get back on a board. Apparently the sea coral had dug deeper into his leg than the doctors first thought. Harley had been prepared for his depression over not being able to surf, but he took it like a champ, even telling her that surfing wasn’t his world anymore. All he needed was her from there on out. Talk about melting a girl’s heart. She’d never get over all the swoon-worthy
moments he graciously provided her with, but she knew surfing would always be a close second, and she was just fine with that.
Mason’s roommate had started getting irritated with Harley’s constant presence, stating
that he couldn’t get any game with a girl practically living in their apartment, so once Harley became registered for school and got used to being in Santa Cruz as an everyday citizen instead of a tourist, she wound up taking the extra room over at Mason’s Uncle Max’s place.
He was a nice guy, mid-forties, quiet, and worked the late shift at a nearby factory.
Harley hardly ever saw him, so it was basically like she lived on her own anyways. Then Max met a lady, and when Harley got home late one afternoon to find them going at it on the couch, she knew her welcomed stay was about to be worn out.
“One more, little beast. That’s all I’m asking for here.” Harley rolled her eyes. One more
her ass. That’s what he’d said about the last three places.
Being the good girlfriend she was though, she just went with the flow. She didn’t see the
point of apartment life right now, especially since living on campus would save her so much money, but Mason being Mason wouldn’t let it lie until she’d agreed to go looking.
Between the summer classes that she’d been taking and her new job down at the
bookstore on Pacific, Harley had been running herself ragged. She was under the impression that today was supposed to be a day of relaxation for the two of them. Apartment hunting did not equal relaxation.
“I’m done, Mase, seriously. I’m worn to crispy steak status, so stick a fork in me and…
Oh Jesus, Mase! Don’t look at me like that!” His mesmerizing eyes were pleading, and then he added the lower lip.
She could never deny the lower lip…
“Please, little beast, just one more? I know you’ll like it, and look. It’s right by the pier.
Didn’t you tell me that you wanted a beach front apartment?” Mason Daniel was a conniving,
fight dirty kind of guy.
Ugh. She’d definitely have to agree now.
“Fine. One more, but that’s it, you hear me? I don’t see why it’s such a big deal anyways.
I’m still trying to save up a little money to get a better place eventually, so staying on campus temporarily isn’t such a bad idea, ya know?” He grabbed her hand, obviously already knowing that he’d won the battle. His lopsided grin said it all. Resigned, Harley let him take charge.
“You and your whining, little beast. What am I going to do with you?”
“You’re not going to do a damn thing with me, Mason,” she grinned at him, her eyes lit
with naughtiness. “Except for maybe a massage tonight…”
He grinned back at her, yanking her closer into his side. His voice, raspy and low,
whispered into her ear, “How about a full on body massage … sans clothes … with that extra
special lotion that you—”
“Mason, seriously shut up! We’re in public!”
Her face enflamed, the heat poured through her like liquid fire. She slapped him on the
arm. But then he stopped her, throwing his own arm out, only to push her back against a brick wall that sat off to their right. He grabbed her hands, pinning them above her head. His mouth hovered over hers. His lips brushed the corners of her mouth. Harley’s stomach erupted with those all too familiar butterflies, and she licked her lips in anticipation … and preparation.
“I don’t care where we are, or who we’re with, little beast. You. Are. Always. Mine, and
if I wanna talk dirty to you, then I will…”
His mouth descended onto hers, and she succumbed to his pressure, feeling protected,
worshiped and sexy, all at the same time. One hand moved to her waist, slipping under the edges of her tank top, his other gripped both her hands in a tight hold. She could have moved away, easily, but she didn’t want to. Harley swore to all that was holy, she’d never grow tired of the way this boy made her feel.
“Are you done complaining, Har? ‘Because I can still try to convince you…” he smirked,
pulling away.
She blinked and bit her lip, “God, Mase, if you keep trying to convince me, then we’ll
never make it to the next apartment.” She studied his darkening eyes, practically losing herself inside their depths.
She was so lucky. They were so lucky.
“Well, I suppose that will have to do for now then.” He winked and pulled her away from
the wall. Their passionate gazes never ceased, even as the sound of Harley’s cell phone chirped from her pocket.
She dug the annoying old thing out, struggling to keep her hands from shaking too hard.
It was Abigail, and just thinking about talking to her had Harley’s pulse racing, but for an all-together different reason.
“Hey, hot mama, what’s happening?” Harley’s voice shook as she moved away from the
wall. Mason grabbed her hand, stealing her away with him, obviously done with the lesson for the day. Too bad she was already ready for another one.
“Hey, Har! How’s the apartment shopping going?”
“Crappy! I’d rather live on the beach with the bums than deal with this. Anyways, what’s
up?”
