Page 50 of Unburied

He pulled back and looked at her. “Don’t do it again. If you ever got hurt because of me…” He gave his head a little shake.

“I’ll try my best,” she promised. She knew Mason could handle himself, but the idea of him getting hurt—especially at her brother’s expense—unsettled her. She would have done it a hundred times over.

As if he could read her thoughts, he quirked a brow before dropping his gaze to her lips. Head still cradled in his huge hands, he tipped her face slightly to one side as his mouth came down on hers. His lips were soft yet demanding, and she opened willingly, taking the kiss deeper. Mason broke away. “I’m sorry.”

The corners of her mouth curled into a teasing smile.

“It’s okay. I still like you. Even if you do have the emotional intelligence of a rock.”

Mason’s expression flashed with a mixture of indignation and shock. It quickly bled away, and he offered a sheepish smile. “I’m working on it,” he said.

Her smile grew. “A lot of people have pet rocks, and they seem to be very happy together.”

Mason’s eyes narrowed. “Is that right?”

Vivi barely had time to squeak before his hands found her waist and he began to tickle her mercilessly. Laughter fell from her lips as she fought desperately to fend him off. “Mason! Stop!”

“You called me a pet rock.”

“I said people like rocks!”

Her laughter echoed through the kitchen as she tried unsuccessfully to pry his hands away. He was grinning now, a rare, unguarded smile transforming his face.

“There are worse things to be,” she managed between breaths. “Could’ve called you a garden gnome.”

His eyes widened in mock horror. “That’s it.”

She shrieked as he redoubled his efforts. Finally, he relented, catching her around the waist before she could escape. Both of them were breathless.

Vivi looked up at him, still smiling.

His gaze softened as he stared down at her, and he brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Capturing her chin, Mason leaned dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss stole the rest of her laughter and every clever comeback she’d been preparing. Sweet and familiar, it left her heart racing for an entirely different reason.

When he finally pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

“Still like me?” he murmured.

Vivi smiled. “Definitely.”

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. “Good.” His arms tightened around her. “Because I’m pretty fond of you too.”

The next morning, Vivi headed into work, butterflies in her stomach. She’d dreaded talking with her brother before; now it was even worse. Not because she was scared of him or what he would do, but because she knew he felt betrayed, and she’d hurt him.

She dropped her stuff off at her desk, then headed toward his office. It was quiet inside, but when she peeked around the door, she saw him seated at his desk, head bent as he studied something on the papers in front of him. She drew a deep breath and stepped inside. “Can I talk to you?”

He was quiet for several seconds before he finally sighed and lifted his gaze to hers. “Sure.”

She closed the door behind her, then made her way to one of the seats in front of his desk. His shoulders were tense, and his eyes flitted around the room, landing on everything but her. “I need to apologize for yesterday. I never wanted you to find out that way.”

Knox raked one hand through his hair. “I just… Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know how,” she admitted. “Mason wanted to tell you weeks ago, but I begged him not to. I wanted to tell you in my own time, once I was sure things would work out between us.”

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” Knox replied. “You’re all I have. It’s my job to protect you, to keep you from getting hurt.”

“How do you know he’ll hurt me?”