“No. Just at the right place at the right time. And from now on, public bathrooms are off limits to you.” He then headed for the door. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He grabbed the ice bucket and slipped out.
“Okay.” I sighed and got up to look at my face in the mirror.
Dammit. My left eye was starting to swell, and there was a little bruising coming through the lump on my forehead. There was a tiny cut, but nothing significant. And, holy hell…it was on the same side as Mason. I guess we were twinning this week.
Mason returned with a full bucket of ice. He went to the bathroom, grabbed a hand towel, and filled it with ice. Then he sat next to me and placed it gently against my head.
“Hold this,” he said.
When I replaced his hand, he went to his backpack and pulled out a small white box.
“You carry a first aid kit with you?” I asked.
“Never leave home without it.”
He pulled out a few packets and a small tube of antibiotic ointment.
“I guess this is payback,” he said, holding the alcohol swab in his hand.
“Do what you must,” I said, sitting as still as possible.
He was extra gentle, trying not to hurt me, and I could barely feel his fingers as he rubbed a bit of ointment on the cut. When he was done, he then pressed the cold towel back over it.
I was ordered to lay back and hold the compress down, while he read off the menu. Deciding on dinner, he made the call to room service, then disappeared onto the deck. I must have dozed off for a while, because soon there was a knock at the door. Mason came running in from the balcony and took care of it.
He carried the food outside, and then came back for me.
“Are you all right to eat outside?”
“Of course,” I said, sitting up. I was a little dizzy, but it could have been the triple shot margarita.
Outside, the sun was setting over the Grand Canyon, and it was even grander than the sunrise. Mason had set up the table and chairs so we could eat and watch.
The food was great, but the view and the company were even better. I felt happy and at ease, a combination I wasn’t used to feeling as of late. With Mason, I didn’t have to pretend to be someone I wasn’t. It was natural to be around him. As goofy and complicated as I was, he seemed to accept me.
“So, tell me about Alaska,” he said. “Were you born there?”
“Alaska has always been my home, and this is the first time I’ve left. Actually, second. I traveled to Portland a few years back, but that was for business. As for Alaska, it’s cold and dark during the winters, and warm and bright during the summers. But I love it. I love how things change just when you start to get sick of it. It’s a great place to visit, and an even greater place to live. But I guess that depends on your definition of what living is.”
“What is your definition of living?” he asked.
“To tell you the truth, over the past three years, my definition has blurred.”
Mason remained quiet, his fork swirling around his steamed vegetables. I would have given a dollar for his thoughts.
“Are you from California?” I asked.
“No,” he replied. “I grew up in Missouri.”
“Is that where your family is?”
His face drooped, losing its radiance.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
He shook his head and set his fork down. “No, it’s fine.” He glanced out over the balcony, and his eyes went distant. “I was adopted when I was a few weeks old. I never knew my real parents, and they made sure they remained anonymous. My adopted dad died when I was five, so my mom raised me as a single parent. She tried to love me the best she knew how, but she missed my dad horribly.” He then turned to me. “She died a year ago, which is why I enrolled in college. She knew it was a dream of mine. Little did I know, she’d put money away for my future. After she had passed, the attorney said she left me everything. She was always there for me.”
“Oh, Mason. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. There were no words to make it feel better. “You don’t have any family left?”
He turned with a rueful grin. “No.”
My heart ached for him, wondering what it must have been like to have no family. He had to be lonely.
I reached over and took his hand, and he laced his fingers through mine.
He grabbed his cell phone with his free hand, pressed a few buttons, and a slow song came on.
“Dance with me?” he asked, pulling me to my feet.
“What?”
“Dance with me.”
I looked into his eyes, wondering if he was joking, but they were serious.
“Dancing with someone special is one of the last three things on my bucket list.”
“Oh,” I breathed, thinking how odd it was for Mason to add that to his list. Unless he’d never danced with anyone before. Was that a possibility?
I took a step back and curtseyed. “Mr. West, it would be my pleasure to help you cross a wish off your list.”
He laughed and pulled me into his arms, our bodies pressing tightly together. The air was thick and energized between us, my pulse racing. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he folded his arms behind my back, his hands pressing me tighter against him.
I lay my head on his chest and listened to the beating of his heart; it seemed to be racing like mine. The thought of my presence causing his heart to beat faster, brought a smile to my lips and lit a warmth inside of me.
The two of us swayed back and forth to the beautiful song, watching the sun set over the most gorgeous backdrop. It was like a dream. Too good to be true.
Leaning back, I looked into his eyes, just to make sure the moment was real. They were dark and heavy with desire, but there was more behind his gaze. Mason was mysterious. There were so many layers to him, making him hard to read. But I was determined to find the real person underneath it all.
I hugged his neck tighter, and he leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes, letting my other senses take the reins. His lips were soft, his breath warm, and the spot he’d kissed prickled and cooled once his lips were gone.
“Mason?” I wasn’t sure where this was going.
