Southern Seduction (83 page)

On Saturday night, the three of us decide to hit the club. I want to dance, and the guys more than happily agreed to entertain me. I might have promised a private show once we got home in order to persuade them, but really, I would have done that anyway.

“What are you drinking tonight, sugar?” Hunter asks when we walk hand in hand into the club. As usual, he hasn’t released me since he picked me up. Mason walks behind us, stoic as ever.

“Just beer please,” I smile up as he leans down to take my mouth into a heated kiss.

Mason has been weird tonight. He’s been watching us more than normal, and that says something, because he’s always watching. I think he must still be pissy about the little spat he had with Hunter at the barn over the price of hay. The guys have been at each other’s throats recently. I’m not sure what’s going on, but thankfully it doesn’t usually cross over into our relationship—I mean, arrangement. Tonight, however, Mason’s angry gaze has been aimed in my direction more than once. I’m sure we will talk tonight, so for now I let it go.

“How ‘bout you?” Hunter nods to Mason.

“I can get my own goddamn drink,” he growls as he storms past Hunter to the bar.

“Can you go blow him? Maybe see if that will put him in a better mood. He’s been an asshole all week. If he keeps this shit up, I’m either going to punch him or take you home and leave his ass here.”

“One, you’re not punching him. Two, you’re not taking me anywhere without him. And three, I’ll see what I can do about getting him in a better mood.” I wink and start to follow Mason to the bar. Before I even make it three steps, Hunter grabs my arm.

“I’ve changed my mind. He can be a dick all he wants, and I’ll take the blowjob to help me put up with him.” He smiles down while shamelessly grabbing my ass and pulling me into his body.

I love the way Hunter can’t keep his hands off me. He’s gorgeous, and every woman here is looking at him, but he treats me as if I’m the only woman in the room. Hunter is easy and fun. He’s attentive, thoughtful, and horny as hell. Just the way I like him. But tonight, it’s clear to us both that Mason needs a little extra attention.

“I promise that, when we get home tonight, I’ll make it very interesting for you,” I say, pushing to my toes to lick his lips.

“Is it time to leave yet?” he teases, nibbling on my bottom lip.

“Hell no. I’ve got some booty shaking to do first.” I shake my ass, causing him to laugh before giving it a playful slap.

I walk away, searching for Mason when my eyes land on him chatting up a tall blonde at the bar. Gone is the pissed-off man from earlier, and in his place is a man I barely recognize. He’s laughing and toasting a shot with his new supermodel gal-pal.

I’m about to lose my fucking mind. I can feel the rage and jealousy bubbling in my veins, but for a moment, I stand in awe of the man—my man—standing in front of me with a breathtaking smile on his face. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

Obviously, I’m not the only one who feels that way, because Blondie sways toward him like she is being pulling by a magnet. She gently rests her hands on his abs, and that’s all it takes for the fire inside me to explode.

“What the fuck are you doing?” I shout at Mason when I reach him.

“Um…” He stands, stunned, with his second shot held to his fucking perfect lips. Perfect lips that have still never touched mine. “Drinking?” he says without any trace of attitude.

“Okay, so maybe my question should be who the fuck are you drinking
with
?” There is no mistaking the accusation in my tone.

“Lacey, this is—” he starts but I interrupt.

“Clearly you have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn. Maybe I should have said
why
the fuck are you drinking with her?” I can tell he’s taken aback by my attitude, and a small, knowing smile curves his lips.

“Wow. This is an interesting shade of green on you,” he smarts off, enjoying every second of this.

“Fuck you. I was on my way over here to suck you off in order to put you in a better mood, but apparently someone beat me to it.” I flash a bitchy smirk to Blondie. She’s just standing there confused and maybe even a little disgusted.

“Aren’t you Hunter’s girlfriend?”

My face falls when I realize that I just outed us all, but regret never was my thing. I plaster back on a fake smile and pointedly look at Mason.

“Yes! Yes, I am.”

