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Next thing Andie knew, a young woman slipped out the front door, closing it carefully behind her. “That’s your sister?”
“The one and only. Katie-Kat, the little brat.”
Maybe that had been the case in earlier years. By the affection in Mason’s voice and the grin on his face, he clearly liked her as much as he loved her. Andie could already see why. Watching Katie make her way covertly across the yard was entertainment in itself.
“She’s going to get caught simply because she’s trying so hard not to.”
“That’s Katie.”
The truck’s rear passenger door opened and Katie bounced into the middle of the backseat. “Here you go.” She dropped Andie’s tote bag on the front seat. “I’m not going to introduce myself, that way it’ll be more authentic when we officially meet. And don’t worry, I’ve got you guys covered.” She leapt from the truck, checked for spies and sprinted to the house.
“Wow, she’s got a lot of energy.”
Mason pushed the fabric of Andie’s dress up to her hips and lightly stroked between her legs. “You do all right in that department, yourself.”
“Oh, no you don’t. You arenotstarting something parked out on your parents’ lawn.”
He laughed when she pushed his hand away. “I bet your heart rate went up just from thinking about having an orgasm right here, right now, where anybody could see.” He leaned in so his lips brushed her ear. “I bet you’re so turned-on by the idea, if you relaxed against the headrest, I could make you come in less than a minute.”
A few choice words and her libido shot higher than tonight’s fireworks would. This, less than twenty minutes after they’d rocked the back of his truck. “I’m not taking that bet.”
“I bet if I pushedmyseat back, you could make me come in less than a minute.”
“I’m not takingthatbet, either.” She located her brush and lipstick, got to work on de-sexifying her appearance. “You’re a bad influence, Mason Lang.”
“Meaning you seriously considered my offers.” He followed with a sizzling kiss that stirred parts that should be resting up for later.
“Mints,” she said breathlessly, then dug the roll from her bag and popped one. “Don’t want to have dick breath while chatting up your family.” She waved the package. “Want one?”
“Nah, I don’t have dick breath.” A wink later, he was out of the truck, coming around to open her door. As he always did. He kept her hand after helping her down. Squeezed it and put his lips to her knuckles.
Sweet actions like that gave her a little fit of butterflies. The stunning roses he’d brought, the words that came with them. Making her breakfast. Holding her hand every chance he got. Not trying to control what she wore or how she acted.
She’d sure misinterpreted his comments about her dress earlier. He’d let her bratty moment slide without question, but she really needed to get a handle on her baggage before she scared Mason off permanently—a prospect that made her stomach clench. Bit by bit he was worming his way into her heart. And that was dangerous, because he couldn’t stay there. In the end, there’d be a big hole.
“What did your sister mean by having us covered?”
“Go along with whatever she says. Katie’s good at managing things.”
Oh, sure. Agree with whatever a total stranger made up about her. No problem.
The house was empty when they went in the front door. A miracle, given the amount of noise coming from out back. Andie deposited her purse and tote bag by the door in case she needed to grab it and run again.
Mason shook his head. “I don’t think so, babe,” he said, moving them to a cupboard in the kitchen. She stuck out her tongue and he laughed as they rejoined the party on the deck.
“Well, there you are. I was about to send out a search party, see if you’d gone down and fallen in the lake. Without telling anybody where you were going.” Mason’s mother added a dose of stern to her last words.
Enter Katie, waving her cell. “My bad, Mom. I forgot to tell you when Mason texted me a while ago.” And cue Katie’s cover story. “Andie thought she’d left the iron plugged in, so they had to cruise back to her place. Make sure her house didn’t burn to the ground.”
All the huff disappeared from Mary Lang’s demeanor. Not only did Katie lie convincingly, she’d chosen the perfect excuse. Women don’t take the threat of an unattended iron lightly. And it could’ve been true. Andie had hurried home on more than one occasion because of that nagging feeling that some appliance might still be on, plotting to overheat and throw itself at a flammable surface.
Easy as that, everybody resumed party mode. Theofficialintroduction to Mason’s sister. Another to her handsome fiancé. Talking, eating and a generous amount of drinking followed. Nobody leered or made insinuating remarks.
That she and Mason had argued, gone off to make up with incredibly intense sex, then snuck back in, didn’t occur to anybody. Other than Katie, perhaps. If she knew what they’d gotten up to, she didn’t let on. Maybe she was used to covering for her brother and his dates. Not a good place for Andie’s mind to go since she had no business being possessive or jealous.
By evening, the Lang’s backyard had fifty people in it, maybe more. There were people everywhere—in the pool, filling every chair, hanging out on the lawn with plates of food. Every branch of his family had representation. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews. Even Mason’s last surviving grandparent, Grandma Millie, who’d proven she could down firecracker shooters faster than Katie’s fiancé. Several times. Friends and neighbors rounded out the crowd. Not one of them seemed fazed that Mason’s girlfriend, as she’d repeatedly been called, was clearly older than the popular vet. Kind of gave her hope.
“Sooo, Andie,” Katie called as she hauled Logan away from the makeshift bar and his eighty-six-year-old nemesis. “Mason tells me that you’re a fabulous dressmaker.”
