Mason couldn’t believe Lori had come down here to see Ruth. And then she wouldn’t even tell him what they’d been talking about when he’d come in. From the laughter in her eyes, he could tell she’d been up to something.
In the wake of the disaster Lori had created, he knew he had to fix things with Ruth. And maybe, just maybe, if he could see some sign that she was as interested in him as Lori said she was, he might try to take a step forward.
When he locked up his store for the night, he went over to her place. As he stepped inside, he paused to take a deep breath. Already the smells and atmosphere of her kitchen felt more like home then his apartment. The sweet, buttery scent of cookies permeated the air as if they’d just come out of the oven, but the counters were clean of the day’s work. The only light came from the Christmas tree lights in the front—a distant sparkle of colors through the window in the swinging door—and a bluish light from her office.
Walking over to it, he leaned against the doorway and enjoyed the sight of her face lit up by the screen of her laptop as she entered numbers on a spreadsheet in the near darkness. She must have been too caught up in her work to notice him at first, so he cleared his throat softly.
She looked up immediately. “Oh, hey.”
“Hey. I hope you don’t mind me coming in.”
“Of course not. I left it open for you. Usually, I lock up when I’m alone here at night.”
“Good. Do you have much more to do?”
She shook her head and closed the laptop. “No. I was just working on that while I waited.”
With the light from her screen gone, there was only the small desk lamp to light the room. The space felt intimate and secluded from the world, the air around them hushed as if it too was waiting. But where did he go from here?
“I wanted to apologize for Lori. If she made you uncomfortable in anyway, I’m sorry. She’s always been like a bull when she went after something.”
Ruth stood and moved closer. Searching his eyes. “And what does she want?”
He took a deep breath. It was time to take the leap. “She thinks that I should find what will make me happy. For a long, long time, that has been my career. Since meeting you, I’ve realized that won’t be enough. I’m just not sure…”
Looking down, Ruth stepped back and folded her arms across her chest in a protective gesture. “You’re not sure about what?”
Shoot. He was already screwing this up. “How to date someone who’s as busy as I am—someone who sees me as a competitor. And to be real, if you distract me this much when we barely even know each other, how would I get anything done if we were dating?”
To his surprise, she looked up again as she chuckled softly. “Sounds like you have as many concerns as I do, mostly the same ones. So, what are we going to do?”
“What if we stop over-thinking this and just go with what feels right?”
“That sounds good. Where do we start?”
“I don’t know where we should start. I just know where I want to.”
“Where?”
He should have been nervous, terrified, that this was the wrong move to make. But moving towards her and taking her in his arms just felt so right. In that moment, there was nothing between them, no one to see them, and the time was all theirs. He raised his hand to cup her face and brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. His voice was soft as he asked, “How about here?”
In answer, she closed her eyes and waited. She stood still and lovely like a statue waiting to be awakened, her fair skin glowing in the lamplight. But no statue was this soft and warm.
Caught up in her perfection, he paused too long so that she opened her eyes again. He saw the hurt in them—saw her withdrawing.
“Ruth, no.” Then he bent swiftly, tilting her face up to meet his again, and pressed his lips to hers.
In the rush, he hadn’t prepared himself for the impact of kissing her—though in reality, how could he have? It felt as if his soul had burst open like an exploding star. He held still, savoring the feelings and sensations coursing through him. Then slowly, gently, he tugged softly on her bottom lip with both of his.
She responded by leaning even further into his embrace and sweeping her mouth across his in a caress that shattered the last of his restraint. He’d meant this kiss to be brief and careful, but her touch had driven all those intentions from his mind.
Running his hands down her arms, he shifted them to the curve of her waist and pulled her firmly to his chest, bracing her there by smoothing his hands around her back. Angling his head, he deepened the kiss, exploring every dip and curve of her mouth, but keeping himself focused on her every reaction.
Even lost in the heady experience, he knew the second she began to pull back. Relaxing his arms, he let her go and ended the kiss with a gentle peck at the corner of her mouth.