“No, she isn’t,” Mason quickly answers behind me while leveling me with a challenging stare.

I rise to my toes, returning his stare, and very calmly throw my final blow. “Oh, I am most definitely his girlfriend.” It may not be the whole truth, but it’s definitely not a lie. I quickly turn to walk away before the anger has a chance to subside.

I know what I just did. I used Hunter against him—again. And the jealousy that was only moments ago coursing through my veins has quickly turned into ice cold fear. I just gave Mason an out to leave me, and it’s more than I can stomach. I look around, frantically searching for the bathrooms. I don’t need Hunter to see the emotional breakdown I know is coming. He never strays far from my side, but maybe, just this one time, I can escape his watchful eyes. I lower my head and rush toward the illuminated exit sign above the back door.

I break out into the warm night air just as the emotions overtake my body. I begin to hyperventilate and tears spill from my eyes. Resting a hand against the wall, I try to regain control over my traitorous body.

“Take it back.” I suddenly hear Mason’s voice behind me.

“I’m sorry,” I squeak out as I continue to fall apart in front of him.

“Don’t apologize. Fucking, take it back. ” He makes no move to comfort me. It’s just a stone cold demand.

“Mason, I…” I want to take it all back. I just can’t catch my damn breath long enough to explain. I want to fall into his arms and explain to him how much he means to me. How the very idea of not being with him causes this type of overwhelming physical reaction. I want to make him feel even half as safe he makes me feel. But all of those things only shoot my panic up a notch. I’m too scared to be with him, but I can’t breathe without him.

“So this is how you choose to end it, Lace, huh? With a stupid fucking fit of jealousy? You know, I actually thought that part was cute. It’s about fucking time you showed some sort of feelings for me. You spend your days fawning over him, and I get one, maybe two, lousy hours each night after he fucks you.” He pauses for a beat then snatches off his hat, slamming it to the ground. “God damn it!” he screams at the top of his lungs. “So here it is. You’re Hunt’s girl now?”

My tears continue to fall from my eyes as I quickly shake my head. “No.”

“I’m so fucking stupid. Why did I let it go on so long?” He begins to pace.

I finally calm down enough to speak. “Mason, I’m sorry. I take it back.”

“Walk away, Lace. I told you I wouldn’t leave, and I won’t. So I need you to go now.”

“Mason, please. Let me talk. I’m not ending this!”

“Well you should. This has disaster written all over it. You need to cut your losses while you still have Hunter.”

“Who are you trying to convince here? You or me? I don’t want this to end and I just got physically ill at the idea of not being with you.”

“What the fuck do you think is going to happen here? We all just live happily ever after, buy one big house, and take turns sharing you for the next fifty years? For fuck’s sake, can’t you see this is going to destroy us when it ends? Hunter and I are effectively done as best friends. I see the way he looks at you, and neither one of us is going to let you go without a fight.”

“Then don’t make me choose.” I walk over, wrapping my arms around his waist.

Mason knows nothing about the struggle that is going on in my head. He doesn’t understand that I’m terrified of this ending, and not because I would have to choose—that would be the easy part. I’m scared because, when this ends, I have to admit to myself that I have finally found the only person who has ever truly owned me. And I have to trust that he won’t ever leave me.

“Lacey,” he says to catch my attention. I pull my head away from his chest and look up into his sparkling blue eyes. “You may not be mine, but I’ll forever be yours.” Without hesitation, he slams his mouth over mine, pulling me in for a hungry kiss.

His tongue slides into my mouth, and I struggle to keep up. The kiss is wild, and the passion behind it should scare the shit out of me. It’s more than lust. Hell,
he just told
me it’s more than that, but Mason’s mouth erases all logical thinking. I thread a hand into his soft hair as I climb up his body, desperately needing more. I wrap my legs around his waist as he continues a relentless rhythm in my mouth.

“I want to be with you, Mason. Fuck me,” I beg, regretfully pulling away. “I want to feel you moving inside me when we kiss.”

