“Funny,” I remarked. “So two dates in one night. Never happened?”
“No.”
“And the girls you shunned in public?”
“I’ve been short with the few who interrupted me during business lunches. But I’d just rather not subject clients to conversations that include women thanking me for the multiple orgasms last night. I know they’re just trying to keep themselve
s in my memory, but I suspect my gifted cock isn’t exactly a professional topic of discussion.”
I raised my eyebrows. I definitely agreed but I didn’t let that on. “Maybe they resort to that because you won’t answer their texts.”
Mason laughed. “You’re right, I don’t answer all the texts I receive. There are only so many different ways to say ‘thank you’ and ‘very nice’ to pictures of naked tits.”
I choked on my water. “And here I thought you liked nudes.”
Mason nodded his thanks for the Scotch the waiter placed in front of him. “I prefer my women naked in person. That said, I’m still very much open to receiving nudes of any kind from you.”
“Color me charmed. I’ll get right on that.”
Mason laughed. “I know I’m not getting naked pictures from you, Taylor. I’ve already made my peace with that.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. What did you try – meditation?”
“Philosophy. I think Plato said something about sexting being a form of hedonism.”
“I must’ve missed that lecture in college. Probably because I didn’t go to college.”
Mason turned to me with the truest surprise I’d ever seen on his face. “You? Didn’t go to college?”
I shrugged. “Does that completely shatter your image of me?”
“Kind of. I had a pretty vivid picture of you being the buzzkill who called campus security on parties.”
I let out a sharp laugh that had everyone glancing over with curious amusement. Mouthing sorry, I quickly hid my face, turning my blushing cheeks back to Mason who was watching me with a big smile. I suppressed my own giggle. Weird. I didn’t expect this particular conversation to lighten my mood but somehow, it was doing the job.
“Alright, so now that we’ve debunked the myth of how I grossly mistreat women, are we done covering exactly why you’ve hated me all these years or is there something else to it?” Mason asked.
My smile faltered. Instantly, the question had bad memories trying to crawl their way to the forefront of my mind, but with my nerves freshly pacified, I refused to let them. “That covers it,” I lied, flashing a bright smile.
“Good. Then cheers.”
I accepted the glass of wine Mason handed me. “To what?”
“The fact that everyone in this room is watching you right now,” he said as he peered out at the restaurant. “So either you show them something right now or I will.”
“That sounds remarkably dirty. What exactly are we talking about?”
“Our recent spectators thanks to your ear-shattering laughter,” Mason said, prompting me to roll my eyes. “I mean we’re supposed to be a couple. Might as well take advantage and explicitly show that right now.”
“What, you want a kiss or something?”
“Since you offered so sensually.”
“Shut it.”
Mason laughed. “A passionate gesture of any sort if what I’m looking for. Now before we lose our audience, who’s doing it? You or me?”
My eyes fluttered. “What? I don’t know,” I muttered, feeling awkward and rushed. But since I was afraid of what liberties Mason might take with a sexy public gesture, I finally blurted, “I’ll do it,” and slapped a hand square on his chest, leaning hastily into his body to sell it. “There. Done,” I breathed out in relief but then I blinked. Shit. I stared down at my palm – at my fingers dipping into the deep-cut lines of Mason’s muscled chest. The heat of his body under my skin lit my cheeks right on fire, but they burned for different reasons when he broke the silence and laughed.