Southern Seduction (81 page)

“I know, but tell me why she thinks you did. And better yet, why you are willing to accept that you did?”

“They had been together since high school. He was very much a member of the family, and there was no question they were going to get married. The night Sean proposed, I thought my father’s face was going to split in half from the smile he couldn’t wipe away.

“I’ve always been the wild child and loved boys since I was very young. My whole life, I loved that, while my parents didn’t approve of how quickly I went through
boyfriends
”—I make air quotes around boyfriends—“they always loved me enough to look past it and not give me shit. Well, that is until Abby found Sean pinning me against the bathroom door. I wanted nothing to do with that asshole, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. I tried to tell them he was forcing himself on me, but he said I came on to him. I’ll give you one guess who they believed.”

“Shit!” Mason lets out on a huff.

“Pretty much. He told my sister that he got drunk and we had sex the night before. Said that he was trying to let me down easy when I threw myself at him. I haven’t spoken to any of them since that night. Even my own mother and father believed him.”

“Knowing your fears, they still left you alone? All of them?”

“See, this is where you don’t know me. Being alone was never my fear until three years ago when every member of my family turned their back on me. All because a guy they knew for a few years said I slept with him. Everything else they knew about me flew out the window as they focused on my biggest flaw.

“Lace, sleeping around isn’t necessarily a flaw, as long as you own it.”

“Yeah right, because every guy wants a girl who’s had more sexual partners than they have,” I joke, but it’s flat.

“Wait, do you sleep around to keep guys at a distance?”

“That makes zero sense.”

“Doesn’t it? You meet guys and hook up with them, have fun for the night, while thinking you are making yourself less desirable to the next guy. Stop acting like you have nothing to offer but a warm pussy and sexy body.

I try to make a joke to take the focus off his compliment. “You forgot about my talented mouth.”

“You do have a talented mouth. I won’t deny that. But it’s even good when you aren’t using it get me off. Lace, you are more than sex. You know that. You’re just too scared to believe it.”

“You’re the first person to ever believe me,” I confide, looking up into his eyes.

“Then you are surrounded by idiots. That is more on them than it is on you.”

“Those idiots are my family.” I chew on my bottom lip to fight back the emotions.

“Every family has idiots. Just keep your head up and try not to be one of them. That’s all you can do.”

“Are there idiots in your family?” I ask, even though I know the answer.

“No, my family is full of assholes.”

“Tell me about your family.”

“No.”

“You know all my dirty secrets. Tell me yours.” I place a kiss on his check and squeeze him tight. I want him to tell me. I know the story, but I want to know if Mason trusts me enough to tell me.

“I know Hunter already told you,” he says, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.

“I…I…” I stutter like I’ve been caught in a lie.

“It’s okay, Lace. Hunter has a big mouth, and he’s always trying to protect me. When did he tell you though? Judging by the way you looked at me that first night, I’m assuming it was before you even met me.”

“What?! No! He told me at the show. And what do you mean about the way I looked at you that first night?”

“You looked at me like you felt sorry for me. I figured you already knew.”

Oh shit!
How do I even answer that? I have a feeling ‘No, Mason, I have this unexplainable draw to you’ won’t go over very well. And at the very least, it will make me look like a clinger. So I answer like a bitch instead.

“No, Mason. I wasn’t looking at you because I feel sorry for you. What Hunter told me sucks, but really? It isn’t even the saddest story I’ve heard this week.”

A look of relief passes through his eyes. I don’t even have time to recognize that look before his hand dives between my legs and wide smile creeps across his face.

“Remember when I told you I believed you about your sister’s douchebag fiancé?” Using his thumb, he finds exactly the right spot. “Well your words just returned the favor.” I still as I process his statement. Mason doesn’t want pity, and in one bitchy statement, I gave him that.

“Mason…”

“Shhhh… Be quiet.” He peeks over my shoulder at a sleeping Hunter then back to my eyes. “Don’t wake him up.” It’s not a plea. It’s a demand. I offer him a quick nod. I want this with him, just him.

With one hand, Mason silently works me toward the edge. His eyes never leave mine except for the moments when he glances down to my lips. He never kisses me, but I have no doubt he wants to. And that is enough for me.

I come on a whisper. Kisses rain over my face as I sleepily snuggle in close to his side.

“Promise you won’t leave,” I say on a sigh.

“This won’t work out, but I promise I won’t leave you, Lace. Ever.” His words lull me into a comfortable and secure sleep. Those are rare at best.

As the weeks pass, Hunter, Mason, and I fall into a routine. We see each other about five nights a week, but always together. With the exception of spending time with Hunter while Mason rides and my nightly talks with Mason after Hunter falls asleep, it's always the three of us. When we are in public, Mason keeps his distance while Hunter claims me for the whole town to see. He's always touching and kissing me. As far as everyone else is concerned, Hunter and I are dating, but I know better, so it doesn't bother me. It's not a relationship, and the fact that Mason is involved every step of the way guarantees that. It's the perfect arrangement.

"So here’s the deal. I don't want y'all fucking other women," I randomly announce one Friday night. I say randomly, but it’s really only random to them. I’ve given this a lot of thought. Thanks to a fantastic nightmare where I stood alone watching Hunter and Mason move on without me, I decided to broach the topic with them. Neither one of them has shown any interest in other women since we first hooked up, but I’d rather be safe than…alone.