“Here?” he asks, still licking at my lips.

“Please.” I cover his mouth once again. God, he tastes so good. His tongue alone has me near orgasm.

“I can’t. I don’t have a condom. When we get home—”

“I’m on the pill. I’m clean. Please just take me. I need to be with you, Mason.”

“Are you sure, Lace? I need you to be sure about this.”

“I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

With only a groan and without putting me down, he reaches between us and undoes his pants. Not even a second later, he drags my panties to the side and slams into me. I let out a cry until just as quickly his mouth crushes into mine.

Against the wall, in the back alley of a bar, I lose my virginity to Mason Wynn. It may not be the first time I have ever had sex, but it is the first time I have even been with a man I love, even if I’m too scared to admit it. No condom and nothing between us—well, nothing except his best friend and my absolute fear of commitment.
But close enough.

“So what now?” Mason whispers against my lips as we both come down from the high that follows an amazing orgasm.

“I guess we have to go back inside.” I kiss his lips repeatedly. I can’t get enough. I’ve been starved for him for entirely too long.

“Do you want to talk to Hunter or do you want me to do it?” He returns my every kiss.

“Talk to him about what? You ready to go home already?” I smile against his lips, but he freezes.

“Um, I was thinking more along the lines of telling him that we are going to be together from here on out.”

“What?!” I scream and back out of his arms. “Where in that conversation did we decide that we were cutting Hunter out of this?”

“About the time you said you wanted to be with me, and I made love to you without a condom,” he bites out in a mixture of anger and confusion.

“Mason…I think you were reading into things. I…” I’m shocked as shit. I don’t think I led him on at all. I replay the conversation in my head but come up empty-handed. “I’m sorry if I led you on—”

“You’re kidding me, right? This is you being a brat, right? Lacey, my come is dripping down your fucking leg and you’re sorry you led me on?” Apparently the whole condom-less thing meant more to Mason than it did to me.

“Jesus, there you are.” Hunter strolls out the back door. “You know I was just kidding about the blowjob thing,” He glances down as Mason buttons his pants. “But obviously you took me very serious.” He walks over, giving me a quick kiss. I’ve always loved the way Hunter kisses, but after kissing Mason, his lips just feel wrong now.

“Awesome,” Mason huffs. “I’ve got to get out of here. She’s all yours.”

“I see the blowjob did nothing to improve your shitty attitude,” Hunter says, stepping forward.

“Fuck you. I don’t want any part of this clusterfuck anymore. You got her?”

“Mason, please. Let’s just talk tonight,” I beg, beginning to panic all over again.

“Do. You. Have. Her?” he says very slowly to Hunter while ignoring my comment altogether.

“Yeah, take off. Do whatever the fuck you need to do in order to get your ass off your

shoulders. Next time I see you, you better be off your period.”

“Fuck you. Speaking of periods, let me know when you starts yours, Lace. Or at least where I should send the child support.” He doesn’t linger any longer. Mason storms off around the side of the bar.

“Oh my God! What the fuck just happened?” I whisper, sinking to the ground.

“Funny. I was going to ask you the same thing.” He turns to face me, hands positioned firmly on his hips. “What did he mean about child support? Are you pregnant?”

“No!” I shout, appalled by the question.

“Then what the fuck did he mean?”

“We had sex, but he didn’t have a condom.”

“You what?!” Hunter shouts.

I’m barely clinging to the edge of a panic attack and now I have to deal with Hunter freaking out that we didn’t use a protection.
Fantastic!

“I’m on the pill. I’m clean, so you have nothing to worry about,” I quickly explain for the second time tonight. I might be talking, but in my mind, I’m trying to formulate a plan that doesn’t have me puking all over the sidewalk but still has me ending the night in Mason’s arms.

“Oh my God, he’s in love with you. Shit. Shit.
Shit!
” Hunter screams as he starts pacing back and forth.