Now or Never(45)

“I’m not much of a party girl.” Em shrugged and internally stockpiled the courage she was going to need to take this conversation where it needed to go. “Listen, Mason—”

“Why don’t we go out tonight? Just you and me. No parties, I promise.”

“I don’t think—”

“Please, Em? Give me another chance. Please?”

She cringed, feeling that courage evaporate. “What would we do?”

Coward!

“Mmm. I have a few ideas. We could . . .” He stepped in closer, trapping her between his body and the door of Ashlyn’s car. The restrained feeling immediately made her hands start sweating despite the below freezing temperature.

“What are you—?”

His mouth dropped over hers, cutting off her protest, and worked its way, nipping and teasing down her jawline. The shakes took over as she feebly tried to push him away without success.

“Stop.” Though it screamed through her mind like a shrill alarm, the word left her lips as little more than a breath of air.

His lips continued moving, flicking over the sensitive skin behind her ear.

“Mason.” When his hands joined in, slipping beneath her layers of clothing to skim her bare stomach and hips, Em forgot how to breathe, but not in a good way. Fear crippled her lungs, holding her prisoner in a body of solid stone. The heat from his hands stood out in stark contrast against the icy winter wind and scorched her straight to the bone, burning away her contaminated flesh.

“Mason. Stop.” She barely had enough air to breathe the words.

He didn’t hear them, or he chose to ignore them, because his lips and tongue moved lower along the curve of her shoulder. Em gasped as tears sprung to her eyes. Inside, she was screaming, fighting, running for the hills. Outwardly, she stood stock still at a complete loss of control over even her most basic functions. Panic overshadowed everything.

“Mason, please.” The desperate plea in her voice demanded his attention and he pulled back—confusion and concern warring in his eyes—at the same moment a large hand folded over his shoulder, tearing him away from her.

Jay’s fist plowed into his stomach, doubling him over before Em even knew what was happening.

“Jay!”

Another fist to the face sent Mason sprawling on the wet gravel.

“Jay, don’t!”

“She said stop. Or are you deaf as well as dumb?”

He balled his fist, ready to strike again and Em screamed. “Stop it, Jay!”

Jay stood over Mason unmoving, fists clenched. The only part of him in motion at all was his chest which heaved under each labored breath.

“Jay?”

Without a word, he turned and stormed across the lot. Shit, what was she supposed to do now? Kneeling in the snow beside Mason, she brushed his hand away to get a better look at the bruise already darkening his jaw. She’d done this. To both of them. This was all her fault.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Rubbing his chin, Mason sat up, unbothered by the wetness soaking through the seat of his pants. “I’m sorry, Em. I didn’t mean to—”

“I know. It’s not you. Really. It’s me. It’s him.” She nodded after Jay. “It’s us. But it’s definitely not you.”

“Us?”

“Me and—”

“Jay.”

Em scrunched her face in apology, already knowing he wasn’t going to like what she had to do next. “Mason, I—”

“You’re going after him, aren’t you? After what he just did, you’re still going after him.”

“You don’t understand. I have to.”

“You’re right. I don’t understand.”

Guilt sat like a heavy weight in her gut as she got to her feet and sprinted toward the building after Jay. She caught up with him on the sidewalk just outside the door.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“He was touching you.” Jay’s growl sent shivers down her spine.

“He was just fooling around.”

“You told him to stop. He didn’t.”

Em sighed. She couldn’t really blame Mason for that. “He doesn’t know me like you do. He doesn’t understand my . . . issues.”

The look on Jay’s face as he stared down at her was heartbreaking. His jaw clenched so tight she could hear his teeth grinding together as his throat worked convulsively to combat the misty sheen gathering in his eyes.

“I’d do anything to protect you.” The harsh whisper tore from him with a horribly pained expression.

“I know.” Including destroy us both with what you think is best.

And he was gone again, turning his back on her, but Em wasn’t done with him yet. Scurrying to catch him, she grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop just inside the door.