Chapter 11
“H OLY SHIT,” BAILEY said the next day as Taylor recounted her date with Mason. “You went back to his place and slept with him? Hot damn, girl! How was he?”
Taylor blushed and took a sip of her chocolate milkshake. “Good—amazing. It makes me wonder why I wasted so much time with what’s-his-name.”
“Truth,” Bailey said, brushing her blonde hair behind one ear, her tiny silver hoops glinting in the sunlight. “I told you months ago to break up with Eric when his drinking got worse and worse.”
“I should’ve,” Taylor agreed. “I just never realized what I was missing—both in and out of the bedroom, apparently.”
“So, I guess a second date isn’t out of the question.”
Taylor giggled. “Nope. We haven’t exactly set anything up yet though. Mason drove me home after dinner last night since he has to work today. We ended up just getting Chinese carryout. He was worried about leaving me alone at my apartment with Eric still lingering around.”
“He’s sweet,” Bailey said. “And I’m worried, too. Showing up in the middle of the night at your place is escalating things to the nth degree. I mean before he claimed he wanted to talk or what not, but this? You don’t barge into an ex-girlfriend’s place at three a.m.”
Taylor shuddered. “I haven’t heard from him since. And Mason tried calling that jerk friend of his about my car.”
“Which you still don’t have,” Bailey needlessly pointed out.
“He claims the part they need is coming this week. If it doesn’t, I think Mason is ready to just have it towed somewhere else.”
“Damn. He’s hot, he’s protective, he’s a freaking Navy SEAL, and he’s apparently amazing in bed. Lock that one down quick, girl.”
“I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Some guys just want to get into your pants, but Mason? He wouldn’t be showing up to get rid of Eric or calling about my car if he was just a one-night-stand kind of guy.”
“Absolutely not. And the picnic on the beach for your first date? That’s so romantic. Where can I find one of these SEALs?”
Taylor chuckled. “Come work at Anchors with me. The place is always filled with Navy men.”
“That’s a hell to the no,” Bailey said with a laugh. “I’m done with waitressing—no offense.”
“They have bartenders there, too,” she said. “Imagine how much fun we’d have working together over there.”
“I know, but the tips are awesome where I’m at, and I have the schedule I want. When you’re new, you never get a say in your shifts. Besides, there’s no need to change jobs. Not when my best friend can introduce me to her boyfriend’s Navy buddies.”
“What happened to that guy Bryan? I know you just started dating, but I thought it was going well.”
“It’s not going at all—he couldn’t get it up.”
Taylor nearly choked on her milkshake “It? As in you slept together?”
“Sleeping is all that happened. I did a little striptease for him, he took off his boxers, and nada. I was standing there in my sexy new lingerie, and he couldn’t perform. Like at all.”
“Well that’s unexpected.”
“To say the least. He said we’d try again another time.”
“Try again?” Taylor asked with a giggle. “Like there’s a chance his equipment won’t work then either? Maybe he was nervous.”
Bailey shrugged. “Let’s just say that was the first and last striptease he’s going to get from me. Aside from things in the bedroom not exactly working out, he started acting like he had all these other women wanting to date him.”
“So what, you broke up?”
“I told him it wasn’t working out. He left, and I took an amazing bubble bath. Alone.”
“Well shoot. I thought we could double-date or something if things work out with Mason.”
“They will,” Bailey assured her. “And yes to the double date. Just let me know which one of those delicious-looking men you’ll be introducing me to. I’ll be wearing my sexy little lingerie beneath my outfit and ensure the night has a very happy ending.”
“Bailey!” Taylor said in admonishment.
She grinned back, her eyes twinkling. “Okay, so maybe that’ll be the second date. But bring me along when you’re all getting together.”
“Mason did mention they have bonfires on the beach sometimes.”
“Excellent. I could snuggle up to a hard-bodied SEAL.”
“You’re relentless,” Taylor said.
“And that’s why you love me,” Bailey finished. “So, what do you say? Shopping time?”
“Yep,” Taylor said, grabbing her empty cup. “I need some new dresses for showing off to Mason.”
“Then let’s go do some damage to your credit card,” Bailey said with a grin.
