Livvy bit her lip as she watched Mason move toward her. When he stopped, the water only separated them by inches instead of feet. She should have known that coming here, and then sitting on the edge of the hot tub while Mason sat on the other side—bare torso, damp hair, wet skin—wouldn’t help with her resolve to stay away from him. To stop thinking about kissing him. To forget how it felt to be in his arms.
He was gazing at her like a feline cat watching a shadow, waiting for the slightest movement in order to pounce. The desire in his eyes mirrored the desire that was already consuming her. Was Mason right? Did they owe it to themselves to find out how real this... distraction was? Was Felicity right? Should Livvy give Mason a chance, then deal with Slade later?
“I can’t make any promises,” she finally said. “And I don’t want to mess up your writing plans.”
“I can’t make any promises either,” Mason said, moving another inch closer. “And I’ll make my deadline even if I have to chain myself to a library table and feed myself through an IV.”
Livvy smiled, and Mason smiled back.
And then he closed the distance. His warm, wet hands cradled her face. Her eyes slipped shut just as his mouth found hers. Their first kiss had been a frenzy of touching and tasting. This kiss was agonizingly slow. Mason explored her mouth as if he was memorizing her. She could feel the warm steam of the water radiating from his body. She clutched at his shoulders, knowing she was inches away from falling into the water, but not really caring.
She kissed him back, memorizing him as well while she melted into his warmth, which only made her crave him more. Slade had never kissed her like this, and she couldn’t imagine he ever would. But all thoughts of Slade or comparisons to Mason fled as Mason’s fingers skimmed her neck, then moved down her back.
“You’re going to get me wet,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Do you want me to stop?” he whispered back.
“No,” she said, and she felt his smile all the way to her toes.
He kissed her again, giving in to her wish, and she moved her hands behind his heated neck, then through his damp hair. His hands skimmed along her sides and settled at her waist, where she could feel the imprint of his fingers through her clothing.
Then his kisses moved from her mouth to her jaw to her neck. “Did I tell you that you smell good?”
“I don’t think so.” Her words came out breathless.
“You smell good,” he said. “And taste good.”
She shivered at his words.
“Are you cold?” he asked, lifting his head.
She laughed. “Um, far from it. But I think we should slow this down . . .”
His smile was lazy. “Yeah, we should dry off and drink something really cold.”
Livvy nodded and slowly, reluctantly let him go. She pulled her feet up and dried them with the towel, then she slipped her socks and shoes on. She stood and held open the towel. “Come on. You can give me a tour of your luxury cabin.”
Mason climbed out of the hot tub and used the towel to rub his face and chest, then he wrapped it around his waist.
Livvy kept her hands to her side, trying not to stare at his lean, sculpted body.
Mason leaned toward her and brushed his lips against hers in a barely there kiss. “Thanks.” He grasped her hand and linked their fingers together.
Then he picked up her coat, and she walked with him to the sliding glass doors of the cabin. Although heat still radiated from Mason’s bare torso, he also had goose bumps from the cold temperature change, and she had to restrain herself from wrapping herself up in his arms to make the goose bumps go away.
Mason slid open the door, and she stepped through, her hand still in his. Mason entered after her and closed the door. The temperature inside the cabin was almost too warm compared to the cold from outside.
“The kitchen’s through there,” Mason said, pointing at the lit doorway on the other side of the great room. “You can put your shoes by one of the heater vents to get them dry. I’m going to get dressed, and then we can do the tour.”
She nodded, and he released her hand.
Livvy stood still for a moment after he went up the stairs to whichever bedrooms were up there. It was a very good thing he was getting dressed, because Livvy was still craving his kisses. She’d kissed him more today than she’d kissed Slade in five months of dating. Was this an infatuation? Or was there more to whatever she was feeling toward Mason?
Her heart thundered as she thought about what it might be like to fall in love with Mason. To want him as her one and only. And then to lose him. Because he’d made it clear that he’d be returning to San Diego once his book was written. So where did that leave her?
Regretting that she hadn’t held onto Slade? Or would she move on, completely Slade-free and Mason-free, and redefine all that she’d thought she wanted since she was a girl?
The sound of water rushing through pipes brought Livvy back into the here and now. Mason must be taking a shower, and Livvy refused to let her thoughts stray even further. She took off her damp shoes and set them by one of the heater vents, then she walked into the kitchen and found the cupboard with glasses. She filled it up with ice and water from the fridge. Mason was right. She needed something to cool her off and restore her senses.
Still, her skin thrummed with heat as she remembered Mason kissing her in the hot tub. She took her ice water into the great room and crossed to the gorgeous hearth. A flip of the switch made the gas fire come to life, and that’s where Mason found her when he came back down the stairs.
“Are you warm yet?” he asked in that low voice of his.
