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Cursing under her breath, Dezh slammed the door of her crappy hatchback and dropped her forehead against the steering wheel.
Damn her luck! It could’ve been worse, she supposed—had she not gotten up to check why water was dripping into her bedroom, she would’ve been squashed like a bug when Mr. Yu and his tub full of water had crashed through her ceiling and smashed her bed to pieces. She snorted a laugh. So much for Trappers catching her, then. Though, from what she’d learned of them, they seemed the type to come into the wreckage of her apartment to scrape her blood up so they could sell it at an auction. Assholes.
Well. At least she’d had a go-bag in her car. If not for that, she would’ve been forced to get in her car naked, because hell would’ve frozen over before she got behind the wheel wearing her drenched nightclothes. As much as she hated her piece of crap car, she had no desire to ruin her only ride by making the interior moldy.
Of course, that meant she had had to dry herself with paper towels and march across the parking lot wearing nothing but a wrung-out bath towel, since all of her towels had been soaked. Even her boots had been soddened. Along with just about everything else in her bedroom. Who the hell built bathrooms over bedrooms, anyway? Had the architect and construction workers been braindead?
She huffed, her gaze drifting to the seat next to her, where she’d put a box containing the few things that had not been flooded. Fluffy grey ears peeked out of the box, taunting her. The wolf she’d won that night she and Mason had gone to the carnival. Frowning, she looked away. She didn’t need to think about him right now. She had to figure out what she was going to do now that her apartment was condemned for however long it took to repair it.
Where the hell was she going to go?
The warehouse? Oh, fuck no. After what had happened at the bakery, hell would freeze over before she went there. In fact, she needed to stay away from Mason altogether for a while. If he wanted to see her again, he could come to her. She’d be damned if she went crawling to him after what he’d said to Haley. A sharp pang stabbed through her chest at the memory.
As much as she wanted to pretend otherwise, it had hurt, even if she had no right to feel that way. And she didn’t have that right. Mason had been nothing but honest from the beginning, making it clear it was meaningless sex. But of all times to realize she had fallen— “Nope,” she growled, refusing to let that thought creep back into her mind. Maybe if she ignored that particular emotion, it would fuck right off and never bother her again.
Yeah, right.
Rolling her eyes, she huffed out a breath and, once again, tried to figure out what to do. Staying in the city was out. The drive was too long to make every day, twice a day. So where, then?
A bed and breakfast? And what happened if the Trappers came after her there and innocent people got caught in the crossfire? Yeah, that was out. The only other answer that came to mind was to set up camp in the forest. Or by the lake, so she could bathe. She had a tent, so it wouldn’t be too bad—after all, she’d slept in worse places—but, somehow, she doubted the town would take too well to her camping out like a hobo for a few weeks or more. She snorted a laugh—instead of robocop, she’d be hobocop. Even funnier was imagining the captain’s reaction. Unless there was some way she could do it without being noticed, that camping was out.
With a sigh, she glanced at the box again, this time sticking her hand inside to pull out some of the blood drive flyers. There was a mountain of them, and it seemed every last one had survived the disaster. Just her damned luck. She needed to hand them out and get people signed up for the blasted blood drive.
Well, the sooner she got rid of them, the better. Maybe after dealing with that, a better solution to her needing a place to stay would come to her. Mind made up, she turned on the car and headed for the station.
*
A neat, yet untouched, stack of flyers sat on the edge of the square card table in front of Dezh, a big rock she’d found on the ground sitting atop them to keep them from being blown away by the sporadic breeze. The table sucked, as did her flimsy plastic chair, but both had been easy to move by herself. Supposedly, there was a stall somewhere for her to use, but she had been in no mood to search for it or ask anyone how to find it. In truth, she was in no mood to deal with people at all. And her mood had only grown worse as the minutes ticked by, probably because it was hot and sunny—two of her most hated weather conditions.
Well, at least the long branches of the hazel tree provided some shade for her. Not enough, but it was better than nothing.
As though sensing her mood, a group of twenty-somethings hurried past her table without taking a flyer or asking to sign up for… “Oh, shit,” she muttered. She hadn’t put up anything to let people know why she was there. Oh well, fuck it. Someone would take a flyer sooner or later.
Maybe.
Sighing, she rocked the plastic chair on its back legs. This was so damned boring.
