Chapter Sixteen
Mason
Almost two weeks old
Payton was smarter than I was, that much was certain. It’d been about a week since we’d almost had sex in my bed. And I still had blue balls from it, no matter how many times I tried to take care of the problem myself while picturing her face. She still slept next to me. She still let me spoon her all night long. But every time she accidentally brushed against my constant hard-on, she’d jerk back like my dick had burned her.
Her vacation time was about up, she had to work tomorrow night and I was absolutely dreading it. I was trying to get as much done as I could before she left, and today while she watched Katie I sent emails and statements to all the venues I’d had to cancel. Personal messages letting them, as well as my fans, know that I was sorry. That I would reschedule, but that I needed a little time to get my life back in order. I believed what Jacks and Lexi had said was true. They wouldn’t force me to start the tour back up right away, that family was most important. But I also knew that my crew needed to get paid, and RiffRaff could only foot that bill for so long.
When I walked into the living room, Katie and Payton were laying on the floor. Katie was on her back, kicking her little legs and Payton was on her side, smiling down at her. My baby sister had already grown so much in the past two weeks. It was easy to see that she’d be driving before I knew it.
“Hello, my beautiful girls.”
Payton smiled and Katie just kept staring at the ceiling. “Hey, you hungry? You missed lunch.”
“No I’m good, it’s almost time for dinner anyway.” I lay down next to them, on my back so I could see what Katie was seeing. “Why is she always staring at the ceiling?”
“You want the clinical nurse answer, or what I really believe?”
I looked across Katie. “What you really believe.”
“I think she sees y’all’s parents. I think they are always here, always watching over her. I think when we’re young we see things, we believe in things. And as we get older we have people tell us there is nothing there, and eventually, there isn’t.” She shrugged. “But what do I know, right?”
I wasn’t sure what to say. It was a sweet thought, one that made emotion lodge in my throat. I wondered if I’d always be this way now, constantly close to tears. So much emotion bubbling under the surface that it was hard to function. “What’s the nurse answer?”
“Babies eyes don’t focus really well when they’re this little. She’s just staring into space, learning to see.”
“I think I like your first answer better.” And that was the truth.
“Yeah, me too.”
“Let me make you dinner tonight.” I chuckled as her eyes went wide. I had no idea where that came from either.
“You cook?” She sounded skeptical.
“I can make a couple things. When M Kat moved in with us, she fired our chef and taught me how to fend for myself if she wasn’t home.” She was one of a kind that mother of mine. Ours. That mother of ours.
“Well, as long as you don’t end up poisoning me, I’d like that.”
***
Fast-forward three hours. Payton was waving a dishtowel under the smoke alarm in the kitchen. “Mason. How did you manage to burn mac and cheese so bad that it caught on fire?” She had to yell over the sound of the alarm. Finally she just jumped up and smacked it down.
I had my hands over Katie’s tiny ears. “I don’t know. I got distracted.”
She turned toward me, her hands on her hips. “By what? Making the mac and cheese was your only job.”
“You were bending over, making those cute little faces at Katie. And your ass looks fantastic in those pants.” We both looked down at the sweats she was wearing. She raised an eyebrow in silent question. “I can’t help it, I haven’t had sex in like four weeks.”
She rolled her pretty eyes. “Oh, you poor thing. I haven’t had sex in like six months.”
“You haven’t had sex in…wait. Am I the last guy you fucked? You haven’t had sex with anyone else since me?” I took a deep shaky breath. Please tell me that wasn’t the case. I was already turned on by the sight of her. Knowing I was the last man that touched her would send me over the edge.
She bit her lip and took a sip from the glass of wine I’d poured her earlier. Mac and cheese and hot dogs paired nicely with a crisp Chardonnay. We were fancy here.
“Yes.”
I groaned and collapsed down into a pile of bones on the kitchen floor. I scowled at her when she started to giggle. “It’s not funny. Do you have any idea how hot that is?”
“Really?” She sounded unsure.
I sat up and grabbed her ankle, pulling her closer to me. “Knowing I was the last guy to touch you, to make you scream? Knowing that you’re horny, that it’s been so long you’d probably go off like a firecracker in my hand? Yeah. It’s hot as fuck.”
“Stop saying fuck. You really need to get a grip on your language before Katie’s first word is a bad one.” She was avoiding the subject at hand. She was avoiding the elephant in the room. The elephant being, she needed my dick. “And it doesn’t matter how hot you think it is, or how long it’s been since I’ve had sex. It’s not happening tonight.”