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  He couldn’t be that bad. He was friends with Rafe, for heaven’s sake. Best friends. And he was clearly an educated man with a good job. His body was to die for. And he was interested in her.

  What more could she ask for? Jenna hadn’t had sex in over a year. She’d been working her tail off to make sure Ribbons and Bows turned a profit so she could prove her worth to her damn family and make it on her own. That hadn’t left much time for fun. And sex had been off the table for so long she couldn’t remember the mechanics.

  Jenna turned her gaze toward Mason as he took a drink of his draft beer. The foam layering the top lapped onto his upper lip, and he licked it away as he set the glass back on the table. Jenna imitated the motion with her own tongue, unable to stop herself, at the same time Mason turned his gaze to her. He paused when he saw what she did, staring at her lips while she licked them. When he lifted his gaze to her eyes, he winked. “Want a taste?”

  Oh fuck. Was he talking about himself or the beer? Unwilling to find out, Jenna shook her head and jerked her gaze back to the front. His teasing made her squirm. She was certain he fully understood his pun. It was intentional.

  Whatever Katy thought she knew about Jenna’s needs, Jenna made the mad decision at that moment to ignore reason. If this man was willing to fuck her senseless tonight, so be it. It was the best offer she’d had in too long.

  •●•

  Mason gulped his beer and set the glass down on the table, trying not to spill it with his shaky hand.

  This woman was under his skin. He wanted her. And more importantly, she wanted him. She may not have known it, but she was coming around. She didn’t try to move her thigh away from his, and she let her elbow graze his as she continually reached for her wine glass and put it back. After the initial fortifying gulp she took, she sipped that damn white wine in such tiny increments, he couldn’t discern anything was missing with each drink.

  “Have you been here before?” he asked as he opened the menu.

  “No, you?”

  He shook his head. “It’s Italian, though. I usually go for the lasagna. It’s generally a safe bet.”

  “I’m sure the food is wonderful, or Rafe and Katy wouldn’t have chosen it.”

  “True.”

  It was insane the way he felt about Jenna. He’d barely met her. They’d exchanged few words. He couldn’t believe how hot he was for her. It took great strength and determination for him to order and eat his meal like a normal human being.

  Jenna ordered some sort of salad and glared at him when he rolled his eyes. “What?”

  “Is that all you women ever eat?”

  “No. But I have to fit into a pretty slim dress tomorrow. I don’t need to feel like a whale.”

  If they were alone, he’d have given her the riot act about selecting foods she enjoyed and eating until she was full rather than acting like a bunny. But they weren’t alone. And she wasn’t his woman.

  She spent most of the meal chatting with Katy on her other side and making polite conversation with the couple across from them.

  Mason spent the meal thinking about how good her thigh felt against his own and struggling to keep from setting his hand on her knee when she didn’t realize she was bouncing it nervously against him. He loved the feel of her and could care less if she fidgeted. It was endearing, but he wanted to calm her. It was in his nature.

  The meal lasted forever. It seemed everyone, including himself, made a speech to the bride and groom. They toasted so many times, he worried about the amount of alcohol Jenna consumed. The last thing he wanted was for her to be inebriated to the point he couldn’t tell if she liked him or would take any man to her bed because she was drunk.

  He needn’t have worried. She never asked for a second glass. She was the queen of faking like she was keeping up with everyone, and he admired a woman who knew her limits.

  What the hell are you thinking? Stop it. He needed to talk himself down. This was no ordinary woman he could woo into his bed. This was Katy’s best friend. And he’d been warned off by Rafe. Off limits.

  Except he couldn’t stop watching the way she moved, the way she held her glass, and the way she laughed and flipped her long hair back when she tipped her head.

  She was poised and…almost regal. She didn’t carry herself like an ordinary person. She looked…refined. Except when he made her nervous.

  When they bumped hands reaching for their glasses, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Excuse me.” Mason pushed his chair back and took brisk steps toward the back patio door. It was dark now. He hoped it had cooled off outside. He needed some air to clear his head—and get it straightened back onto his shoulders.

