“I came close. Once.” But his ex felt like he’d been holding out on her. Maybe he had been, because he’d been carrying a torch for the woman in front of him for a long time. And the engagement with his ex ended right after he saw Sierra at her stepfather’s funeral.
Sierra showing up here and telling him about this situation made him feel guilty for keeping his secret, even though he didn’t know if what he saw was what he thought he saw.
“Mason?”
Jarred out of his thoughts, he met Sierra’s inquisitive eyes. “Yeah? What?”
“Do you think David was having an affair?”
“I’m not sure. But I have an investigator who can look into it. He can try to track the money.” But if the money led where Mason suspected, he didn’t know what he’d tell Sierra. The last thing he wanted to do was break her heart. Or lose her because he’d kept quiet about what he suspected.
Love blinds us all to people’s faults. When love fades, sometimes those flaws are all too clear.
He wished for Sierra’s sake that she could let David rest in peace with a clear heart.
Instead, she’d been left with suspicions and come to him to clear them up. Mason didn’t know if he could do that for her without wrecking the new, fragile feelings developing between them.
He should tell her what he suspected, but he didn’t want to accuse a dead man of something he couldn’t prove. David wasn’t here to speak for himself. And Sierra would only have Mason to take out her feelings of betrayal on, whether he was right or wrong.
“Thank you, Mason. This means so much to me. I’ve been sitting with this all alone for a long time. I wanted answers, I just wasn’t sure how to get them. If your investigator can find anything out for me, I’ll be so grateful.”
Mason suspected grateful was the last thing she’d be.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept this between us. My mom knows, but I don’t want my sisters to find out. David was your friend. I’m sure you’re not thrilled to be investigating him. But I need to know the truth.”
How did he get himself into this pickle?
Because he couldn’t say no to the woman sitting across from him. Because he wanted her to be happy. Because he’d let her get away once and wouldn’t let that happen again.
Investigating David and the money meant it might be that much harder to convince Sierra how much he cared.
“David and I knew each other a long time ago. I know he wasn’t perfect. He could be competitive.” And go after the girl Mason liked just to see who got her. He had a feeling David learned that winning didn’t mean you got what you wanted and he went looking for someone else without thinking about the devastation he’d leave in his wake. “Maybe all this is, is some kind of deal he made that went south and he had to pay back the money or something.”
Sierra dismissed that with a shake of her head. “I hoped so, too. But I’ve come to terms with the fact that I would have found some evidence of that in his papers. I looked for some business proposal or investment. I didn’t find anything.” She stared at their joined hands. “I think my intuition was telling me he had someone else and I just didn’t listen to it.”
“You’d be surprised how many wives say that same thing. You should listen to that gut instinct. I’ve found based on the number of women who come in here, it’s usually right.”
“Well, my gut’s telling me you’re not happy about doing this for me.”
He tried to smile but didn’t quite pull it off to ease her mind. “I’m afraid that uncovering the truth will only hurt you and that’s the last thing I want to do.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t shoot the messenger.”
He was afraid she wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.
Chapter Sixteen
Sierra stood just as the office door opened. Mason walked in looking fine in a navy suit, white shirt, and blue-and-purple tie. The color made his hair appear even more golden, his eyes a brighter blue. He looked good and had to know it. Every woman still left in the office noticed as they tracked his progress across the entry and through the cubicles to her desk.
Mason stopped in front of her, his eyes diving down her new lilac-colored dress to her sparkly black strappy heels, then coming up to meet her gaze. “That dress is killer. You’re gorgeous.”
“I was just thinking the same thing about you.” That got her a huge smile from him. She was glad for it because things had been casual and guarded between them since she appeared in his office three days ago asking for his help with her David problem.
Mason stepped closer, the woodsy smell of him drawing her in. “I’m so glad we’re finally doing our dinner date. I love the boys, but I’ve wanted you all to myself for a while now.”
“I feel the same way. Amy has the kids. They’re having a sleepover with their cousins.”
Mason leaned in close. “Are we having a sleepover tonight, too?”
She’d thought about it all day, which meant thoughts of him distracted her from doing anything really productive. “If you play your cards right.” She was teasing, but she’d planned for this, hoping it would happen sooner rather than later.
“Well, then I’ll do my best to impress you with some good food, better wine, and charming conversation.”
“All of that sounds amazing, but really all I want to do is spend some time alone with you.” It had been so long since she’d dressed up and took the time to make herself feel pretty. Sierra couldn’t remember the last time a man paid her a compliment. It had been far too long since she’d been held. Even longer since she’d had sex.
Even more than that, she wanted to feel a man against her, inside her, and all around her. She wanted to feel needed and desired again.
The look Mason gave her went a long way to bolstering her courage and resolve that tonight they wouldn’t stop at a few hot kisses while the boys weren’t looking.
Tonight was about being a woman again, not just Danny and Oliver’s mom. She’d needed that for a long time.
Mason’s fingers brushed her face. “I lost you. What’s wrong?”
She focused on Mason, the man who’d made it clear he wanted a real relationship with her. A man who’d gone out of his way to make her and her kids feel at home with him and at his place.
“Nothing is wrong. I’m with you.” With that, she went up on tiptoe and kissed him right there in her office. The surprise she felt in him disappeared immediately and he took over the kiss, sliding his tongue along hers as his arms enfolded her and held her close.
He’d always initiated the intimacy between them. He seemed to like her taking the lead. She’d have to remember that later.
“Hi, Mason. I see my new employee is more than just a friend you wanted to help.”
Mason broke the kiss with a huge smile on his face and turned to Sierra’s boss without letting her go. “Hi, Marissa. How are you?”
“Not as good as you, judging by that big grin you’re wearing.”
Mason chuckled and loosened his embrace of Sierra, but he didn’t release her, keeping his arm banded around her waist. “Sierra and I go way back. We’ve recently reconnected.”