I should run back to Ash’s arms or continue flirting with trouble inside with Mason. I would’ve said it was my inner angel and devil, but in this case, I had two devils. I knew I was playing with fire either way I went.
Eighteen
Evie and Mina had followed Ash and me out when he had abducted me. They had given us our space and privacy, but there was no way Evie was going to let me be out there without her. I found them lingering outside the door, waiting to make sure I was okay.
“You all right, Sam?” Evie asked as I walked over to her.
I nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, I think it’s all going to be okay. Now I only hope Mason is inside and still wants to hang out tonight.”
“Do you want me to go in with you?” she asked.
“No, I’m fine. I promise. I’ll text you if I need you,” I reassured her. She gave me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, and then she and Mina bounded off across the parking lot to where Noah and Max waited for them. I couldn’t help but smile at how happy Evie was tonight.
Back inside the warehouse, the overhead lights had been turned on, and other than the employees, there were only a few people lingering around. I instantly spotted the back of Mason’s tall frame standing at the bar. I drew in a deep breath and made my way over to him.
“Mason?” My voice squeaked as I tried to get his attention. He sat his bottled water on top of the bar and turned around to face me. When he saw me, his face lit up and he exclaimed, “Angel! You’re still here.” His enthusiasm seeing me made my heart swell. He appeared so tough with his big muscles, tattoos, and piercings, but for the short time I had been around him, he had been so sweet, soft, and cuddly.
I walked right up to him so I was only inches from his body and looked up into his mysterious gray eyes. “I thought we had some unfinished business to attend to.” He leaned down and lightly swept his lips over mine. The warm silkiness of his flesh on mine accompanied by the cool metal piercing set my body on fire. Mason slipped his hands under my arms, and in one swift motion, he lifted me up, turned us around, and sat me on top of the bar. Instinctually, I opened my legs so that he fit between them.
The next kiss was not quite as sweet as the first, and the one after that was nearly obscene. His lips and tongue expertly teased and tortured my mouth, my face, my ears, and my neck while his large, strong hands caressed me from my head down my back to my hips. When he paused briefly with his mouth on my shoulder, I took advantage of his lull and repaid each of his tormenting kisses with one of my own.
My inner thighs throbbed while the rest of my body buzzed with desire. His hands found their way back in my long, straight hair. He was massaging my scalp when suddenly he grabbed two handfuls of my hair and yanked my head back, offering up my entire neck to him. A raspy growl emerged from my throat, and I felt my panties drench. I locked my legs around Mason’s waist and pulled him as close to me as physically possible. He tugged on my hair again, harder the second time, and again, I couldn’t help but groan at the overwhelming jolt of pleasure that shot through me.
I arched my back with my legs still wrapped around Mason, and he lowered me back onto the bar. I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t even stop to realize we were in the middle of a public place, and even if I had noticed at that point, I’m not even sure I would’ve cared. The night had been such a mixture of emotions with meeting Mason and dealing with Ash, but while lying on my back on top of that bar, the only thing that mattered was Mason,
me, and the fact that we both had way too many damn clothes on.
“Oh my God, Scarlett. You are the sexiest fucking thing I have ever laid eyes on,” he said as he gazed down at me.
I smiled at his gratifying words and lifted my right hand to his cheek. “You’re not so bad yourself, Mason Templeton.”
He turned his face so that he could kiss my palm. “I need some fresh air. You’ve got me so worked up, angel, that I almost forgot we weren’t alone here,” Mason said as he looked around the bar to the handful of people who were pretending to be busy and not watching our steamy, bar-top make-out session. I blushed thinking about the guttural sounds I had made just minutes earlier.
“Good idea. Let’s get out of here,” I replied. Mason helped me back into a sitting position then lifted me off the bar and down to my feet, pulling me in for one more kiss. I could feel his hard cock pressed against my abdomen, and I wanted so bad to reach down and rub my hand up and down it, but I controlled myself. I wasn’t quite sure what it was Mason evoked in me, but I yearned for both his touch and to touch him like I didn’t think was possible. It was like my body was hungry for his, starving actually. Finally, I understood the draw toward the bad-boy image that so many girls and women could not resist. If I was Mason’s angel, he was my perfect devil.
“Wanna grab a bite to eat?” he asked.
Oh, there was something I wanted to put in my mouth, but it wasn’t food. On cue, my stomach growled loudly.
“Well, I guess that’s all the answer I need,” he joked and kissed my forehead.
“Not really what I had in mind, but I guess my stomach has different ideas,” I admitted.
He grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together as we headed toward the door. “You’ve had a busy night, angel. I need to feed you and get you home so you can rest. It’s nearly three in the morning. We can pick up where we left off another night in a place with a little more privacy.”