  The rush of oxygen in his face made him take in a long lungful of atmosphere that wasn’t filled with the scent of Jenna. He stepped to the iron fence and leaned forward against it as though putting a little more space between him and the woman inside would help him think straight.

  “Mason. What are you doing?” Rafe’s voice came from behind, only seconds after Mason had exited the building.

  Mason whipped his head around and found Rafe glaring at him. “I told you to keep away from her.”

  “I heard you.” Mason turned back around and stared into the night.

  “Why do I get the feeling you aren’t going to heed my advice?”

  Mason stayed silent.

  Rafe groaned. “Dude, she’s not like us. She has no idea about our alternative lifestyle.”

  Mason turned toward him. “Neither did Katy when you met and look at you.”

  “That’s different. Katy’s—”

  “What? Submissive? Open-minded? Whipped?” Mason chuckled. “That’s rich, man. What makes you think Jenna isn’t like her?”

  “She’s just not. Trust me. She has…baggage. A lot of baggage.”

  Mason smirked. “Don’t we all?” He turned and leaned against the fence. “Look,” he held both hands up in surrender, “I’m not going to ruin your big day, okay? Promise.”

  “It’s more than that, and you know it. My woman will have my head if you fuck with her friend. I don’t want to see her wrath any time soon. We’re about to get married for Christ’s sake.”

  “I hear you.” Mason looked down. “Please don’t worry about me. I promise to keep my pants on and zipped.”

  “Swear?”

  “Scout’s honor.” Mason saluted his friend.

  “Dude, you were never a scout, and I’m pretty sure that isn’t the sign they make.” Rafe grabbed his friend’s arm and laughed. “Let’s get back inside before Katy sends out reinforcements.”

  •●•

  Soon after Mason bolted from the table, Rafe jumped from his chair and left also. That left Jenna glancing to her left to find a very anxious Katy staring at her. “Didn’t you get my meaning earlier?”

  “What? Your subtle head shake? Yes.” Jenna grinned. “What’s wrong with Mason? He’s a friend of Rafe. How bad can he be?”

  “He’s not…bad. He’s a perfectly nice guy, but he isn’t your type. Trust me. I know that look you have in your eyes. He will only hurt you if you let him. Let it go. Please.” Katy’s eyes blinked as she begged, and then she stuck her lip out in a pout.

  “Is it that big a deal?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d love to hear more of this story. It must be a good one.”

  “It is. Believe me. But not now. I don’t have that kind of time tonight.”

  Jenna laughed. “That bad, huh? Okay, but I’m holding you to it. You owe me a girl’s night when you get back from Hawaii, and I intend to dig all the gory details about this bad boy you insist on warding me off of.”

  “You got it. Promise. Please don’t jump in his pants and do all the things I can see your mind whirling with. He isn’t your kind of guy.” Katy narrowed her gaze. She grabbed Jenna’s arm and squeezed hard. “Promise?”

  “Yes. Fine. Okay. I won’t jump into his pants. Promise.”

  “You’re still coming ove
r tomorrow morning to help me get ready?”

  “Of course. What time do you want me?”

  “I’ll call you when I get up, and we’ll spend the day getting nails and hair done.” Katy clapped her hands together as the men returned to the table.

  Rafe leaned in and kissed his fiancée. “What’s so amusing?”

  “Hair and nails. First thing in the morning. Wanna come?” Jenna teased.

  Rafe stepped back and held his hands up like he’d been burned. “Not a chance in hell. You ladies enjoy yourselves. I’ll meet you at the altar. Nails done. Hair poofed. Smiles in place.” He stared at Katy for a second and then shifted his gaze to Jenna.

  Why did it feel like he was warning her off his friend in the same way Katy had just finished lecturing her?

  Katy glanced at her watch. “We should go. Big day tomorrow.”

