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He shrugged, picking up his fork to take another bite. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, I reckon. Is that ok with you?"
She pursed her lips and nodded. He'd asked what she wanted to do, but she didn't really have a choice. He was still grieving his dead girlfriend. It wasn't like she could rush that process, no matter how much she wanted to try a real relationship with him.
She took a deep breath and nodded. "This will work great, actually. I've never had much experience, as you know. But you can teach me all kinds of things in the next week, right?"
His eyes sharpened, turning dark with desire. "What things?"
She blushed and tapped her plate with her fork. "This is delicious. What did you get?"
He threw his head back and laughed loud enough to draw stares from around them. She blushed harder as he replied, "Nice save, but I'm onto you, sunshine. I'll let it go for now. Something tells me this is a conversation best had in private."
He grinned, and her breath caught in her throat. Her heart raced in anticipation. Then he picked up his fork and said, "It's barbecue. Not Texas barbecue, but it's good. You should try it."
He took a bite, the soft light playing through his dark hair. She felt the desire bubble up, and she felt like she'd explode. She needed a minute to process this heavy conversation. She set her fork down and stood up.
"Excuse me. I'll be right back."
"Bathroom?" he asked before he took another bite.
She slid her purse over her should cross body style and shook her head as she pushed in her chair. "No, just need some air."
He frowned as she walked away, but she heard him call out, "This is an outdoor restaurant. It's all air."
She strode past the bathrooms and down the path to the beach as the last sliver of the sun sank on the horizon. The plants had all smelled crisp after the rain last night, but now the flowers were cloyingly sweet. She just needed to escape, maybe walk along the beach.
If she got too close to him, she'd fall in love, and that was the path to heartbreak.
There were tiki torches along the beach, already lit even though it wasn't dark yet. She kicked her shoes off and shoved them into her large shoulder bag. Then she took her ponytail out and ran her hands through her hair, massaging the temples.
So she wouldn't continue seeing him after this next week. Was she upset about that? Didn't she already kind of think that was going to happen?
She snorted. It was pointless to be upset by it. Being upset wouldn't change it. Kinda like her dad being a deadbeat druggie. She couldn't do anything about that.
She felt helpless, powerless, even more so than when she was in that drug bust back in December. She shivered, then turned to walk to the waterline. The first wave lapped at her feet, and she gasped at the cold, wiggling her toes into the sand.
Peace settled over her as she closed her eyes and breathed in, just listening to the sound of the waves and feeling it wash over her feet. She tilted her head up and looked at the stars, so bright as darkness settled around them. The music from the restaurant changed as the show began, and she sighed.
She didn't want to go back yet. Her brain was still confused on how to handle this temporary boyfriend situation. She rubbed her forehead and turned, knowing she had to.
She sighed and turned back to the path. But when she looked up, her heart raced as she froze with one foot raised. Mason stood maybe twenty yards away, near the entrance to the path. One of the torches cast his face half in light and half in shadow, he just stood there and watched her.
As still as a statue, hands in his shorts, frown on his face, he finally asked, "You ok?"
She nodded and swallowed. Maybe it wasn't her brain that was confused. Maybe it was her heart. He was everything she'd ever hoped for in a man, mainly because he was an honorable gentleman, the exact opposite as her dad.
She nodded and found her feet bringing her closer to him. She couldn't help being drawn to him like a moth to flame. When she reached him, she felt an overwhelming need to touch him.
But it would just complicate things once they went back home. She had to treat him like a friend with benefits situation, not a boyfriend. Not that she had any experience in either.
She pulled out her sandals and slipped them on, balancing on one leg with an arm waving.
He caught her elbow to hold her steady, and she wobbled. Her arm jerked it out of his hand as she put her foot back down. Her foot landed on the side of the path, where it dropped away to the sand. Her arms went windmilling again, and he lunged for her.
But it was too late. She landed in the sand on her butt, her dress flying up around her waist. Her mouth dropped in surprise as she lay there, but Mason knelt beside her, his hands running over her body as he checked for injury.
"Son of a bitch, Lucy, are you alright? Are you hurt? Your—"
She started to chuckle, then it turned into a full-body laugh the more he talked. It was the least elegant laugh she'd ever had, loud and boisterous. She might've even snorted when she saw his scowl.
