“Wow. Anytime I called my ex-husband at his office, he’d answer with, ‘This is Scott Finch’, all serious and businesslike, even though he
knew
it was me calling.”
Mason kicked his feet up on the desk. “Glad to hear I’ve surpassed your ex in one area.”
“Um, in more than one.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm hmm. Your scrambled eggs are way better.”
Anybody walking in on him right now would think he’d won the lottery or something. In a way he had. If it hadn’t been for the scheduling mix-up that landed his team on that smaller diamond Friday night, he never would have met Andie. His little sister might be right about the whole fate thing.
“So, in your hurry, you left your watch. And your socks. Would it be okay if I put them in an envelope and leave them with somebody in your office?”
“As long as that somebody is me, yes. If you swing by at one, I can take you to lunch.” The line went quiet. He pictured her fiddling with a piece of hair that had escaped its ponytail, biting down on her bottom lip. Her sexy, kind-of-shy look, as he was coming to think of it. “Anywhere you want, babe. Say yes.”
* * * * *
Andie parked in front of the West End Veterinary Hospital at five minutes to one. Mason had already seen every naked inch of her, up close and extremely personal, with the lights on. So why was she a nervous wreck about visiting him at his workplace in the middle of the day, fully clothed? Because of the rest of the world, that’s why. Time to suck it up. Mason had invited her here. She needed to check her insecurity about their age gap at the door.
A soft buzzer chirped her entrance. Mason stood at the reception desk with his back to the door. He wore a blue scrub shirt that accentuated his wide shoulders and faded jeans that showcased his fantastic ass. A pretty blonde with perfect hair and even better boobs stood in profile, crowding the space beside him, her manicured hand on his lower back. Unprofessionally low. As in, practically on his butt. Sour heat curled in Andie’s stomach as Mason and the girl looked in her direction. Both of them smiled, but their smiles said completely different things. Unquestionably, the young woman wanted to get her hooks in Mason. Too bad for blondie. Andie was nowhere near ready to throw him back in the pond.
“Hey, gorgeous.” He ditched the blonde and strode to her, dipped his head and kissed her like he meant it. Yum. “You want a tour before we go?”
“Yes, please.” Before removing her arms from his waist, she dropped her hands and gave his behind a nice, long squeeze. Take that, Miss D-cups.
Mason’s clinic closed to appointments between one and two, but still had plenty going on. He introduced her to his two assistants, Sally, a quiet brunette somewhere in her mid-thirties, and Paula, a fresh-out-of-college redhead who favored hot-pink everything. Lipstick, nails, uniform scrubs. Suddenly, Andie craved a piece of bubblegum.
Mason showed her the exam rooms, the lab and x-ray areas, his office and the surgery room. Everything was immaculate. Not flashy or brand-spanking new, but impressive.
“Saved the best for last,” he said as he led her into a room with small, stainless steel cages on one wall and larger stalls on another.
Four of the cages housed feline patients. Andie looked in at each one. Mason stood behind her, close enough to send her body temperature up several degrees.
“We neutered this tabby this morning. He’ll go home later today. The white cat had a fatty cyst removed and the black one is here for blood work. This pretty Siamese kitty is Knight. We’re giving him subcutaneous fluids because he hasn’t been drinking at home.” He popped the door and gently stroked Knight’s head. “He has a lot of cancer and not a lot of time left.”
The bottom fell out of Andie’s stomach. “I don’t know how you do this job. Constantly dealing with diseases and death.”
“Not every day has tragedies.” He shut the cage quietly and steered her across the room. Stopped in front of a large kennel and whispered in her ear, “Plus, there are always puppies.”
“Oh, Mason. She’s precious.” A Doberman pinscher puppy lay zonked on a faded blanket. The dog looked exactly like her own Dobie, Minx, had once upon a time. Nearly a decade ago. In another lifetime, it seemed. “Please tell me she’s not here because she’s sick.”
“Nope. Just getting fixed.”
Relief forced a sigh from her, but the tension didn’t disappear. “Can we go?”
“I’m an idiot.” Mason stepped between her and the kennel. “I thought seeing the puppy would make you feel warm and fuzzy, but it made you miss your dog all over again. Shit.”
