by Parker, Ali
“Sorry. Trust me, it wasn’t really my idea of a good time.”
“Deanna says you’re going to be fine?” he asked.
“Yep, just a bump on the head.”
He shook his head, looking at my arm. “Just think if you would have been doing your cowboy thing and wearing that stupid half-helmet thing.”
I cringed, knowing he was right. “Yeah, I might rethink that, but I’m not giving up riding.”
“I knew you wouldn’t, but I hope you take riding lessons or something. I didn’t realize you were such a shit rider,” he teased.
I scoffed. “Yeah, because I could have avoided that one. I didn’t even see the guy coming. I’d still like to get my hands on the dude.”
“Your brother told me he was in jail and charged with two counts of vehicular assault and a few other things. I hope they lock him up and throw away the key,” Deanna said, wiping her eyes.
I held up my arm, gesturing for her to come to me. She walked to me, the tears flowing down her face. She gave me a gentle hug. I used my good arm to pat her on the back. “Thanks for coming. I’m sorry I scared you,” I said in a low voice.
She stood up, wiped her eyes, and smiled. “You did scare the shit out of me. You are forbidden from ever doing that again, do you hear me?”
I laughed. “I got it. Thank you all for coming, it means a lot,” I said, looking over at Adelaide.
She gave my fingers a gentle squeeze. My near-death experience had cost me a lot, but I hoped it was also going to gain me a lot.
Chapter 36
Adelaide
Tonight, was going to be special. I wanted to make it special for Mason and me. It was going to be our first real date. The fish-and-chips was us grabbing dinner and not an actual date. This was going to be me getting ready, him picking me up, and us going out to a place where the food wasn’t served in plastic baskets. Although I didn’t mind eating out of a plastic basket, I was looking forward to the real deal.
Mason had been healing, taking it easy at home and recovering from the accident. I had seen pictures of the accident scene and his bike. It was nothing short of a miracle he was alive. I didn’t know what the future held for us as a couple, but I knew I didn’t want to squander what we did have. I was willing to give it a go.
It felt a little strange to be getting dressed up for a date with Mason. It wasn’t a sentence I ever imagined myself saying, aloud or internally. I stood in front of my full-length mirror, staring at myself in the dark-blue satin bra and matching panties. Was I good enough for a man like Mason Bancroft? His family name was intimidating. He didn’t seem like he was one of them, but the idea that I wasn’t quite up to his level would always be in the back of my mind.
“Not tonight,” I told myself, pushing the thoughts of inadequacy to the side.
Tonight, I was going to allow myself to get to know the man and forget about the class difference. Tonight, was about celebrating the fact he was alive. I’d worry about the rest of it later. One step at a time. I opened my stuffed closet and pulled out the blue cocktail dress Deanna and I had picked out together a long time ago for a party we went to.
She and I had talked yesterday about what I should wear and we both agreed the blue lace minidress was subtle, sexy, and perfect for a nice dinner. I pulled it on over my head, struggling a little to zip it up the back. The lace cap sleeves were perfect for the warm night. The hemline was just above my knees, not too short. I added a skinny rhinestone belt around the waist and paired it with the black stilettos I only brought out on special occasions.
My makeup was a little more than usual with a pale-cream lip gloss. I had styled my hair in a loose, messy look, with lots of scrunching to give it body. I turned to look in the mirror, checking things out from all angles before declaring myself ready for my big date. I was a little nervous and a lot excited. I heard a knock on the door and felt the butterflies take flight in my belly.
It had to be Mason. I hadn’t seen him since the hospital. His family had been hovering, and I didn’t want to intrude. I walked to the door and pulled it open. He took my breath away. His hair was slicked back on the sides, away from his face. He was wearing a long-sleeved black button-up dress shirt and a pair of black slacks. It was a very Johnny Cash look mixed with a little bit of a Hollywood heartthrob thing. He was hot.
“Hi.” I breathed out the word.
“You look amazing,” he said, his eyes roaming over me.
“Thank you. How are you feeling?” I asked him, watching as he walked in.
“Good. A little stiff, but I’ll be better in no time. It’s more of an ache than actual pain,” he reasoned.
“We can do this another time,” I offered.
He shook his head. “No way. You look too good to not take out. I promise you, I’m fine.”
“I’ll grab my purse,” I said, almost afraid to be alone with him.
He looked too good. I could tell he was still sore and knew sex was off the table, but damn, he looked hot. The sexual chemistry between us was undeniable. I think we both felt it. The minute he was feeling better, I was going to jump him.
We walked to the parking lot and I was a little surprised to see the headlights on a very elegant Mercedes S-Class. It was black with dark windows and looked very upscale and nothing like what I would expect Mason to drive.
“Is this your car?” I asked him, assuming it was borrowed from one of his brothers.
He chuckled. “It is. I don’t care to ride when it is below freezing out. I do like luxury sometimes and when I took this for a test drive, I was sold.”
He opened the passenger door for me. I sat down in the leather passenger seat and felt like I was sitting on a stack of money. The car exuded luxury with every little feature. He walked around and got in the driver’s seat. The car was smooth as he pulled onto the street.
