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“What?”
“You’re jealous.”
“Damn right. The man had his arms around you yesterday,” he admitted.
Surprise flashed in her brown eyes. “You’re so honest.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
A beat of silence passed. There was no sound but the watery clap of waves lapping at their boards and the few seagulls cawing and screeching.
She finally shook her head. “No, it’s just . . . It makes it so much easier to trust you.”
“Shouldn’t you?”
Her gaze darted to the water as she sighed. Hesitation bled from her. Mason squeezed her hand in his. “Hey, baby, tell me what’s on your mind.”
“Everyone in my life leaves. My own dad, whom I love with all my heart—he was taken away when I was sixteen, when I needed him most. Every boyfriend I’ve had didn’t stick around for the long haul. I . . . I really care about you. I’ve fallen for you and Aspen. I’m just . . . scared.”
He wanted to pull her off her board and onto his lap, but that wasn’t possible. They’d both end up getting soaked. “Look at me.”
She focused her dark brown eyes on his.
“I’m here. Whatever you need. I know I told you I couldn’t handle a relationship in the beginning, but I know I can now. The truth is, I can’t imagine my life without you in it anymore.” He inhaled a weighty breath before letting it go. He wrapped his hand around hers. “I need to slow this down once Aspen gets home. I’ll talk to her and tell her I’m dating you. But I’m in this. We’ll find a way to make this work.”
Her eyes grew watery, the pink haze of the fathomless sky reflected in them. “Okay. I trust you.”
And I love you. He lifted her hand to his mouth, pressing a kiss above her knuckles. “Should I tell Troy you’re taken, or do you want to do the honors?”
She giggled. “He really bothered you, huh?”
Mason frowned.
Her expression softened. “He’s harmless really. I would never date an employee. And he really isn’t my type. I much prefer the Beast than the prince.”
He shook his head. “This is the one time I hope I’m the monster in this analogy.”
“Not a monster. A big, handsome, protective grump with a heart of gold behind the thorns.”
His chest squeezed. Was that how she saw him? “I need to be inside you right now.”
She picked up her paddle. “We better get back to the truck, then.”
They paddled towards the shore, now empty of beachgoers as the sun finally set. Mason hurriedly carried their gear to the truck. He poured a water bottle into a bowl for Lady, who eagerly lapped it up.
Mason grabbed Pippa’s waist and pressed her against the truck, capturing her mouth in a kiss. She moaned, her hands clutching his biceps, leaving half-moons of want tattooed on his flesh.
“Need you,” he rasped.
“Where?”
He peeked around the empty parking lot before opening the passenger-side door. “Will she stay here or should we attach her leash to the back?”
Pippa reached inside her bag under the front seat, pulling out a longer leash. She attached it to the dog and hooked the other end to the tailgate of his truck before returning.
Mason set a towel down before he climbed in the seat and patted the spot next to him. Pippa got in and shut the door as he started the car, rolling down the windows to let cool, salty ocean air into the cab. Slow, sensual music quietly filtered in through the radio.
The indigo sky darkened by the minute, casting her in shadow. The glow of the dials was the only light in the car, coating her tanned skin in a neon green haze. The sound of their bated breaths was amplified in the tight space. Mason reached out for her, cradling her face in his hands as he drew her in for another kiss. He didn’t normally rush, preferring to take his time and savor every sigh and moan she made as he committed her body to memory. But tonight, urgency roared. He needed to connect with this woman like the fate of the world depended on their union.
