The Price of Mason (Forbidden Men 10)

“You didn’t go off to find Luke after leaving my tent,” he announced as if just then realizing that.

“No,” I said, before sniffing. “After messing up so badly with you, I wasn’t about to try that again.”

“And what were you trying?” He seemed to genuinely want to know what I’d been attempting that I sighed because I knew I needed to tell him.

“Please… Just don’t laugh when I tell you, okay?”

“Tell me what? That you have a thing for Luke?”

“No.” I shook my head, frowning over the very idea. “It’s actually not that at all.”

“So… You don’t have a thing for Luke, and that’s why you crawled on top of him naked—or on top of who you thought was him. Damn, T. You know that makes no sense at all, right?”

“I know, just… Give me a moment to try to explain this, will you?”

“Okay.” When he nodded and actually stayed quiet, waiting for me to talk, I sighed.

“Lately, I’ve been having really bad experiences with dating.”

Instantly alert, he asked, “Bad, how?”

“I mean…” Rolling my hand, I said, “Not like any of them have hit me or anything like that, but they’ve just been so… Every single one of them has been an inconsiderate asshole, and there seems to be this level of misunderstanding or…I don’t know. It’s always like me and the guy I’m with are from two different universes.”

“Like men are from Mars, and women are from Venus?”

Because I knew he was mocking me, I sent him a dry scowl. “It’s like none of them have the same morals, and values, and ideas I do. Our family group is so close and tight-knit, I swear I’ve grown up in this bubble, and everyone outside it are Martians to me. And it’s finally starting to bother me. It’s like I just expect them to be like…like y

ou guys, or think like you guys, or react like I’m used to someone in our family circle reacting. None of them measure up. And when they don’t, it’s almost disappointing. Then, when Beau and Bentley got together last year, they just seemed to mesh so well.”

“Because they fell in love,” JB answered.

“I know, but then you and Sonya broke up, and it felt like it was because she wasn’t one of us. She just didn’t belong in our group.”

“It was because she cheated on me.”

“Yes, I know. But it got me to thinking… What if I tried for something like what Beau and Bentley have? Something with someone familiar, someone from our group? And if maybe I just, you know, forced it along a little, something with that person might hopefully bloom into...more.”

“So, you picked…Luke?”

“I don’t know. Yeah. I guess.” I shrugged, growing even more embarrassed. “I mean, sure. He seemed like the most logical choice to test first, to see if it would feel like kissing my brother or if…if we could actually create chemistry or something together.”

“So, he’s the one in our group you’re the most attracted to?”

“No…” I said slowly, furrowing my brow over that suggestion. Did I find Luke more attractive than, say, JB? I glanced at JB, and my body thrummed with desire.

Nope. No, I didn’t. Not at all.

But then something in JB’s expression had me studying him until I realized…holy shit. He was hurt.

He was hurt I’d chosen Luke and not him.

But why would JB care who I’d chosen, unless…wait. No. JB couldn’t like me.

Could he?

Oh, wow. My mind spun with such a notion as I covered his hand on my leg with my own fingers and squeezed in apology. “It wasn’t because I preferred him over you, or…or anyone else, or because I even like him better. I don’t. Not at all. He’s just the closest to me in age and… Well, you know, our personalities are somewhat similar. We’re not as serious and intense as…as you are.”

“You meaning as boring and responsible as I am,” JB said bitterly.