rinsed off the plates she’d washed and stacked them in the dishwasher.
Working together, they were soon done. Drinks in hand, they headed to the living room. Lightning flashed in the distance and Alexis walked over to unlock the balcony door.
“Turn off the light.” She motioned to the wall switch and he flipped it obediently. The room darkened, but nothing in the city resembled true darkness. Outside, the air was electric with a storm rolling in, a fat black thunderhead that charged the heavens. Cradling her wine glass, she stared up at the sky with an expression that verged on rapture.
Awed, he watched her, not the weather. “You used to be afraid of thunderstorms.”
“I used to be a lot of things,” she said softly. “But I grew up.”
“I noticed.”
Though her gaze remained on the sky, the scent of her arousal wreathed the air around him and he smiled. Lexi could pretend to be angry or dismissive all she liked, she still wanted him.
“That’s what I mean,” she said softly. “I want a human life where my every emotion isn’t on twenty-four hour display.”
“You enjoyed my compliment,” he said. “I wanted you to enjoy. I wanted you to know I want you. What’s so wrong with that?”
When she turned to lean sideways against the rail, he put his hand on the bar. The building was secure and constructed of fine materials, but while he could survive a fifteen-story drop, she could not. “Why did you leave, Mason?”
“Answering a question with a question is deflection.” His attempt at humor didn’t sway her.
“Pointing it out is deflecting, too.”
“Why don’t you want me to know you’re aroused? That the thought of me touching you is appealing.” Her pulse accelerated at his question, but her eyes narrowed and thunder rumbled as she scowled.
Nature scored her temper and he laughed. The sound came from his belly and it shed years of isolation and distance in its wake. Though she fought against it, the corners of her mouth began to twitch until finally Lexi chuckled.
“Having you know I’m interested is one thing,” she said, sobering. “Having everyone else know? Not so much.”
If everyone else knew, they’d know not to touch what was his. Mason shrugged. It was a win-win. Not that she could be his, but if they were home—in another time and another place. “Since it is only me,” he appealed to her levity once more. “Feel free to be as aroused as you like. I will continued to savor the taste of you while I imagined what it will be lick—”
She didn’t let him finish the sentence, clapping her hand over his mouth. With a smile, he stroked his tongue along her palm then swirled it at the center. The musk of her filled the humid air around him and her pupils dilated. “You’re terrible.”
For her? Yes . Keeping her hand hostage, he clasped it and moved it down to his chest. “You smell wonderful. Almost as wonderful as you taste.” How far would she let him go?
Not far, apparently, because she rolled her eyes. “Dad didn’t want me to move so far away, but I picked Dallas for the distance…and the storms.”
So she would rather talk about the subject she didn’t want to discuss earlier than admit to the sensuality between them. Stroking his thumb along the back of her hand, he tried not laugh. Lexi would lead him a merry chase. A warning bell went off, one he should pay attention to, but he wanted to concentrate on her—especially if she revealed more details about her life.
“They have some great schools here and, to compromise, I let Dad recommend me to a friend of his. I work at his law office four days a week and go to school in the evenings. If I have a morning class, Carter doesn’t mind. Frankly, I think I could show up every two weeks for a paycheck and nothing else, and he wouldn’t comment or care.” That fact didn’t sit well with her. No, it wouldn’t sit well with him either.
“I prefer to earn my way. My first year on the outside, I
Working together, they were soon done. Drinks in hand, they headed to the living room. Lightning flashed in the distance and Alexis walked over to unlock the balcony door.
“Turn off the light.” She motioned to the wall switch and he flipped it obediently. The room darkened, but nothing in the city resembled true darkness. Outside, the air was electric with a storm rolling in, a fat black thunderhead that charged the heavens. Cradling her wine glass, she stared up at the sky with an expression that verged on rapture.
Awed, he watched her, not the weather. “You used to be afraid of thunderstorms.”
“I used to be a lot of things,” she said softly. “But I grew up.”
“I noticed.”
Though her gaze remained on the sky, the scent of her arousal wreathed the air around him and he smiled. Lexi could pretend to be angry or dismissive all she liked, she still wanted him.
“That’s what I mean,” she said softly. “I want a human life where my every emotion isn’t on twenty-four hour display.”
“You enjoyed my compliment,” he said. “I wanted you to enjoy. I wanted you to know I want you. What’s so wrong with that?”
When she turned to lean sideways against the rail, he put his hand on the bar. The building was secure and constructed of fine materials, but while he could survive a fifteen-story drop, she could not. “Why did you leave, Mason?”
“Answering a question with a question is deflection.” His attempt at humor didn’t sway her.
“Pointing it out is deflecting, too.”
“Why don’t you want me to know you’re aroused? That the thought of me touching you is appealing.” Her pulse accelerated at his question, but her eyes narrowed and thunder rumbled as she scowled.
Nature scored her temper and he laughed. The sound came from his belly and it shed years of isolation and distance in its wake. Though she fought against it, the corners of her mouth began to twitch until finally Lexi chuckled.
“Having you know I’m interested is one thing,” she said, sobering. “Having everyone else know? Not so much.”
If everyone else knew, they’d know not to touch what was his. Mason shrugged. It was a win-win. Not that she could be his, but if they were home—in another time and another place. “Since it is only me,” he appealed to her levity once more. “Feel free to be as aroused as you like. I will continued to savor the taste of you while I imagined what it will be lick—”
She didn’t let him finish the sentence, clapping her hand over his mouth. With a smile, he stroked his tongue along her palm then swirled it at the center. The musk of her filled the humid air around him and her pupils dilated. “You’re terrible.”
For her? Yes . Keeping her hand hostage, he clasped it and moved it down to his chest. “You smell wonderful. Almost as wonderful as you taste.” How far would she let him go?
Not far, apparently, because she rolled her eyes. “Dad didn’t want me to move so far away, but I picked Dallas for the distance…and the storms.”
So she would rather talk about the subject she didn’t want to discuss earlier than admit to the sensuality between them. Stroking his thumb along the back of her hand, he tried not laugh. Lexi would lead him a merry chase. A warning bell went off, one he should pay attention to, but he wanted to concentrate on her—especially if she revealed more details about her life.
“They have some great schools here and, to compromise, I let Dad recommend me to a friend of his. I work at his law office four days a week and go to school in the evenings. If I have a morning class, Carter doesn’t mind. Frankly, I think I could show up every two weeks for a paycheck and nothing else, and he wouldn’t comment or care.” That fact didn’t sit well with her. No, it wouldn’t sit well with him either.
“I prefer to earn my way. My first year on the outside, I
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