Mason’s car was low and sleek. An Austin Martin DB10, which Abby only knew because she researched cars for her characters. She didn’t drive herself, nor did she own a car, but she did like to look at them and this one was real pretty. It was a dark grey with low-profile tires and custom wheels and as she slid into the leather seat, she knew it must have cost a small fortune and was worth every penny. Mason revved the deep throated engine and Abby squeezed her legs together as it rumbled through her body. Was it weird that the sound gave her a thrill more akin to those found in the bedroom? Her cheeks heated at the thought and she turned her head to look out of the window to hide her flush from Mason.

Mason handled the car expertly through the downtown traffic and the silence in the car became uncomfortable. Abby felt like she should say something, but she didn’t know what. Small talk was not one of her strong suits. Put her behind a keyboard and she was verbose but one on one, her brain seemed to malfunction and she could only think of inane topics like the weather.

As they headed into suburbia, she finally spoke.

“Where are we going?”

“Hunter and Bailey’s house,” Mason replied, his voice casual and easy like they hadn’t been sitting next to each other in painful silence for the last thirty minutes.

“Harper mentioned Bailey,” Abby said, trying to think back over the conversation, “And Jonathon and Declan.”

Mason checked over his shoulder before changing lanes and then pulled up at a set of traffic lights.

“Hunter and Bailey are engaged. Hunter, Brooks, Jonathon, Declan and I all met at university. Hunter and Bailey met last year when she tried to stop his step-brother’s wedding.”

Abby turned to him, her eyes wide, “She what?”

“Long story,” he said as the traffic started moving again.

“So how long have Harper and Brooks been together?”

“A few months,” he replied, “Harper was Piper’s nanny.”

Abby frowned, that didn’t sound so great. She’d liked Harper, well as much as you could like someone who you just met, but if she and Brooks had had an affair, then maybe she didn’t like her so much.

“It’s not what you think,” Mason said, shooting her a grin, “Another long story, but essentially, Brooks and his first wife split up five years ago. Heather was pregnant at the time, but Brooks didn’t know and then a few months ago Harper and Piper turned up on his doorstep.”

“Complicated,” Abby murmured.

“You have no idea,” Mason said as he pulled into a driveway and cut the engine.

Abby made a move to get out, but Mason put a hand on her arm to stop her.

“Before you go in there, I feel like I should warn you.” He sighed and looked away from her for a moment before turning those blue eyes back on her. “I love my friends, but sometimes they can be a bit much. If you feel uncomfortable at any time or want to leave, just tell me, okay? It won’t matter to me if we leave early, in fact I rather prefer it.”

“You make them sound like a pack of animals.”

He grinned, a lop-sided affectionate grin, “They are,” he said, “Well, they were. Harper and Bailey are slowly civilising them, but so far only Brooks and Hunter have come to heel.”

The front door opened and a petit red-head stood there waving them in. Mason opened his door, releasing her arm, which she hadn’t realised he was still holding, and it took her a moment to gather herself. Abby hated meeting too many new people at once, but she didn’t really have a choice now. She could’ve put a stop to this before they even left their apartment building, but she had jumped at the opportunity to spend a little bit more time with the enigmatic man that had taken up residence in her brain. Now she found herself in a situation that she would normally try to avoid.

Her door opened and Mason offered her his elbow. She took it shyly and he helped her out of the car.

“Thank you,” she said, “I-ah-I hope you don’t think I was waiting for you to open my door.”

They had been walking towards the front door, her arm still through the crook of his elbow, when he stopped and turned to her, standing close. His eyes roamed over her face, coming to land on her lips before flitting away to find her eyes.

“You and I,” he said, his voice soft, “I think we have a lot in common, more than just being nocturnalists.” She furrowed her brow at the unfamiliar word and he gave her a small grin. “I saw the look of terror on your face and I understand. I’m not a people person, I don’t like people, if I’m honest, but these guys.” He indicated the house and the still open door with a nod of his head, “These guys have seen me through some tough times and without them I would probably never leave my home. They’re rogues and reprobates, but their my rogues and reprobates and despite their propensity towards friendly bullying, they understand my quirks and know when to back off and when to push me.”

Abby watched the emotions play across his face as he spoke. She didn’t think this was a conversation that he had with many people and he looked kind of surprised to be having it with her. A strange yearning rose up in her, a yearning to have a group of friends like his, friends that knew your background, your history, your secrets, and didn’t judge you by them. Abby had never had that. And then there was the other yearning, the yearning to know all of Mason’s secrets, the yearning to know what had caused the look of sadness that had briefly flashed across his face when he was speaking of his friends. The yearning to be closer to him.

