Thirty-Two and a Half Complications (16 page)

I stepped in between the two men, my pulse pounding in my head. “If you even consider it, Joseph Simmons, I swear on my mother’s grave that I will never speak to you again.
Do I make myself clear?
”

Joe looked like he was about to lunge past me, but I stood my ground, staring him down.

“Do I make myself clear?” I repeated.

Joe shook his head, his cheek already bruising. “You’re taking his side over mine? He swung first and peace-loving Rose Gardner is taking his side?” He turned away. “
Unbelievable.
”

“Yes. I’ll choose his side every time, Joe. I’m with Mason now. You have to get that through your head.” My voice was calmer than I would have expected given the fact that my nerves were strung like an over-tightened fiddle string.

Every patron in the restaurant had their eyes glued on us in various expressions of disbelief and shock. I wanted to crawl under a rock and live there. But that wasn’t an option.

I turned to face Mason, whose expression bounced between rage and horror. “Mason, let’s go home.”

He nodded, obviously dazed.

The manager, who seemed completely shocked that Mason would be involved in this kind of drama, walked over to our booth. “Is everything all right, Mr. Deveraux?”

“Yes. We’ve straightened everything out. But we’ll need our check,” he said, regaining his composure as he spoke.

“We’ll be more than happy to comp your meal to make up for the inconvenience.” The manager obviously hadn’t seen what had happened.

“No,” Mason said forcefully. “No. I’ll pay.”

The manager turned to Joe, his face scrunching with disapproval. “Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to leave.”

Joe laughed, but it was an ugly sound. “Fine, I’ll leave.” He turned his attention to Mason. “You may have fooled Rose and the rest of this town into believing you’re someone you’re not, Deveraux, but you haven’t fooled me. You can bet your ass I’ll be watching you.”

“Joe,” I warned, my side plastered against Mason’s chest, pushing him back when he tried to lunge for my ex-boyfriend again.

“Sir.” The manager grabbed Joe’s arm. “You need to leave before we call the authorities.”

Violet, who had been standing behind Joe in horrified silence, jumped into action. “Do you have any idea who he is?”

Joe kept his gaze trained on me. “Violet, enough. We’ll leave.”

“But, Joe!”

“We’ll leave.” His voice was serious, but it lacked the usual air of authority he laced with it. He put his arm around Violet’s back and led her to the foyer.

“Oh, my stars and garters,” Neely Kate said, waving a hand in front of her face. “I’m feeling a little dizzy from all that excitement.”

Then she fell over in a faint.

Chapter Eleven

We got Neely Kate revived and Ronnie took her home. He promised me he’d call the doctor when they got home even though Neely Kate insisted it was just part of being pregnant.

Mason insisted on paying for their meal as well as ours, but he was so startlingly quiet and reserved, he frightened me. As soon as we got out to the parking lot and next to his car, I pulled him into a hug.

He stiffened in my arms. “How can you want to hug me after what I just did?” His voice broke as he pulled away.

“He goaded you into it, Mason. This is
not
your fault.”

“Of course it’s my fault! I’m a grown man. In control of my own actions. For God’s sake, I prosecute people for doing what I just did in there.” He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “I should be in prison right now. But I’m
here.
Doing it all over again.”

Oh, God. He was talking about the beating he’d given Savannah’s killer. I grabbed his cheeks in my hands. “No. This was different.”

He looked into my face, his eyes full of fear. “Was it? I didn’t want to stop hitting him, Rose. I probably would have beat Joe senseless if you hadn’t stopped me. What kind of monster am I?”

“No, Mason. Don’t say that.” Tears burned my eyes. His reaction was scaring me. “You’re not a monster. I know your heart. You’re an amazingly good person. If anyone’s to blame it’s me. He goaded you to get back at me for telling him off earlier today.”

His eyes widened slightly. “When did you see him earlier?”

