I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t wash it for weeks.
Although I did have a lot to drink that night, I’ll never forget the words he said to me.“I’ll always be here for you, even if I’m not always around.”I think sometimes that those simple words made me hate him even more because I saw how caring he couldbe, and I knew we both were aware that there was something undeniable between us. But he continued to sleep with other women without a care in the world.
Mason and my brother graduated the following year, and I was relieved not to have to watch him jump from one girl to the next anymore. Looking back now, I think it did make me jealous, but it also pissed me off.
In the years that followed, every time Harry would take his annual guys’ trip with his fraternity brothers—including Mason, he would take up space in my mind again. Even as recently as last year, I’d finally cleared him from my thoughts, just for him to come hurtling back in again at full speed.
I yank the AirPods from my ears and put them back into their case. Then turn off the lamp next to my bed, roll over, and fall asleep. Shortly after dozing off, I awaken to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. I rub the sleep from my eyes and blink a couple times until the dark shadows in my bedroom come into focus. Swiping the phone, I’m almost blinded by the light of the screen. I peek at the text.
Mason: Hey, are you up?
Seriously, right now?I have a flight out in the morning, and I’ll be gone for three days. I never sleep well in hotels.
Me: Now I am. What’s up?
Three dots bounce at the bottom of the screen then disappear.
Me: Mason, what’s up?
I ask again, tapping the side of my phone, slightly annoyed but somewhat anxious too.
Mason: I’m at your door.
My mouth drops.He’s here? It’s 11:00 pm.I didn’t realize what time it was until just now.
Me: Be right there.
Flustered, I pop out of bed and run to the bathroom. I quickly rinse with mouthwash and fluff my hair a few times before heading to the front door.
“Hi. I didn’t think you’d actually answer it.” Mason smiles, running his eyes over the length of my body. He’s leaning against the door frame with one arm propped up on the wall above his head. He looks good. His hair is slightly messy, and the top buttons on his black collared shirt are undone. Mason’s tie hangs loose around his neck. It looks like he may have just left the restaurant.
“I almost didn’t,” I say, keeping the door part of the way closed.
“Is Luca here?” he asks, peeking his head in. But the smirk on his face tells me he already knows the answer to his question.
“No, he’s with my parents tonight since I fly out tomorrow morning for a couple of days.” I extend my arm, pushing the door open the rest of the way, allowing him to come in.
“That’s good. You never told me you were flying out for three days. I heard from Harry earlier this evening,” he replies, sliding his tie out from around his neck. He lays it on the back of the couch.
“I didn’t realize that our little arrangement required me to tell you my work schedule,” I say. “And why are you taking off your tie?”
“I think you know why, Bailey. And you were going to leave for three days without a proper goodbye?” he states as he begins slowly unbuttoning his shirt. My eyes fall to his bare skin and my lips tingle, remembering how it felt to run them over his warm, firm chest. Completely mesmerized, I watch him take his time releasing the last two buttons that keep the bottom half of his stomach hidden.
“I, um, I have to work early in the morning. I should probably get some sleep,” I stutter.
Mason’s shirt is now hanging open, exposing the perfection that is his toned pecs, stomach, and low-riding pants. He takes a few steps forward, closing the gap between us. My heart pounds in my chest so loud that I wouldn’t be surprised if my poor neighbors can hear it.
“Do you want me to go?” he asks in a husky hushed tone while he tilts his head down toward my lips. My face automatically moves upward, but I stop before touching his lips. Our mouths softly graze one another as they slowly move back and forth.
“No,” I answer, letting my eyelids close.
“Good, because I wanted to stay,” he says before pushing his lips into mine. Heat whips at my back as my body is on fire for him. His kiss is gentle, but somewhat withholding, like he’s trying to test the waters. I tease his tongue with mine, cautiously exploring his mouth while inviting him in at the same time.
The warmth from his palms glide along the curves of my body, eliciting sparks from every one of my nerve endings. Slowly, he moves from the top of my thigh and over the dip of my stomach until he slides along the sensitive skin, cupping one of my breasts. A quiet moan escapes from my throat. He massages it gently and calmly, moving in a circular motion. “I haven’t been able to think straight since that night I brought you home from wine tasting,” he mutters, biting my lower lip.
“Same. I wish you wouldn’t have left. I woke up in the middle of the night and had to take care of myself,” I tell him.
“You did?”
