Page 10 of Raised On It (Between the Pines #1)

“I call bullshit!” Reece proclaims. “What about that time you left the Round Up with those two girls from Pendleton?”

“Nope. In the end, the blondee wasn’t into it. Besides, the redhead was more than enough on that occasion. I’ve come close but no threesomes here.”

I hear Amelia in the background calling me gross, but my attention is directed to the person who asked the question. At first, she was glad to hear I hadn’t had a threesome, but I don’t think she enjoyed hearing me talk about being with the redhead, and that feels all kinds of good.

A couple of girls we went to high school with show up as does Amelia’s boyfriend, Andrew, putting an end to the game but giving me the chance to take Mason for another swing around the dance floor. We two-step, cha-cha, and slow dance.

There isn’t a lot of talking besides my instructions on the steps to each of the different dances, but the silence isn’t awkward.

The touch of our hands and the closeness of our bodies say more than any words could .

The crackle of electricity that runs between us is undeniable.

The bar is thinning out, which means the night will soon be ending. If I had my way, Beau would lock the place up and turn out all the lights, and I’d stay right here slow dancing with her in my arms.

I swear my friends are out to get me. It’s like they can’t help but ruin the moment and make sure I don’t get my way when they interrupt us to say their goodbyes.

“Mason, you walked here, didn’t you? Did you want a ride?” Amelia asks since she was the DD for the evening.

“Thanks for the offer, but after all of that beer, it’ll do me some good to walk.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll walk her home.”

Three heads swing in my direction and Amelia, Rachel, and Emmett couldn’t be more obvious with their reactions, and Andrew can’t fight his smile. They think I plan on getting in Mason’s pants.

“Relax, I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” I pop my arm out, and thankfully, Mason takes it.

We walk right out the door, leaving the three troublemakers without another word.

Mason’s laughing again. It sounds better than any of the country classics we heard tonight.

Like on the dance floor, we don’t talk much as we walk through town, but with the darkness of the night blanketing us, it’s a comfortable silence.

Once Katie’s house is in view, I rack my brain for something gentlemanly I can do to prolong the evening but only come up with ideas I am sure she would consider far from appropriate.

“I’m really glad Amelia told me to meet them at the bar tonight,” I say, breaking our silence.

“Me too, Miles. I had a lot of fun.”

She takes the steps up the front porch. I can’t help but follow her like a needy puppy. Once she’s on the porch, she stops and turns to me. Standing one step down from her, I am at her eye level.

We both know what we want to happen next, but I’m not sure she’s ready.

“Mason, is it okay if I k?—”

Before I can finish my question, she fists my shirt in her hands, pulling me closer so her lips can find mine.

Her kiss is soft, yet intentional and has me a bit stunned.

But as soon as I get over the fact Mason made the first move, I take her face in my hands and kiss her back.

Our tongues dance, and the heat between us is palpable, but the pace stays slow and meaningful.

This is it.

This is what I’ve waited thirty years to feel.

This is why I haven’t committed to anyone before her.

This right here is what it’s all about.

Too soon for my liking, she gently pushes away, but her hands are still wound up in my shirt, and her face is still in my hands.

She may be stopping the kiss she initiated, but all it does is give me the opportunity to get a front row view to the seductive eyes that have been keeping me up at night.

“Spend the day with me tomorrow,” I blurt out, not giving it a second thought.

I need more.

She takes in a big breath, letting go of my shirt and smoothing it out with her hands. Taking a full step back, she effectively breaks our connection when she says, “Thank you for the invite, but I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Why not?”

“I need to get back to what I came here for, and that’s my writing. I really need to spend the day working.”

She’s full of shit.

She’s scared because she feels it too.

She knows she’s gonna fall hard if she isn’t careful.

“Let me see your phone. ”

There’s no hiding the skepticism on her face.

“I just want to give you my number in case you change your mind or you need your lawn mowed.”

There goes the eye roll I’m starting to live for.

“Sorry, that sounded bad, but you know what I meant.”

She pulls her phone out of her back pocket, unlocks it and hands it to me. She’s biting her lip again. I’ve already figured out this is something she does when she’s feeling shy, and knowing I do that to her feels good as long as she doesn’t shy away from me in the process.

I program my number into her contacts but pause before hitting send on a text to myself, so I have her number too.

“You okay with me sending myself a text so I have your number too?”

Biting her lower lip a little harder, she nods her approval still looking shy.

I hit send.

My front pocket chimes, and I hand her back her phone.

Walking backward until she reaches the door, she says, “Thanks for walking me home. I’ll see you around I’m sure.”

Isn’t she cute, thinking she’ll see me around. Like this would ever be it for us?

“I’ll wait here until you're inside.”

“Oh, um…okay.”

She digs her key out of her front pocket, and I realize she isn’t carrying a purse. And for some reason this really turns me on.

She turns and fumbles with the lock but eventually gets the door open.

“Night.”

“Sweet dreams, Mason.”