“He stopped by the house before you came home with some trumped-up reason to see me. I suspect he knew you wouldn’t be home.” His body tensed. “But I told him if he didn’t stop harassing me, I’d get you to file a restraining order. He wasn’t happy when he left. And I’m sure it wasn’t an accident that he showed up tonight. I told him he had to leave so I could get ready to go out for dinner. I let it slip that we’d be here. I’m sure he brought Violet because of my argument with her earlier. This is all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head, bringing his forehead down to mine. “You have nothing to be sorry about, Rose. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

I stood on tiptoes and pressed my lips to his, wrapping my arms around his neck.

He groaned and placed his palm on my back, tugging me firmly against his chest and kissing me with abandon. “Let’s go home,” he grunted.

“Yes,” I sighed against his lips.

The fifteen-minute drive home felt longer than usual, but when he pulled up in front of the house, he got out of the car faster than usual with his brace and his cane. I met him at the front of the car and he grabbed my hand, leading me to the porch.

He opened the door, and we let Muffy out to wander around the yard while we stood on the porch making out like we were teenagers and he’d brought me home from a date. But just as we were about to go inside, headlights appeared in the drive.

“Muffy!” Mason called out.

She’d been sniffing something in the yard, but her head jerked up and she came running to the front porch. She sat next to my leg and issued a low growl.

“Rose, take Muffy inside.”

“Mason, we don’t even know who it is.” But as the car got closer, I could see there was a light bar on the top. It was a sheriff’s car.

“
Rose
.”

“Okay,” but I only went inside because I was sure it wasn’t Joe. The only reason he would have shown up in a sheriff’s car would be to arrest Mason. But if he’d had any intention to follow through on his earlier threat, I was certain he would have arrested him in front of the diners in the restaurant to add to Mason’s embarrassment. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of fallout Mason would face for punching the chief deputy sheriff. He’d apprehended one. Hit another. Things weren’t looking so good for his relationship with the Fenton County Sheriff’s department.

We’d left on a lamp in the living room. After all my previous break-ins, I hated walking into a dark house. But tonight I wished it were dark so I could spy out the window without being obvious. I parted the curtain anyway. Mason knew me well enough to know I would be watching, and I didn’t care what the deputy thought. Mason was leaning in the window of the patrol car, but after a moment he straightened and hobbled to the porch.

Several seconds later, Mason came inside and closed and locked the door behind him.

“Everything okay?” I asked. “Why is the car here?”

“Everything’s fine. It’s the patrolman Joe sent to watch over you.” He reached a hand out to me and I walked into his arms, then he kissed me.

“While I love standing here kissing you, I think we need to get you off your feet.”

He grinned at me, but he was more reserved than usual. “I hope that you and I have the same thing in mind.”

“Come upstairs and find out,” I said as I started up the steps.

“That’s not fair,” he called after me. “You’re a lot faster than me.”

Rather than answering, I headed to our room and lit several candles. When he walked in, I was standing at the foot of the four-poster canopy bed, waiting for him. Though I’d kicked off my shoes, I was still wearing my red dress.

I could tell he’d walked too much today because he moved more slowly than he had earlier in the day, not to mention his antics with Joe couldn’t have helped matters. When he reached the edge of the bed, I pushed him down onto it and took off his leg brace, tossing it under the bed so neither of us tripped on it. Then my fingers started on his tie, slowly unknotting it and sliding it from around his neck. Staring into his face, I unbuttoned his shirt, taking my time until I reached the bottom, then unfastened his belt and pants.

When I was done, he stood up, balancing on one foot while resting a lot of his weight against the edge of the bed. He was still studying my face, his expression a mixture of lust and something softer…adoration? Love?

The silence was unlike us. I liked that we talked during sex—sometimes fun teasing, other times hot sexy talk that I had been surprised to discover how much I liked—but tonight was different,
deeper
, and neither of us seemed ready to break the moment.

I tugged off his shirt, then his pants and underwear, and pushed him back down on the bed, worried he’d accidently put weight on his leg if he kept standing.

I stood between his legs and he reached for my face, pulling my mouth to his before his tongue began to explore, making me impatient with need. Mason slid an arm around my back and tugged down the zipper of my dress, his mouth still teasing mine, then tugged the fabric off my shoulders. The garment fell to the floor, leaving me in just my black bra and panties. He leaned back to look at me, sucking in a breath. His gaze rose to my face, his expression pure lust as he lay back on the bed, pulling me with him.