That he realized and cared about her feelings tugged at something inside her. He was probably this considerate with everyone, though, and she’d be a fool to read too much into it. Yes, they had great chemistry. Sexual and otherwise. That didn’t mean they shared some deep, meant-for-each-other type of connection. She was old enough to know those existed in books and movies. Period.
“I loved seeing the puppy. Truly. And I’m sure you can get me back to warm with next to no effort.” Yup, that sinful smile of his ought to do the trick. She smoothed her hands over the blue fabric that matched his eyes. “You’re aware of how hot you look in this scrub top, right?”
He laughed and shook his head, to which she issued him the
whatever
look. Of course he knew. She wasn’t the first woman to paw him today. Probably wouldn’t be the last, either. Unless she marked him as her territory.
“That’s some kind of wicked smile,” he said. “I haven’t seen it before, but I’m pretty sure I like it.”
She slipped her hands under the loose hemline and dragged her nails over his chest, enjoying the goose bumps cropping up in response. His nipples joined the club. Very nice, but she was more interested in his reaction below the belt. She snaked one hand between the denim and his flat stomach. His erection twitched in her palm.
“I think we should skip lunch and go to your house.”
“I’m willing to go hungry.” He clasped her wrist, preventing her from withdrawing her hand. He darted a glance at the open door. “Not yet. Stroke me first. I want to feel your hand pumping my cock.”
“Here? What about your employees?” The rational side of her protested. And lost. Something about Mason brought her naughty side to the forefront. “You don’t think I’ll do it.”
“You’ll do it. I can see in your eyes how much you want to.” He opened his jeans and fed his cock through the fly in his boxers.
This man she’d met only days ago already knew her sexual proclivities better than her ex ever had. She wrapped her fingers around the base and slowly slid her fist up his cock. Down and back, down and back, swirling the pad of her thumb over the slit at the top of each stroke. His eyes stayed locked with hers. His grin disappeared, becoming a line that showed his strain. She smiled. Served him right. She brought her thumb to her lips. Licked the drops of pre-come with the tip of her tongue.
His Adam’s apple slid up and down his throat as he swallowed hard. “Jesus.”
“I think we’re all done here.” She fought the urge to drop to her knees and suck him to the root. Instead, she tucked him away and took a step back. Breathing room. She needed it as badly as he did.
Mason hustled her through the hallway, past the unhappy-looking blonde at the check-in desk and into the parking lot. “You’re driving.” He opened her door even though she’d unlocked it with the remote.
“What a gentleman.” She smiled up at him and slid into the driver’s seat.
“You’re gonna want to take that back.” His eyes sparkled as he closed her door. Not a carefree, sunshiny sparkle. It was pure, mischievous lust. The kind that made her blood run hot.
She squeaked out, “Where to?” when he joined her, filling the passenger side of the sedan with his mass and his presence.
“Bruce Street. You know it?” He waited for her to nod and start driving, then unbuckled and adjusted his seat to make room for those long legs of his. But he didn’t put the seatbelt back on. Instead he leaned over, nudged her head to the side and kissed his way down her neck.
“Mmm, that’s nice. Very gentlemanly too,” she said, totally baiting him.
His head ducked under her right arm. He caught her nipple in his mouth, biting it through the jersey top and bra. Hard enough to make her jerk in surprise. And send heat surging to all the good spots.
“Still think I’m a gentleman?”
She nodded, eager for him to prove otherwise.
He pushed her knees open and bunched her skirt up to her hips. “Eyes on the road,” he said when she peeked down at his hand stroking the damp silk of her panties. He pushed the thin strip of fabric aside, penetrating her fully, twisting at the deepest point to bring his knuckles against her clit.
Urgent, familiar longing kicked in. All she needed was a little more friction… She thrust her hips forward and he chuckled, obliging her by using his thumb to rub circles over her bud. Her eyelids fluttered. God, she had to keep her eyes open or this would be her last orgasm ever. The steering wheel got slick under her white-knuckled grip. Her thighs shook. She could barely keep her foot on the gas pedal.
“You missed the turn.” He withdrew his hand and sat back in his seat, rubbing his fingers between his lips.
What the—he was stopping—
now
? She gaped at him.
“Babe, I’ve watched you while you come. Several times. It’s the sexiest thing in the world, but you’d crash the car if I let you have an orgasm while driving.”