Untold minutes passed and, finally, a group of older women approached her with smiles. “Hello, Detective,” the taller of the three said kindly, “what brings you out here this fine day?”
Fine day? It was hot as hell. And too sunny, by far. “Blood drive.” She tapped the stack of flyers with one finger. “There’s a sign-up form at the bottom.” With instructions to return them to none other than Dezh, at the station. “You can take some and give them to your friends.” And save me the trouble. “As many as you want.”
Her declaration was met with soft chuckles, but the women took a few of the sheets and dispersed them amongst themselves. “Do you have a pen?”
“Uh…” Pens? She had forgotten to bring pens. “Pizdets!”
“Need a pen, angel?”
Invisible insects skittered across Dezh’s skin, as always seemed to happen when she heard Bobby’s voice. She almost checked to make sure there weren’t really insects on her, but before she could blink, a fancy black-lacquered pen appeared before her. Unfortunately, Bobby’s hand accompanied it.
“Oh, that’s so sweet!” the tallest of the women gushed, reaching for the pen and leaning over to jot down her information on the sheet she had taken.
One of the shorter women added, “Yes, it’s so rare to find such a chivalrous young man!”
Chivalrous? Bobby? A pit viper was more chivalrous! Yet, Dezh sat in sneering silence while the three women took turns jotting down their names and contact information on their sheets. Sighing, she looked down at the sheets as they walked away. Three volunteers in a couple of hours. At this rate, she’d be here all damned week.
“It looks like you need some help, angel.”
Unable to muster the energy to tell him to piss off, Dezh ignored him.
“Oh, come on,” Bobby cooed. “I’ll bet I can get a hundred of these filled out in the next hour.”
Her head jerked up at that. “Are you high?” she spat. “There’s no way you can get a hundred volunteers in an hour. There are only a thousand people in the whole godsdammed town!”
The reporter smirked at her. “Would you like to make a wager on that?”
Something within Dezh twitched, something she knew she should ignore. Before common sense could stop her, she snapped, “How much?”
That smirk of his twisted into a smile Dezh knew all too well. “Not money, dinner. And drinks. At that posh new restaurant in the city.” When she hesitated, his smile grew. “I thought you were certain I couldn’t do it?”
“Fine,” Dezh blurted. Any doubt she had started to fade—no way could he get so many volunteers in an hour! “They have to actually be filled out by real people. And when you lose, what I want is for you to convince Cian Peppers to sell me his old Ninja.”
“Still dreaming of owning that motorcycle that nearly killed you?” Bobby shook his head. “I don’t understand why—”
“The bike didn’t almost kill me,” she interrupted. “And that’s what I want, so either agree or piss off.”
For a moment, the man just eyed her with a curious expression. “Agreed. But you can’t interfere. At all.” He waited for her nod, then added, “What you want hardly matters, anyway.” The smile returned, oozing with fake charm and making Dezh wonder why she had ever believed it to be sincere. “I’ll win.” With that, he snatched up a thick stack of flyers, took his pen, and strutted away.
Shaking her head, Dezh watched him disappear across the street. Where the hell was he going? “Like I care.” Elbows propped on the shitty card table, she glared at nothing and waited.
Forty-five minutes passed before the reporter returned with a clipboard in hand and an insufferable smirk on his lips. “Miss me, angel?” If he noticed her death glare, he ignored it. “I’ve got ninety-five volunteers.”
“Bullshit,” Dezh sputtered. There was no way! “How…” She trailed off when he snatched the stack of sheets from his clipboard and began handing them to her in stacks of ten, which she checked and counted. Some names, she recognized. Others, not so much. But then, she’d never been one to remember names, anyway. By the time he reached the seventh stack, Dezh got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“Five more and I win.” Bobby flashed a smarmy grin. “I figured I’d let you watch while you lose.”
The sudden urge to punch that smirk off of his face was almost too difficult to resist. “You only have”—she glanced at the clock on the square—“eleven minutes now.” Idiot. He had wasted over three minutes counting the damned sheets for her. And gloating. “You can’t do it.”
This time, he chuckled. “Watch me.”
Dezh watched, her attention darting from him to the clock as he attempted to charm whomever passed into signing up to donate blood. First one, then another, moved to the table in front of her to complete the forms. Then another, and another.