But then the moment was broken as he turned again, disentangling her arm from his, and heading for the front door.

An irritation itched under Mason’s skin and he couldn’t pinpoint the cause. His friends had been surprisingly gentle with Abby, which he was grateful for, and she seemed to hit it off with Harper and Bailey, which was good, but didn’t explain the restlessness that he felt.

He’d touched her back leading her to the elevator and had touched her arm in the car. He’d even given her his elbow to help her out of the car and had found it hard to detach from her. He was quite convinced that if they had been sitting next to each other, he would’ve found a way to keep touching her and that was unsettling.

“I like her,” Declan said, lifting his beer to his mouth and taking a swallow, “I don’t think she’s a serial killer at all.”

“But that’s how they get you,” Jonathon said, “They lull you into a false sense of security, get you to trust them and then when you least expect it, BAM! You’re dead.”

“Leave the man alone,” Hunter said, dropping into a seat near them, “Abby’s great,” he said directing his comments to Mason and ignoring the other two, “Bailey really likes her.”

Mason shrugged. “That’s good, I suppose, but you do know we’re not a couple, right? She’s only here because Harper coerced her.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Declan said, shooting a glance at Abby who was sitting across the deck with Bailey and Harper. They were laughing at something and the genuine delight on Abby’s face was like a punch to the gut. “I don’t think that’s the only reason she came.” Abby looked up then and her eyes met Mason’s and a slight blush tinged her cheeks. His mind flashed with all the possible ways of making her blush and he wondered whether it was only her cheeks that turned that pretty pink or if it went further south.

He downed the last of the beer in his hand and resolutely pulled his thoughts away from Abby’s naked body. This was not an appropriate time to be imagining her spread out on his bed, her hands and feet tied to his bed posts as he took his time devouring her.

“Oh fuck,” Declan said and Mason’s eyes snapped to him, “You are really into her, aren’t you?”

“Of course not,” Mason replied, trying to sound casual.

“Bullshit,” Declan said with a laugh.

Mason looked at the three pairs of eyes watching him and knew he couldn’t lie to these men. They had been through too much together for him to disrespect their friendship like that and it would be a useless endeavour anyway, they knew him too well and would be able to see through his lies.

“We’ve only just met,” he hedged, not yet willing to admit to himself that he was attracted to his strange neighbour and definitely not ready to admit it to anyone else.

“She’s not your usual conquest,” Jonathon said.

“No,” Mason replied, “And I don’t know if it will go any further than harmless flirtation.”

The three men that sat with him, and the fourth that stood at the barbecue crucifying steaks, knew his issues with human interactions and knew his aversion to being touched. They also knew the reason, one that they had never spoken of since the night he had spilled his guts to them. They also knew how hard it was for him to have a normal relationship with a woman, which he supposed was why Abby was such a novelty.

“She might be worth it,” Brooks said, looking at him intently, “She might even understand it.”

Mason shrugged one shoulder and toyed with the label of his empty beer bottle. “Maybe,” he said.

The problem, of course, was that you could never know these things until after the fact. How could you know you could trust someone until you actually trusted them with something that could hurt you? And then, when they betrayed you, it was too late. He’d already been burned by a woman he thought he could trust and he wasn’t too keen to jump back into those shark infested waters, which was why he used the BDSM club. Confidentiality was ensured when you paid enough money for it. The same couldn’t be said for more normal relationships between men and women.

“There’s something about her,” Jonathon mused.

Mason raised an eyebrow in his direction. “Oh yes?”

Jonathon nodded, “I dare say she has a few secrets of her own.”

Mason turned to watch Abby again. She looked relaxed and like she was enjoying herself, but there was a reticence about her. She held part of herself back and her eyes held their own kind of darkness. He supposed he recognised it in her because it mirrored his own darkness. Yes, Abby had secrets and he was suddenly intrigued as to what they were and whether he could get her to tell them to him. Which was completely unreasonable when he was loathe to divulge his own secrets.

Hunter walked over to the table carrying a large platter of charred meat.

“Chow’s on,” he said with a grim smile splitting his bearded face.

Bailey jumped up and led the girls into the kitchen to get the rest of the meal and Mason watched them go. What was he doing here with Abby? Why had he brought her into his circle of friends? He could blame Harper, but really, secretly, he’d wanted Abby here, he’d wanted his friends to meet her. Against his better instincts, she was worming her way into his life and that should have set off his warning bells, instead he was opening the doors for her and ushering her in.