If he
let
her? The car’s tires screeched as she took the next corner abruptly, for the sole purpose of seeing Mason slam into the passenger door. Nobody was controlling what she did or didn’t do anymore. Not her wardrobe, not her behavior, and most definitely not her orgasms. She bombed up a block and careened around another corner. Then one more, putting her on the correct street. All of this only served to make him laugh out loud. Dammit. So much for staying irritated with him. Impossible with that sexy sound working its magic on her senses.
“Slow down, Danica. It’s the little white bungalow up there, on the left.”
“Ha ha.” Though comparing her to a hot, female Indy car driver was kind of cool. “You’re a horrible tease, by the way.”
“Not true. I have every intention of finishing what I started.”
Her stomach flip-flopped at the promise. Whether by fingers, tongue or cock, he’d certainly proven his expertise at finishing the job. She parked in his driveway and wiggled in her seat, trying to set her clothes to rights. Mason’s mouth curled into a sly grin. Don’t bother, it said. Fine. She shrugged and got out. Let his neighbors see her looking all rumpled.
The house was adorable. Clean white siding with dark-green shutters and trim. No gardens out front, but he did have a planter box overflowing with red and white petunias and a hanging basket to match. Not what she’d expected from a young, single guy.
The lock clicked and Mason held the door as she scooted under his outstretched arm. Once inside, he scooped up his cat and ruffled its smoky gray fur. His affection for the one-eyed kitty was obvious. The more sides she saw of Mason, the more she learned about him, the gooier her insides got. He was sweet, smart, sexy. Eye candy to the extreme. Kind. Fun to be with. Quite simply, the man was a freaking catch and a half. A total keeper.
Some stroke of luck had allowed her to catch him. She’d never be able to keep him, but she wasn’t looking to. Not him or anyone. There were moments, though, like this one, when she had to remind herself of that game plan. Happily ever after still appealed to her, even though she knew it didn’t exist. The idea of sharing her days and nights with somebody who made her happy…
She shook her head to clear the dangerously domestic thoughts. “Are you going to show me around?”
“Nah.” Two seconds later he’d slung her over his shoulder with his hand up her skirt, working its way into her panties. He cut down a short hallway into a masculine bedroom. “No time for the home and garden tour. We’ve got twenty minutes. You’re gonna come twice, me once. And then I’m making us sandwiches.”
She laughed as he dumped her on his bed. “It’s going to be tight.”
“Just how I like you.” Sweet Mason, holder of doors and cuddler of kitties, vanished. The replacement Mason’s pure-sex smile sent a surge of electricity between her legs. He pulled her knit top off one-handed. Tossed it to the floor. Yanked her skirt away, made short work of the pretty lingerie she’d worn, then stripped himself naked. He grabbed her ankles and pulled her to the edge of the bed. His knees thudded on the hardwood. He drew her legs over his shoulders and drove his tongue into her hot center. Did a little swirl-thrust, then headed up to her clit, where it pulsed exactly how she liked.
“Mmm, that’s…” Nice, good, incredible. What was better than incredible? “Oh, oh…right there, harder.” A lightning strike of pleasure hit. She jerked against his face, hips rolling and grinding upward. With every flick of his tongue she unraveled further. She clawed at the bedspread, balling it up in clenched fists. Trying to hold off a tiny bit longer. Then she was falling. Or flying. Panting, clutching his head, lost in a wave of sensation that went on and on.
The aftershocks faded, leaving every nerve ending super sensitized. Minutes—no, seconds—earlier, she couldn’t get enough contact. Now she pushed at the top of his head, beat her heels on his back.
“Mason, you have to stop.” She tried wriggling away, but his hands remained clamped around her thighs, his face buried between her legs. Torturing her with soft strokes of his tongue. “I can’t take any more. Please.”
A muffled chuckle tickled her thigh. He kissed the inside of one leg, then the other, before rising from the floor. “One down.”
“That counted for my two. At least.” She ogled him openly as he retrieved a condom from the bedside table and rolled it on. God, he made her mouth water. “If you come as fast as I did, we’ll have plenty of time for sandwiches.”
“Your priority here is lunch meat?” He stood between her legs, manmeat at the ready. “Because I can do fast.” He cupped the back of her knee and rolled her onto her stomach. Smoothed his hands down her legs, made sure her feet were planted solidly on the floor. He bent over her back and whispered in her ear, “I’ll come as fast as you do—this time.”