Page 18 of Unburied

They swapped numbers, and she found herself smiling as she moved toward the front of the store. He seemed nice enough at least, if a little on the shy side. That was a point in Tyler’s favor. Between her brother and the guys at Vantage, she was around alpha males all day long. She hoped he was different, that he was as studious and sweet as he seemed. Definitely nothing like Mason.

But the memory of her night at the hotel, his dominant personality taking control, had her cheeks burning. She couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed it, but he was most certainly not the guy for her. She was ready to let sleeping dogs lie and move on. And going out with Tyler would be the first step forward in putting Mason behind her once and for all.

CHAPTER

TEN

Mason adjusted his shades as he watched Vivi push the cart out the front doors and approach her car. She popped the trunk and started to load the groceries without so much as glancing around, and he let out a little growl as he pushed off the fender of his truck and strode toward her.

She still hadn’t noticed his presence by the time he was two feet away from her, and he settled his hands on her hips. She let out a stifled shriek as she spun toward him, her eyes wide. The surprise leached away, turning to recognition then anger as she stared up at him.

“Seriously?” She punched his chest, but the effect was minimized because she stood too close to put any force behind it. “What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?”

He glared at her. “Do you not pay attention to anything, woman? You’ve gotta watch your surroundings.”

“I’ll keep that in mind next time someone tries to kidnap me,” she shot back.

“As much as you like to think you are, you’re not invincible, Viv.” He scowled. “You’re a tiny little thing.”

“To you, maybe,” she snapped.

“Doesn’t matter,” he continued, undaunted. “You know how easy it would have been for me to knock you out and toss you in the trunk? You’d have been long gone before anyone realized what happened.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can take care of myself.”

“Obviously. One of these days you’re going to invite the wrong kind of trouble,” he warned.

She smiled sweetly, a cutting look in her eyes as she stared up at him. “Kind of like inviting strange men to my hotel room?”

“That was different,” he cut in. “Thank God it was me and not someone else.”

She let out a little laugh that held zero humor. “Oh, yes. That was such a relief.”

Her tone was full of sarcasm, and he stiffened. “How many times do I have to apologize, Viv? I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.”

“You only apologized because you got caught,” she retorted. “Besides, it doesn’t matter. It was a mistake—one I have no intention of ever repeating.”

This had devolved way more quickly than he intended, and she was out of her mind if she thought they were just going to go on their merry way. Absolutely not. He’d been rattled since that night, and he felt like he needed another go with her to set his world right. “Vivi, I⁠—”

“See you around, Mason.” She slammed the trunk, then shoved the cart in his direction. He deftly rounded it and reached for her just as she grabbed the door handle.

“Would you stop?” he hissed. “We still have to work together, at least.”

Although he wanted a lot more from her than to just be her coworker. He knew she’d felt the same connection between them that he had. He wasn’t sure exactly what he planned to do about it, but he knew he wanted more of her.

Vivi’s taste had haunted him for the past six days, and he swore he could feel the silky smoothness of her skin every time he closed his eyes. This morning in the file room, surrounded by her intoxicating smell, able to taste her again, he felt more at ease than he had since he’d stupidly walked out of that hotel room alone.

“So?”

“What do you mean, so?” He fought the urge to shake her. “You’re my friend’s little sister. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

If anything, her expression darkened further. “In case you missed it, I’m an adult. I’m more than just Knox’s sister, more than some easy hotel lay.”

This woman pushed every single button he had. “That’s not⁠—”

“Whatever, Mason.”

“Just stop already.” His tone was harder than he intended, and Vivi whirled toward him, fire in her eyes.