Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Vivi stared at her reflection in the fogged-up mirror of the bathroom, wondering just what she was doing. Going out with Tyler had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now she wasn’t so sure.
In the two weeks since she’d met Mason, she hadn’t come any closer to understanding him.
Her thoughts turned back to their conversation two days ago.
Did he really feel that way? Was he truly so cold and unfeeling?
All of the evidence she’d seen so far said yes.
He refused to kiss her, a fact that still rankled.
What kind of rule was that anyway? Everyone kissed. Grandmothers, friends—kissing was the standard greeting in multiple countries. Yet Mason wanted none of it because it was too intimate. God, the man was so infuriating.
She let out a sigh and wiped the remaining condensation from the glass, then began to dry her hair.
Half-heartedly, she applied her makeup and styled her hair, then dressed.
She’d just slipped on a pair of wedge sandals when the bell rang.
Her stomach flipped, and the knots in her belly felt tighter than ever as she strode through the living room toward the front door.
Peeking through the side window, she made sure that it was Tyler before unlocking the door and swinging it open. “Hey.”
He greeted her with a wide smile. “Hey. You look nice.”
“Thanks.” She smiled, and he glanced over her shoulder into the living room. Before he could try to invite himself in, she took a small step forward. “Are you ready to go?”
“Sure.”
She closed and locked the door behind her, then followed Tyler to his car. He moved to the passenger side and held the door for her, and she shot him a smile. “Thank you.”
She couldn't remember the last time a man had opened or held the door for her.
It was little things like that that showed the measure of a man.
It wasn't that she couldn't do it herself, but it said a lot about the fact that he was willing to put her first. It was a promising start to the date, at least.
After closing up, he rounded the car and climbed inside. “Seafood or steak?”
She lifted one shoulder. “Either is fine with me.”
They made small talk on the way downtown, the conversation stilted and awkward. She felt antsy, and the more nervous she became, the more she rambled. Tyler seemed a little overwhelmed, not entirely sure how to respond, so she forced herself to keep her mouth closed for the remainder of the drive.
Once they were seated and the waiter had brought them a basket of bread, she looked around the restaurant. “This is nice. Have you been here before?”
He threw a sheepish glance her way. “Actually, no. I just moved here.”
“Really?” She folded her arms on the table and leaned forward. “How long ago?”
“Ah...” He picked up his glass and took a sip before regarding her. “A little over two weeks now.”
“Did you come here for work?”
He shook his head. “I'm originally from Colorado. Back home, I worked as a dispatcher for 911.”
“That's awesome.” She’d never really thought of the people on the other end of the line who took those phone calls. “That must've been stressful.”
“Sometimes,” he admitted. “Occasionally, we got some really funny calls too.”
She grinned. “I can only imagine.”
For the next thirty minutes, he regaled her with stories.
“So what brought you to Florida?” she asked.
His gaze dropped to the table. “I needed a change. I reached a point in my life where I had more questions than answers, and I thought a change of environment would help me figure things out.”
She nodded a little. “I can understand that. I actually went to school up in Massachusetts. When I left, I had no intention of ever coming back. I always had these dreams of working for the FBI or creating a computer program that would make lives easier. But... here I am.”
He tipped his head in question. “Why did you come back?”
“Family,” she said simply. “They needed me, so I came. I haven't given up on my dreams, I just… put them on hold for a while.”
“When did you move back?”
“Actually,” she said, “I've only been back for a couple of weeks too. The spring semester ended, and my brother came up to help me move down. It’s been… hectic.” She didn’t want to get into all the details with Ellen just yet, so she closed her mouth.
“I’m sure,” he replied. “Are you renting the place you're at now?”
She shook her head. “It actually belongs to a family friend.”
“Cool. Kind of like a roommate situation?” A sharp pain ricocheted through her chest at the thought of Ellen.
“Not exactly. My parents died when I was young, and Ellen took me in. She was good friends with my grandmother, and she didn't have any family, so she offered to let me stay with her.”
She skipped over the details of Ellen’s history, not wanting to get too deeply into family dirty laundry on the first date. “I actually came back home because she has dementia. She wasn't able to live by herself anymore, and Ellen decided that she would rather live in an assisted living facility.”
“Couldn't she have hired live-in help?”
The question stung, and she felt almost as if he were judging her, wondering why she wasn't taking care of her. Her response came out a little harsher than she intended. “That was her choice. I tried to convince her otherwise, but she said she didn't want to be a burden.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “That must be hard.”
“Yeah, but you know how it is.” She smiled a little. “We just take it day by day.”
“Does she have any family besides you?”
She shook her head. “Ellen has been through a lot. Her daughter died when she was young, and her husband died only a few years after they married. She has a son, but he’s busy with his own family.”
Tyler made a little face. “It sounds like she's had a pretty rough life.”
