The holidays were hard for my family. I knew my moms would love to see Mason, and I loved being around her. But if I told her just how disappointed I was, she’d feel bad, and it wasn’t her fault either, so I held it in—like I always did.
Once everything was done and we were free to go, Mason asked if I had enough time to go to the coffee shop she and Lucian always went to after visits.
The actual answer was a big, fat NO.
I had my weekly meeting with all the department heads at S.H.A.D.E today, and then a few more because we were trying to recruit more agents. PLUS, I now had to meet with the CEO and HR and explain to them that in addition to taking the entire month of December off like I do every year, I now had to work part-time between Thanksgiving and my vacation.
The boys could take care of the baby. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited for Rosie, but I wanted to help Mason. If I were beside her twenty-four-seven during her postpartum period, she’d have no chance to follow in Charlotte’s footsteps.
But Mason smiled, and any chance I had of telling her no evaporated. So, instead, I sent everyone a quick email to clear my calendar until around noon. Once that was done, I laced my fingers in hers, and we stepped out of the doctor’s office into the bitter, frosty November day.
An icy wind brushed past us, pushing my hair behind my shoulder and causing me to shiver.
Mason seemed unfazed, though, as she looked around the crumbling brick buildings lining the street. I hated how old everything was in Hartwood. After a moment, she extended her arm to point at a building about a block away.
“There.” She explained.
My nose scrunched a little. If today had been nice, I’d have no problem walking. But the world was gloomy and, quite frankly, too cold to even leave the house.
“Do you want to stay here while I get the car?” I offered.
“Why would you do that?” Mason looked at me like I had three heads. “It’s just right there.”
Gosh darn it.
I knew she was right. I also knew Mason was never someone to argue with. As much as I could punish her at home or have Lucian spank her butt, Mason had a way with words that were almost unfair. Honestly, she could have been a successful lawyer if she hadn’t been expelled from high school.
With a resigned sigh, I pulled my coat closer to brace myself against the wind.
“How was your date night with Lucian?” Mason already sounded a little out of breath despite the fact this walkjuststarted.
But, instead of reminding her that I’d be more than happy to pull the car around, I focused on the conversation. “It was great. We had sex in the bathroom.”
Mason gasped like she and I hadn’t done it in a dressing room.
“That’s really all you cared about? Didn’t you guys go see a play and then go to some crazy expensive restaurant?”
“No, we did… but the bathroom was my favorite part.” I shrugged. “What about your night with Cameron minus the whole hospital visit?”
A black truck driving past us filled the lull in our conversation. Once it was gone, Mason cleared her throat.
“We uh, we had sex too,” she sheepishly admitted.
“See! It’salwaysthe best part.” The second I said that I realized I had an opportunity to mention something I’d been thinking about. “Hey, how’s Seb in bed?”
Her eyes widened as she focused on me.
“He’s fine,” she squeaked.
“Just fine? Really?” I scoffed.
He was six-feet-five-inches of pure muscles. I also knew for a fact his tongue was pierced. How was a man like that justfine?
But Mason nodded. “I’m the only person he’s had sex with, so he’s still learning.”
Awe.
But now wasn’t the time to think about how cute it was that Seb stayed a virgin for over twenty years. Instead, I had to push my luck. “Do you think he’dwantto do it with anyone else?”