“I think I believed you only rode motorcycles. It’s strange to see you driving a car,” I told him.
He turned and smiled. “I’m not a one-note kind of guy. There are many layers to me,” he said cheekily.
“I suppose there is.”
When we got to the restaurant, he handed his keys to the valet before placing his hand on the small of my back and escorting me inside. He gave his name and we were taken to a quiet table. It was all way out of my league. I looked around and recognized a few faces from the society pages. This was not my scene.
“Relax, this is not my usual hangout,” he said before I got a chance to work myself into a new panic about us being way too different to ever be together.
“This is a lot,” I said on a sigh.
“It is. Jack recommended the place,” he explained.
The waiter, wearing a white tuxedo-style shirt and black pants, appeared beside our table. I looked to Mason. I was completely out of my element and would be following his lead. Mason ordered two glasses of wine for us.
“How are you really feeling?” I asked him when I noticed him wince while reaching for his glass.
“I’m sore. I’m not going to lie. I have bruises on my bruises. New bruises seem to pop up every day. My head feels okay, it’s just the rest of me,” he said nonchalantly.
“What about the road rash? Did you get to inspect the damage?” I asked, knowing he was concerned about the tattoos.
He smiled. “It’s ugly. I’m wearing this shirt because I have to wear the bandage another week or so. I don’t know what the damage is going to be. Right now, it’s a lot of bruising and scabbing.”
“Has your mom been taking care of you?” I asked him.
He nodded. “She’s been over every day, fussing over me. It’s strange. I don’t think she’s ever done that in all my life. I was never really sick as a kid. I did tend to get hurt a lot, but I refused to be babied back then.”
“I think she needs to fuss over you. I know you say you have a strained relationship with your family, but she loves you. I saw the worry on her face,” I told him, not mentioning I’d seen some othe
r emotions as well, but that had been directed at me—not him.
“It is strained, but I know they care, even if they have a funny way of showing it.”
He sipped the wine and I got the impression he didn’t much care for it. I was happy he was making an effort to take me to a nice dinner to impress me. It was sweet and showed he was trying. I knew he felt just as out of place as I did. We were not the kind of people who dined in fancy restaurants where the other diners were decked out in jewelry that probably cost more than his pretty Mercedes.
“Did you get to meet the guy who was there? The combat medic?” I asked him, remembering what Deanna had told me.
Mason got very serious. “I did. Jack tracked him down. He’s a good guy and I’m glad he was there. He was very humble and was convinced he did what anyone would do. I don’t think that’s true. He stayed with me the whole time.”
“I’m glad he was there as well.”
“I guess he stood in front of traffic, stopping it to keep me from being run over, then he sat with me. He was in the first car of the oncoming traffic and narrowly avoided being taken out by the driver. He said he thought for sure I was a goner,” he said with a smirk. “I’m hard to kill apparently.”
“Thank God for that,” I murmured, still horrified by what had almost happened.
“How’s work going?” he asked, changing the subject.
I wasn’t about to tell him work was awful. “Good. Same old stuff,” I said.
He reached for my hand with his left hand. He smiled, trying to hide the grimace of pain I caught a flash of. “Thank you for agreeing to come out with me.”
“Thank you for taking me out. Although, when you asked, I thought you were talking about going out in a week or two once you healed. There was no reason to rush this. I can see you’re still in pain,” I gently told him.
“I’m fine. I move wrong sometimes and forget about the sore muscles. It’s much better today than it has been. I’ll be good as new in a day or two,” he promised.
I studied his features in the dim light. I was beyond attracted to him. Something about him was addictive. He caught me staring. I quickly looked away, focusing on the wine in my glass and pretended to be very interested in it. I wanted to touch and caress him, kiss him and make him feel better. I let my mind wander as I thought about the many ways I could bring him pleasure. I knew one part of him was uninjured. I could take his mind off his pain by giving him something else to focus on.
I could almost feel the touch of his calloused hands running over my naked body. I could taste him in my mouth. I inhaled deeply, recalling the memory of his scent mingled with sweat and the musky odor of sex. I felt heat flood my body, my heart beating faster as I drifted away on the erotic fantasy cloud.
“Adelaide?” Mason’s voice came through the mist.
I smiled, loving the deep baritone. “Hmm?” I replied, still caught up in the moment.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I turned my gaze away from the red liquid I had been staring at. I looked up and found him studying me. I hoped to God my thoughts did not show on my face. I felt flushed, overheated, and in desperate need of some cool air or a cold shower.
“I’m good. Fine. You?” I asked, my voice a little higher than usual as I tried to recover from the very vivid little fantasy I was just having.
He didn’t look convinced. “Good. Are you ready to order?”
“Um, yes, but I really have no idea what to order and there are no prices on the menu,” I whispered.
He winked at me. “I’ll take care of it. Any allergies or anything you don’t like?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then I’ve got you covered,” he said easily.
I sighed, wondering how I had never seen how damn hot he was before. I could sit and watch him all day, creating a multitude of fantasies that would always leave me hot and bothered.
