Page 16 of Housekeeping

9

Laura

The question was out of my mouth before I could call it back. Mason was obviously shocked about my proposition, and it was a bit of a struggle not to hide my own surprise.

What did he just say?

“Are you asking me… what I think you’re asking me?” Mason asked again after a moment, his voice hesitant.

Right there! That was my chance to clear things up. I opened my mouth to tell him I just wanted the ride and nothing more. That was the path of least regret for the future, I could feel it. And yet, different words left my mouth instead.

“Well, what do you think I’m asking?” I retorted, teasing, but with underlying unease.

What the fuck am I doing! It hasn’t been that long since I declared I wouldn’t do anything with him because he was out of my league! Two weeks maybe? And with all the shit with Jessi…

This was all probably a bad idea. Letting him see me cry and not sending him off right afterward was where my mistake began. I hadn’t seen him in a while, though the fantasies had held, and then to see him in the flesh… it must have been too much for me. Especially with seeing him acting like how I pictured him in some of my fantasies… an attentive man, good enough at holding a meaningful conversation. He was right. He was a pretty good listener.

However, none of that changed anything.

Mason didn’t look like he was going to back down as he stood up with sudden enthusiasm, a grin on his face as he held a hand out to me. I stared at the hand, trying to hold myself back.

Then, I had a sudden thought… why not?

Why was I fighting myself so hard, when I had to admit I’d been tempted to get myself off to the thought of this guy and the size of his cock? It had been so long since I’d last been in a relationship, I was almost desperate enough just to jump him and get this over with. He’d only shown minimal interest in me before, so this was my chance, right? He wasn’t just laughing his head off at this older woman that lusted after him.

After a moment of staring at his hand, I reached out my own because I had to admit if only to myself that I wanted this, wanted him. There was no shame in it. I placed my palm on his, and his long, rough fingers folded over my hands. My heart thumped hard.

“Would you mind coming back to my room with me?” |he asked, holding my hand.

I blinked at him, my body already heating up at the thought of the two of us getting hot and heavy.

“Huh?”

He chuckled, grinning at me. “I was thinking we could just head up to my room, instead of me taking you home. Would that be inconvenient for you?”

I bit down on my lip. I would have felt more comfortable at my place, but I figured I wasn’t going to be thinking much about comfort while trying to get into his pants. Besides, my place was small, and while clean, it wasn’t exactly pretty to look at. Then I looked Mason over and decided my bed wouldn’t be big enough for the two of us with his six-foot-four frame, especially considering the luxury he was used to.

“Let’s do that,” I said decisively, getting up.

I pulled my hand out of his to clear the table and wash the dishes we’d used. I already had the rest of the food I’d cooked put away, but where the others could find it when they finally made it in to eat. I was just glad no one had come in to interrupt and found me with Mason, or there would have been rumors all over the hotel about it, and that was the last thing I needed.

With everything done, Mason held his hand out to me, and again, I took it.

He dragged me out into the hall, then to the elevator. Thankfully, he knew where the elevators used by the staff were, so I didn’t have to put up with him dragging me through the lobby, in front of guests and other staff.

In the elevator, we stood facing forward, both of us silent. It was a little awkward for me because we were still holding hands. It was hard to stand still, my body was feeling way more than interested, and I couldn’t help fidgeting in impatience as I watched the floor numbers go up.

“I never realized how high my room was,” Mason muttered.

If he was trying to be witty or something, the joke fell flat. The elevator doors finally opened, and Mason was tugging me out. He let go of my hand again when we stopped in front of his room, so he could find the keycard to unlock the door, then pulled me inside. Out of nowhere, he whirled me around, his other hand going to my shoulder as he held me against the door, and I gasped, my eyes widening as I looked up at him.

“What the—”

He cut me off before I could voice a complaint, his lips slanting against mine in a kiss. I made a noise of surprise, but it only took a second before I was kissing him back. I pulled my hands away from his to place them on his chest, running them up and around his shoulders to wrap my arms around his neck. I leaned up on the tips of my toes, pressing my lips harder against his.

I was getting short of breath, and as I was thinking about pulling back, he broke the kiss first. I was left panting, though Mason seemed to be faring better than I was.

“Damn, Laura,” he muttered, huffing a small laugh.