Dezh’s heart hammered faster. Shit.
Getting to her feet, she started pacing. Though a part of her was pleased she hadn’t had to do anything to get this many volunteers, she couldn’t help feeling a bit ill at the prospect of having to endure Bobby’s company for what was, essentially, a date. At least there would be booze. Though, there weren’t enough drinks in the world to make that bastard less insufferable.
He had almost two minutes to get the final one, and then Dezh was screwed. The worst part was that more people were milling about now, since it was lunchtime.
“One more and I win,” Bobby bragged, planting himself in front of her when she continued stalking back and forth like a caged animal. Could the man not even win with grace, instead of trying to rub it in her face? “Then you and I will get a whole night to ourselves, angel.”
Sneering, Dezh jerked away when he suddenly ran his hand down her arm. Undeterred, the man reached out again. But, before she could do more than growl, someone else got there first.
“Keep your goddammed hands off of her,” someone snarled behind her. “She clearly doesn’t want it.”
There was no need to turn—not only did Dezh recognize Mason’s voice, she felt his presence, looming over her and blocking the sun from burning her back. Tension cemented her where she stood, made her completely immobile.
While the sound of Mason’s growling voice shocked Dezh into silence, it had a different effect on Bobby, whose smirk disappeared in an instant. He yanked his hand back to his side and stumbled backward a couple of steps, looking off-balance. “We were just having a conversation,” he stammered, tugging at his collar. A deep breath. Then, he straightened. “Right, angel?”
“What the hell did you just call her?”
“I… always call her that.” Again, Bobby stuttered. A rare sight, he was clearly intimidated.
Mason stepped around Dezh, toward Bobby, driving the reporter back another step. “Not anymore you don’t.”
Dezh’s head whipped up to regard the vampire, who now stood between her and Bobby. Confusion made her blink. Did he actually—
“Mason.” Adam’s voice cut through her thoughts, a soft warning to the vampire in question.
A couple of seconds passed before Mason finally retreated a step, coming to stand by Dezh’s side. His body angled toward hers, pressing against her arm and shoulder. The contact sent a buzz through Dezh, drawing her a half-step closer to him against her will. That tiny move on her part seemed to make Mason relax somewhat, and he slung an arm around her shoulders. Dezh blinked again, fighting the unseen pull that urged her to move closer still.
“I see,” Bobby said stiffly, eyeing the close contact before jutting his chin out. The expression he affected was downright defiant. “But… Nadezhda and I have a wager.” His gaze went to the clock. “I still have a minute to get one more signature, so…”
When the man started toward a passerby, Mason dropped his arm from Dezh’s shoulders and planted himself in Bobby’s path. “Piss off,” he snarled.
Scurrying backwards, Bobby sniffed. His gaze went from Mason, to the group of vampires Dezh sensed behind her. “Well, perhaps it would be better to catch you another time. It's always better when you're… alone.” With that, the reporter strutted away.
Dezh waited until he was out of sight before turning to face the rest of Unit Bravo. “What are you doing here?”
Adam frowned at her. “When I patrolled earlier, I noted a commotion at your apartment building. I decided to check on you and found a bathtub in your bedroom, with your bed destroyed and your apartment flooded. You were nowhere in sight. I tried calling your phone, but you failed to answer.”
“Because my phone got destroyed, too,” Dezh told him. “That still doesn’t explain why you’re all here.”
“Have you forgotten you have a goddammed bounty on your head?”
With a sigh, Dezh turned her head to look up at Mason, who now stood by her side again. “Your point?”
The man glared down at her. “No one knew where you were.”
“Most of the town knew, because I’ve been sitting in the middle of the square for the last several hours.” Dezh waved a hand in the air, looking back to Adam. “It’s not like anyone’s going to try to snatch me in broad daylight.”
“This isn’t really your kind of thing,” Felix said with a grin. “What made you come here after your apartment got flooded?”
Not really her kind of thing? What an understatement. “Because the flyers somehow survived and I wanted to be done with it. So, after I put on the only pair of dry clothes I now own, I came here.”
“Finding a secure location to stay should have been your first priority.” Of course, that would be Adam’s priority. And hers, normally. “Especially given the present circumstances. Do you have a plan in place?”
Again, only one option came to mind… “I have a tent.”