Chapter 37
Mason
I was finding it very difficult to focus on anything other than her. She looked incredible. I couldn’t look away. I knew she was gorgeous, but seeing her in that dress and those heels, I could think of nothing else but stripping her naked. I liked her in jeans and leather, but there was definitely something to be said for a dress that hugged her curves and those shoes. I had images of her wearing nothing but those shoes, wrapping her slender legs around me.
“Your brother Jack seems nice,” she said.
I smirked. “Jack is the nicer one. Grayson is kind of a dick. He was born an adult. I don’t think he knows how to loosen up. I feel sorry for him really. He was born a prince. He never had a chance to be anything else.”
“He did look very, uh, serious,” she said, clearly trying to choose her words carefully.
“I’m sorry about how you had to meet them,” I told her.
“I don’t think that’s something you have to apologize for. I shouldn’t have stayed. They are your family and I got the distinct impression they were not happy to see me,” she muttered.
I had hoped by some off chance she hadn’t noticed the looks and the tension in the room. I knew it had been naive to think that. I had been a little high, not oblivious.
“I’m sorry, really I am. You have to know my family doesn’t get a say in my life.”
“Your mom made it pretty clear she didn’t approve of me. I felt ridiculous standing there in my stained uniform, smelling like coffee,” she said, taking a drink from her glass of wine.
“I wanted you there. I’m glad you were there. I would have been pretty bummed if you hadn’t been there. My mom has this idea in her head about how all of our lives should be. She’s got this pretty little picture in her mind and in that picture, I’m married with two kids to a woman like the one my brothers tried to set me up with. Not just me. All of us have been the victim of my mother’s setups and suggestions about who we should date. She has good intentions, but I will never be able to live up to her expectations,” I said.
She offered a small smile. “I’m not part of her dream for you,” she whispered.
“Adelaide, that’s not what I meant.”
“It’s fine. I understand. You live in a different world. I don’t fit into that world. I understand it,” she said, and I could hear the sadness in her voice.
I should have probably censored my words a little better. I had been too blunt. It was something I had been told before. I forgot that other people weren’t quite as uncaring as I was. I had thick skin. Hell, I felt like I wore Kevlar most days. I had to. I had to ignore the insults and dirty looks, and I just assumed other people had the same superpower.
“My mother lives in that world, not me,” I said firmly.
“Mason, you don’t have to try and be anyone other than who you are with me.”
“Thank you. I’m not. You know who I am. I’m not the man my mother wants to be, and I never will be. I’m just me. I’m not changing. I don’t want to change.”
She smiled and nodded, seeming to relax some. “Good, because I kind of like the man you are.”
“Good, because I’m not changing, no matter how much my mother wants it. Please, don’t let my family make you feel like you are less than. You are a special woman and I don’t care what they think.”
She smiled, her eyes dancing with amusement. “Thank you for that. I understand. I really do. I know if I had a son like you, I’d be worried about him with girls like me,” she said with a wink. “You’re wealthy, connected, and your family has a lot of money as well. I get it. She’s looking out for you. Your brothers are as well. It’s kind of cute. They want to protect you.”
“I don’t need protection, especially from you.”
“They want the best for you. I’m not wealthy. I don’t come from money, and I’ve never dined in restaurants like this or been to those fancy balls your family goes to all the time. I don’t live in a cave. I know your family is very well respected in the city. You guys are kind of like royalty,” she said with a laugh
.
I scoffed. “You’re delusional. Any man would be lucky as hell to have you in his life. I feel lucky being able to sit here and have dinner with you. You’re smart, gorgeous, independent, and did I mention, you have a smokin’ hot body,” I said with a grin.
Her blush deepened. “Keep talking like that and you might get lucky once you’re all healed up.”
“I’m healed.”
She finished her glass of wine. “You are not.”
“Adelaide, I’m not a baby. I like a little pain,” I said in a husky voice.
She burst into laughter, quickly putting a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. “I know,” she shot back.
The woman looked all prim and proper sitting there in her pretty dress, but I knew otherwise. I knew she loved sex, she loved it hard, loud, and she was very responsive. I didn’t care that my chest hurt, and my left arm was torn to shreds. I wanted her. I wanted to bury myself inside her.
We ate the T-bone steaks I had ordered, talking about nothing in particular. I liked talking to her. I wasn’t usually big on talking to anyone, but with her, I felt like sharing, and I wanted to know all there was to know about her.
“Mason, why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered.
“Like what?” I asked, having no idea what my facial expression was doing.
“Like, you know.” She hissed.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. Do you have a mirror?” I asked, having a feeling I knew exactly what she was referring to.
“I don’t. Stop.” She breathed out the word.
“I can’t. I want you,” I told her.
“Mason, let’s finish our dinner.”
I shrugged. “Fine. I’m going to need my strength.”
She giggled again. “You’re so bad.”
“Baby, you had to know that when you agreed to come to dinner with me.”
She winked. “It’s the reason I agreed to come to dinner.”
I smiled, loving that she wasn’t embarrassed or put off by my very obvious come-on. One of my mom’s choices would have been mortified by the way I talked. Adelaide gave as good as she got. It’s why we were compatible. I had been having my doubts before the accident, but now I knew for sure.