He needed to get laid. Maybe, if he wasn’t so wound up with need, she would lose her appeal.

He knew he was lying to himself, but it was a lie of self-preservation. Given the opportunity he knew he could lose himself in his sexy, weird and completely captivating neighbour. The trick was, never giving himself the opportunity.

Abby couldn’t ever remember feeling this relaxed around a group of people. She tolerated most people because that’s apparently what was expected of her, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself with Mason’s friends and for the first time in far too long, she was relaxed and happy. It was a seductive feeling and she felt her inhibitions lowering. Seductive and dangerous.

Abby hadn’t expected to like Mason’s friends and had been intimidated by all the gorgeous man-flesh that had greeted her when she was introduced to them. The five men were all beautiful in their own way and their bond had been obvious. Harper and Bailey had taken her under their wing and for the first time in her life she had felt what it was like to have her own circle of friends. It made her wonder how different her life would’ve been if she’d had a support system like this when she was younger, maybe she wouldn’t be such a recluse now.

The two other women hadn’t peppered her with questions, which was a surprise. Bailey had related a few hilarious incidences from her and Hunter’s courtship and Harper had told her how infatuated she’d been with Brooks from the moment they’d met, despite his gruff exterior. They were probably dying to know what was going on between her and Mason, but there was nothing to tell. This was the most time they’d spent in each other’s company and they’d only ever said a handful of words to one another, which was strange when she thought about it.

They barely knew one another, but it somehow felt more than it actually was. She didn’t know why that was except to say that maybe the amount of time she spent thinking of him had given her a false sense of closeness. The man had been invading most of her waking thoughts and all of her dreams when she slept. And after her meeting with Juliet this morning, no doubt he would be taking up residence in her work as well.

She looked at him now, across the table, as they ate lunch. It was the most relaxed she’d seen him and the hard, suspicious posture that she’d come to associate with him was gone. He smiled easily and joked with his friends and she felt privileged to be allowed to witness this side of him. He felt her watching him and caught her eyes, smiling at her, which did all sorts of funny things to her insides. The easy intimacy of it made her wonder what it would be like to be part of his life for real and not just because she had been in the right place at the right time.

Bailey nudged her arm.

“Are you doing okay? You seem quiet.”

She smiled at her new friend. “I’m good,” she replied, “Not quite used to being around so many people all at once.”

“You don’t have a big family?”

The inquiry was casual, but Abby knew a fishing expedition when she saw one. It was only natural, she supposed, she hadn’t really told them that much about herself and they would be concerned on Mason’s behalf. It was sweet the way they protected him.

“No, no family at all,” Abby replied to Bailey’s question. “My parents died when I was really young and my aunt raised me. It was just the two of us until she died when I was sixteen. I’ve been on my own since then.”

“No,” Bailey breathed, “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Abby shrugged, “It was a long time ago but it does mean that I’m not always comfortable in a big group.”

Bailey looked around the table of friends who were chatting and smiling and joking with one another and her face softened when her eyes met Hunter’s.

“I know they can seem overwhelming at first,” she said, “But they’re all really genuine guys and they love each other like brothers, which also means they tend to fight like brothers too.” She turned back to Abby and grinned, “And they’re surprisingly accepting. I was concerned when Hunter first introduced me to them, but once they new that Hunter and I were in love, they accepted me as part of their pack. Now it feels like I have four older brothers looking after me as well as my fiancé, which is both nice and at times irritating.”

Abby smiled, hearing the affection in Bailey’s voice. “They all seem great and not at all what Mason led me to believe they were like.”

“Oh, they’ve gone easy on you,” Bailey said with a laugh, “I think maybe Mason warned them to behave themselves and to be gentle with you. I know my first dinner with them was more like an interrogation, but then Hunter knew I could give as good as I got.”

“Should I expect a more thorough questioning later?” Abby asked, joking, but still concerned.

Bailey laughed, “Not this time,” she said, “I think they’re probably leaving the interrogation to Harper and I and then they’ll grill us later when you and Mason have gone.”

“But I haven’t told you anything,” Abby protested.

“Not in so many words,” Bailey said with a wink, “But I can tell that you like Mason and that he likes you.”

“We hardly know one another.”

Bailey shrugged, “So? There’s definitely something between the two of you. I can barely sit near you when you look at him for the heat.” She giggled and Abby blushed.

Was she that obvious? Had they all been seeing her inappropriate thoughts about Mason written on her face… had he? That was a mortifying thought.

“Don’t worry,” Bailey said, nudging her with her shoulder, “If it’s any consolation, he seems just as captivated with you.”