  Rafe frowned. “I was hoping to have a few moments alone with you before you leave. It’s not midnight yet. As long as I have you home by twelve, I’m not breaking any rules, right?”

  Everyone got up from the table and gathered their belongings. Jenna stood at the same time Mason returned to the table. As the perfect gentleman, he held her chair out for her and reached to retrieve her purse where it had fallen on the ground.

  “I have to take Jenna home,” Katy said.

  “I’ll take her.” Mason didn’t look at Katy or Jenna when he spoke. He kept his gaze lowered as though he’d presented an idea that would start a fire.

  “No, really,” Katy began, “you’ve done so much already. Rafe and I will see each other tomorrow. Right, honey?” She reached for his hand and squeezed it.

  Jenna shook her head. “I’m a big girl,” she mumbled toward Katy.

  “It’s no trouble at all,” Mason insisted. “You two go over to the bar and enjoy your last few moments of singlehood. I’ll get Jenna home and see you guys tomorrow.”

  “You sure?” Katy asked Jenna.

  Jenna nodded. “I’m fine.” She gave her friend a hug. “Stop worrying. I promise I’ll be there first thing in the morning, ready to make your day perfect.”

  Katy frowned for a moment and then shook it off and waved Jenna away. “Fine. Okay. I’ll call you.”

  As if they needed to run from the restaurant before anyone could change their minds, Mason grabbed Jenna’s hand and tucked it under his elbow. He wove through the throng of diners, telling everyone good-bye as they made their way to the door.

  Jenna thought he was a bit high-handed, as usual, but when she tried to release her hand from the crook of his arm, he held steady. He wrapped his other hand around her fingers as they exited the building. “Ready?”

  And what if I said no? Somehow she got the feeling he didn’t usually take no for an answer. And for once in her life, she rather enjoyed letting someone else make a few decisions and letting her sit back and enjoy the ride.

  Every day she was in charge. All day long she gave out instructions to her employees and dealt with floral orders and deliveries. Letting this huge confident hunk of man take her under his wing and whisk her out the door was no hardship. It felt nice to be pampered.

  When he had her secure in the car, she sat back and took a deep breath. She watched him circle the front this time, his enormous physique incongruent with the size of the sports car.

  “Your place or mine?” he asked after he folded himself into the front seat.

  Jenna gasped. She’d been thinking something similar, but she would never have voiced it so blatantly.

  He reached forward with his fingers and pinched her chin. “Just kidding. I need your address.”

  Jenna blinked. She couldn’t decide if she was deflated or glad for his joking manner. She had to swallow and think before she could come up with directions, but soon they were on their way, the engine humming gently beneath her legs and making her wish the car didn’t run quite so smoothly. A little more vibration under her ass could practically get her off after the last few hours of arousal she’d endured in this magnetic man’s presence.

  She was so drawn to him, she found herself leaning in his direction, and she had to jerk herself upright to avoid falling into his lap. What if she did? What if she threw caution to the wind and acted totally out of character for once in her life? Would her world end if she lowered her face into Mason’s lap and stroked over his cock with her mouth?

  She almost groaned when she realized she’d been staring at his crotch, and he chuckled under his breath.

  “Rafe told me you were off limits,” Mason declared.

  “Oh, he did, did he?”

  “What? You didn’t get the same lecture from Katy? I thought for sure it was a conspiracy. Surely she told you something along the lines of me not being right for you, or some sort of bad-boy shit to scare you into running for the front door the moment I pull up.”

  “Something like that…” Jenna trailed off before she grew some balls. “But I’m a grown woman. I think I can make my own decisions.”

  Mason looked her way and winked. He was so playful. “What if she’s right? What if I’m bad news?”

  “Then you wouldn’t be friends with Rafe.” No way would she believe this man was not on the up and up. He and Rafe were close friends. And Rafe didn’t hang with anyone who wasn’t perfectly safe. Hell, Rafe was the safety police. He doted on Katy like she was a precious jewel. She never went anywhere without Rafe’s knowledge.

