Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Mason lay sprawled across the bed sideways, one knee bent and pointing to the ceiling, his head resting on Vivi’s stomach. With one hand, she raked her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp.
“Did you know the rarest M&M color is brown?”
She laughed when he let out a groan. “Come on, babe, not now. My blood still hasn’t returned to my brain.”
At that, she laughed even harder. By now, Mason knew that staying quiet wasn’t her strong point.
With a resigned sigh, he rolled his head toward her. “M&M stands for Mars and Murrie, the two men who came up with the candy.”
“A dentist invented cotton candy.”
“Bet that was good for business.” He grinned. “Pineapple can be used as a natural meat tenderizer.”
“Good to know.” She tapped her chin. “Bananas grow upside down.”
“McDonald’s once tried to make bubblegum flavored broccoli.”
“Ewww…” She wrinkled her nose. “That’s disgusting.”
“So is regular broccoli.” Mason rolled to his side so he lay next to her. “I need a shower. Come with me.”
“Maybe.”
Mason framed her face with one huge hand, squeezing her jaw. His gaze caressed every inch of her face, and she felt almost self-conscious under the scrutiny. “What?”
“Just you. I’m always amazed by how beautiful you are.”
His words sent acute pleasure curling through her, along with a slight tinge of embarrassment.
Those golden eyes twisted her insides into knots, sending a strange sensation shooting through her heart.
She was terrified to examine it too closely because she was almost certain she knew what it meant...
and she wasn't ready to admit it yet, not to herself and not to Mason.
She swallowed hard and pasted on a playful smile. “I thought you were getting in the shower?”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a smile curving his lips. “If you help me soap up, I’ll return the favor.”
She pretended to think it over. “All right,” she agreed, bouncing from the bed. “I’ll be there in one second.”
“Don’t take too long.” He swatted her butt, then rolled to his feet and strode through the connecting door to the bathroom.
His muscles bunched as he moved, and she watched him shamelessly as he flipped on the water, then stepped into the shower.
He tossed a look her way as if he’d felt her eyes on him, a come-hither smirk lifting his lips.
She followed him almost immediately, stepping into the glass enclosure that was already filling with steam.
He dipped his head beneath the spray then, as if feeling the change in the air when she opened the door, turned to her.
A huge grin curled his mouth as he wrapped one arm around her waist and tugged her inside.
Dipping his head, he kissed her deeply, leisurely.
Once they were both sufficiently cleaned and sated, Mason flipped off the water, then grabbed a towel and passed it to her. She quickly dried off, then headed into the bedroom to dress.
She hitched one thumb over her shoulder as she watched him grab up his boxers. “I’m gonna start dinner. You feeling anything in particular?”
“Whatever you want is good with me.” He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a quick, hard kiss, then let her go.
Vivi drifted toward the kitchen, practically floating on air. Just as she cut through the living room, movement from the driveway caught her attention. She strode toward the window and caught sight of a black SUV parked outside.
Oh, no.
Her brother reached the front porch just as she opened the door. “Hey.”
His eyes widened with surprise, one brow lifted as he inspected her between the narrow opening. “Hey. You good?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She leaned against the doorframe, adopting a relaxed pose and hoping he wouldn’t see right through her. “Just got out of the shower. What’s up?”
“Not much.” His eyes skated over her, and she fought the urge to shift under his scrutiny as he took in Mason’s shirt hanging to the middle of her thighs. “You steal a shirt?”
“Yeah. You know… marketing,” she finished lamely.
Her brother threw her a look like he didn’t believe her. “Mind if I come in?”
“I’m not really ready for guests.” She fought the urge to look over her shoulder to see where Mason was. She hoped he would stay in the bedroom until Knox was gone.
“Okay.” Confusion tugged her brother’s brows together. “Well, I just thought you might want to go look at some flooring.”
“Oh, no thanks. I would, but…” She scrambled for an excuse. She couldn’t very well tell him she left a man in her bedroom. And not just any man—one of his best friends.
A wary light entered Knox’s eyes, and he straightened a bit, an awkward look crossing his face. “You have company.”
If she said yes, would he leave or ask to meet the man she was dating? God, she was in no way ready for that conversation. Not right now. “Um…”
Too late, she heard the soft pad of footsteps behind her, and her stomach dropped to her toes as her world bottomed out.