Just then Mason turned to look at her and the intensity in his eyes betrayed the casual smile on his face.

“Phew,” Bailey fanned herself, “It’s getting hot in here.”

The drive home was quiet, but not the uncomfortable silence that had been in the car on their way over. The late afternoon sun gave the city a golden cast, glinting off the windows of the high-rises and making it a little difficult to see because of the glare. That was Mason’s excuse for not talking, he needed to concentrate on driving. It wasn’t because he was simply enjoying the quiet solitude with her.

It was an oddly comfortable feeling, one that he’d never experienced before. He usually needed some alone time to recharge after one of the group’s get togethers, but he didn’t mind Abby’s quiet presence beside him, in fact, he quite liked it.

He glanced over at her and felt a flush of affection for her. She sat in her seat, her head tilted back, eyes closed and a small smile on her face, almost as if she was thinking the same thing as he was, that being together like this was easy, easier than he’d ever thought it could be. What would it be like to spend other Saturday afternoons with her like this? Lunch with his friends and then a quiet afternoon, just the two of them, without the need to speak. Followed by a simple dinner and then an easy night of lovemaking until they both fell asleep in each others arms.

The easy simplicity of it and the yearning he felt was a jolt to him. He had never spent the night with a woman, he just couldn’t do it. It was too intimate and there were too many things that could go wrong. He couldn’t believe that the woman seated beside him was causing him to fantasise about things that he’d never ever contemplated before. Mason didn’t do intimacy, sex yes, intimacy no. So why did he want that with Abby?

He pulled into the underground parking garage below their building and she blinked open her eyes and Mason was caught wondering what it would be like to wake up beside her. She smiled sleepily at him and he had to bite back a groan as blood shot to his groin and his cock began to thicken. How did she do that to him? The sleepy sexy thing had never been his thing, but it seemed on Abby it was.

He turned away from her and got out of the car, taking a moment to breathe deep and get his attraction under control. She joined him at the lift and they rode up in silence. He followed her out of the elevator and up the stairs to their floor, valiantly trying, and failing, not to look at her arse on the way. When she got to his door, she turned to him and smiled.

“Thank you for today,” she said, “I had fun.”

He smiled down at her, stepping closer. She took a step back, her eyes darkening, and bumped into the wall beside his door. He stepped closer, needing to be near her one last time before they went their separate ways.

“My friends like you,” he said, his voice rough like gravel.

“I liked them too,” she whispered, looking up at him.

He leant down, barely knowing what he was doing, and brushed his lips across hers. Her eyes fluttered shut and she leant into him, her hand coming up to rest on his shoulder. He flinched and she opened her eyes to look at him questioningly. Instead of explaining it to her, he took her wrists in a firm grip and held them against the wall as he lowered his head once more to taste from her lips. She didn’t struggle against his restraint, but seemed to relax into it, like she was glad he’d done it, like she’d wanted him to restrain her. That thought made his cock harden painfully and he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth and learning the taste of her.

She responded to him, her body pliant under his as he pressed against her, pushing her into the wall and trapping her beneath his weight. Her easy submission was like an aphrodisiac and he felt himself being swallowed by the need of his body to make her his. She mewled softly under his assault and it snapped him back to reality. He lifted his head and looked down at her swollen, reddened lips and her dark, lust filled eyes.

He wanted her, but he couldn’t have her. There was too much at stake.

He stepped back, letting her hands go and breaking the contact between them. She blinked up at him in confusion and he couldn’t help the hand that he lifted to her cheek. He gently ran his knuckles down the side of her face and neck and her eyes closed on a sigh. Before he could take her against the wall, which was what he desperately wanted to do, he turned away and let himself into his apartment, not game to look back at her and see the hurt he knew would be in her eyes.

He leant back against the closed door and blinked his eyes closed as he took a deep breath. His hands shook with the effort not to open the door and drag her inside to his bed. He shouldn’t have kissed her, he shouldn’t have tasted her. Leaving her alone now was going to be even harder than it was before he had kissed her, before he had felt the easy and almost eager submission of her under his restraints. God, what would it be like to have her under him? What would it be like seeing her hands bound and her naked body offered to him for his pleasure?

He exhaled roughly and pushed away from the door. It was no use thinking about it when he knew he couldn’t have it, have her. He would only be torturing himself and then every interaction with her would become harder for him to control himself. He needed to banish her from his mind, but he couldn’t do that while his cock was hammering for attention. He headed for the shower to take care of the problem and to indulge in one last fantasy of Sweet Abby.