  At first Jenna had been concerned when the two of them started dating, but after a while she decided Rafe had his own brand of safety. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Katy. It was that he was head over heels for her, and he worried about her. And rightfully so after everything that happened to Katy earlier in the year when she first met Rafe.

  Some crazed, disgruntled stalker decided to remove Katy from the face of the earth the moment he’d been released from jail. Katy had been his public defender a few years before and was unable to get him acquitted for the crimes he clearly committed. The lunatic managed to ransack both their homes and eventually came close to killing both Katy and Rafe.

  So if Rafe was a bit high strung when it came to Katy, he’d earned the right.

  At least that’s what Jenna had convinced herself of when she’d needed an explanation for the odd relationship her friend had with her fiancé. The important thing was they loved each other, and clearly Rafe made Katy very happy. Whatever weird things they seemed to communicate on the side weren’t affecting Katy’s happiness, so who was Jenna to judge?

  Chapter Three

  Rafe pulled up in front of Jenna’s apartment and stared out the windshield. “This is it?” His voice was neither accusing nor condescending. She couldn’t quite read his tone. If he judged her, he would find his ass out on the street in an instant.

  “Yep. It’s home.” She took in his look as his face softened, and he smiled at her. Good. “You coming in?”

  Mason nodded. “If you’d like.” He removed his seatbelt, opened his door, and circled to her side so fast she couldn’t have gotten out by herself if she’d wanted to.

  “I can manage a door, you know,” she said as he reached for her arm and helped her out of the low-riding car.

  “I’m certain you can. But you shouldn’t have to.” He stated that as if it were obvious. A true man wouldn’t leave his woman to make her own way, even if she wasn’t his woman at all.

  A shiver went down her spine as he helped her to the house, her arm once again in the crook of his elbow. He seemed to like her there.

  When they reached the door, Jenna fumbled around in her purse looking for her keys. The second she pulled them out, Mason grabbed them and had the door unlocked and opened in seconds. He stepped inside and managed to flip the light switch next to the door without looking. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he’d been there dozens of times.

  Jenna moaned as she kicked off her heels and reached down to pick them up. “My feet were killing me,” she muttered over her shoulder as she headed for the
kitchen. “You want a drink?”

  “Water would be nice.”

  “Water?” She chuckled as she opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. She passed one to him, shocked at how close he was behind her when she turned around.

  “Thanks.” He casually leaned against her kitchen island.

  Why did she shatter into a million pieces in his presence while he seemed cool as a cucumber?

  “How long have you lived here?” He twisted off the cap and tipped his head back. As he took a long swallow, she watched his throat, her mouth going dry.

  He’s in my kitchen…in my home. And he’s crowding the entire space as though he doesn’t quite fit. She swallowed around her dry mouth, the water bottle still clutched in her hand. She couldn’t quite figure out how to open it and take a drink with him so close to her. “Almost two years.” She looked around, trying to see the place through his eyes while at the same time avoiding his penetrating gaze that made her heart beat out of her chest.

  She doubted she could possibly keep her promise to Katy now that he was in her apartment.

  The kitchen was quite tidy considering she hadn’t left the house this evening expecting to bring a man home. She couldn’t imagine what her bedroom looked like. The idea made her slump her shoulders.

  “How long have you owned your own shop?”

  “The same amount of time. Two years. I got this place the same week I opened the store. It’s just a mile away.” She stared at his chest and lifted her gaze to his face. Chiseled was the best word to describe him, and she wanted to know what those muscles felt like under her palms.

  Mason set his empty bottle on the counter behind him and tugged hers out of her grip. He twisted the cap off and handed it back to her at chest level. “Drink?”

  The way he said the word and his continual manner of high-handedness made her shiver. He left her unsure if he’d asked her if she wanted a drink or commanded that she take a drink. He had a way of speaking nearly every time he opened his mouth that left her confused about his motives.