I straddled his hips and his hands found my waist, gliding up and around to unhook my bra. He tugged it off in seconds. I climbed off the bed to strip off my panties while he scooted around until his head was on his pillow. He watched me crawl toward him and grabbed me and pulled me to him when I wasn’t fast enough. He kissed me again, his hands roaming my body until I was panting with need.

Sitting up, he rolled over to grab a condom from the nightstand, but I pushed myself up and grabbed his hand as he was about to put it on.

No more secrets. Not about this.

“I’m not sure if we need one,” I whispered.

Confusion flickered in his eyes. “I thought you had to wait to take the pill again.”

“I did.”

He shook his head. “Then what changed?” An instant later, his eyes widened and he glanced down to my stomach. “Are you?”

Tears filled my eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

His palm cupped my cheek. “Why do you look so scared? Were you worried about my reaction?”

I nodded, a tear falling down my cheek.

“Rose, I love you. No matter what. Baby or not. I’m yours forever.”

I kissed him as more tears fell down my cheeks. He pulled me back, worry in his eyes. “Why are you crying?”

“Because I love you too.” And in that moment I knew it was true.

My words released a possessiveness in him I hadn’t expected, and he kissed me with a passion that made me desperate for more. He finished putting on the condom before I straddled him and began to move, my mouth returning to his as his hands found my hips. I climbed to dizzying heights, then exploded with an intensity that amazed me, Mason close behind.

We stared into each other’s eyes, both of us still catching our breath.

“Say it again,” I whispered.

“I love you, Rose.”

I smiled, new tears burning my eyes. “I love you too, Mason.”

He grinned. “Are you going to cry every time I tell you I love you? Because I plan on telling you a lot and that might put a damper on things.”

“I’m sorry you have to deal with Joe and his obsession with getting me back.”

He raised a gentle hand to the side of my face. “Hey. You are not responsible for Joe Simmons’s behavior.”

“But you hit him tonight, not that I blame you, and then you were so upset—”

“Not at you, Rose. I was upset at myself. I swore I’d never hit anyone again, but he was standing there, insulting you…and I couldn’t take it. I’m sorry.”

I shook my head. “No more sorries. We’re full up of them.” I glanced down without thinking, but Mason tipped my chin up until our eyes met.

“Do you really think you’re pregnant?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe. I’m late and I’m never late.”

“And if we are pregnant,” he said, his eyes imploring. “How do you feel about it?”

I hesitated. “How do
you
feel about it?”

“Honestly?”

“Yes.”

“Obviously it’s not ideal. I hoped we’d have more time alone together. But—” he added when I tensed “—I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I want children with you one day. So if it happens sooner rather than later, I’d still consider it a blessing.”

I kissed him, filled with gratitude. I wasn’t sure what I’d ever done to deserve him, but I thanked my lucky stars he was mine.

He pulled back and studied my face. “Now you tell me, Rose. How do
you
feel?”

“I’ve wanted kids for as long as I can remember. And I still do…”

His thumb rubbed my cheek bone. “But?”

“But not yet. And no one is more surprised I feel that way than I am. I want more time alone with you too. I don’t want the beginning of our relationship to be focused on me barfing and sleeping all the time and picking out nursery bedding.” I paused. “Does that make me a bad person?”

He smiled. “It makes you perfectly normal. And since we’re being entirely honest, I’m profoundly ashamed to admit that I’m happy to hear you want me to yourself too.”

I shook my head, grinning. “But what if I
am?
”

“Then I will love you and our baby and all the other babies to come after him until my dying breath.”

“Him?” I teased.

“Or her.” He shrugged, then leaned down and kissed me until I was senseless. “You looked gorgeous in that sexy red dress tonight. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to not kiss you like this at dinner? I’m sure I deserve sainthood for that.”

I snuggled into him. “Saint Mason.” I laughed. “I prefer Wicked Mason.”

He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. “Now tell me about your fight with Violet.”