Page 39 of Love Me Ever After
A part of me hoped he had, because it was a pretty big deal, but I also hoped he hadn’t mentioned it was how we’d got back together again. Although I loved her like a mother, I also didn’t want Suzanne knowing about our sex life.
“He mentioned something. Apparently, he’s doing quite well and everyone loves him since he’s come back.”
I laughed. “Everyone loves him anyway. He’s a pretty popular guy.” My mind briefly thought back to the conference where he’d been at the top table with the CEO of his company. Seriously, it looked as if his career was about to go stellar.
“Who’s a pretty popular guy?” Clive asked, as he and Mason came back downstairs.
“Our son.” Suzanne handed out the mugs of tea. “Ems was just telling me about the conference she organised. You must have been very proud of her.”
Those were almost the exact words he had said to me at the time. A ripple shot down my spine as Mason put an arm around my waist and pulled me in close.
“I was and I am.” He placed a soft kiss behind my ear and I practically dissolved. I blamed the early start and the travel for making me a pool of mush.
We chatted for a while, eating the lovely food washed down with some decent tea until Mason decided he wanted to get some sunglasses and suggested a walk into town. I changed out of my travelling clothes and into a pair of denim shorts teamed with a simple striped t-shirt. Given the heat, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, then twisted it into a bun to keep it off my neck. For good measure, I slathered on some factor thirty sun cream. We weren’t going to be here for long, but I didn’t want to go home looking like a lobster.
As we walked along the beach, I took off my sandals and walked some of the way in the shallows of the sea. Mason copied me, occasionally kicking the surf so it spattered my calves. It really was like being on holiday.
“Mum’s got plans to take you to the spa tomorrow,” said Mason, shading his eyes against the sun as we walked. “Are you okay with that?”
It seemed any concerns I’d had about Suzanne being off with me were completely unfounded. “Of course! It would be lovely to catch up. Plus, if she’s taking me to that spa we went to last time, I’m more than okay with it.”
Mason grinned. “Good. Although now it means I have to play golf with my dad.” He pulled a face.
I giggled. “But if you’re getting in with Robert Lane, I’m sure a golf game would come in extremely handy…”
He tilted his head. “Yeah, you might be right about that. Thing is, I’m shit at it.”
“Then maybe your dad can give you some tips?”
“I think I’d rather be at the spa with you and Mum.” He stopped walking and grabbed my hand. “I could be your masseur, the one who gives you aspecialservice.” Snaking his other hand around the back of my neck, he drew me in for a kiss, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth.
The water lapped around our feet as he deepened the kiss, until a sudden sharp wave splashed up to our knees, causing us to spring apart. Cold water dripped down my shins, ruining the moment.
“You’ll have to tell me more about your special services when we get back to the villa,” I said, a smirk pulling at my lips.
“Oh, babe, you can count on that.” Mason winked.
For the next couple of hours, we wandered around the town, browsing in the shops and generally acting like the tourists we were. Mason bought some new sunglasses and I winced at the price. He must have been doing pretty well financially now, because he didn’t flinch at the cost. In one of the gift shops, a stand of jewellery caught my eye. I was like a magpie when it came to anything shiny and silver. I picked up a pair of hooped earrings with a silver feather hanging from them and held them to my lobes, checking out how they looked in the mirror.
“They’re pretty,” commented Mason, coming up behind me. “Can I get them for you?”
I turned to face him, the earrings in one hand. “You don’t have to do that.” They were inexpensive and I would have bought them anyway.
“I know I don’thaveto, but I’d like to.” He screwed up his face. “I never really got you anything when we were together before. I think it’s time for a change. Kind of like an anniversary present.”
“But it’s not our anniversary.” I turned over the dates in my head.
Mason took the earrings from my hand. “Let me get them, Ems. Please.”
Who was I to argue? My boyfriend buying me jewellery, why was I even protesting?
On the way back to his parents’ villa, we stopped in one of the beachfront bars and ordered two large Aperol spritzes. The orangey spirit wasn’t my favourite, but it was too early for me to start on the wine, I needed something to cool me down, not make my legs wobble.
“If you’d have said to me on the plane home from New York that I’d be sitting on a beach with you a few weeks later, I would have thought you were crazy,” Mason observed me with shaded eyes, sucking on the straw in his drink.
“If you’d have said to me, I’d be in Puerto Pollensa with you again, I would have thought you were crazy too,” I mirrored his observation.
“Looks like we have something to thank Luke and Tasha for.” He lifted his glass and clinked it with mine.
