Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men 1)

“No!” Mason broke in emphatically. “I told you, what she said wasn’t true.”

“But—”

“Listen to me.” He leaned partially over the table to look me straight in the eye. “Before you showed up on Sunday, my sister was absolutely miserable. The next morning, she said it was the best birthday she’d ever had. And that was because of you, got it? You made those other girls interact with her. And now, that tall one, Sorcha, she’s even coming back on Saturday afternoon to spend the day with Sarah.”

“Really?” I brightened, excited to learn this. “That’s great. Oh! I liked Sorcha.” And now, I totally loved her.

Mason shook his head and gave me a slight grin. “You are the least selfish person I know.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Well…I can be a little selfish.”

Okay, a lot selfish. Jeez. Picky much?

He didn’t look convinced. “I don’t see it. That day in the library…with Dr. Janison and Eva.”

Wincing, I remembered.

“Every woman treats me that way, Reese. I’m not a person to them. I’m just…a good time or something vile to be avoided at all costs. And then you came along and you…you hugged me. You are the first person who sees me, Mason, not sex for sale. And that kind of compassion is not a sign of a selfish person. At all.”

“I…” My lashes beat like a hummingbird’s wings, batting away any possible tears. “Well, thank you. But you are a person, and—”

He lifted a finger to hush me. “We’re no

t talking about me. We’re talking about you. And you are…you’re…” He paused to shake his head.

“I’m…?” I prompted, not sure if I wanted to know where this was going, but my curiosity was too intrigued not to push for more.

“You’re quirky…and yet conventional. Innocent but worldly. Reserved yet outgoing. Candid yet guarded. Trendy but also practical. And childlike while still managing to be mature. It’s like…you’re the perfect contradiction.”

I gulped, gaping at him and unable to say a single word. For him to come up with that kind of explanation, he’d really had to think it through. Knowing Mason had thought of me so thoroughly took my breath away.

He stared at me a moment longer as if he wanted to say more, something probably meaningful enough to knock me on my butt, but he cleared this throat and glanced down. Seeing the book in his hand, he handed it across the table to me. “Anyway...here. I think I can officially say I’m addicted to Harry Potter. Sarah and I couldn’t wait to borrow The Goblet of Fire. We bought our own copy and started it yesterday.”

I cleared my throat, trying to catch up with the one-eighty he’d just taken in our conversation. “Wow.” I swiped at my cheeks to make sure they were dry—which they were, thank you, God—before I took The Prisoner of Azkaban back. “You and Sarah are just cruising through the series. I’m impressed.”

“That going-back-in-time scene was really cool. I couldn’t put it down.”

Grinning, I hugged the hardback to my chest. “It was always one of my favorites too. Especially when they saved Buckbeak.”

“I ended up reading it twice. Once when I read ahead, and then again when Sarah wanted it read to her.” His eyes warmed as he smiled. “Which reminds me…”

He half stood so he could slide his hand into the front pocket of his jeans and dig something out. Curling his fingers around whatever he’d retrieved, he grinned mischievously enough to make me suspicious as he sat back down.

I leaned in slightly. “What do you have there?”

His lips spread wider. “Something for you. I had it made. This guy I know takes an advanced metal crafting class and put it together.”

Totally not expecting that, I straightened. “You did what?”

He extended his hand and uncurled his fingers. “I know it’s pretty crude, but I thought it might fit on your bracelet.”

A tiny silver charm blinked up at me in the sunlight. My mouth fell open. His friend had somehow crafted the Harry Potter logo, making the initials H.P. with the lightning bolt in the P and everything. To me, it didn’t look crude at all. It looked perfect.

“Oh, my God.” I took it from his fingers with gentle reverence. “This is amazing, Mason.”

“He almost ruined the surprise on Sunday when he called during Sarah’s birthday party to tell me he was done. I’d been hoping he’d finish before then.”

I glanced up, shocked to learn that call had been about a surprise for me…not a client setting up an appointment. And here, that had been one of the biggest deciding factors I’d had for telling Ethan I would—