Chapter 2
TWO
Nina
Ihold a straw to Lucy’s mouth, trying to get some water in her. She looks up at me with loving eyes, slapping her dainty hand to my cheek.
“Nunnia, Ninnia,” she slurs drunkenly, her brows dipping as she processes her own words.
“I love you,” she whispers, dropping her head to my chest. I feel my body sway from the weight of hers—maybe the tequila too.
Thankfully, Charlie notices and sweeps Lucy up into his arms, holding her like you would a bride.
“Elliot’s sorted a ride for us,” he says as he looks down at Lucy.
“I wouldn’t normally let her get like this.” I smile sheepishly up at him as guilt fills me. “She needed a good blowout tonight.” I tip my head to the side and try to suppress my laugh.
She’s fucked.
“Lowell’s out front.” Elliot smiles as he pops his brows at Charlie. “Megan thinks she’s going with that fuckface.” He thumbs over his shoulder.
Megan sits on the lap of Sam, her go-to hookup. She’s been dancing with him all night, and by dancing, I mean dry humping. Megan is very private on the details of her sex life but has never been afraid of PDA. The girl baffles me.
“She’s okay. We know Sam.” I wave my hand on a hiccup.
“Right.” Elliot stands with his hands on his hips and nods to the door. “Let’s go.”
I go to Megan, pulling her head back from Sam’s with a handful of hair gentle enough not to hurt her. I kiss her forehead, giving her ‘the look’. She smiles up at me, her eyes telling me what I need to know. She’s okay.
We exit the club, and the cool air hits me like a freight train.
Instantly I feel more, more of everything, my body hypersensitive to the world around me.
Everything blurs as I spin, looking for the guys.
My eyes take a second to find focus amongst the sea of people.
But there they are, right behind me, Lucy safely locked in Charlie’s arms.
Thank god we met them tonight.
Mase
As I round the corner of the club, I instantly spot my two best friends already outside. Charlie has a blonde in his arms, and she looks like she’s out for the count.
Poor fucker.
I see Elliot in my periphery, but my eyes don’t reach him. They are drawn to the woman who stands in front of him. She looks around in searching, visibly relaxing when she spots the boys.
Do they know this girl?
I use my concealed spot to take her in. Long brown hair hangs loose and full to her small waist. I can see the swell of her breast from her side profile.
Full round hips encase the most perfect ass I think I’ve ever seen.
Her body looks toned and tight in all the right places.
I imagine my hands running over those hips.
Shit.
Elliot spots me in the crowd, a mischievous smile lighting up his face. He starts towards me, but I quickly turn and head back to my car before the brunette can spot me.
I shouldn’t have come tonight.
This was a stupid idea.
Nina
Elliot takes off across the street, long strides putting distance between us. I run to keep up, looking back to find Charlie matching my silly little jog with his walk. God, I hate these heels.
“Hey Elliot, wait up, will you? You’re going to get us run over in a minute, you…Oh, wow. Who are you?” I ask out loud in my drunken state.
Elliot turns and smiles in triumph.
There’s a man. He’s lent on the top of his open car door, his dark eyes blazing all over me.
My skin pebbles, but I’m like a raging inferno inside.
I feel my cheeks flush with the heat. Never in my life have I been in the presence of such a man.
He has dark brown hair cut shorter at the sides, subtly getting longer on the top, soft tousled strands lie in a perfect mess on his head like he’s been running his fingers through it.
His brows sit naturally low, making his eyes look darker than they are.
They’re unnerving, his gaze searing up through them and into me.
He’s wearing a form-fitting sweater that shows off every inch of his chiselled torso.
His nose has a slight crook to it, but it only adds to his appeal.
I regret the tequila; I wish I was sober for this. Lucy is going to freak.
“Nina, Mason, Mason, Nina,” Elliot introduces, his face knowing and cocky. “So, I’m going for drinks by the river with Sullivan. You good with these guys?” Elliot smirks, looking at his watch as he backs away.
My eyes drift to the fine specimen propped up against the car. His eyes haven’t left me. Am I good with these guys? Who’s Sullivan?
Be cool, Nina.
“Sure, fine, yeah. Yeah!” Oh, fuck off! What is wrong with me?
The gorgeous son of a bitch can’t help himself, his lip tipping up on one side as he drops his head.
“Get the door, will you, Lowell?” Charlie still has Lucy in his arms, and I rush to help. She grumbles as Charlie slides in behind the passenger seat, leaving the front seat, the only one left to sit in.
I can feel him behind me, and I turn to see him looking up the road after Elliot’s retreating back. He shakes his head, bringing his attention back to me. We stand closer now. He looks down at me.
