Page 36 of The Sweet Part
Am I really considering a fling just for fun? My heart races at the thought. Exciting, wild, carefree fun. So not me, but practically speaking, it seems the safest route. No complications or hurt feelings.
The problem is, I’m not sure there is a safe route where Mason’s concerned.
8
Mason
I’ve got it all covered for the gift trifecta—wine, flowers, and chocolate. My pulse thrums. Just the two of us at my place. What does it mean to her? Is this a date or casual sex? It’s possible it’s been a while for her, and she said she didn’t date, so…
The doorbell rings, followed by the ding of the oven timer. “Coming!” I yell before grabbing the oven mitts and taking the enchiladas out of the oven. It’s one of two dinners I make that are good enough to serve to a woman. The other is lasagna. I don’t make them often since they’re so much work, and I’m usually too hungry to wait that long for dinner. May deserves the best I can give her.
The bell rings again. Shit. She didn’t hear me. I run to the door and fling it open. “Sorry, I had to take dinner out of the oven. Wait right there!”
I race back to the dining room to get the flowers and chocolate. Wine can wait for dinner.
May steps inside, wearing a snug blue dress that clings to her sexy curves. Her hair falls in a silky cascade of caramel brown. My mouth goes dry. I just stand there staring, holding my gifts.
She laughs a little. “Is that for me?”
“We could share the wine. It’s in the dining room.” I hand her the flowers and candy. “Yes, it’s all for you.”
“Thank you, Mason. This is really nice.”
“Sure. Take a seat in the dining room.”
She looks around my place. I have a two-story colonial home in Eastman that I bought with theHot Findsmoney. It’s not decorated all that much. Brown leather furniture with a wooden coffee table. Glossy pictures of classic cars hang in black frames on the wall.
She gestures toward my photos. “Are these all fromHot Finds?”
“Some are. Some are clients’ cars we restored or cars I dream of owning.”
“I’d like a convertible one day.”
“Yeah, what kind?”
“Sky blue like the one in your bay. Jaguar.”
I whistle. “That’s a pricey one.”
She waves that away. “Just a fantasy.”
I stand there for a moment, dazed by her beauty. “I’ll bring dinner in.”
“I’ll help.”
“You’re the guest.”
She follows me into the kitchen, which is a disaster zone—sauce splatters, cheese shreds, and dirty dishes.
I throw my arms out. “You weren’t supposed to see this. Go to the dining room and pretend it’s magic how dinner appeared on the table.”
She laughs, her hand touching my arm. A good sign.
I bring everything to the dining room. The table is set for two with wineglasses.
May smiles at me, and my heart thumps harder. “The flowers are lovely. So cheerful.”
I gesture vaguely toward the living room. “They were the best in the shop, besides the red roses, but that didn’t seem appropriate for the occasion.” I study her. “Or maybe they were?”
