Page 24 of A Little More Hope

He held his hand out palm down and rocked it back and forth. “Give or take a few thousand or so?”

I snorted and shook my head at him. “You’re really something else, you know that?”

“Yeah? How come?”

I studied him for a few moments, trying to fit the high-powered businessman with the many facets of the man I was cautiously discovering. Currently, I couldn’t correlate him with the quiet, almost shy Mason I’d come to know. But as I’d only seen him in this one setting, what did I know? He might well be a ruthless shark when in the city.

A jolt of shock raced through me as it hit me the person living next door, the one I had a growing attachment to, wasn’t the person I’d perceived them to be at all. If ever I needed a wake-up call telling me not to throw myself at someone when I hardly knew them, this was it.

“You’re amazingly successful, yet you try to pass this off as if it’s nothing. How come?”

He sighed again and fidgeted in his chair. “Telling people about me changes them,” he explained quietly, staring into the distance. “When they find out you’re successful and influential, have money, it alters their perception of you.” He grimaced. “Inevitably, for the worse.”

I got what he meant and instantly appreciated more clearly his reluctance to reveal too much about himself. He’d undoubtedly seen reactions like mine loads of times, and it hurt he’d think so little of my intentions toward him he’d include me along with everyone else. One of the people who’d change the way they viewed him.

Extending my arm, I rested my hand on his own, curling my fingers over the top. He turned his face to look at me, his eyes darting briefly to where my hand covered his. “I don’t care, Mase,” I declared firmly, willing him to hear the truth in my words. “I don’t care how successful you are or how much money you have.” I squeezed his hand. “As silly as it might seem, I’m stupidly proud of what you’ve achieved.” I gave him a cheeky smile. “You’re what, forty?” Then I cackled when he spluttered in disbelief. “It’s a massive achievement for someone your age.”

And I didn’t care about his success or his fortune. Not at all. Had he shocked me? Hell, yes, but did it change my feelings toward him? Hell, no. Would it change them in the future? Still a hell, no. Money and status and being used by people for their own selfish endeavors was a major red flag for him, but one he’d never have to fear from me. I had no status to worry about. As long as I had enough money to live on, could pay my way, and not need to depend on anyone else to get by, I was set.

Thanks to my aunt, I had more than enough money of my own, though obviously nowhere near as much as Mason. Clearly, we were not in the same league, but that didn’t give enough reason to change how I viewed him. I mean, looking at me, my friends may say I was rich, but it hadn’t changed their opinion of me or how they treated me.

Oh shit, had it? They didn’t see me as different to them, did they? I pushed the unwelcome thought aside for the time being. I’d bring it out again later when I had time alone to think.

“I don’t care, okay?” I reiterated.

He glared at me. “I’m thirty,” he grumbled, making me crack up again.

“Thirty, wow. An even better reason to feel proud of your achievements.”

He stared hard at me. “You’re wrong, you know.”

I frowned. “About what?”

He turned his palm up, his fingers linking mine. “You’re the one who’s something else,” he said, his voice wistful as if he didn’t entirely believe he’d spoken out loud.

Scrunching my face, I shook my head. “Nah,” I replied. “I don’t have much of anything, and it’s unlikely I’ll affect anyone else’s life the way you do.”

“You affect my life,” he replied, so softly the words almost carried away on the breeze. “Don’t underestimate the effect you have on people, Ash,” he continued, his pale-blue eyes focused on mine. “I don’t.”

A lump formed in my throat, preventing me from speaking. I wanted to tell him he was mistaken, but his words sounded so sincere, I desperately wanted to believe them. Hoped my actions might help someone, anyone, in a positive way. Abandoned by my father once he got bored with me and ignored by my mother for most of my life, I desperately wanted to believe possibly, maybe, I could make a difference, even if only to one person, one man.

“Thank you. And I like having an effect on you,” I managed to reply, my voice coming out low.

He gave his sexy half smile, making my heart thud. “You’re welcome.” He gave my hand a final squeeze, released me, and reached across to pick up my empty bowl to stack on top of his. “And to show you exactly how much you can affect me, I’ll be magnanimous and relinquish all my control.” Mason’s eyes twinkled. “And let you do the dishes.”

I glowered at him.

“I’ll even dry,” Mason stated and flashed me a grin. “I can’t say fairer than that now, can I?”

I threw my napkin at him, hitting him square in the face.

“What?” he asked affronted, before rolling his eyes and letting out a defeated sigh. “Okay, okay. I’ll put the dishes away too.”

Chapter Nine

Mason

I’d taken to sleeping in late since arriving in Melrose Bay—well, late for me anyway—and put my languor down to the fresh sea air and a relaxing environment. Not today though. Nope, today, I got up and out of bed bright and early, wanting to be showered, dressed, and ready to head over to Ash’s and help on the demo of his house.

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