Page 98 of Off Plan

Plus, why shouldn’t Mason get the hearts and flowers? Or in this case, beers and conversation? He damn well deserved them, and it wasn’t a huge sacrifice on my part. It wasn’t any sacrifice at all.

“That’s too bad, because now I like your idea better,” I informed him. I slapped him lightly on his towel-covered ass and crossed the room to pull two beers from the minifridge.

“You’re annoying.” He scowled as he sat on the edge of the bed. “I reserve the right to change my mind when I feel like it.”

I crossed the room and nudged him over to sit in the middle of the bed and handed him a beer. “But why, when you have such good ideas the first time around?” I nodded at the many, many boxes of condoms on the nightstand. “Although, unless we’re having a water balloon fight later, your condom-to-lube ratio is off, baby.” I leaned back against the pillow, and an instant later, Mason leaned over to put his beer on the nightstand and curl against my side.

Yeah, definitely not a sacrifice.

“Pickles’ is not the best place to buy sex accouterments, FYI.”

“No? Surprising.”

“This was their entire supply of lube, and I refused to ask Jim if he had more out back, especially since I thought you’d be buying some, and I didn’t have a car to go—”

“I have some already. In my room.”

“Oh.” He flushed. “That’s right, because you’ve…right.” He buried his face in my armpit.

I snorted.This guy. “You know, lube is useful for other things besides anal sex. Like, jerking off in the morning when I’ve had to spend the night in my own bed the night before, the way I did last night.”

Mason’s face emerged and he looked somewhat mollified. “Yeah?”

“Definitely, yeah. And you know, youcoulddrive my car if you had a non-lube emergency. As long as you understand that the Charger is my most precious possession, vow to never drive her over the speed limit, park her at the very back of every lot, and put her back exactly where you found her. Big Rafe has a spare key.” Then I added grimly. “For now, anyway.”

Mason’s eyes widened. “I can drive your car? Oh my God. Does this mean we’re going steady? Are you giving me your letterman-jacket-thing, Danny Zuko?”

I set my beer next to his on the nightstand.

“You. Are a dork.” I rolled on top of him, bracing on my forearms, and dropped a kiss on his lips.

Mason laced his fingers behind my neck and grinned. “So. Why will Big Rafe only have a keyfor now?” He mimicked my deeper voice on the last two words.

“Because he pissed me off.” I sighed. “Worse than usual.”

“Yeah? He had a banner day today. What did he say?”

I focused on the wall behind Mason’s bed. “That I need to stop letting the past hold me back and start planning a brighter future. Total bullshit.”

Mason’s fingers tangled in the hair at the back of my neck. “Why’s that bullshit?”

“Because I’m fine with the life I’ve got now. I don’t want more. I don’twantto want more.”

Mason stared at me steadily for a minute. “This is about that guy in Texas.”

“No,Uncle Rafe, it’s really not.” Not a hundred percent.

“Oooh, Big Rafe caught that, too, huh? No wonder you’re pissy.” Mason’s fingers tugged on my hair. “If we’re going to do this, you need to be a hundred percent honest with me about what’s going on in that brain.”

“I’m not pissy. And your Fenn-voice needs so much work.”

He grinned. “I’ll keep practicing. Now start talking.”

I rolled my eyes. “Not sure if you noticed, but I have a hot guy nearlynakedunderneath me, a beer cracked open, and a plentiful—” I eyed the nightstand. “—okay,adequatesupply of lube waiting for us to get to it. I donotwanna talk about Thad Chambers right now, Mason.”

“Thad Chambers.” Mason bit my jaw. “Now we’re getting somewhere. He evensoundsevil. How’d you meet?”

I huffed out a breath and pulled back to press a kiss to the center of his chest.