Page 8 of Fun and Games

The bar with Hottie Mason. The guy I'd gone home with that night.

A flush rushed to my cheeks, half-embarrassed and half-pleased.

Going home with a random stranger wasn't usually my thing, but I'd thoroughly enjoyed the time I'd spent with Mason.

Maybe I could talk Samantha into going again sometime. I'd have to endure her third degree again, of course. I'd already sat through a round of that when she asked me what exactly I'd gotten up to when I'd disappeared for the night. She hadn't fully accepted my explanation, which consisted of a lie about enjoying a few drinks with Mason and then parting ways.

But there was a small kernel of doubt rising in my stomach. Did I really want to risk seeing him again? I'd promised myself I would live a life with no regrets, but did that mean seeing him again was a good idea?

Although I'd walked away after the sex, I liked the guy.

A flutter of panic hit my stomach. I put a hand to my belly to quell it.

I liked him maybe too much.

I was still vacillating when a familiar head of wavy chestnut hair appeared in the distance.

I squinted, not sure I was seeing right, but there he was, just the guy I'd been thinking about.

My heart thumped heavily in my chest.

It wasn't an uncommon coincidence. This was the neighborhood where he worked, after all. Still, it seemed like a sign that only moments after thinking about him Mason should appear, walking down the street while glued to his phone.

I contemplated turning on my heel and going in the opposite direction. It would be awkward, wouldn't it, running into the guy I'd had a one-night stand with? Especially after ditching him once we were done.

I dithered too long as the dogs kept pulling me forward, because before I could decide whether to keep going or turn around, Mason had gotten close enough to see me, too.

When he looked up from his phone, his eyes met mine. His easy stride faltered, and his eyes went wide.

We were too far to speak, but too close to pretend we hadn't both seen the other.

I lifted my hand in a little wave and immediately felt dumb. But he returned it.

I was getting close to where he'd stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. I tried to slow down, but the dogs kept dragging me along. I had to wrangle with their leashes to get them to ease up, digging my heels into the pavement and gritting my teeth.

Mason's lips curled into a half-smile as he watched me battle with the dogs.

I wrapped the leashes around my wrist and reached into my pocket to rustle the treat bag. They halted in their tracks, tongues hanging out of their mouths again.

I tossed a handful of treats to the ground between me and Mason, and the dogs fell upon them. His eyes lit up as they snarfed down the kibble bits.

"They're energetic little guys, are they?" was the first thing out of his mouth.

"I've got a handle on it," I panted, already winded.

He nodded to the treat bag.

"Bribery?" he asked.

"If it works, it works," I replied.

That wavy hair falling into his eyes was a lighter brown than I'd remembered from the bar, but his green eyes were just as bright. His handsome face with its chiseled jaw made my insides flip.

He gave me a brief sweep of his eyes, from head to toe. From the spark of interest I caught in them, I knew Mason was making a similar assessment of me.

"I didn't know you lived in this neighborhood," he said once his eyes were back to focusing on my face.

"I don't," I replied. "I'm on my way to the dog park."