CHAPTER SIX
Karina
“Shit!” I hiss between clenched teeth as I put my finger a little too close to my curling wand, slightly burning the tip as I artfully arrange the last strand of hair I’ve curled around my face. Totally what I get for not using the glove provided, but I have more control with bare hands; and honestly, I like to live dangerously sometimes.
Giving myself a once-over, I admit, I’m pretty hot. Hopefully hot enough that Mason will want to do a little fooling around before he drops me off back home. I’m black on black and dark tonight. Black booties encase my feet, up to black ripped jeans, and a band t-shirt that’s a little looser than I like it to be. Reaching behind me, I put a knot in the extra material, and when I do, it exposes a small swath of skin between the band of my jeans and the top of the cotton. Closing my eyes, I imagine Mason running those rough hands of his over the smooth skin. Insanity that I’ve been with this man once, been on one date with him, and he can have me this excited to see him.
The alarm on my phone goes off, telling me I have five minutes before he’s supposed to arrive. Giving myself another glance, I take a little bit of concealer and dab at the edges of my eyes where I got the shadow a bit too dark. My look for tonight is dark with a plum matte lip color and plum shadow, but I’m not striving for the beaten look. Just the mysterious, sexy chick look. Grabbing my leather jacket, I put it over my shoulders, make sure I have my purse, and then take a deep breath. We’ve been out once, this is no different.
Except it is.
Before our date in Birmingham, I didn’t know how he tasted, didn’t know how the weight of his body felt on top of me, didn’t realize how soft and hard lips could be at the same time. Didn’t realize how a man could turn me inside out with a touch. That night in Birmingham opened my eyes to everything I’ve been missing, and I never want to miss it again. As I’m going through and shutting off lights, I hear someone pull into my driveway and see the shadows cast by a vehicle idling, before I hear footsteps on my front porch. Bonus points for him; he didn’t honk and expect me to come meet him. The knock is strong and secure, resonating loudly through my living room. Definitely the knock of a cop. I laugh at the reference in my head.
Opening the door, I purse my lips at the man in front of me. Damn, I don’t think I’ve ever been with a guy as hot as Mason Harrison.
“You look…” he trails off as his eyes rake over my body.
On impulse I do a little turn for him. Maybe wanting to show off what I have, maybe wanting him to see what’s totally his if he wants to take it.
“There are no words,” he finishes. “At least not in my vocabulary.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
My eyes rake over him, the same way he did to me. Jeans that aren’t too tight, but aren’t too loose fit over long legs. A black t-shirt shows off his trim waist, a black and gray flannel sits over it, opened with the sleeves rolled up exposing strong forearms with a tattoo I didn’t notice before. Just like everything else about him, it’s hot.
“Nice.” I run my hand over the ink. “Wouldn’t have taken you for a guy with a tattoo. We didn’t even get that shirt off of you last time, so I have no idea what’s underneath.”
His eyes flare dark with the passion I glimpsed during our night together and during our time in my classroom. It can quickly become an obsession of mine, seeing that look in his eyes. The blatant want on his face. To have it all directed at me? It’s the stuff dreams are made of.
“I’d like to give you that opportunity as soon as possible.” His voice is dark as he steps back, allowing me to turn and shut my door.
“We’ll see.” I flash him a grin and a look over my shoulder as I check the lock.
His brown eyes are on my porch lights. “What’s wrong with that one?” he points to the one that’s been out since I moved into the place.
“Don’t know, I can’t reach it. I keep telling the landlord, but he has yet to fix it for me.” I shrug. “I’m pretty sure the bulb’s just blown. I’m too short to reach it though, and I’m afraid I’ll kill myself if I try to get a ladder. I hope this one doesn’t go too.”
“I’ll take care of it for you in the next few days.” He nods toward it. “It’s not a good idea for a woman living by herself to have lights out like that. It goes against everything I’ve learned as a law enforcement officer.”
Putting my hands on his chest, I lean up, giving him a chaste kiss. “I’m from Philly.” My voice is soft. “I know how to take care of myself.”
“I’ve been to war, and there are things that still give me pause. Safety of someone I’m interested in is one of those things. Just let me do it for you.” He lets his hand slide along my back to cup the curve of my ass.
There’s something arousing about a man who wants to take care of you, because he likes doing it, and truth be told I’ll gladly let him. “If you insist.”
“I do.” He drops a kiss on my lips and then taps my ass before turning me to his Jeep. “Let’s go, I’m starving.”
