Page 23 of Mason

“I have a paper due next week I can’t seem to start.”

Mason frowned. This couldn’t be what was bothering her.

“I’ve been thinking about what Sara asked me this morning.”

He waited her out, knowing she’d get to the point when she was ready.

“She wanted to know what my plans were after the semester ended.”

“Ah, I see. Well, you don’t have to worry about that right now. There’s plenty of time before May rolls around. Hell, we haven’t even gotten through the Super Bowl yet.”

“You and football. Why aren’t you on the team here? You love the sport as much as you do computers.”

“Have you seen those college players? They’d decimate me with one good hit.”

“I call BS. You’re forgetting I saw you play with your brothers over Thanksgiving weekend. You took several hard hits, and it barely registered with you.”

“That was one game, Josephine. Imagine a whole semester of me getting my ass beat on the field. Do you want all this harmed and so sore I can’t hold you?” He waved down his body. “I’m too sexy to be all bruised and banged up.”

She snickered, and he smiled, glad to hear her laugh. She was way too serious tonight.

“It’s just that I have to go back to California for the summer, and I don’t want to.”

“I know.” His arms tightened around her. “I wish you didn’t.”

“I thought about getting an apartment, maybe even another part-time job so I could stay in New York.”

“Can’t you stay in the sorority house?”

“Sure, but I hate living here. The girls are nice, but have you tried to share a bathroom with a dozen women? It is not pleasant.”

Mason laughed. “Well, you know. A dozen half naked ladies…”

Jo punched him in the gut, and his breath whooshed out. “Not funny, Mason.”

He kissed her forehead. “It was kind of funny.”

She made the cutest growling sound. It came out more like a kitten’s meow than an actual growl.

“Don’t make jokes about that.”

What the hell was that tone? “Hey, you know you’re the only girl I want, don’t you?”

Her shoulders sagged.

What the fuck? “Josephine, what is going on in that head of yours?”

“It’s just…all the girls told me…I don’t want to be so…and with me going back to California and you here…”

“Slow down.” He adjusted her in his lap until she was forced to look at him. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“All the girls whisper about how you used to sleep with a different girl every night and…” She broke off and looked down.

“And what?”

“And we haven’t had sex yet.”

Ah. So that was what had her all twisted up. “You went through major trauma and a bad breakup. Your leg had to heal, and so did your heart. You don’t just stop loving someone after three years. Ray was…”