Page 96 of Bang

Dang it.

His lips twitched at the corners. "Uh-huh."

"And I don't mean cannibalism."

As I spoke, it wasn't lost on me that my metaphor was a minefield of dangerous innuendos, especially considering that any "eating" had been on Mason's part, not mine.

At the memory, I felt a frustrating warmth settle in my core, making my resolve falter, just as I'd feared.

After all, I'd been sticking to my own bedroom for a reason.

And now, Mason looked dangerously close to smiling.

I told him, "It's not funny."

"Am I laughing?"

"No. But you want to. I can tell."

His voice softened in the night. "Trust me. That's not what I want to do."

I felt myself swallow. "Then whatdoyou want?"

When he replied, his voice was more tender than I'd ever heard it. "First, I want to hear what's wrong."

Chapter 35

Cami

He couldn’ttrulywant to know. And yet, he looked so sincere that my stomach gave a traitorous flutter.None of this was going how I'd planned.

In my mind, I'd envisioned him reacting with cold indifference or worse, utter contempt, the kind he'd shown to Livia back in Petoskey when she'd been slobbering all over him.

But now, as he gazed down at me, he didn't look contemptuous at all. If anything, he looked concerned.

For me?

It almost looked that way.

Or more likely, I was simply getting swept away by my own emotions – the kind I'd been trying to ignore for weeks now.

But was it any wonder?The night was clear and cold, with a nearly full moon and a sky filled with stars. And yet, none of this could compare to Mason's incredible eyes as he gazed down at me with a look that made my pulse quicken in spite of all my good intentions.

I gave myself a mental slap. This was no time to let down my guard. Mason was notoriously ruthless. And, if I hadn't known this already, he'd made it perfectly clear in the pantry, when he'd explained the consequences I'd face if I failed to keep my emotions in check.

It was time to get to the point already.

I took a deep breath and plunged onward. "Alright, here's the thing. You remember that ice cream? In my story, I mean?"

"I remember."

"Well, sometimes, you know in advance you shouldn't eat it. And youespeciallyshouldn't eat the whole thing. But it's the middle of the night, and it soundssoooogood. And you're thinking, 'I'll just have a little bit.' Or maybe you're thinking, 'Okay, I'll eat the whole thing, but it won't besobad, because I'll hit the gym extra hard in the morning. Or maybe I'll make up for it by giving up ice cream entirely for the next week, or the next month. Or even forever–'"

"Why?"

"What?" I shook my head. "What do you mean why?"

"I mean, why give it up?"