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He rolled his eyes. “That’s basically the same thing in this context.”
“How is it?”
“Because you’re unwilling to open your eyes to reality and admit the truth,” he said firmly.
“I’m not unwilling. Why is being hesitant such a bad thing? It’s all fun and games when we’re pretending, but what if this screws up when it’s real? We get along just fine when we’re nothing more than friends.”
“You won’t know unless you give it a chance.”
“Giving it a chance scares me.”
“I know. It scares me, too.” He came back to me. “Remember how my last relationship ended? Claudia made me never want to be with anyone ever again, but then I met you. And, Lauren? I don’t want to be in a relationship with just anyone. I want to try and make things work with you.”
I peered up at him through my eyelashes. “What if it doesn’t?”
“Then it doesn’t. But I think it’s worth giving it a shot.” He half-smiled at you. “You’re beautiful. You’re funny. And I already know you’re a huge pain in the ass, so it’s not like that’s going to scare me off.”
I covered my face with my hands and laughed.
He pulled me into a bear hug and pressed his lips to the top of my head. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”
“What will be?”
“A date. Let’s go on one date, and if it’s really weird, we’ll amicably break up or admit the ruse. If it goes well, we’ll officially try being in a relationship.”
“Okay, while I appreciate your logic, there’s a fundamental flaw in it all.”
“What’s that?”
“We’ve technically already been on the dates. We’ve already done the getting to know each other part of dating.”
He raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
“Well, there was the reunion where we got a burger right after. Technically the lunch meeting to discuss our fake relationship could be classed as a date, and so could the time you came over here and showed me the crazy videos from your family. The two family events we went to together are dates, and Saturday night was definitely an extension of a date.”
“Ah, Saturday night, when you told me complete strangers sleep together and it doesn’t mean a thing.”
“Total strangers do sleep together without it meaning a thing.” I shuffled my feet. “But sometimes it can mean something.”
“You dragged me into your bedroom.”
“Oh, my God. I dragged you in because I was hoping you’d screw my brains out. Stop making a big deal out of it.”
“Did I?”
“What?”
“Did I screw your brains out?”
“If I admit that you did, do I still have to admit that I have feelings for you?”
I froze.
A grin spread across Masons’ face. “Well, well, well,” he said slowly. “Where did that come from?”
I took a deep breath in through my nose and stared him down. “You should probably go now.”
“No.” He pulled me in and kissed me before I could protest. Any half-hearted attempt I had left died when he wrapped his arm around my waist and held me flush against his body.
I gave in to him. It wasn’t the worst feeling in the world, to be kissed by him. In fact, it was one I could get used to.
“So what happens now?” Mason murmured. “If we’ve determined that we’ve already done the first dates things and that we both like each other, now what?”
I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t know, but I was saved by the bell.
The bell being a ten-pound human being with lungs the size of a grown adult.
I grimaced and patted his chest. “Well, I need to return Cara to my sister and go to work. I’d say you could stay, but Henry’s been looking for a head to sit on for hours, and he’s out for revenge since I kicked him out of Cara’s bed.”
Mason shuddered as he let me go. “I’ll pass. I’ll bring him tuna next time I come over and that should endear him to me.”
“Good luck with that!” I called over my shoulder.
CHAPTER NINETEEN – LAUREN
MASON: She told my mom.
I blinked at the message on my screen.
Oh, shit.
LAUREN: When???
MASON: Today. She stopped in at her work specifically to tell her, then showed her screenshots.
LAUREN: Fuck a duck.
MASON: I’ve been summoned for a chat.
LAUREN: I have to work. Oh no. What a shame.
MASON: Don’t worry, I’ve got it. I’ll handle her.
LAUREN: What are you going to tell her?
MASON: The truth. And I’m going to drop Kirsty right in the middle of it.
LAUREN: Well, it is her fault. If you look past my terrible decision regarding the ad.
MASON: I don’t think it was that much of a bad idea.
LAUREN: You hated the entire thing at first.
MASON: Yeah, but I didn’t know how annoyingly delightful you are then. A few hours in your company would make a monk give up the church, never mind a grouchy builder.
