Page 48 of I Choose You

And oh, my God, could this get any worse?

“Uh…”

Mason’s eyes flick to mine and blink a handful of times before focusing back on the towels. “Shit. Sorry—I…” He clears his throat and shakes his head to ward off the awkwardness.

I wince. “This is even worse than before, isn’t it?”

He nods. “Much.”

Slowly, I turn around and flinch at how exposed I feel. It was so much different when he was directly in front of me. Now that he’s farther away, I’m on full display. His heated stare makes me simmer when he looks back up, groans, and hangs his head between his shoulders. “Kenz, you need to cover yourself.”

My cheeks tingle, and I hold out a hand. “Give me a towel.”

His stare locks with mine when he stands, walks closer, and holds the last dry towel between us. “Not because you don’t look good,” he clarifies, “but because you do.”

A band of nerves march across my skin as I wrap the towel around my waist. I dip my chin down and fumble to keep it in place. My ears turn the color of a chili pepper.

“Kenzie,” Mason says, using his thumb to tip my head back. “Don’t hide. You’re beyond beautiful. It’s…Jesus.” He rubs a palm over his face.

“Mason, it’s okay.”

“It’s not okay,” he says, voice strained. “You know, part of me hates myself for even kissing you during Layla’s dare.”

And here I thought he enjoyed it. “Ouch?”

“That sounds bad but hear me out.” He pauses, sliding a palm over my cheek and craning my head to look at him. “I fucking loved every second of it. You felt so much better than I could have ever imagined. I had it once, and now I want it again; that’s why I said that.”

What? He’s imagined it before? This is unreal. I bounce back to the conversation I had with Nelly not long ago, then bring myself back to the present. Mason thinking about kissing me is the last straw I can take tonight. “You’ve thought about kissing me?”

“Is it bad if I say yes? Worse if I say on more than one occasion?” He asks, keeping his attention on me. “I know this is abrupt, Mackenzie, but you’re fucking beautiful. Sexy, too.” He blanches, but there’s no mistaking his lust, no miscalculating his greedy gaze. “I don’t know why I’m saying all this, but it feels like a suitable time to share it.”

My heart seizes in my chest, and my breathing slows. Why didn’t he tell me sooner? “I—"

His other hand reaches up to my face, and they both cup my cheeks. In an instant, his forehead presses against mine. It calms my racing thoughts. Calms my need to back away and close myself off. Whatever is happening between us is up front and in focus, and it scares the living hell out of me. “Was it a bad idea to follow through with Layla’s dare? I feel like you’re on the brink of telling me off.”

I’m worried about what this will mean for us, but the reality is I’ve been feeling a certain kind of way about him too. I can’t condemn him for it when I’ve succumbed to the thoughts myself. That also doesn’t mean I’m not terrified to work through this. Then again, something about this with Mason pacifies me, silencing the fears that lurk in the shadowy corners of my mind.

Ugh! My flip-flopping thoughts only make it worse. “No,” I tell him honestly. My lips part, and I lick their dryness away. “The kiss was good.”

So good. Despite what qualms I have.

I can hear his smug grin when he says, “Ask me what I thought about it.”

“Mason,” I admonish as my body works against me. My back arches the slightest bit in anticipation of what he might say. My nipples harden. Am I honestly ready to hear his answer?

“No,” he pushes, his voice softer and creaky. “Ask me.”

There’s a breath of air between us, an inch of space that keeps our lips separated. We’re hovering above one another, and it’s so damn tempting that nothing else matters but this moment. I know I haven’t conveyed the message, but I want his lips on me again. Want to feel them instead of envisioning them against me. The real thing is always so. Much. Better.

My heartbeat picks up. “What did you think about,” I swallow, “our kiss?”

Without warning, he tugs my face closer. The move eats up that last little bit of space. His lips pounce on mine hungrily, taking me by surprise. A moan works up my throat when he opens wider, and I get the hint he wants my tongue in his mouth. I relent quickly, giving in to him because how can I not?

His tongue hugs mine, swirling against me as pressure builds in my belly, and then he breaks away, breathing heavily. “That…that’s what I think about it.”

“Mason,” I keep my eyes closed, “What are we doing? We shouldn’t do this, right? We’re best friends, and you know how I am. I don’t know…” I don’t finish my thought, hopeful that he already knows where I’m going with this.

“Does it feel good to you?” he asks, pulling back.

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