Though Adam let out a loud groan, Mason’s scoff nearly drowned it out. “Are you insane? You—”
“Mason is correct,” Adam interrupted. “Camping alone would all but guarantee the Trappers will find you. Certainly, you must realize that.”
Crossing her arms in front of her, she grumbled, “I’ll figure something out after I’m done here.”
“You could stay at the warehouse.”
Dezh eyed Nate for a moment, frowning.
“You do have a room there,” Felix added.
In one respect, their offer gave her a strange feeling of warmth and something she couldn’t quite name. Then, she remembered what had happened with Mason the day before. Her mood soured in an instant. She glanced up at him, scowling, then looked back to Nate. “No.”
Clearly unimpressed with her answer, Adam took the opportunity to push. “Staying with us would make it easier to protect you.”
“I can protect myself,” Dezh snapped. “And I can find my own place to stay. I—”
“Why don’t we discuss it after we help you with the rest of these flyers,” Nate interrupted with a soft smile, moving toward the table where all the flyers were stacked.
“Yeah,” Felix agreed as they all followed Nate, “especially since Mason scared off your help.”
Trying to ignore Mason’s low growl, Dezh snorted. Irritated as she was, she wasn’t about to turn down the help. Anything that kept her from having to deal with this shit. “Fine.”
“Have you eaten today?”
Dezh stared at Nate. “What? No. I was too aggravated. Why?”
Though the question was directed at Nate, it was Felix who answered. “Your stomach keeps growling. Loudly.”
The blunt declaration made Dezh wince. Well, that was embarrassing. And she hadn’t even noticed.
“Why don’t you go get something to eat and we’ll work on this while you’re gone?” Nate asked.
Adam cleared his throat. “One of us should go with you.”
“I don’t—”
“I’ll go with you.”
Instinct made Dezh spin towards Mason, his offer like a damned slap in the face. “What the hell for?” she growled, every ounce of emotion she’d tried to bury erupting out of her. “You want to tell someone else in town the only use you have for me is to screw, nut, and bolt?”
For some reason, Mason flinched.
“If that’s it,” she continued, “you should’ve told Bobby. I’m sure he’d happily put an ad in the paper for you, saying just that. It’ll save you the trouble of having to be seen with me in public again.” That seemed to silence the entire team. Good. “I’m going to eat. Alone.” With that, she spun on her heel and stomped away. Thankfully, no one followed.
Once she made it across the street, Dezh slipped into a side alley and leaned against the brick wall. Now that she was away from the team, she heard her stomach’s loud complaints, but she still had no appetite. How could she? First, her apartment flood, then Bobby. And now Unit Bravo…
Fuck. The problem wasn’t that Unit Bravo had shown up. The problem was that she wasn’t ready to face Mason yet. A day simply wasn’t enough time for her to get her shit together after what had happened at the bakery. The wound was still too fresh, as was the knowledge that she…
Her breath came quicker as the memory overtook her thoughts, forcing its way in against her will. That strangely-charged kiss, his words. The way what he’d said had fallen like an unbearable weight on her shoulders, nearly making her crumple. He may as well have taken a knife and plunged it into her heart, then twisted it a few times for good measure. Of all the things she had been through in her life, nothing had hurt her the way that had.
Was that the way other people realized they were in love? With a boatload of pain? Probably not. Most people weren’t stupid enough to fall for someone who only saw them as a booty call.
Rolling her eyes at herself, she slid down the wall and sat on the ground. Dezh had always believed it stupid to talk or think about feelings and emotions, yet here she was sitting on the ground moping like some moron from an overly dramatic romance novel.
Shit! She had blurted all that stuff out in front of the rest of Unit Bravo. The whole damned team knew what had happened now!
With a groan, she dropped her face into her hands. She hadn’t meant to snap at Mason like that. No, it was much better to pretend she didn’t care. To avoid him until she could manage it without too much effort. All she needed was another day, maybe two, to shove all of this crap into a box and lock it away. It wasn’t like there’d ever be a future with him; as soon as he found the next person he wanted to bang, he’d be on his way.
So, what was that with Bobby? No answer came to mind. At least, none that fit what Mason had said at the bakery yesterday.
“Ugh.” Thinking about this shit made Dezh’s head hurt. And she did need to eat.