He pressed his cheek against mine, his stubble tickling me. “Let’s live in this moment. It’s almost over and we’ll never get it back.”
I nodded, and he laced his right hand in my left, extending it out to the side. We danced, and he twirled me, and when the song ended, he dipped me backward. As I came up, our faces met, inches apart.
The last kiss of sunlight was the only thing between us.
His hands rested gently on the sides of my face, the air electric, our breathing heavy. My body heated, knowing he wanted to kiss me. The most surprising part of the moment was that I wanted him to.
But he didn’t move.
The silence between us was deafening.
He was teasing my growing hunger, punishing me.
Before I could say anything, he closed his eyes and pressed his lips against mine. At first, his kiss was soft and sweet, hands trailing down my face to my neck. My fingers tangled in his hair, wanting more. He obliged. Sucking my lower lip between his teeth, he nibbled on the soft flesh.
A moan ripped from my throat, causing him to delve deeper.
With tongues exploring, the time for timid, tentative kisses had passed. Everything became hard, fast, and frantic. His hands traveled down my sides, one snaking around my back; the other grabbing my backside, pulling me tight against his frame. I was in heaven. Pure bliss. And then . . . he began to move. Heaven and earth. His hips were magical. I automatically pushed myself against him, forgetting all time and space.
And then it stopped. All at once.
Mason pulled away with a frustrated growl, followed by a string of muttered curses. He walked toward the end of the balcony, one hand gripping the railing, the other running through is thick hair.
br /> My head was spinning. What had just happened?
“I’m sorry, Lizzy,” he finally said.
“Why? Why would you be sorry?” I asked.
“Because I told myself I wouldn’t get too close to you.” His eyes met mine. “You’re leaving in a few days, and my life is much too complicated to involve anyone in it.”
My heart broke inside, tears threatening to rise. But I held them back. I’d become good at holding them back. “No,” I said. “I understand.”
I knew what he meant. We were both traveling down parallel paths, and neither of us wanted to make commitments. We were guarding our hearts, yet we’d slipped somewhere along the way, allowing our hearts to connect—if even for the briefest of moments. We’d both felt it, no matter how hard we fought against it.
I started to understand why he pulled back, but remained conflicted. There was something between us. An undeniable connection.
If allowed to continue, would we become a mere statistic? Would our final destination be that of the ill-fated, star-crossed lovers? After all, he was still in college, and I was needed back at home.
Better to have loved and lost, then never to have loved at all. That was complete bullshit. The person who’d first said it apparently never lost someone they truly loved. Someone so connected to them, that when gone, ripped a hole straight through their entire being.
Coming to the conclusion that I didn’t want Mason to feel bad about pulling away, or for things to become awkward between us, I stepped toward him.
“Hey. How about we start again?”
His eyes scanned my face. “A do over?”
“Exactly.”
A charming smile returned to his lips as he held out his hand to me. When I took it, he shook it and said, “Mason West. Complicated, a little extreme, and requesting your friendship.”
“Nice to meet you, Mason West.” I giggled, shaking his hand. “My name is Lizzy Hayes. Also complicated, somewhat introverted, talks to spirits, and totally accepts your offer of friendship.”
The tension faded away as we both smiled.
“So, my refurbished friend…what should we do tonight?”
“First, I need to take a cold shower,” he muttered. “Then, maybe we can watch a movie. I need an activity that doesn’t involve thinking or effing emotions.”
I laughed. “I totally agree with you. I believe we've done enough gut-spilling for today. A movie night sounds like perfection.”
We cleared the balcony from our dinner plates and ordered dessert. Believe it or not, the kitchen had microwaveable popcorn. My favorite.
Mason invited me to his bed, where we sat and ate dessert.
As the movie started, we fluffed the pillows and settled in. Leaning into him, he put his arm around me, and we ate popcorn and drank pop.
Being next to Mason felt so natural. So familiar. Yet we were both aware we were straddling a fine line. If we let go of this careful façade, even for a moment, we could easily fall, and the situation would turn sexual.
I awoke in Mason’s bed, my head resting on his arm. My cell phone alarm was going off, so I pressed the off button and rolled into his chest. It was bare, and warm. I breathed in deep and my core clenched. How was it possible he still smelled so amazing?
“Morning,” he murmured, in a sexy as hell morning voice. He was facing me, and his closeness made it hard to breathe. I needed space, before I let go of my dwindling restraint and jumped on him.
Flipping to my back, I looked at the ceiling and focused on its pattern. “Good morning.”
If being shirtless wasn’t bad enough, his sweatpants rode low on his hips, giving me glimpses of areas I was tempted to see more of. He rolled to his back and stretched, his body acting as a magnet, not allowing me to look away. I watched his muscles flex in his arms and all the way down to that flat expanse of skin stretching across his hips.
“What are you doing?” he asked, catching me.
I cleared my throat and gestured to his unclothed upper torso.
“Friend to friend? I think you should throw on a shirt before you embarrass me any further.” I slid off the bed, grabbing my backpack. “And now…I’m going to take a cold shower.”
