“We won!” Addison leaped over to me.
“Finally,” I muttered to myself, rising and leaning over the railing to address my niece. “You were amazing, Addy.”
“Thanks!” She hopped on her toes. “Everything still good for tonight?”
“Of course.”
“Great. I’m gonna go ask Mason right now.” She darted away before I could respond, my gaze tracking her as she bounced across the field up to Mason.
He showed no reaction to her presence while she exploded with hyper energy around him, rustling her pom-poms and flicking her ponytail. Her head nodded back to me, and my lungs clenched as his eyes followed, landing on me.
My heart thumped in my chest, my skin flushing hot, and my core throbbed. Oh. My. God. The heat turned instantly to ice. Absolute disgust and shame ripped me away from them, moving me down the stairs and out of the stadium. What the hell was wrong with me?
Pulling out my cell, I texted Addy. See you at home. I knew she was getting a ride with Elena and Sophie back to ours, though it was only a few blocks.
My body shivered, but I kept my jacket off, flogging myself mentally. I never had this kind of response to anyone before, not even Ben. It terrified me, making me feel even more disoriented, as if nothing made sense anymore.
“Ben,” I whispered his name out loud. “I miss you.” I missed how safe and happy I felt. How easy. How it all made sense.
My mind settled into the memories of Ben like a warm bath. Him holding me. Loving me. It was safe. Secure. I shut down any thoughts beyond him.
Whatever moment I had was a fluke. A wine-induced reaction to something my body needed, or maybe a chemical imbalance in my hormones.
Nothing more.
I strode for the cottage, ignoring the fact that for the first time in over three years, a man had my nipples pebbling painfully against my shirt.
Laughter came from the deck, along with music and splashing from the hot tub. The kids were all carefree and happy, thinking the dramas of high school were so dire, not realizing life hadn’t even gotten close to fucking them yet.
Cutting into another slice of cheese, something for them to nibble on, I felt even more divided from the youth outside.
More than a dozen had shown up, mainly cheerleaders and football players, probably treating this as the warm-up house before they headed to the real party, which was unchaperoned. It wasn’t that long ago I was going to house parties and drinking.
I knew they would be. It’s what you did at their age. Except it wasn’t happening under my roof. I would not be liable for anyone getting drunk or hurt.
“Dude, your throw tonight. It was fuckin’ sick,” a boy’s voice boomed out.
“Right?” another responded.
“Oh my god! He’s here.” I heard Addison yelp, running into the house, her cell in her hand. Her eyes found mine in the kitchen, doing a little dance before rushing to the front door.
I turned back to the cheese, slicing the entire block. Did teenagers even eat Gruyère?
“I’m so glad you came. Come in.”
“Thanks,” a deep voice rumbled, barely audible from where I was, but I felt it sink into my skin.
“Come out back. Everyone’s outside. Did you bring a suit?”
“No.”
“That’s okay. I don’t really feel like going in either.” Though she was wearing her bikini with a thin short dress over it. Her bare feet padded to the back door. “Oh, this is my Aunt Emery.”
My head turned to them; my smile ready to be cued up. It got stuck as his eyes met mine. His face showed no feeling, but his gaze pierced intently into mine as if he could shred through me, pick out every dark secret, leaving nothing but bones.
Stop it right now. Act like a fucking adult.
“Nice to meet you. It’s Mason, right?”
He dipped his head, his eyes not leaving me. “Nice to meet you too, Aunt Emery.” The way his tone rolled over the last two words, they sounded utterly sinful. His low gravelly voice hit something inside, rolling a drop of sweat down my spine.
“Go! Have fun.” I motioned to the door. “Pay no attention to the old lady in the kitchen.”
Addy wrinkled her brow at me like I lost my mind, motioning him out the door, his dark eyes moving back to me before he stepped out, a slight smirk hinting on his mouth.
Exhaling out, I dropped my head in mortification. I wanted to slap myself. One, I sounded so lame, and two, why did I feel this need to make sure he knew I was way older than him?
“Mason!” The echo of the entire backyard cheered at his arrival, the girls’ voices going up a notch trying to get his attention and the boys’ voices going down, like they wanted to emulate and/or compete with him. I could already tell everyone followed Mason. Wanted to be where he was.
After dumping plates of cheese, crackers, chips, and some soft drinks off, I planted myself in the kitchen, letting Addy have her privacy, staying out of her way.
Or avoiding him? A voice crept into the back of my head, rolling my hands into balls.
“Where do you want me to put these?”
“Shit!” My entire body locked up, my head jerking up at his voice, almost jumping out of my skin.
“Did I scare you?” Mason stepped into the room, his hands loaded with empty plates, his huge frame filling the kitchen entry. His hat sat low over his eyes, but I still felt them on me.
“Oh. Um. A little,” I mumbled, getting up from the chair. “Just put them in the sink. The dishwasher is broken, as are many things in this house.”
His tongue slid over his bottom lip, his attention dropping to the dishwasher as he placed the dishes inside the basin.
“I appreciate that. You didn’t have to bring them in.”
“My grandma raised me to do so.” He turned to me, his physique looming over me, making me feel tiny. A smile tugged one side of his mouth.
“Then your grandma raised you right.” My voice came out breathier than I intended, my pulse beating against my ribs. “Well, thank you.” I motioned for him to leave, needing him out of this room. And definitely not smiling at me like that.
“I can fix your dishwasher.”
“Oh.” My mouth stopped working. “Um. That’s okay. I was going to get someone in to fix it soon anyway.”
“Why pay someone? I can do it for free. Just pay for the parts.”
“You don’t even know what’s wrong with it.”
“With this model, probably the motor. Buildup of soap can burn it out.”
I blinked up at him.
“I’ve had to become a handyman around my house.” He leaned against the sink next to me, lifting one shoulder, the bad-boy half smile snapping my head away again.
“I appreciate it, but I’ll just get—”
“Mason?” Addison yelled, coming in from outside. I noticed she had changed her clothes into a short black dress and sandals, her head swiveling to us in the kitchen. My immediate reaction was to step away from him. Her attention went over him, then to the items in the sink. “Oh my god, did you bring in the dirty plates?” She strolled toward him. “Such the gentlemen.”
Mason pushed off the counter, his voice low, meant only for me to hear. “Not even remotely.”
Oblivious, Addy grinned up at him, squeezing his arm. “Come on, everyone wants to head over to Alex’s house. You’re coming.” She pulled on his arm as if he had no choice.