A pastry was out of the question, since she was avoiding Haley now. The last thing she needed was to be forced to deal with Haley’s sympathetic looks. Plus, Dezh was more than a little peeved that the woman had even asked such a question, no matter the circumstances. Did it hurt people to mind their own fucking business?
Lost in thought, Dezh wandered down the street in search of food. As soon as her eyes fell on the pop-up frozen custard stand run by one of the locals, her mouth watered.
A few minutes later, she headed the other way with two scoops of coffee chocolate fudge piled onto a chocolate dipped waffle cone. She took her time eating it, purposely avoiding the area where she’d left Unit Bravo and heading into the forest. It was quiet there, thankfully, something she sorely needed.
Once her lunch was gone, she left the forest and walked down alleyways to avoid people. She had no desire to head back to the others yet. Mostly because she didn’t feel like facing Mason just yet.
“Coward,” she quietly admonished herself as she strode around the back of the station. It was time to get back to it—she refused to have Unit Bravo doing her job for her. Well, not for the entire day, anyway.
What she found when she reached the square was not what she expected.
Where the card table had once been now sat some chairs and a stall—where the hell had they gotten that?—behind which Adam stood. Felix and Nate were father away, greeting passersby with flyers in hand, happily encouraging them to take part in the blood drive. That the lunch crowd had dwindled didn’t seem to deter them at all.
The part that left Dezh with her mouth agape, however, was Mason, who stood a short distance from Adam, a scowl on his wolfish features and a cigarette dangling from his lips as he wordlessly shoved a flyer at anyone who glanced his way. Those who passed looked almost afraid not to take what was offered. The scene might have been humorous, had it not been so confusing.
Mason turned toward her as she neared, snuffing out the cigarette and tossing it into a nearby flowerbed. Silently watching. And looking as though he had been subjected to torture.
“What the hell are you doing?” she blurted when she got close.
“Helping,” he muttered.
Helping. Mason was helping. What the actual fuck? She opened her mouth. Closed it. Licked her lips. Opened it again. Rubbed her forehead. But no words came. And Mason remained mute. Dezh shook her head, only able to come up with one reason for his abnormal behavior. “They shouldn’t have made you—”
“No one made me, sweet—” He stopped short, letting out a breath. “Dezh. It’s not like that.”
“Then, why?” He made no sense. “You hate people. You hate the sun. You hate crowds. You’re clearly miserable!”
Mason hesitated, glancing away for a moment before answering softly, “I was hoping it would go some way to helping you forgive me for being an idiot.”
What? Forgive him? For what he’d said at Haley’s? “Why?”
A grunt and he looked away again. “Because I don't like you being angry at me, even if I deserve it.”
“What? Why?” she sputtered. That she sounded like a broken record wasn’t lost on her, but she was too bewildered to hold her questions.
“Because…” Mason’s face twisted in confusion. “I don't really know. But I know I can't stand to think of you upset, especially because of me.”
Dezh felt a weird lurch in her chest, and the anger she felt started to dissipate. Shaking her head, she finally met his stormy grey gaze. “Did it ever occur to you to apologize?”
“Actions speak louder than words,” was his response.
“I don’t know, Mason,” she snorted, “what you said at Haley’s was pretty loud and clear.”
Though her words held little bite, Mason visibly flinched. Ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. It was a dick move, Dezh. And I didn’t mean it like... that. I just don’t…”
When he didn’t finish, Dezh prompted, “Don’t what?”
Mason frowned. “Don’t get what’s happening with us.”
What was she supposed to say to that? She knew what was happening, both for her and for him, and they were diametrically opposed. He’d never feel for her what she felt for him. Nothing could be done about that, though. The only choice was to enjoy it while it lasted. So, plucking the flyers from his hand, she gestured toward the nearby hazel tree. “Go do your thing, Mason. Felix and Nate have this part.”
Cocking a brow, he gave her a questioning look. “My thing?”
A half-smile played on her lips. “You know, standing around looking hot.”
He returned her half-smile, without a hint of a smirk. It made his eyes lighter, eased the creases between his forehead. Dezh hadn’t even noticed how tense he had been until now, when it was gone. “I can do that.” Still, he hesitated. Reaching out, he tentatively brushed the backs of his fingers over her cheek. His thumb over her bottom lip. His touch was electric, as always, sending a warmth through her that she had only ever felt with him. “Are we good, sweetheart?”
