Page 35 of Rival for Rent

Because Mason was straight. I was sure of it. That kiss had to have been…an anger thing? Some people cried when they were mad. Maybe Mason kissed people. It made no sense. But I had no other explanation.

I looked down at Bella. “Wanna go for a run?”

Not really a question. Bella always wanted to go outside. She loved running as much as walking—more, even. Anything that got her into the open air, with new people and scents to investigate.

I needed it too. Needed to shake off the adrenaline and anxiety still coursing through me. I changed out of my suit, pulled on my running clothes, popped in earbuds, and clipped Bella’s leash to my waist.

We headed south, crossing M Street and jogging up to the Key Bridge. I loved running across the river, seeing the sprawl of the city stretched out along the Potomac. From there, we took the Mount Vernon trail down to the bridge to Roosevelt Island. I kept our loop short—only four miles—but even that left us both wiped out by the end.

By the time we got back, I was starving. The fridge held nothing but leftover Chinese food that I didn’t want to eat—or smell—ever again. I chugged a glass of water and grabbed my keys. The Safeway on Wisconsin was open 24 hours. I could grab a quick sandwich and yogurt, and restock on the basics while I was there.

I had my own car, though I rarely drove to work because parking was a nightmare. Honestly, parking in Georgetown was a nightmare too, but it was late enough that my space might still be open when I got back.

Still, I glanced over my shoulder twice while walking to my car. The sense of unease was back, clinging to my spine like cold sweat. I hated that Mason had gotten in my head like this. But I couldn’t help feeling relieved when I got into my car and locked the doors behind me.

At the store, I grabbed a prepackaged sandwich and pushed my cart down the aisles, grabbing random things—fruit, bread, soup, cereal. I kept looking over my shoulder there too, though the only people in the store were some college kids giggling in the chip aisle and an employee restocking coffee.

Fuck you, Mason, I thought bitterly. Fuck you for making me paranoid.

Except…what if he was right?

What if someone really was following me? What if they did decide to break into my house next time? Bella might bark—maybe—but she wasn’t going to tear anyone’s throat out. Hell, she’d probably bring them a toy and wag her tail.

I wanted to stay mad at Mason, but I couldn’t. Not really. All he’d done was force me to look at the things I didn’t want to see. That I wasn’t as safe as I pretended. That I needed help. He was both infuriating and correct—my least favorite combination.

I sighed, paid for my groceries, and walked to my car with a sense of dread clawing up the back of my throat. I’d called the service. I’d probably hear back tomorrow. I’d done what Mason asked. What else could I do?

And then I saw it.

My car. The windshield was shattered. A rock the size of my head sat in a spiderwebbed crater in the glass. My breath caught, and I nearly dropped the grocery bags. A note was taped to the rock.

I set the bags down and peeled it off with shaking fingers.

Stop the center, or I’ll show the world what you did.

9

MASON

Iwas at the gym, flat on my back doing chest presses, and I couldn’t get Kai’s face out of my mind. His eyes, his cheeks, his lips—and the taste of him still lingering on my tongue. I grunted and pushed the weight up hard, hoping I could shove the memory out of me. No such luck.

What the hell had I been thinking? Kai was an arrogant, rich, know-it-all, and he annoyed the shit out of me. I didn’t like men. I especially didn’t like him. If I were going to be into men—which I wasn’t—it sure as hell wouldn’t be Kai Jacinto.

Not that he wasn’t good-looking. His face was all clean lines and precision, his brows dark and sharp, his eyes so damn intense. His nose gave him this serious, noble air. And his lips—fuller than they looked. I would know. I flushed just thinking about it. The point was, you didn’t have to be gay to admit someone was attractive.

I caught myself wondering, again, if he’d looked that good in high school or if it had taken time for his features to settle like that. Then—bam—a flash hit me. Kai, staring up at me, eyes wide and scared, my arm pinning him back against a wall. I droppedthe weight back into the rack suddenly, the clang echoing in my ears.

Where the hell had that come from? I couldn’t call up any other details, but the image felt real. Too real. Kai had looked afraid, and I’d felt...what? Something hot and sharp in my chest. Like I needed to prove something. Needed to make him squirm.

Jesus. I wiped sweat from my forehead. Dana had said I’d bullied him. Was she right? Did I really do that to him?

The idea made my stomach turn. I probably owed him another apology. Definitely did. But I wasn’t looking forward to giving it—especially when Kai clearly couldn’t stand the sight of me.

But then, that kiss. He’d kissed me back. No matter how much he hated me, he hadn’t pulled away. That had to mean something. Didn’t it?

Or maybe not. Hell, me kissing him didn’t make any sense either. But I’d been overheated. Adrenaline crashing through my system. Looking for a release.

That kind of thing happened in the military sometimes. It didn’t mean you liked men, just that you needed to feel someone human. Your usual options weren’t there, so you reached for the next warm body.

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