I looked at Max as I spoke, seeing the hesitation and regret in her eyes.
“When are you coming home?” Diane asked me, as if I just didn’t ask her a question.
“Soon,” was all I said.
If it was up to me, I wouldn’t ever go home. But I knew by the look in Max’s eyes that wouldn’t be the case.
“Shall I expect you tonight?”
The sound in her voice made me break my gaze from Max.
“Probably not, but schedule some time on my calendar with Sara tomorrow…sooner rather than later. We need to take in a meeting.”
She was quiet on the phone.
Then finally she said, “That’s fine,” and she hung up.
Max had gotten up from the couch while I was on the phone.
When I hung up, she said, “Mason, you have been unbelievable to me. I’m so grateful for you, really. But you should really get home.”
I shook my head.
“Nope, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Mace, you have a fiancé, for Christ sake. You are going to be married soon. Even though I didn’t care about her yesterday when you were fucking my brains out, I’m feeling some type of way now. I mean, I can chalk that up to grief. But now—now that I’ve had time to think—it was wrong of me to ask you to do what you did.”
I stood while she babbled. When I got close to her, she opened her door and held it open for me.
“You should go, Mason… Really.”
“I’m not leaving you alone.”
She sighed.
“I’ll be fine, really. If I feel like I’m not, I can call someone. I can call Cory.”
I frowned and snatched the door from her grasp. I closed it and locked it with one hand and pulled her closer to me with my other.
“You will not call anyone, especially Cory.”
“Mace, really I…”
“No, you listen to me, Allura. I’m not going anywhere, so you’ll have to get used to it. And about the mind-blowing sex we had, it has nothing to do with Diane, but everything to do with you and me. I said before that what we had isn’t over, and it’s not.”
She folded her arms in front of her and moved back from me.
“Well, I have to disagree with you on you and I being over. We are. But if you are hell bent on staying here with me, the couch is yours.”
She turned and stomped down the hall. I went through the house and locked windows and doors. Then I turned off all the lights. When I walked in her room, she turned to me.
“Did you hear what I said?”
I pulled off my t-shirt. “I sure did, and you must have lost your mind if you think I’m sleeping on the couch with your body sleeping this close to me.”
“Fine. Then I’ll sleep on the couch.”
She stormed past me, but I caught her by her waist.
“The hell you are. If you don’t want me to touch you, I won’t. I won’t fucking like it, but I’ll keep my hands off.”
I turned from her and went in the bathroom. If I was going to keep my word, I needed to not watch her get undressed. This was going to be a long and painful night.
Chapter 23
Maxine
I woke up with a huge headache. But I dare not move. The feeling of having strong arms around me holding me was something I had missed for so long. The body that’s attached to the arms was something I’ve dreamed about ever since he left me. I’m a weak woman and a home wrecker. But damn it, he makes me feel so good and wanted and desired.
All I think about doing is having him on top of me or me on top of him or sideways or behind me. I think about his smile, his laugh, his touch, his kiss, and his blessed tongue. Oh my, I said to myself as I felt the heat start to rise in me. I felt throbbing starting between my legs, but I couldn’t move them. They were splayed over Mason’s leg. If I moved them, he might notice. I tried to concentrate on his breathing to make sure he was still asleep. Deep rhythm from his heart told me he had to be still in deep sleep, so I secretly tried to close them. But the movement was caught by Mason.
“If you want me to make you feel good, all you have to do is ask,” he said in a graveled, sleepy voice.
How the hell did he know? He turned to lay me on my back and moved his hands in between my legs. God, I shouldn’t let him do this to me.
‘Mmmm,’ I found myself saying inwardly as his fingers found my sex.
He started kissing my neck, as he fondled my clit very lightly, which was driving me crazy. He always found a way to make me lose my mind with just a simple and delicate touch.
“Mason,” I groaned uncontrollably, mind you.
But that seemed to encourage him.
“Your pussy feels so good, baby. Just relax and let me take care of you.”