“I visited your brother today!” David gossip, just like she’d figured. Harley couldn’t
blame her best friend. She was still so desperately in love with David. Harley could totally relate to that feeling. “He said the physical therapist seems to think that he’ll be able to try getting up on his prosthetic tomorrow without crutches if he wanted too. Isn’t that awesome?” Harley
smiled at the enthusiasm in Abigail’s voice. The girl was David’s second number one
cheerleader, with Harley being the first. Now that Harley was here in Santa Cruz though, she was more than happy to hand her duties down to the one other person who could most likely succeed at getting her brother out of his funk.
“Yeah, that is great! I talked to him earlier this morning. He sounded as excited as his
broody butt could get about it.”
“I told him he had to take me dancing soon. Of course he laughed in my face. Still
though, it was a start, right?” Harley blew out a silent breath. If only her brother could get his shit straight. They needed each other. They were the salt to each other’s pepper. As stupid as that sounded, it was true.
Harley decided a subject change was in order. David talk always brought Abigail down.
“Are you still coming here for the fourth then? Mason’s buddies are having that big shindig, and I want you to be here, badly.”
“Hell yes, I’ll be there. Maybe I’ll find my own surfer boy! Either that, or I’ll just find a couple of flingers instead.” Harley snorted out a laugh in response. Flingers. Yeah, they were Abigail’s specialty nowadays.
Her best friend’s obsession with boys was getting to be a little much. Mason stared over
at her in question with a single raised eye brow, but she waved him away. It was a do not even bother asking kind of conversation.
“Alright player, I’ve gotta jet. We just got to apartment number seven. Hopefully I can get Mason to free me soon.” He waggled his eye brows as he stared back at her. Yeah, he was a double innuendo kind of guy, her double innuendo guy.
“Alright girl, I’ll call you later.”
“Sounds perfect, Abs. Love ya!”
“Love you too, Har.”
She hung up, right as Mason pulled her inside the lob
by of an apartment complex so
beautiful that it almost made her want to wear a regal gown before entering. She’d never be able to afford this place! Why was he teasing her? And it had an elevator? A freaking elevator? What the hell?
“What are we doing here, Mase? This place is amazingly awesome, but the price? Not so
awesome, I’m sure.” He only grinned at her, nodding her along as they stepped into the brightly lit hall.
The large floor to ceiling windows in the stairwell alone were enough of a reason to take
Harley’s breath away. Seeing the Pacific Ocean from that angle every day was definitely an
incentive to keep looking deeper into the apartment itself. Maybe, just maybe if Harley gave up food and basic life necessities for a while, she could afford a mansion of an apartment like this one.
“Mason Daniel, you are the biggest tease in the history of mankind, you do know that,
right?” She frowned up at him as they stood side by side before a large ornate wooden door. She read the words to herself, apartment two nineteen. Oh what glory awaited them behind that door?
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, little beast!” She groaned. He had the audacity
to grin at her … grin at her. Oh, he was in for it.
“Seriously, I could never afford a place like this. You know my budget, and this,” she waved her hands ahead. “Obviously isn’t in it.”
Harley folded her arms across her chest. She knew she was being dramatic, but so was
Mason in a way.
“It doesn’t hurt to get ideas though, right? Come on, I think the door might even be open.
Let’s just take a look around and see what you think.” Yeah, so she was a little curious.
Harley’s eyes widened and she gasped as they stepped over the threshold. Immediately,
her attention was drawn towards the back wall. It was made up of nothing but glass – one giant sized window. The sheer valence hanging over the top did little to hinder the view either. The color might have been yellow or something in that scheme, but she was too enthralled with the ocean view to care otherwise. Wait. No, absolutely not. She could not get attached to a freaking apartment. It wasn’t hers. It never would be either.
Off to their left sat a kitchen that was small, but equally as beautiful. Granite counter tops covered dark, cherry cabinets, and a large sky light lit the room with the warmth of the sunshine.
She could almost see herself studying the stars from underneath it at night. Her mouth fell open, her hands twitched with excitement at her side. Oh the fun she could have in this place.
It was an absolute work of art.
“What are you laughing at, surfer boy? I’ve never been in a place where there was an
actual window in the roof of the kitchen before. I’m just … a little impressed, so don’t hate.” He walked up behind her chuckling as he wrapped both of his arms around her waist. He laid his chin on top of her head and gave her sides a gentle squeeze. Harley leaned back into him,
interlocking her fingers on top of his as she pulled them to her stomach.
A second later she stiffened, looking back over her shoulder at him. What was he up to?
“What’s wrong, Har?” he questioned. His mouth spread into a tight line as if he was
struggling to hide a smile.
“Um, why are we in this place without the realtor? You do know that this is considered
breaking and entering, right, Mase?” His grin turned on, and he let that smile shine. “Oh no, what the hell did you do?”
“Calm down, little beast. There won’t be a realtor here today.”
“Sure there will be. There’s always at least a landlord present when you go to look at an
apartment.” He grinned down at her; his eyes were teasing and knowing. She blinked several
times, just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“Shit, Mase. I don’t want a criminal record. I’ll never get a good job with jail time under my belt.”
