They definitely needed to talk. She was already emotionally involved and had to know where they were going, find out if they were even remotely on the same page if she wanted to protect her heart.
She got up and put her robe on, stopping in the en suite to brush her teeth before venturing down the hall. The kitchen was empty. Rather than being relieved at not having to see him and talk about last night, her heart sank a little.
She glanced at the table, her belly flipping at the way he’d picked her up and carried her to her room last night. Where he’d proceeded to blow her mind.
A wave of arousal swept through her as she remembered it. She tore her gaze away and started for the coffee maker, only to pause when she spotted the gift he’d left.
A to-go cup from her favorite coffee place sat on the counter, along with a chocolate croissant from the bakery in town—also her favorite—and a note. A little smile tugged at her lips as she picked it up and read it.
Morning, angel eyes. I’m out running errands but thought I’d drop this off first. Have a good day, can’t wait to see you tonight.
She lowered the note, a bittersweet pain lancing her chest. It was a small gesture, but the thoughtfulness behind it touched her more deeply than he would ever know. Such a simple thing, yet after having known her for less than two months he’d already paid attention to what she liked, and had done this for her of his own accord.
Whether she wanted to face it or not, everything had changed between them last night, and his sweetness this morning solidified it. She’d been trying to put Mason in a box for her own convenience, and because it made it easier to distance herself from him emotionally. But there was no avoiding the truth now—that he didn’t and never had fit into the box she’d made for him in her mind.
She drank her coffee and ate her croissant, savoring the flaky, buttery layers of the dough with the strong, bittersweet dark chocolate, thinking about Mason. Going forward without settling things between them would be disastrous.
When she was finished eating, she called her insurance company and hit the shower so she’d be ready when the restoration people arrived. The talk with Mason would have to wait until tonight.
The glass company showed up right on time, with the new windows they’d managed to get from a warehouse in Missoula last night. She went over everything with the head installation person, then walked back into her room to call Mason. Not to have the talk they needed to, just to hear his voice.
Nerves buzzed in her stomach as the line rang, her pulse picking up.
“Morning.”
Just the sound of that deep, sexy voice had her insides fluttering, and the nerves fell away. “Morning. Where are you?”
“Picking up a couple things in town, then meeting with the bank and going over initial pricing, licensing and scheduling for Rifle Creek Tactical.”
“Ah. I wanted to call and thank you for the present. That was really nice of you.” She felt spoiled, and kind of liked it. Doug had been nothing like this.
“It was nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. Not to me.” She’d spent years with a man she’d vowed to love and cherish until death do them part, and received piss all in return for her efforts. Mason had already shown her more care and consideration over the past week than she’d received in the entirety of her lonely marriage.
He grunted, as though uncomfortable with her gratitude. “Glad you liked it. Did you talk to your insurance company again?”
“Yes. The crew is here now, replacing the windows. They should be done within the hour.”
“Good. You heading into work after that?”
“Yes, Tate knows I’m coming in late.” Hell. Warning herself not to get any more attached to him didn’t seem to be working. But whatever happened, she needed to keep her heart out of the mix. Mason was sexy and protective and could be sweet and charming, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t break her heart in the end. She had to be strong, practical, and accept that this might only be a physical—and temporary thing. “What’s your favorite dinner?”
“My favorite ever?” He sounded surprised by the question.
“Ever.”
“I dunno. Probably homemade spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce. Why?”
That was easy enough. “How ‘bout I make it for you tonight? I’m planning to be home from work by six. Is seven okay for dinner?”
“Seven’s perfect, especially if it’s just the two of us.”
“Three of us. You have to bring Ric too.”
“Hear that, Ric? You get to have a meatball tonight.” The tags on Ric’s collar jingled in the background, and she could just imagine Mason ruffling his fur. “Can I pick you up some wine or anything while I’m out today?”
“How about more root beer? I kinda liked how that went last night.”
“Did you?” His sexy voice held a satisfied edge. “I did too.”
She shifted on the bed, all but squirming at the thought of a repeat performance tonight. Except this time, she wanted to go down on him and feel his hands bunch in her hair as she sucked on him. She wanted to be in control and make him to be the desperate one. “See you at seven.”
“Looking forward to it, angel eyes.”
She hung up, smiling to herself, but the sound of the workers repairing her windows in the living room wiped it from her face. It was a reminder that nothing in life was certain. She decided she was going to enjoy Mason for as long as this lasted. And with him to look forward to tonight, she had lots of work to get done first.
She got up and strode out of her room, impatient for the workers to finish so she could get into the office. Someone had targeted her, three times now, and there was no guarantee it was over.
Avery was sick of this shit. She wanted her normal life back. She was going to find out who’d done this to her, and put them away before it got any worse.
****
Yeah, this was just what she needed. Coming here had been the right decision.
Shannon parked her car in the prison parking lot hours later and climbed out, exhausted, frustrated, but filled with anticipation. She didn’t know how, but Mason must have heard her last night. Or his dog.
She’d waited until the middle of the night, until she was as sure as she could be that he and Avery were both asleep. So she could set the fire and take off. But just as she’d crept around the back of the house with the can of gasoline, she’d seen a flicker of movement through one of the windows.
She’d had no choice but to abort the mission and leave. Being on foot made it ten times as risky, and she’d barely made it out of there before Mason and the dog came out. She’d heard them as she was scaling the neighbor’s fence.
Not wanting to risk being seen by anyone when she was so close to achieving her goal, she’d decided to get out of town for a day or two. Not having heard from Mike lately, she’d driven back to Billings to surprise him with a visit today. It would lift both their spirits.
Excitement bubbled in her as she waited in line for the security check and registration. Since it was a weekday, the line of visitors was small.
She bit her lip, anticipating the look on Mike’s face when they brought him out to find her waiting at a table for him. It would brighten his day, and hers. If it was safe, she couldn’t wait to tell him what she’d done, and what she planned to do next.