Odd how having him use that pet name just made her warmer. Even odder how that warmth sent away the last vestiges of her anger, drowned the hurt she’d felt over his words until it seemed a distant memory. “We’re good,” she said softly. Her gaze stayed on him as he flashed her a smile and walked away.
“Do you plan to help, detective?” Adam asked, drawing her attention to him. If he had heard any of their conversation, he showed no sign of it. That was something she greatly appreciated about the big grump of a team leader.
“I’ll help you.” Moving closer to Adam also took her closer to Mason, who now leaned against the trunk of the hazel tree as he watched her. “Organizing the sign-up forms?”
“Making a list of the volunteers and their contact information,” Adam answered, gesturing toward a stack of slips. “Those have been added.”
Without so much as a word, she and Adam divided the tasks and got to work, with Dezh taking over writing down the names and Adam organizing and filing the recorded forms into folders. Alphabetically, of course. Just when she neared the end of her stack, Felix and Nate added more. Not that she complained. Anything was better than having to stand around handing out flyers.
After a time, Adam broke the comfortable silence. “Have you given any thought to staying at the warehouse while your apartment is under repair, detective?”
The question shouldn’t have grated. Yet, it did. Side-eyeing him, Dezh let out a breath. “What did you just call me?”
When he answered, he sounded more than a little hesitant. “Detective.”
Dezh turned toward him and nodded. “Right. And what do you call him?” Jerking a thumb over her shoulder, she gestured toward Mason, who was making his way toward them, for some reason. Ignoring her own curiosity, she turned her gaze back to the team leader and waved a hand toward the spots Nate and Felix occupied. “And them?”
Realization twisted the stoic vampire’s features into a constipated expression. “I merely wish to keep things professional.”
“With me. Not with Mason, or Nate or Felix. Only me.” Before he could do more than open his mouth, Dezh held up a hand. “Don’t. Don’t tell me I’m one of you, not when you make such a clear distinction between me and your team. So”—she let out a long breath and forced a cool but polite tone—“thank you for the offer, but I’m not comfortable staying there.”
Adam’s mouth tightened. “You stayed at the warehouse once before.”
“For one night, Adam. This is… longer.” Hell, she didn’t even know how long she’d be there. That made it even worse. And how the hell was she supposed to stay under the same roof as Mason? Having to hide her feelings for a few hours here or there was one thing. Being forced to hide them for an extended period of time, every second of the day, would be damned near impossible. It took a great deal of self-control to push those thoughts away. “Look, being stuck with me on your team is one thing. Being stuck with me in your home for an extended period of time is quite another.”
“I'm dismayed that you would think I do not care for your company, Detec—Nadezhda. You are a valuable member of this team, and to be honest, I'm not sure we—or I—would want to do without you.”
For not the first time that day, Dezh found herself at a loss for words. Only vaguely was she aware that Mason had propped himself up on the edge of the stall. Had the tub crashing through her ceiling shifted her into some bizarro world where Mason and Adam had gotten nicer? If so, she couldn’t say she really minded. Finally, she gave herself a shake and frowned up at him. “You actually mean that?”
“Yes,” he replied simply, the corners of his mouth tilting upwards slightly. “That is why we want you to stay with us.”
Dezh sputtered. “We? I don’t think—”
“Do any of you object to the”—Adam cleared his throat, lips quirking slightly—“to Nadezhda staying with us while her apartment is under repair?”
“Nope.” “I’d be happy to have you stay with us.”
Jerking her gaze to Felix and Nate, who stood on the other side of the stall, Dezh felt a strange warmth came over her. Different from the heat Mason always provided, but overwhelming just the same. Only one thing worried her. Against her will, her attention fell on Mason.
He barely hesitated before sharing his thoughts. “You’ve got a room at our place, sweetheart. You may as well use it.” His expression shifted to something that resembled concern. “With that bounty on your head, if you don’t stay with us…” Trailing off, he frowned, his eyes flashing like two storm clouds. Whatever thoughts or emotions that caused his obvious distress was a mystery to her. Certainly, he couldn’t be that worried about this bounty. When the tension in his features built to a fever pitch, he let out a snort. “I guess I’ll just have to go with you, wherever it is.”