***
M ASON GRUNTED AS HE lifted the barbell above his head, Noah spotting him in the weight room. He fully extended his arms, lifting it higher and then brought it back down, his muscles rippling with exertion.
“Not too bad,” Noah scoffed as he helped him put it onto the rack.
“Not too bad my ass,” Mason said as he stood. “I’d love to see you do better.”
“Easy fellas,” Ryker said with a smirk as he sauntered over. “Don’t get your panties in a twist. Let me show you how it’s done.”
“Guess we need a smaller weight then,” Jacob quipped from where he was doing reps from across the room. The other men howled with laughter.
“Aw hell,” Hunter said with a grin, swiping his brow. “The rumor at Anchors the other night was that Ryker doesn’t have a small anything. Amazing how your reputation proceeds you.”
Mason smirked, his mind drifting as the others carried on around him.
He’d woken Taylor late yesterday afternoon and made love to her once more in his bed.
They’d showered together afterwards, and he’d given her a clean tee shirt to wear while they ordered dinner.
Her dress had eventually been air-dried in his dryer for the drive home, but there had been something sexy as hell about her walking around in his clothing.
The tee shirt had hung down to mid-thigh on her, but she wore the damn thing better than he ever had.
Her full breasts had pressed up against the soft cotton, and even though she’d smelled like his soap after their shower together, he loved that she smelled like him.
He’d claimed her as his own, kissed her entire body, and then showered and fed her.
Male pride surged through his chest at caring for his woman.
It had pained him to drop her off last night at her apartment, but he couldn’t have her stuck at his place all day. PT had started bright and early, and driving her home first thing would’ve been just as bad.
“What are you smiling about?” Hunter asked him with a smirk.
“Just remembering my day with Taylor yesterday. She has the day off today, and I’m stuck here on base with you assholes.”
“He’s got it bad,” Noah said with a grin. “When should we expect the invitations?”
“What invitations?” Colton asked as he sauntered into the weight room.
Mason crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. “Noah’s giving up the Navy to become a wedding planner.”
Colton smirked. “Another one bites the dust. Camila and I aren’t engaged, so did you pop the question with Emma?”
“That would be a hell no,” Hunter said. “Emma doesn’t believe in marriage, and I’m not sure if I do either. Living in sin seems to suit us just fine.”
Mason’s gaze shifted back to Colton. “I took Taylor out yesterday, so in Noah’s world, that’s the equivalent of a walk down the aisle.” He stood, striding over to spot Noah on the weights.
“Shit,” Noah grunted. “I thought that’s how we did things now. Haven’t you been around the other team lately? Every last one of them has a woman. Even the CO, who I thought would never have a girlfriend, is dating Ice’s sister.”
Mason chuffed out a laugh. The Alpha SEAL leader’s sister was a free spirit, completely the opposite of the hard-assed CO. “Wonders never cease. I can’t say I expected Hunter to end up with a live-in girlfriend, but as soon as those two met in London, they couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.”
“Speaking of women, what’s the update with Taylor? She’s still got the ex who won’t leave her alone?” Hunter asked.
Mason frowned, filling the rest of the team in on what had happened over the weekend. “I added all your numbers to her cell phone, just in case she can’t reach me. Although she did finally file a police report when he showed up in the middle of the night.”
“That’s fucked up,” Ryker said.
“Agreed. It sounds like the dude couldn’t hold down a job since he was drinking all the time. Now he’s fixated on her. They were together several years, so he seems to be having trouble letting her go.”
“Some guys want what they can’t have,” Hunter said.
“Absolutely. And therein lies the problem.”
Mason helped Noah put the weight back on the rack after he did a set of reps, his mind on the woman he’d spent all weekend focused on. It was crazy in some ways. He’d flirted with her for a long time at Anchors before ever even getting her number.
Something about being with her felt so fucking right though.
And when he’d had her in his arms yesterday—in his bed?
All thoughts of taking things slowly were gone in a flash. He wanted to deal with the problem of her ex, but he simply just wanted her, too.
In his life. In his bed.
When you know, you know, and while he didn’t want to scare her with the intensity of his feelings, he knew neither of their lives would ever be the same.