Page 87 of Bang

My breath caught. His smile – it looked different, all warm and wonderful. Plus, it went all the way to his eyes, making him look younger and more carefree than I'd ever seen.

I was so mesmerized, I couldn't bring myself to look away.

Wow.Sothat'swhat sex did to him.

Still, I'd be foolish to think it was anything more than a physical release – not just for him, but for both of us.

A happy sigh escaped my lips.Oh, but what a release it had been.For me, there'd been multiple releases.

Imagine that.

There was only one downside. The plan had been for me to get Mason out of my system and return to a normal state-of-mind – one where I wasn't lusting after my enigmatic boss.

But the longer I thought about it, the more I realized that he wasn'tquiteout of my system. He still thrilled me beyond all reason. And the sex – it had been the best I'd ever had, with no close runner-up.

As our gazes held, I heard myself say, "I've got a question."

"Yeah?"

"What if I get thirsty again?" I hesitated. "Like tomorrow night for example."

Technically, my question was ridiculous.Of course I'd get thirsty.After all, no human could survive long without water – not even Mason Blastoviak, who hardly seemed human at all.

But surely, he knew what I wasreallyasking.

Still, he remained silent as the question hung unanswered between us. As I watched, his smile faded, and his expression grew thoughtful.

What on Earth was he thinking?

I had no idea.

And by now I felt slightly foolish. Still, I couldn’t seem to let it drop. "Like, let's say it's the middle of the night, and I want a bottle of water. Should I go to the kitchen, or…?"

Deliberately, I left the sentence unfinished, figuring it was up to Mason to fill in the blanks.

Finally he said with no trace of humor. "Or what? Keep water in your own room?"

I stiffened.No. That's not what I'd meant at all.

And surely, he knew this.

Masonwasn'tstupid. So either he was deliberately misunderstanding, or this was his way of telling me that one night together was more than enough.

Well, this wasn't humiliating or anything.

But hey, thathadbeen the deal, right?

With an awkward laugh, I said, "Never mind. I mean, I can always stash water under my own bed, right?" I hesitated. "Or I could stick my head under the tap, or, um…" I paused. "You know what? I think I'll stop talking now."

Deliberately, I clamped my lips shut and glanced around his bedroom.Probably this was my cue to leave.

I considered the logistics.Should I just gather up my things and go?

I had my pants, but my tank top was still in the pantry.Should I ask to borrow Mason's suit jacket again? Or would that be too presumptuous now that we were done?

I was still thinking when Mason said in a quiet voice, "Hey."

I turned to look. "Yeah?"