His bark of laughter filled the room and put a smile on my face.
As I walked away, I realized that for the first time since I’d left Alaska, I hadn’t had the recurring dream. Maybe it was the alcohol. Who knew? I was just glad I had the chance to sleep through the night undisturbed.
“Your face looks a lot better than it did last night,” he said, his fingers brushing my forehead, before trailing down my cheeks, making my insides tingle.
We were having breakfast on the balcony, sitting way to close. I knew I should back away, but I didn’t want to.
“I’ll bet you that Emily will notice and go absolutely ape-shit.”
“I’m not betting with you anymore, especially because this time I agree. Emily is a bit dramatic.”
I laughed. “You have no idea.”
When eleven rolled around, it was time to meet Tyler and Emily in the lobby. On our way down, a bit of sadness swept over me. Our time alone was done. From now on, even if we saw each other, we’d be around other people. My heart mourned what could’ve been, while my brain told me to snap out of it. It would never work between us.
Emily gasped and stepped up to me, her fingers barely grazing my injury.
“What the hell happened to you?” Her narrowed gaze fell on Mason. Tyler also stepped forward, his face angered.
“It wasn’t Mason’s fault,” I said a little offended at their immediate reaction. “Last night, we went to the bar for a drink. Before we left to come back to the room, I went to the bathroom, and two drunk assholes tried to talk to me. When I refused, things went downhill fast.” I glanced at Mason and smiled. “But Mason came in and saved the day…again.”
“What?” Emily huffed. “Did you get their information? Call the cops?”
“I kneed one in the balls, and Mason knocked the other guy out. He actually flew right past me, like Superman, and punched him in the face. Then he carried me to the room and doctored me up.”
Tyler shook his head. “Lizzy, you and public bathrooms…”
“I know—” I held up my hands in surrender. “I’m never going again, I promise. And if I do, I’ll carry a weapon. Or take Mason. He seems to be my bathroom hero.”
“Just hero is fine,” Mason added.
Emily stood in front of him, her hands gripping each of his arms.
“Thank you,” she said. “You kept your word and took care of her. I owe you one.”
“Nah. We’re even,” he said. “You invited me along on this trip, and I don’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun.” His eyes traveled to me and my insides lit up.
A few boulders from Mason’s wall fell.
“That’s awesome,” she replied, looking suspiciously between us. She didn’t miss a thing. “See what happens when you roll with fate? Good things happen.”
Tyler threw his arm around her and steered us toward the front desk to check out. Then, he pulled the car around, and we began our long trip back to California.
“What did you guys do last night?” Emily asked, turning to give me a smirk only I could see.
I shook my head at her and tried not to smile, but failed. “After the bar incident, we went back to the room and ordered room service. Then watched a few movies and fell asleep.”
She gasped. “That’s what we did. Well, almost. I guess we did other things too,” she said, with a giggle, her eyes darting to Tyler.
I looked at Mason out of the corner of my eyes and we both silently laughed.
Em turned to face both of us. “Hey, did you guys see the sunset over the Grand Canyon? It was to die for.”
“We did,” I said. “You’re right, it was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen.” Mason shot me his adorable crooked grin, my insides catching on fire.
It was a litt
le after seven when we arrived back at the townhouse.
Emily and Tyler unpacked the car, and I stared at Mason’s place, Logan’s warning coming back to me. I have to get the syringe. It was the only physical evidence we could use to avenge Billy and Betty’s deaths.
“Mason, do you think I could come with you to look for that item in Logan’s room?”
“Sure,” he said. “But it looks like Liam is there.”
I hadn’t noticed before, but Liam’s car was parked across the road, and there was a light on in one of the upper windows. He must have been packing.
How odd would it be if I went into Logan’s room and Liam saw me digging under his bed? I didn’t want to have to explain what I was doing. I wasn’t sure if Liam would be as understanding as Mason.
Mason must have noticed my inner turmoil, handing me his cell phone. “Punch in your number. I’ll go look for it, and call you if I find it.”
“Thanks,” I said, entering my number.
Taking it back, he smiled, his hand brushing against mine. “And now, I have your number.”
The combination of his excitement and deliberate movements to touch me, made me feel giddy like a school girl. And he knew it. Hell, the random dude walking his dog down the street knew it.
“Thanks again for everything,” he called out to Emily and Tyler. “I’ll see you guys around.”
“Bye, Mason,” Emily chimed.
“See ya, man,” Tyler said, giving him a nod as he carried their bags from the back of the car.
I waved, and before he walked away, he winked.
There were butterflies. Loads of butterflies. All taking residence inside my stomach. And they were doing all kinds of crazy flips and acrobatics. I sighed, threw my bag over my shoulder, and headed into the house.
Inside, I headed upstairs, but Emily stopped me.
“Hey, how does pizza sound for dinner?”
“Pizza is awesome,” I said. “And you know I’m not picky. Whatever you order, I’ll eat.”