Though Felix responded to that, Dezh wasn’t able to comprehend it. Nor could she take her eyes from Mason. He’d said those words so matter-of-factly that there was no way she could doubt their sincerity. A huge lump formed in her throat, nearly choking her. Making her eyes burn.
“So, you’re staying with us, right?”
Slowly, Dezh came out of the trance she was in and looked to Felix. Though he eyed her expectantly, the smirk on his lips said he already knew her answer. “Yeah.”
“Perfect timing,” Nate said with a smile. “We need to get back to work.”
Dezh watched as he and Felix scurried away to greet a gaggle of parents who were likely on their way to pick up their kids from school. Adam gave her an approving nod before taking out his now buzzing phone and walking away. Leaving her alone with Mason. When she risked a glance at him, and saw the intensity with which he eyed her, she felt an uncharacteristic nervousness overtake her. It was too strong to ignore, but she didn’t bother dwelling on it. “I should probably…”
A smirk eased its way onto his lips before he reached out and grasped her wrist. Wordlessly, he tugged her out of the crappy plastic chair and closer to him, his arms sliding around her waist. “You should probably take a break,” he purred, his rumbling voice sending vibrations through her body wherever they touched.
Had she wanted, she could have resisted the loose embrace. That passing thought almost made her laugh—she knew damned well she could never resist him. Not when all she ever wanted to do was to be near him.
As though reading her mind, he scooched forward on the table, until his legs were on either side of her. Her hands moved of their own volition, sliding up his chest to his shoulders, his muscles twitching beneath her fingers. He said nothing, just kept looking into her eyes. Almost as though he were searching for something. She couldn’t bring herself to ask what that was.
Brief moments later, his features eased and he clasped his hands behind her back, drawing her in closer. What little space separated them quickly disappeared when invisible strings drew her closer still, until her chest was crushed against his.
Dezh’s breath shuddered as one of his hands slid up the curve of her back. The touch was light, almost like a breeze tickling over her skin. Yet, all she could do was lean into it, revel in his touch. His hand continued its trail until it reached her neck, thumb gently tilting her chin up and head back.
Deeply ingrained survival instincts should have warned her against exposing her neck, especially to a vampire, but she… trusted him. Completely. That realization hit like a ton of bricks, bricks that turned to ash as he used the back of his forefinger to trace the length of her throat.
A soft sigh escaped her lips. This was the part she couldn’t understand—how Mason could somehow manage to simultaneously set her on fire and melt every one of her defenses, turning her into putty in his hands. An excited, eager ball of putty. Eyes fluttering closed, she dropped her hands to rest on his thighs, allowing him to lean closer.
The feel of his lips whispering up the length of her neck left her struggling to bite back a moan. She wasn’t even certain if she succeeded, not when the only sounds she heard were her heavy breaths and the hypnotizing rhythm of Mason’s heartbeat. Pleasure and desire pulsed through her, unfurling a warmth that settled between her legs.
Mason’s warm lips pressed a gentle kiss to the base of her throat, pausing when her fingers gripped the lean muscles of his thighs. A slight hesitation, and then he moved away.
It took a moment before she realized he had no intention of continuing. Opening her eyes, she cleared her throat and lowered her chin. The warmth within her was quickly replaced by a disappointment that left her somewhat hoarse. “I take it my break’s over,” she quipped, hoping like hell he couldn’t see through her words to the emotions they hid.
Oddly, Mason broke into a smile. A real, genuine smile that brightened his eye and caused every feature on his face to light up. The sight stole her breath away even more than the weird kiss had. “For now, sweetheart.” With that surprising declaration, he eased himself off of the stall. “I don’t want to make Nate uncomfortable.” He gestured with his eyes to the left, where Nate glared at them disapprovingly.
While she was still processing that, Mason leaned down and planted a peck of a kiss on her cheek.
Dezh’s eyes widened.
As though he didn’t notice her reaction, Mason slinked off and started snatching discarded flyers off the ground without a word of protest.
For several moments, Dezh remained there, her shock at the sweet gesture keeping her frozen to the spot. Reaching up to lightly press her fingers to touch her cheek where Mason had kissed her. A weird surge of emotion erupted within, spread through her. Warmth and love, yes, but also something lighter. Brighter.
The feeling was something she had never experienced before—not to her knowledge, anyway—but she recognized it all the same. Hope. And, for some reason, it scared the hell out of her.