She turned to see that he’d showered and dressed. He wore a light-gray T-shirt that looked as if it had been made to follow the line of his lean muscles in his arms and chest. His jeans were worn and sat low on his hips. Oh boy.
“I’m warm,” she said.
Mason stepped to her, smiling as he scanned her face. She hadn’t even checked her makeup in the bathroom. Her mascara was probably smeared, and there were definitely no traces of lip gloss left. Mason took the ice water from her hands and took a long drink, then handed it back. “Want a refill?”
“I’m good.”
He smelled like soap and musk, and his hair was still damp.
“So . . .” Livvy began. “Tour?”
“Yeah, that’s right.” Mason took her hand, and together they walked through the cabin. He flipped on lights as they went, and Livvy was both charmed at the beautiful workmanship and a bit envious. How would it be to have a second home like this?
They moved up the stairs, and Mason pointed out that the banister had to be custom carved. He seemed to notice details she didn’t pick up.
“What’s your house like in San Diego?” Livvy asked.
Mason paused at the top of the stairs. “It’s an older home that I had remodeled the year I first hit the New York Times list.”
“Is it in a neighborhood or by the ocean?”
Mason’s mouth curved. “By the ocean. Premium property now that there’s a lot of development going on. If I were to ever sell it, I’d definitely make a profit.” He squeezed her hand.
Livvy’s pulse skyrocketed. What did that hand squeeze mean? That he would consider selling his house to be close to her? She exhaled, telling herself not to jump to conclusions.
“My favorite part of this cabin is the fireplace in the master bedroom,” he said. “Not that I’ve used it yet, but the ambiance is nice.”
She walked with him through the three bedrooms, and indeed, the fireplace in the master bedroom was a lovely addition.
As they headed back down the stairs, Mason said, “If you’re not too tired, we could watch a movie or something.”
Livvy should be tired. She guessed it was after 11:00 p.m., but she was wide awake. “I’m not too tired.”
“Good,” Mason said as they entered the great room. “There’s no smart TV in the cabin, but there’s a large selection of DVDs.”
Livvy tugged his hand to stop him, then pulled him toward the couch. She sat down and he followed, his brows raised. “Or we could talk about your book,” she said.
Mason’s mouth quirked, then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. He didn’t pull back, his breath warm on her face when he said, “I was hoping you had something else in mind.”
She laughed. “Nope.”
He kissed her on the mouth this time, one of his hands resting lightly on her neck as if he considered her a fragile thing. She indulged in the kiss for a few moments, then she drew away.
“Have you really never talked about your plot when you’re writing?” she asked.
“Never.” His blue gaze focused on her as he skimmed his thumb along her collarbone.
Ignoring her erratic pulse, she said, “What are you afraid of, Mason Rowe?”
“A lot of things,” he said in a low voice. “Mostly I’m afraid of waking up one morning and realizing that I’m a horrible writer and all those nasty reviews are true and that I’ll never finish another book again.”
“Well, if that happens, you can sell your million-dollar home in San Diego, and move in with me,” Livvy teased.
Mason winked. “I might do that anyway.”
Okay then. Back on track... “It might help to talk about your story, you know. Not to get another person’s ideas mixed in, but to sort it all out in your mind.”
Mason stared at her for a moment with those gorgeous blue eyes of his, which were a darker color in the firelight. “Olivia Harmon, you are the most persistent woman I know. You might even outrank my agent.”
Livvy laughed. “If that’s a compliment, I’ll take it.”
“Given.” He leaned in as if he was going to kiss her again, but she put her hand on his chest and felt the thump of his heart.
“Let me in, Mason. That’s all I’m asking.”
He trailed his fingers over her shoulder, then down her arm. “I’m trying to distract you, can’t you see?”
“Believe me, you are distracting,” Livvy said. “But like you said, I’m persistent.”
Mason captured her hand and brought it to his lips. After pressing a kiss on her hand, he said, “I’ll make you a deal. You tell me a deep, dark secret, and I’ll tell you the name of my main character.”
“That hardly seems like an equal trade,” she said, although she was glad they were getting closer to a compromise.
“Take it or leave it.” Mason turned her hand over and kissed her wrist.
She could let him kiss her all night or she could get to know this man better, so that she could decide if what was going on between them was real. And... if she told Mason her deepest secrets, then she’d know if he was a fight or flight person. “Okay. It’s a deep, dark secret. And only Felicity knows. But I trust her enough to know she’d never betray me.”
Mason’s brows lifted. “Is it really a deep, dark secret if Felicity knows?”
“Take it or leave it.”
“I’ll take it,” Mason said with a laugh.
“Okay, this is kind of hard to admit, so no laughing or teasing.” Livvy pulled away from Mason so that she could look him in the eyes with a little distance from his tempting touch. “Ever since I was a little girl, my dream has been to marry a doctor.”