“No mind games,” I accused.
“I would never.” William looked properly offended, which I knew was bullshit. He may not be competitive, but he was no sucker.
Thankfully, Kelly sank the seven, and then I pocketed the eight ball.
It left us with a single nine ball, and Kelly gestured for me to take it.
It was a simple shot, and we were declared the winners of this game a few beats later.
“In my defense, your mother has practiced,” William defended to our irritated daughter. “Let’s get some pizza, princess.”
I glanced over at Kelly. “You know this doesn’t mean anything, right? Behind closed doors, he’ll blame their loss on Aurora.”
He sighed heavily. “Yeah. I guess I’ll have to bring him down here more often.”
Although, when our game against Brady and Mason started, it became clear that Kelly and I were about to get slaughtered. Winning against William no longer carried any weight, even to Kelly, who watched with a what-the-fuck face as Mason broke the formation and immediately sank the first and second ball.
I swallowed hard as Brady pocketed the third, and then Mason took care of the fourth too, before Brady missed the fifth.
Kelly and I exchanged a look.
Yeah, we were screwed.
“No one ever cared to ask me who taught me to shoot pool,” William mentioned with mild amusement. “Perhaps make that a lesson.”
Kelly huffed.
I narrowed my eyes at Mason, who stood there with a smug little smirk and chalked his cue.
“You just made my shit list,” I told him.
He grinned. “Exciting. Should I expect some form of punishment?”
Well, I hadn’t thought that far, maybe. Brady snorted and said my idea of punishment entailed an evening of scowls before I surrendered. And when William said there wasn’t an ounce of wrath in me, everyone was in agreement.
“I can be scary!” I argued.
They all laughed.
Motherfuckers.
The frustration festered as the sore loser in me took the wheel, and though I managed to sink the fifth—and Kelly sank the sixth—I failed miserably on the seventh. It wasn’t going to be a long game. Mason shot an amazing curve ball to pocket the seventh, after which Brady nailed the eighth.
“This game fucking sucks,” I exclaimed.
William and Aurora were laughing their asses off at my expense, and I’d fucking had it.
“Watch this, darlin’.” Mason got into position to pocket the last ball, and something inside me snapped.
I rushed forward, plucked the nine ball off the table, and took off in a run. My cue fell to the carpeted floor with a thud.
“Kelly and I win!” I hollered.
“Oh my God!” Aurora guffawed. “What are you doing?”
Other than acting like a damn child? I had no idea. I hadn’t anticipated Mason chasing after me either, but when I turned around and saw him bolting, I stifled a squeal and darted for the exit. My pulse went through the roof, and I basically regretted every decision I’d ever made in my life that had brought me to this moment.
“You better fucking run, Lis,” Mason growled.
“Gah!” I escaped out into the parking lot and searched frantically for a route to take. Then I ran left, alongside the pool hall exterior, until I reached the alley between two buildings. I didn’t think I had the energy to run past freaking PetSmart, so I ducked into the alley and aimed for the— “Fuck!”
Mason grabbed ahold of me, and I instinctively screwed my eyes shut in the commotion. With an arm strapped over my chest, he dragged me a few feet to…somewhere, shit, my back hit a brick wall, and then his mouth descended on mine. Just like that, the fight in me disintegrated, and white-hot lust took its place.
“Oh my God,” I panted.
He kissed me hard, deeply, swirling his tongue around mine, and dipped down to get a firm grasp on the backs of my thighs. Taking the hint, I locked my arms around his neck, and he picked me up so I could wrap my legs around his hips.
“Don’t think for a second,” he said, breathing heavily, “that I won’t chase after you.”
I whimpered, turning into a liquid mess of need, and rolled my hips over him. I could feel the effect I was having on him, and it was the headiest thing. Maybe there was something wrong with him.
He gave me another toe-curling kiss and squeezed the air out of my lungs before we could hear the others. Or Brady, at least. He asked someone where we’d disappeared to.
“Jesus fuck.” Mason shuddered and dropped an openmouthed kiss to my neck, then helped me to my feet and stole the nine ball as I withdrew my arms from him. “When can I get you alone, Lis?”
“I…” God, my brain didn’t want to function. All I could think of was being alone with him. Holy shit, I could be getting laid soon. That possibility actually existed. “It’s my week with Aurora, but she’ll be with William tomorrow night,” I managed to get out. “He’s gonna help her with a science project. Brady will probably head back to Seattle around the same time.”
Mason nodded once. “I’ll be there at ten.”
That was a booty call time, and I didn’t even care. Actually, it was for the best. The boundaries had been set. It was adult, casual, no-strings fun. I wouldn’t have to open up and let him see the complications of my life, and I got to worship the body of the sexiest man alive from a safe distance, emotionally.
Mason had put several feet between us and was collecting his breath, hands planted on his thighs, when Brady and Aurora turned up around the corner.
My heart was still hammering.
“Ha! He has the ball,” Brady said in triumph. “You’re fucking weird, Mom.”
I huffed and straightened my clothes.
I wasn’t weird. I was…passionate and resourceful? Something like that.
Five
The eleventh hour was for cold feet.
William had been here to pick up Aurora after dinner, Brady had returned to Seattle, and I’d called Sharon for support.
The first thing she noticed when she arrived was the bouquet of wildflowers on the kitchen island.
She read the note and quirked a brow at me. “‘From your new neighbor’?”
“Mason left them on the porch yesterday when I was out with Brady,” I replied, pouring us some coffee.
“Uh-huh. And you think he’s only interested in something casual?”
“Well, of course.” I frowned and carried the mugs to the island. “It’s what I want too, for the record. I’m more and more certain that I never want a real relationship again.”
“Why?” She didn’t understand. She never had. “If you mention your nonexistent baggage, I fucking swear.”
“It’s the little things, all right?” I blew out a breath, frustrated. “I’ve become so comfortable these past two years, and I’m tired. You have to remember, I spent the last ten years of my marriage raising two kids and acting as William’s caregiver. I walked on eggshells, constantly afraid something would trigger a depressive episode for him. I have this bone-deep weariness in me—and no matter how much I love trying new things and being social, once the energy drains out of me, I…” Damn. I removed my glasses and scrubbed my hands over my face. “I’m too tired to shave my legs all the time, too tired to put in contacts, too tired to give a crap.”