“Mason Lowell.” He holds his large hand out to me, my eyes falling to the Rolex watch on his wrist, and suddenly a thought comes to me.
“Oh! Are you his boss?” I ask, pointing in the direction Elliot went in.
He considers what I’ve said for a moment, then throws his head back in laughter, and it’s the most incredible sound. I feel a knot form in my stomach.
My hand gets lost in his as it cradles mine. He loosens the grip slightly but doesn’t let go. Traces of humour still line his face as he bites into his bottom lip, running his thumb aimlessly over my knuckles.
He’s so intense. I’ve only just met this guy, and already I’m a puddle on the ground. I smile as I drop down into the seat, not taking my eyes off him as he shuts the door and rounds the car.
I whip my head around to Charlie. “Do you have any friends that aren’t fucking hot?”
Mason slides into the driver’s seat then, and I get the giggles as he starts up the engine. He cuts his gaze to Charlie in the rearview mirror. I can hear him chuckling behind me.
Lowering my window, I will myself to sober up. “Why were you not out with your friends tonight?” I ask, leaning in and fiddling with the buttons on the centre console.
“I had a meeting that ran late,” he replies flatly, his eyes flicking between me and the road and then to where my hands are currently exploring.
“This car is super flashy. It’s not like an average car with simple buttons!” I manage to change the clock from twenty-four to twelve hours. It now reads 11:23.
Oops!
“There we go.” I grin up at the deity beside me, pretending it was intentional.
He pops a thick brow at me, a devilish smirk on his face.
He’s so fucking hot.
“Can we drop Luce to her parents’ house?” I ask. “I don’t want her alone tonight, and her sofa is stupidly lumpy.”
“Sure, what’s the address?” He starts tapping the screen, and a box pops up to enter the postcode. It’s outside the city, so I feel bad, but Megan will probably end up at Sam’s, and I can’t have Luce alone tonight. She drank far more than me, and I want to wake up in my own bed in the morning.
I shoot a text to Maggie—my stand-in surrogate mum, and let her know we’re on the way.
We pull up to Lucy’s parents’ home twenty minutes later. Childhood memories flash through my mind, and I climb from the car with a smile. Both boys follow, standing off to the side of the pavement.
I lean in to wake up the sleeping beauty. “Luce, babe, we’re home.”
She comes around slowly, smiling up at me for a moment before realisation hits. She looks out the window with a groan. “You called my mum? Nina!” She ambles out of the car, her body swaying as I throw her arm over my shoulder and hug her close.
Maggie greets us at the door and takes Lucy from me, pulling her into a warm embrace. I envy their beautiful relationship. Even though I know that she loves me like a daughter, I still wish I had what they did.
She looks over the top of Lucy’s head, slowly opening her other arm out for me.
“Come here, you,” she whispers into my hair as I step into her.
I’ll never grow tired of that sound. I’ve fallen asleep on this woman as her voice has vibrated through her chest. Every child deserves to know that feeling. It’s the most grounding sound on earth.
I remember we have company and turn, smiling at the gods behind me.
“Maggie, these are our friends, Mason and Charlie.”
Charlie dips his head, muttering a polite hello, while Mason steps up and holds out his hand. Maggie looks more than a little flustered as she takes it.
Not just me, then.
“Nice to meet you,” Mason says, flashing his beautiful smile.
I kiss Maggie’s cheek and hug her waist, then promise to be there for lunch on Sunday. Just as I step away, I feel her hand squeeze my shoulder, a tentative look on her face.
“I’ll be careful,” I tell her.
“I know, and I’ll still worry.” She smiles softly. “You’ll message me when you get home, okay?”
I nod.
We make our way back through the city, the boys both quiet and reserved in their seats. Although, I can feel Mason’s eyes lingering on me every now and again.
Unfortunately for the two of them, I’m drunk, and I have no way of controlling my mouth.
“Who’s Sullivan?” I ask, turning in my seat so I can see both of them.
“Lance?” Mason asks with a frown, his features hardening. “Why do you want to know?”
“Elliot said he was off to meet him tonight.” My gaze drops to the smooth skin of Mason’s hand as he fists the gear stick… hmm. “Is he pretty too?”
They both chuckle, deep rumbling sounds that only the rarest of species seem to be able to make.
“Lance Sullivan and pretty isn’t something that goes together in a sentence,” Mason tells me, looking over at me with a warm glint in his eye.
He wets his bottom lip and looks back to the road.
“Think Tom Hardy, with dark hair and tattoos.”