“Omigod!”
My eyes fluttered, Whitney’s squealing voice snapping me out of my daze.
“Oh. My. God,” she continued with her signature exaggeration. “How did I get so lucky? And more importantly, what are you doing here?”
I blinked again but when I heard the rich voice that answered her question, my hand flew to my mouth.
“I don’t know. What are you doing here?” Mason countered teasingly, his audible smirk telling me that her arms were already wrapped tightly around him. Holy shit, Mase, yes. Still clutching the front of my dress to my chest, I stood eagerly at the door, my negative thoughts fading fast as I realized what kind of sick, twisted fun I could have with the scene unfolding outside.
“Oh, you know, Mase. Just shopping for dresses so I can go to your brother’s wedding to your ex. Scandalous, by the way, but I love how you clearly don’t give a rat’s ass,” Whitney giggled. I clenched my jaw as I heard her smack Mason somewhere on his body. It sounded hard. Probably his chest. “Fun to be the hotter, richer one, huh? You can just watch lil’ bro marry your girl and let that shit roll off your back ‘cause you can always get someone hotter.”
“You’re not wrong about that.”
Whitney purred and lowered her voice. “Hotter with better tits and new tricks in bed.” Holy shit. She was really going for it. “Seen anyone lately who might fit that bill? Someone… in this store, perhaps? Standing very close to you?”
Mason’s voice returned with a smooth laugh just as a text buzzed in my phone. Grabbing it out of my purse, I heard him say, “Actually, yes,” just as I read the message on my phone.
Wherever the hell you are please come to the dressing rooms and save me.
I clamped my hand over my mouth to suppress my giant snort. My pulse picking up, I took in a deep breath, mentally switching gears and getting ready to put on the performance of a lifetime. Fluffing my hair, I exhaled steadily and finally swung open the door.
The satisfaction was instant as I locked eyes on Mason and his unblinking stare.
In less than a second, it found me, fixed on me, and refused to let go, moving greedily up the length of my legs before tracing the flare of my hips and the dip of my waist. I couldn’t even suppress the satisfaction spreading my lips as I watched the notorious Mason Leo try but fail several times to simply say something.
“Christ, Taylor,” he finally muttered, dragging his hand across his jaw and studying me, looking so convincingly tortured I had to chew my giant grin back. Eyeing Whitney, I found her simply standing there, mouth parted and eyes narrowed but unblinking, her attention flicking back and forth between us till she noticed my smile. A scowl formed quickly.
“Are you… here together or something?” she asked begrudgingly.
I flashed a placid smile. “Mm-hm,” I said before turning my exaggerated doe eyes to Mason. “Think I should buy this – babe?”
He ignored my act to continue staring at me. “I think you know the answer to that,” he said, something oddly tantalizingly about how his voice sounded hard and for once humorless. Wetting his lips, Mason tilted his head just so. “Can you turn for me?” he asked softly – and so politely I practically forgot where I was. But I came right back to Earth when Whitney jumped at her chance to cut in.
“It won’t even zip on her,” she blurted. But then her lashes fluttered when Mason looked at her and she gave a breathy giggle to remind him of her daintiness. Though he blinked at her for a second, Mason quickly returned his attention to me, drawing closer till there was barely six inches of space between us. I barely had to fake my reaction when his crooked smirk spread into a grin, mischief flickering in his blue eyes as he murmured low but loud enough for Whitney to hear.
“Turn around for me, baby.”
His words sent a quick ripple of chills up my arms, but shaking my head at him, I gave a little laugh. “Baby,” I whispered mockingly before gathering my
hair over my shoulder and turning around. Gripping the edge of the doorframe, I looked into my dressing room mirror, watching through the reflection as Mason positioned himself behind me. God, the man was tall. Shameless too, with the way he cocked his head to drag his heavy gaze up the length of my naked backside. I was so ready to say something smart, but suddenly he shut me up, yanking my dress tight, grabbing my zipper and somehow pulling it up with barely any effort at all. A tiny gasp parted my lips but once he let go, I breathed and realized despite its tightness, the dress fit me perfectly.
And judging from the way Mason was looking at me in it, it was the one.
“Um.” Whitney searched for something disruptive to say but came up short. She had to be a masochist, continuing to stand there as Mason locked his eyes on mine through the reflection of the mirror and shook his head. Rubbing the back of his neck, he groaned.
“Yeah, let’s get you home so I can fucking rip this thing off put my hands all over you.”
My eyebrows shot up. Well then. “Funny you should say that,” I smiled, my fingertips absently tracing the curve of my sweetheart neckline. “Because Whitney actually said it was too sexy for me to pull off.”
Mason raised his eyebrows, glanced at Whitney’s beet red mortification and then returned those blue eyes to me. “I’m sure what she meant was that it’s too sexy for me not to pull off of you. Now for Christ’s sake, get changed so I can take you home and throw you on my fucking bed.”
God, yes. A-fucking-plus, Mason.
With that bit of filth, Whitney finally stalked right back into her dressing room. Hand over my mouth, I recouped, reveling in what just happened and letting myself giggle under my breath as I turned to face Mason. “Well done,” I mouthed, arms crossed with content as I leaned back against the wall, listening to Whitney hastily gather her things and zip up her coat before marching straight out of the dressing area in a huff, without so much as a look in either of our directions. Wearing that crooked grin on his lips, Mason waited till she was out of the store to respond.
“Not sure what you’re referring to.”
“‘Let’s go home’?” I smirked. “Like we live together.”