twisted the cap off then poured a healthy steaming slug of his favorite mocha blend.
Still nothing.
A gulp blocked her throat for a moment but, when it cleared, she unleashed her fear in a direct question.
“Mason, are you going to avoid me forever because I slept with Ty?” Lacey clamped her front teeth on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. When he didn’t answer for a few seconds, then ten, she abandoned hope. Determination drained from her, slumping her shoulders.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered.
She’d already turned to leave when his restraining hand landed on her thigh, making her jump.
“I’m going to avoid you because I wish it had been me instead.” The gruff admission made her heart skip a beat but, before she could respond, he continued, “And because I’m not sure I could walk away a second time when your eyes beg me to stay, even though it’s still the right thing to do.”
“The right thing for whom? And don’t you dare say for me, Mason Clark! I care for both of you and nothing you say will convince me that keeping us apart is the way to go. Unless you know about the secret that isn’t Tyler’s to share…”
The furrows on his brow coupled with his ominous frown and the inability to meet her stare convinced her of his guilt. “Tell me. Nothing you say could change the way I feel.”
“That’s romantic bullshit, Lace. What if I told you that Tyler and I got one of our women pregnant? It wasn’t supposed to be a serious thing but we’re taking responsibility and planning to raise her baby as a family? Wouldn’t that change how you feel? Wouldn’t that alter the circumstances just a little?”
Her jaw dropped. “You’re serious?”
“No.” His cold response left no doubts. “But it would have impacted the situation. There are other explanations that would do the same. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, doll.”
Heat flared in her cheeks, generating anger to accompany her embarrassment. “Fine. But if you don’t want me, then what the hell are you doing stalking my house? Am I in some kind of danger? What’s going on with Rob’s case?”
He rubbed his hand over the major five o’clock shadow surrounding his luscious mouth. Her thoughts drifted to the way his lips had felt against hers and she nearly moaned.
All business once more, he answered, “I honestly don’t know, Lacey. I don’t mean to frighten you. I don’t have any proof but something’s off. I can’t put my finger on it yet but I’m working the case. Both of us are. Ty’s out canvassing the neighborhood around the crime scene.”
She noticed he couldn’t say “where Rob died”. They suffered, too. Of its own volition, her hand reached out to cup his face, her thumb tracing the line of his cheekbone. He turned his head to press his lips against her palm before enfolding it in a light hold. Decades of friendship outshone their current impasse.
“You haven’t noticed anything unusual, have you?”
She shook her head. “No, there’s nothing going on inside except the freaking phone calls.”
“What phone calls?” His eyes narrowed.
“People ringing to say how sorry they are plus tons of reporters trying for a sound bite or an extra little scoop with a couple of hang-ups mixed in for added aggravation.” She rolled her eyes.
One corner of his mouth kicked up. “No heavy breathers? Creepy messages?”
“Nah. Nothing that exciting.”
The artificial distance he’d kept began to erode. They leaned toward each other, reveling in their familiar closeness, but Mrs. Potter’s dog chose then to bark and Mason swiveled around so fast she feared he’d given himself whiplash. He dropped her hand then cursed under his breath.
“I have to go, Lace.”
“Because of this?” She gestured back and forth in the air between them.
“Because it’s almost time for me to go on duty. I need to take over for Ty.”
Probably true, but she still detected his relief. “You’re not
Still nothing.
A gulp blocked her throat for a moment but, when it cleared, she unleashed her fear in a direct question.
“Mason, are you going to avoid me forever because I slept with Ty?” Lacey clamped her front teeth on her bottom lip to stop it from quivering. When he didn’t answer for a few seconds, then ten, she abandoned hope. Determination drained from her, slumping her shoulders.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered.
She’d already turned to leave when his restraining hand landed on her thigh, making her jump.
“I’m going to avoid you because I wish it had been me instead.” The gruff admission made her heart skip a beat but, before she could respond, he continued, “And because I’m not sure I could walk away a second time when your eyes beg me to stay, even though it’s still the right thing to do.”
“The right thing for whom? And don’t you dare say for me, Mason Clark! I care for both of you and nothing you say will convince me that keeping us apart is the way to go. Unless you know about the secret that isn’t Tyler’s to share…”
The furrows on his brow coupled with his ominous frown and the inability to meet her stare convinced her of his guilt. “Tell me. Nothing you say could change the way I feel.”
“That’s romantic bullshit, Lace. What if I told you that Tyler and I got one of our women pregnant? It wasn’t supposed to be a serious thing but we’re taking responsibility and planning to raise her baby as a family? Wouldn’t that change how you feel? Wouldn’t that alter the circumstances just a little?”
Her jaw dropped. “You’re serious?”
“No.” His cold response left no doubts. “But it would have impacted the situation. There are other explanations that would do the same. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, doll.”
Heat flared in her cheeks, generating anger to accompany her embarrassment. “Fine. But if you don’t want me, then what the hell are you doing stalking my house? Am I in some kind of danger? What’s going on with Rob’s case?”
He rubbed his hand over the major five o’clock shadow surrounding his luscious mouth. Her thoughts drifted to the way his lips had felt against hers and she nearly moaned.
All business once more, he answered, “I honestly don’t know, Lacey. I don’t mean to frighten you. I don’t have any proof but something’s off. I can’t put my finger on it yet but I’m working the case. Both of us are. Ty’s out canvassing the neighborhood around the crime scene.”
She noticed he couldn’t say “where Rob died”. They suffered, too. Of its own volition, her hand reached out to cup his face, her thumb tracing the line of his cheekbone. He turned his head to press his lips against her palm before enfolding it in a light hold. Decades of friendship outshone their current impasse.
“You haven’t noticed anything unusual, have you?”
She shook her head. “No, there’s nothing going on inside except the freaking phone calls.”
“What phone calls?” His eyes narrowed.
“People ringing to say how sorry they are plus tons of reporters trying for a sound bite or an extra little scoop with a couple of hang-ups mixed in for added aggravation.” She rolled her eyes.
One corner of his mouth kicked up. “No heavy breathers? Creepy messages?”
“Nah. Nothing that exciting.”
The artificial distance he’d kept began to erode. They leaned toward each other, reveling in their familiar closeness, but Mrs. Potter’s dog chose then to bark and Mason swiveled around so fast she feared he’d given himself whiplash. He dropped her hand then cursed under his breath.
“I have to go, Lace.”
“Because of this?” She gestured back and forth in the air between them.
“Because it’s almost time for me to go on duty. I need to take over for Ty.”
Probably true, but she still detected his relief. “You’re not
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