Walking together, he escorts me to the passenger side of the Jeep, opening the door, and easily helps me into the seat. When he shuts the door, I breathe a calming sigh. There is something inherently sexy about this man, something that tells me I’m way in over my head if he ever decides to completely turn on the charm for me.
The drive to El Chico isn’t long, but we keep up a steady stream of conversation as we go.
“How do you like being a member of the Moonshine Task Force? I didn’t know you were a member. I know Leigh and Violet, but it never came up.”
“Really?” He comes to a stop at the end of my street and motions for the person who stopped even with us to go. I try not to be mesmerized by the way his forearm flexes as he grips the steering wheel.
“Yeah, I tutored Leigh in a class she was having trouble with, and I teach night classes two nights a week. That’s how I met Violet,” I explain as we drive cautiously within the speed limit toward the restaurant. “Had I known they know you, I would have told them your name. Then I wouldn’t have made an idiot of myself thinking you had a young child.”
He chuckles. “I’m not real close with Ace, but if I had to say I have a best friend, it’s Havoc.”
“Leigh’s husband, right?” I don’t know their call signs off the top of my head.
“Right, they just had a baby, so I haven’t seen him outside of work in a few weeks. It’s actually why I decided to try the dating app.”
Now we’re getting somewhere. “This I’d love to hear. Why a man like you didn’t have a line of women at your door.”
Mason is quiet for a moment, and I think maybe I’ve overstepped when he shrugs and scratches the stubbly beard on his jaw. “I tried dating a few times when Caleb was younger, after I got back from my tour and honorably discharged. I really tried.” He leans forward, checking both ways before he turns the truck to the right, taking us into the downtown area of Laurel Springs. “But so many women wanted to be Caleb’s mom, they wanted to tell him what to do and pretend like they’d be around forever. After what happened with his mom, I couldn’t just keep inviting women into his life. Half of them never lasted after a handful of dates, if they even made it that far, and it just felt unfair.”
“Unfair to be living your life?”
“No, unfair to bring these women into Caleb’s life when I knew it wouldn’t last. Eventually, I gave up trying to date and settled for a few women who knew the score.”
“Booty calls?” I supply, not sure I want to know the answer. I don’t want to be categorized that way.
“We fulfilled needs that each other had.” He’s careful with his words. “Sometimes you just need a warm body beside you at night. Somedays you need someone to work off frustration with, and sometimes you just need that sexual release. If I hadn’t had these things in my life, I would have gone crazy, because of all the stress I was under.” He’s talking, and I don’t want to stop him. Even though this is our second official date, somehow I feel as if we’ve known each other our whole lives.
“Is that what I am?” I question quietly. “Someone who should know the score?”
Mason reaches over, entwining our fingers together, holding our palms in his lap as he continues to drive the streets of downtown. “No, you’re different. You’re the one I’m going to allow myself to truly be with. All those other women? They had no room in their lives for Caleb, because they didn’t know him, they didn’t want to get to know him. Even though he’s an adult now, he needs a feminine presence in his life, and the two of you know one another. For the first time in years I feel like I can try to be a normal guy, take a girl out for a date, have her spend the night, and not worry about her hating me when I explain why we can’t be together. Now, I can try to have a relationship.” He pulls up to a stop at El Chico. “That is, if you want to try and have one with me.”
I’ve listened to everything he’s said, and I’ve let it all sink in. If I decide to be with Mason, Caleb comes with him.
“You’re a package deal?” In my line of work, I see a lot of parents who don’t love their children or their role as a parent half as much as Mason seems to. If he isn’t the man I think he is, then I don’t want to put myself in a relationship with him. Mason, though, I’m learning never disappoints.
“I am.” He grips the steering wheel. “There’s no one in this world I’m prouder of than my son, and there’s no one who means more to me than him. If you’re going to take me on, he comes with me, no matter where he is in life. He’s leaving in the summer, so I plan on spending time with him, and if you come into our lives, you’ll need to spend time with him, too. It’s just how it’s going to have to be.”
It’s a lot to digest, but I know the way I feel in the depths of my stomach, I know this flutter isn’t something that comes along every day, and I also know how much I already care for Caleb. He’s one of my favorite students, and I’ve enjoyed watching him mature during the school year. Getting out of the Jeep, I walk around, opening Mason’s door and stepping on the running board. The shock is written plain as day across his face, when I lean in. “I’m in, fully and completely, with you. It might be stupid, considering we just met. It might be the biggest mistake of my life, it might blow up in our faces, but Mason, I want the experience.”
Reaching up under my hair, he cups my neck, pulling me to kiss his lips. “I want the experience too, more than I’ve ever wanted it before.”