It was gentle. A caress.

My wobbly legs turned to liquid.

Then it turned rough.

Harsh.

A bruising of flesh and teeth. Mason groaned low in the back of his throat. I let out a breathy sigh.

I was forgetting everything.

Everything but the man kissing me in view of everyone.

Audible laughter had us pulling apart. A group of teenagers ran by us whistling and yelling rude words.

“Let’s go.” Mason reached behind me and unlocked my door, letting me into the safe, dark interior of his car. I ran my hands through my hair, my hands shaking.

I was forgetting too much.

I couldn’t do that.

No matter how hot Mason was. Or how well he could kiss.

But I’m going home with him….

Into the belly of the beast.

Exactly where I wanted to be.

—

“Don’t mind the cat. He’s an asshole,” Mason said, unlocking his apartment door and letting me inside.

I had barely paid attention to where we were as he drove us to his home.

I knew the address already anyway.

He flipped on the lights and I looked around, just as he had looked around my house earlier. Taking everything in. Cataloging the things I should notice. Paying attention to the things others wouldn’t.

Like the photographs. The smiling man with his arm slung around Mason.

Another of this same man, only as a teenager wearing a basketball jersey, with a wide, toothy grin and a life ahead of him.

These were Mason’s secrets.

His past.

One he couldn’t hide from me.

The cat in question immediately wrapped himself around my feet, purring loudly.

“What are you? The cat whisperer?” Mason laughed. “That jerk doesn’t like anyone.”

I leaned down on my haunches and scratched the very sweet cat behind the ear. He leaned his furry head into my hand, butting my palm with his cold, wet nose.

“I don’t know, he seems pretty friendly to me.”

“That’s Tigger. He’ll lull you into an easy confidence. Make you think he’s not completely evil. But watch this.” Mason leaned down and attempted to stroke the cat’s back.

The cat morphed from sweet, lovable kitty to demon spawn instantly. He swiped at Mason’s hand, hissing and baring his teeth before running into another room.

“Wow, you sure do have a way with animals,” I teased, getting back to my feet.

I was feeling awkward. The heat between us had cooled a bit on the fifteen-minute ride to Mason’s apartment. I was now wishing I had waited. Put this off a little while longer. Until he liked me a little bit more.

“Yeah, well, he’s a special case.” Mason took off his coat and hung it up. “You can take your coat off, Hannah.” His eyes twinkled and I let out a shaky laugh, sliding my coat off and handing it to him.

“Should I take my shoes off?” I asked lamely.

Mason gave me a funny look. “If that would make you more comfortable.”

I kicked off my heels, which were like a modern-day torture device, and walked into his living room. It wasn’t a very big apartment. And it was messy. Very bachelor pad. It wasn’t really dirty, just cluttered.

As if reading my mind, Mason gathered a couple of shirts thrown over the back of the couch and balled them up. “Sorry it’s not cleaner. I wasn’t really expecting…I mean, I would have tidied up if I had known—”

“If you had known how easy it would be to get me to go home with you?” I joked. Badly. I winced. Mason cringed.

Damn it. I was playing this all wrong.

I knew better.

Mason gently wrapped his hands around my upper arms, his thumbs rubbing up and down in a way that he meant to be soothing but that served only to jangle my already frayed nerves. “That’s not what I’m expecting having you here, Hannah. I would never expect that.”

I closed my eyes briefly. Silently berating myself for being my usual abrasive self. I was working hard to suppress my less-than-appealing side for Mason.

This was what hormones did.

They made me an idiot.

“I know. I was being silly.” I had to rectify this situation quickly. All the hot, searing lust I had seen in his eyes had melted away, and now he was looking at me like a man who had to tread carefully.

I needed him out of control.

I wanted him off balance.

For me.

I leaned up on my tiptoes and kissed his chin. Lightly. Running the length of my tongue along the curve of his jaw.

“I think we should stop talking, don’t you?” I pressed my breasts against him, stomping all over the butterflies running rampant in my stomach.

I had to be sure.

Confident.

I could feel his excitement. He liked me against him. I was glad. So glad. He had no idea how much.

“Hannah,” he rasped, his hands tightening on my arms. I kissed the hollow of his throat. I could taste the sweat on his skin. Salty. Thick. Hungry.

Kiss. Kiss. Nibbling. I knew this was right. I could feel it. Hard against my belly. Between my legs.

Rolling and falling. A tumbled, twisted mess. I had to make this count.

I felt his lips in my hair. Nuzzling. Too tender. Where was the man with the desperate lips from the parking lot?

I pushed against him, the backs of his legs hitting his couch. He sat down heavily, bringing me with him. I hiked my skirt up over my hips, exposing the lacy panties I had worn just in case. I straddled him, my fingers in his hair.

“Hannah,” he said again. A little more insistently. I ignored the implication, knowing I had to keep going.

I wouldn’t ruin this. Not now.

I finally kissed him and he yielded. His tongue invaded my mouth and I thought, This is it.

Then he was pulling back. Pushing me off. Gently, of course. But pushing me away all the same.

“Hannah.” He said my name again but this time with an underlying command.

Stop.

I sat back, breathing heavily, my face flushed. My legs spread wide. Humiliation just starting to set in.

“I thought…” I blinked in confusion.

Had I misread the situation entirely?

I thought I had done everything the way I was supposed to.

I started to slither off his lap, my pride in tatters, but Mason held me in place, not letting me move. I couldn’t screw this up! What if I already had?

“You thought right,” he assured me, pulling my hair over my shoulder, his hand firm on the side of my neck, his thumb pressing against my fluttering pulse.