She stayed in the circle of his arms, breathing as heavily as he was, and staring at his chest instead of meeting his eyes. More than anything, he just wanted to know what she was thinking. But he also didn’t want to break the moment. Words might ruin the magic that swirled between them.
In the end, it was Ruth who spoke first. “So, about over-thinking…?”
“Yeah?”
“I wish I could just shut my brain off right now.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to know how that was for you.”
“For me?” He tried to think of the right words to explain how he’d just felt. Her description of his chocolate came back to him then, something he would never forget. “It was impressive. Complex but still delicate. And just the right amount of sweetness.”
“What in the world?” But then as if it clicked in her mind, she chuckled—a gurgling sort of sound. As she leaned her forehead against his shoulder, her chuckle grew into a laugh that shook her whole body. “That was not what I was expecting.”
He smiled, even though she couldn’t see it, and kissed the top of her head. “No? What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know.” Her laughter stopped as if it had been smothered. “I’ve never kissed anyone before—well, not like that anyway.”
“Neither have I.”
She looked up and rolled her eyes. Pushing back against his chest she said, “Whatever. I bet you’ve kissed like that a dozen times.”
His arms felt empty without her, but more than his own desire to hold her again, he wanted to reassure her—because there was a scared, wounded note in her voice that was unmistakable.
“But never like that. And I have never compared a kiss to chocolate before.” He reached out and nudged her chin up. “And you know how I feel about chocolate.”
“I do, but…Mason, I think I need to go home.”
“What’s wrong?”
“We shouldn’t have done that. Not yet. Maybe not at all.”
Feeling as if he was walking on a tightrope, Mason said, “Look, I know this is going to be tricky, but if you’re worried about something more than our hours and being competition—though I still say that isn’t a big deal—”
“Yeah, well you haven’t had sales in your biggest month drop while the guy next door can barely keep in stock.”
“Is that what it is then?”
“No. I mean, maybe a little, but mostly it’s—Mason, it’s just crazy that this is happening and I’m not sure I can trust it. It’s hard to forget what you thought of me in high school, so how can I believe that you might be interested in me now?”
His eyebrows drew together as he tried to figure out what she meant. “What do you think I thought of you in high school?”
“According to your words, there was no way you’d ever date me.”
“What? I said that?” Mason was more than appalled at his younger self. He was sick.
“I heard one of your friends teasing you because you hugged me after our English project. I have to admit that I was on top of the world that day, but then you said, ‘Ruthie Haynes? No way. Are you kidding?’ And so, yes, I know how you felt about me then.”
Mason stared at her, desperately wishing he could cut that from her memory and heart. “Wow. I knew I could be a jerk back then, but, man…I’m so sorry. Whatever I said to my buddies, I always thought you were pretty.”
“I just wasn’t one of the popular kids.”
He clenched his jaw and nodded. “So stupid. But, Ruth, surely you know I’m different now.”
“Yes, but in ways, you’re exactly the same—so charming and good-looking. Everything comes so easily for you.”
Reaching out, he took her by the shoulders. “Things do not come easily to me. I just don’t stop until I get what I want.” He hoped she sensed the deeper meaning behind his words.
“I just need some time to get my head straight,” she said. “There’s a lot to think about—and let go of. You know?”
He nodded and sighed. “I understand. Okay, so let’s put this kissing thing in a box and pack it away for now. You let me know when and if you’re ready to open it back up.”
“Okay.”
“And if you want to punch me for being such jerk in high school, go for it.”
She looked surprised for a moment, then laughed. “Don’t tempt me.”
“I’m serious. Give it your best shot.”
A second later, her arm shot out and her fist landed squarely in his solar plexus. Caught off guard because he hadn’t expected her to actually do it, he didn’t brace against the impact and let out a sharp ooph as it knocked the wind out of him.
While he caught his breath, she said, “That did make me feel better.”
Mason rubbed his stomach. “I’m glad. Can’t say it had the same effect for me.”
But then she laughed, and Mason didn’t even try to stop the smile spreading across his face. How did she do that to him, even after punching him in the gut? Want me to walk you to your car?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Even though it’s clear you don’t need any protection. Dang.”