"Okay," Hunter immediately agrees while Mason curls his lip in disgust and firmly answers, "No."

Hunter looks over at him. "What the hell do you mean, no?"

"I mean, hell-fucking-no. She isn't going to dictate who I can and can't sleep with."

"Are you planning to sleep with someone else? Before Lacey, you were in a hell of a dry spell. I'm sure she’ll still let you jerk off if that’s what you’re worried about." Hunter lets his true asshole fly for the first time since that first morning in the barn.

"Fuck you. I'm not getting into some fucked-up ménage with you two. I date women and occasionally fuck them with you. That doesn't mean I want a boyfriend."

"Whoa, I never said anything about being in a relationship—with each other or with me. I just mean that if we are going to do this on the regular, I think we should only do it with each other.”

"Fine. If Mason isn't down with that, he can leave. It can just be the two of us, sugar."

"For the love of God, stop calling me sugar, and no. It's both of you or nothing. Otherwise, it really is a relationship. I'm pretty sure we can all agree we are
not
interested in any sort of relationship. I'm greedy as hell, and I want both of you...for now.”

"Okay, I'm in," Hunter answers quickly again.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mason snaps in his direction again.

"What the hell is wrong with
you
?" Hunter yells back at him. "She's sexy as hell, she isn't begging me for a commitment, and if the way she sucks my dick wasn't enough of a reason for me to stay, her tight ass would be. So yes, I'm absolutely in."

"You have lost your fucking mind," Mason replies in disbelief.

"Look, I'm not asking you to be with Hunter.” I walk up to Mason, resting my hands on his hard stomach. "Mason, look at me." He immediately drops his eyes to mine. I lean in close and whisper, "Can we talk about this tonight? In bed? You know, just me and you?" I've learned over the last few weeks that Mason is a whole different man when Hunter is asleep and it’s just me and him having one of our late-night talks. I can't do a relationship, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let Mason go. "Don't leave," I say even more quietly, dropping my forehead to his chest. It might be wrong to use it against him, but he knows what that one sentence means.

He breathes out a loud sigh and wraps an arm around my waist. "I'll talk, but this is weird, Lacey. Fucking around is one thing, but this...this is totally different."

"We'll figure it out." I squeeze him tightly. "Thank you."

"I said I'd talk, Lace. Don't thank me yet."

Just as I hear Hunter begin to fall asleep, I roll over into my usual position—crushed against Mason's side.

"What do you think?"

"About what?" Mason asks as he begins to stroke my back.

"About not sleeping with other people."

"I think it sounds like I'd be in a relationship with you...and my best friend."

"It's not a relationship. How many times do I have to say that? It's just three people who have agreed not to sleep with anyone else. I'm not asking for flowers and commitments. I'm asking not to have to share you. That’s all."

"Well, I have to share you," he bites out.

"What the hell? I thought you liked to watch."

"I do, I do," he says on an exasperated sigh. "I just don't think it's fair to ask me to commit to this ridiculousness."

"I don't want you to commit to anything!" I shout, sitting up in bed. I know I'm probably about to wake up Hunter, effectively ending this conversation completely, but it is obvious he is not hearing what I'm saying.

"Shhhhh!" Mason pulls me back down on top of him. I'm so close to his face, and for a split second, I think he is going to kiss me, finally touch me with those lips that I so long to touch with my own.

I can't stop myself from asking the question I have been dying to know the answer to since the very first night. "Why don't you kiss me?"

"I do kiss you, just not on the mouth."

"Why?" I look up and find him staring down into my eyes.

"How about this? I won't look to hook up with any other woman, but if I do, I’ll tell you immediately and this will be over. Would that work for you?" he asks, completely changing the subject.

"Kiss me," I demand, ignoring his comment the same way he did mine.

"Will that work for you, Lace? I won't see anyone else, but if I do, I swear I'll be honest and end this."

"Kiss me," I say, continuing our parallel conversation.

"Lacey, listen to me."

"Fine, Mason. Fuck whoever you want. Just kiss
me
!"

"I do fuck whoever I want. I was inside you just a little while ago."

"Mason, stop being a dick and either kiss me or tell me why you don't kiss me."

He rolls away, throwing an arm under his head. "You're not mine to kiss, Lacey."

I stare at him for a few minutes, trying to understand his words. I can’t figure out if he’s insinuating that he wants me to be his or if maybe he just doesn't like the idea of kissing me after Hunter. He's had sex with me after Hunter, so I can't imagine why a kiss would bother him.

"I only kiss what's mine," he says but doesn't offer any other explanation.

If I'm being honest, it’s a known fact that I have a short temper. Especially when it’s caused by rejection. Mason’s cryptic non-explanation enrages me. He has touched every inch of my body, but somehow I'm not good enough to kiss. I'm not some weak little woman who is going to let this eat away at me or do the whole 'why am I not good enough' thing. Instead, I'm going to get pissed and make him feel just as rejected as he has made me feel. Juvenile? Absolutely! I never claimed to be mature.

I have quickly learned Mason's buttons, and if he wants to play games, so will I. I do the one thing I know will piss him off. I roll over, giving him my back, and curl into a sleeping Hunter.