“She has,” she agreed.
The whole conversation was starting to feel like an interview, and she was desperate to change the subject.
For the next hour as they ate dinner, they talked about their interests, everything from books to music to movies.
Tyler liked to travel, while she was more of a homebody.
He enjoyed concerts while she preferred a quiet night in watching TV or reading a book.
After the date was over, they headed back to her place. Tyler put the car in park and reached for her hand. Reluctantly, she laid her palm inside his and shifted in the seat, turning to face him more fully. “I had a great time tonight.”
She offered him a polite smile. “Me too.”
“I’d like to take you out again.”
She didn’t like the way his eyes raked over her, as if trying to see what lay beneath her clothes. She curled her lips into what she hoped resembled a smile. “Just text me.”
She kind of regretted giving him her phone number now, but if he did call, she would just put him off and tell him she was too busy.
Tyler started to lean forward, and she snatched up the door handle. “Thanks for the ride.”
Noticing her obvious discomfort, he lifted their joined hands to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of hers. “Talk to you soon.”
“See you.” She extricated herself from his grasp and slid out of the car before he could say anything else. She threw a little wave his way as she let herself in the back door.
She didn’t know what it was about the kiss was so revolting, but she couldn’t stand the lingering feel of his lips on her skin. She managed to resist until she was out of sight, and as soon as she stepped inside, she wiped the back of her hand on her jeans. “Ick.”
She slipped out of her shoes, then dropped her keys and purse on the counter as she wound her way through the kitchen on the way to the living room. She was halfway across the darkened room when she froze, suddenly aware of a presence.
The large figure rose from the chair in the corner, looming like a specter in the dark, sending her heart rate into a tailspin and stealing her breath.
She whirled to her right and grabbed up the closest thing at hand, which happened to be a dish sitting on the end table.
She flung it across the room, already sprinting away as the crash of porcelain met her ears.
From behind her, a low growl sounded, and two strong arms wrapped around her waist. She let out a scream as the man pulled her against him, and she drove her elbow into his midsection as hard as she could. A muffled oath met her ears as she struggled to get him to release her.
“Virginia!”
Through the terror clouding her vision and muddling her ears, the voice didn’t sink in right away.
“Stop!”
Mason’s voice penetrated the fog that surrounded her brain, and she let out a little whimper as he relaxed his hold. It wasn’t an intruder—not exactly.
Her initial relief turned to fury, and she spun to face him, already swinging. “You jerk!”
She got three good hits to his chest before he grabbed her wrists and shoved her backward, pinning her to the wall. She jabbed upward with her knee, but he dodged it. “Watch it!”
That served only to infuriate her further, and she kicked out at him. “Are you kidding me right now?”
Mason leaned into her, using all of his weight to keep her still. She could feel his golden gaze boring into her even in the dark. “You done yet?”
“Hell no, I’m not done!” she shrieked. “I swear to God, I—”
Her next words were stolen as his weight lifted off of her and he moved quicker than lightning. Adjusting his grip on her wrists, Mason spun her around once more until she was wrapped in his embrace, his thick arms securing her in place. “You think I was going to let you go without a fight?”
He wanted a fight? Well, she was about to give him one. “You broke into my house!” She stomped on his foot, eliciting another low growl from him. “You scared the life out of me!”
His grip tightened infinitesimally, then loosened. “I know, babe. I’m sorry.”
He released her, and she whirled to face him. “What were you thinking?”
Citrine eyes glowed like a cat’s in the dim light. “I had to see you.”
Incredulousness rendered her speechless for a second. “So you broke into my house and waited for me in the dark like a crazy person? What is wrong with you?” When he failed to answer, she smacked his chest once more. “Answer me! What if I had company over?”
At that, Mason took a step forward. “I don’t want you seeing him.”
I’m sorry, what? “You don’t get to tell me what to do.” She shoved at him, but he didn’t budge an inch.
He peered down at her, his face only inches from hers. “Did you kiss him?”
Her mouth dropped open at the jealousy tingeing his tone. “What do you care?”
One hand settled on the curve of her waist, and his thumb stroked over her stomach. “Because I want you. I thought I made that crystal clear.”
“Too bad. You had your chance,” she spat. “I’ll go out with whoever I want.”
His fingers curled into her flesh where he held her. “Over my dead body.”
She let out a half laugh. “You and your stupid rules. You’re so worried about another guy kissing me, but you won’t do it yourself.” She stared at him. “Isn’t that right? You wouldn’t kiss me that night at the hotel. Well, do it now. You want me that bad? Prove it.”
He hesitated, a muscle ticking in his jaw. For a second, she thought he would do it—she’d hoped he would. Silence spread between them, and the hot flush of humiliation rose over her body.
“That’s what I thought.”
Tears pricked her eyes as she pulled back a step, her heart crumbling to dust in her chest.