“God, Har. You can be so dense sometimes, woman. The reason there is nobody here
today is because the place has already been rented out.”
“Oh sweet Jesus, Mason. You didn’t have to commit a felony just to find me a good view
of the ocean!” Grabbing her wristlet tight within her fingers, Harley darted for the door. Mason’s laughter filled the room. Harley fumed. She saw nothing funny about the situation.
“Harley, take a look around okay? I promise ... you won’t get into trouble.”
“Well if I do, then you are going to take the blame for this one, got it?” She poked a finger in his face, jaw clenched as she moved from room to room.
Exploring wasn’t a crime, right?
The first room was small with wood floors and a lot of fresh white paint, the perfect
palette. The second bedroom was much bigger, but that’s not what surprised her. On the wall, directly catty corner from the floor to ceiling window was a large ten by fourteen picture frame with a picture in it.
A picture of Harley and Mason as a matter of fact.
What. The. Hell?
“Do you like it, little beast?”
“Yes, Mason, it’s beautiful,” she smiled, moving closer to run her finger along the glass.
“But who in their right mind would want our picture hanging on the wall of their bedroom?”
“Come on, Harley. When in the hell did you turn so blonde?”
“Watch it, pal,” she warned with a teasing snarl. She shrieked as he grabbed hold of her
shirt, pulling her close to his front. His hands were on her hips, and his smile was, as always, wide.
He gestured towards the picture with his finger. “I put that picture up there, seeing as though this is going to be our apartment.”
What? What did he just say? No. No way. That would mean to tease such a thing.
“Our apartment? Like … you want to move in together? Here?” she squeaked.
“I’m saying that I put the deposit and the first and last month’s rent down on this place just last night. For us, Harley.”
She stuttered, but nothing actually came out of her opened mouth. She pressed her fingers
to her lips as her eyes drifted between the picture and Mason’s face.
“Talk to me, Har. I thought you’d like this!” Mason’s voice cracked. It was the only thing
that broke through her walls of disbelief.
“Why in the hell did you make me go to all those awful places then, you …you …
absolutely wonderful man, you!”
Harley shook her head. No longer was she able to contain herself. It was time for the
biggest thank you in the history of all thank-yous. With a quick leap, she was in his welcoming arms, wrapping both of her legs around his waist, sealing the perfect moment with a long, hard, and utterly sappy kiss. It was the kind of kiss that would surely melt her entire body if she wasn’t careful.
“So, you’ll do it then?” He stammered as she pulled back, their breathing was beyond
labored.
She leaned back even more to look down at him fully, not a bit of physical strain
appeared in his eyes as he continued to hold her up against his body. She cupped his face
between the palms of her trembling hands.
“Do what exactly because I can think of all sorts of things that I want to do with you right now. You’re going to have to be a bit more specific with me here...” She tapped him on his nose with her fingertip.
He licked his upper lip, his eyes refocused down on her mouth again. She shivered,
gripping the nape of his neck to pull him closer.
And then he kissed her again.
Her entire being was opened in that moment. Her mind was set free, all the pain and
regret and guilt she had once been filled with, settled into a tiny part of her heart; the part that would serve as a reminder of what he
r life had been like once before. The part that she would never forget, but would finally be able to store tightly away. The rest of her was filled with love
… the love she had for this boy. The boy who kissed her like she was truly meant to be kissed.
Their kiss spoke of completion. It spoke of togetherness. It spoke of fire and lust. But
most of all, it spoke of pure and simple love. The kind of love that nobody expected to find, but gripped the hell out of if they were lucky enough to experience it.
Pulling away sooner than she ever had wanted, she looked down into his eyes, needing to
see his face. Needing to see if he was experiencing this moment like she was. And there it was
… absolute joy written clearly across his face. Thank. Freaking. God.
“I want to live with you, Har. Here … in this place … together.”
She was a blubbering mess, tears streamed down her cheeks, but she managed a small
smile as she ran her palms down the sides his face. She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes, letting their labored breathing intermingle.
“Mason Daniel,” she whispered, “I would like nothing more than to move in here with
you … just as long as you can do one thing for me first.” She bit her lip and reopened her eyes to see his quirky grin tipped up at the sides of his mouth. His eyebrows rose in question though.
“Anything, Harley. Anything you want. It’s yours.”
“Promise me that I’ll get the right side of the bed.”
His slow, answering grin brightened the room even more than the surrounding windows
had. She grinned back, her heart surged with power, pure elation, and most importantly it surged with love.
“Okay, little beast, I suppose that can be arranged,” he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. She shook her head, brushing her fingers through the ends of his hair. “Just as long as you’re there in that bed with me every night … for forever.”
She squeezed her legs around him even tighter, feeling her heart blanket with adoration
for the boy she’d never again be without. The boy who would forever be her equal and her final missing puzzle piece to her once complex life.
“Oh Mason, you sexy surfer boy,” she sighed, speaking the words she’d never again take
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