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“Cool. I’m going to just go into the kitchen and make some.” I pointed towards the kitchen. “Be right back.”

Mason gave me another one of those short-circuiting-my-brain smiles as he sat down. “I’ll save you a seat on the sofa.”

I nervously laughed and dashed into the kitchen. Bree and Sarah were already there pouring two mugs of coffee.

“These are for you,” Bree whispered. “Get back out there and get yourself together, girl! Have you seriously lost all your cool?”

“Yes!” I frantically whispered back. “I feel all twisted up and crazy just standing near him. My heart is beating so fast I think all the blood is somehow bypassing my brain and I can’t think. Or talk in coherent sentences.”

“Take a deep breath and try again,” Sarah said in a calm voice. “He came all the way here to see you. Don’t overreact and make it weird.”

“It’s already weird,” I said as I drew in a shaky breath.

“Then don’t make it weirder!” Sarah laughed.

Suddenly my brain caught up with the fact that the two of them were already in the kitchen pouring coffee for Mason and me when I’d walked in. “Wait a minute! Are you two in here spying on us?”

“Of course we are!” Bree looked at me like she couldn’t believe I’d even asked the question. “This shit is hotter and crazier than any soap opera or reality show. We’re absolutely going to watch it unfold!”

“Plus, I had to sneak a peek at Mason. I was feeling left out being the only one that hadn’t seen him yet.” Sarah took a sip of her coffee like everything happening was the most natural thing in the world.

“Now”—Bree shoved two mugs into my hands—“take the coffee out there and get your head back in the game!”

“Right,” I mumbled as I clutched the mugs of coffee in my hands and turned back to the living room. I felt a smack on my butt as I started walking. “Ow!” I turned my head back and whispered.

“Head in the game, champ!” Bree said back with a laugh.

I rolled my eyes before taking a deep breath and walking back into the living room. When I reached the sofa, I handed Mason his mug of coffee before sitting down on the opposite end.

“Thank you, this looks great.” Mason took a sip from the steaming mug before turning to face me.

“So, wha…” I started to say.

“To answ…” Mason said at the exact same time. We looked at each other for a moment before he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. You go first.”

Sitting closer to him, I could see he seemed to be only slightly less nervous than me. He was bouncing one of his legs up and down ever so slightly and looking into his mug of coffee as he ran his thumb up and down the handle. Somehow, the fact he was nervous made me feel better. I decided to try to break the tension by just getting it all out there. “This is weird, right?”

Mason chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. Damn, now that I’d seen it in action, I wanted to run my hand through his hair so badly. I clutched my mug in both hands, trying to control myself. Even I knew leaping across the sofa to touch his hair at that moment would’ve really been too much. “Yes…it is,” he said in his deep, sexy voice. This isn’t how I pictured our first meeting…or how I pictured today going.”

“How did you picture today going?” I asked as I pulled my legs under me and repositioned myself on the sofa.

Mason turned and set his mug down on the coffee table. He looked at the table and away from me as he spoke. “Honestly? I kind of thought you’d slam the door in my face.”

“Really?” That wasn’t what I’d expected him to say.

Mason turned so he was facing me again. “I’m not going to lie, Anna, I’m really nervous right now.” He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair again. “Plus…I keep…I keep getting distracted by you.” Mason’s cheeks flushed a little as he spoke.

“I’m sorry. I can go shower and change out of my pajamas…” I felt my own cheeks flush in embarrassment. I should’ve done that before I’d come out to meet him. He was probably questioning why he flew across the country to meet a crazy girl in her pajamas who couldn’t speak in complete sentences.

“No, please don’t,” Mason said quickly. “That’s not what I meant at all. I like it. This is you. It’s real and who you are without any pretenses.” Mason gave me a soft smile and I felt that dang flutter again. “I was right, you know.”

“About what?” I asked. My voice had a slightly breathy quality to it as I hung on his every word.

“You’re way more beautiful than any fantasy version I had. Way more.” The smile on Mason’s face grew and it was my turn to smile at him.

“Thank you,” I said softly, unsure what else to say.

Mason pulled his eyes away from me and reached for his mug of coffee. After taking a long drink, he leaned back into the sofa. “So, you asked me how I got here and what I’m doing.”

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