Page 37 of Hidden Resolution

“It’s like that, huh?” Although amused by the sudden shyness, she offered Erica quiet understanding.

“Like what?”

She snorted. “Don’t try to pretend with me. I know you better than I know myself. You’re the queen of avoidance if you don’t want to answer.”

Erica sighed, tossed her a helpless look, and then leaned forward to ensure the door was closed.

“I’m completely and hopelessly in love with Zack,” she admitted. “I should move out, I know that, but I want to stay.”

Shonda arched a brow. “Do you think it’s wise? How does he feel about you?”

But really, who was she to judge, especially when her own situation was a mess?

“That’s just it. I’m not sure. The way he acts toward me, how caring he can be, how protective, leads me to believe he sees me as more than a convenient lay.”

“I suspected, but ohmygod! You’ve been sleeping with him? With Zack Sharp? Mr. All-Star Jock? You?” Shonda’s voice climbed higher with every syllable, reaching a screech and triggering Zack’s alarm bells. He burst through the door, his expression full of panic.

Any man charging into a room without knowing the threat and sans a weapon earned major points.

When he was assured they were safe, he swiped the remaining half of Erica’s donut, blithely dropped a kiss on her mouth, and saluted Shonda on his way out.

Mouth twitching to suppress her amusement, Shonda beat a hasty retreat. A promised visit, a quick hug, and she was gone, lighter in spirit than she had been.

Until she walked straight into the tail end of a conversation not meant for her ears.

Outside the door, she couldn’t help but overhear the brothers’ voices. She debated entering, not wanting to interrupt what sounded like a serious conversation.

“Should I be concerned?” Mason was asking.

“I don’t know. You tell me. What’s going on there?” Zack demanded.

“Nothing,” Mason snapped. “Jesus. First Dane, now you. It’s called aprivatelife for a reason.”

“Don’t break her heart, man. I don’t need the fallout. I have enough shit on my plate right now,” Zack warned.

“Look, she knew the score going in.” Mason’s caustic reply caused her heart to hammer painfully. “We met on the plane, had fucking mind-blowing sex, and parted company at the airport when we got home. No hearts were involved.”

“Bullshit. You’re looking everywhere but at me. If that’s the case, where were you these last three days?”

The slap of hands against his jeans expressed Mason’s frustration. “Fine, we may not have parted ways at the airport. I followed her home for another few nights together. That’s it.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re both here together,” Dane interjected.

“Actually, I was sleeping off the aftereffects when you called. I met Shonda again in the parking lot,” Mason said. “I didn’t expect to see her again, but she came walking up at the same time we did.” To Zack, he said, “Dane was the one who picked me up this afternoon.”

Zack groaned. “Erica is going to hate you, and maybe me, because you’re an ass.”

“Her friend is an adult who knew the score,” Mason countered with attitude.

Shonda stepped into the doorway. The need to see Mason’s expression was overpowering. If she could burn his arrogant dismissal into her memory banks, maybe she could learn her lesson and move on. He didn’t notice her right away, which was fine. She intended to give him enough rope to hang himself.

“I’m not taking the rap for someone reading more into a casual fuck—” His face paled as he bit off his retort.

Both Zack and Dane pivoted in her direction.

Hot and cold flooded her body. The shock threatened to shut down her system, but the heat from her humiliation kept her alive and anchored in the moment.

She wasn’t embarrassed to be spoken about so rudely. No, that was on Mason. But mortification for being so blind to what an arrogant son of a bitch he was stained her cheeks and was harder to brush off.