Page 40 of Hot Ice, Tennessee

He turned to one side and sneezed again. “Sorry. Allergies.”

“You sure it’s allergies?” I asked. “If you get me sick during my first week of classes, I’m going to sucker punch you.”

“I’m certain it’s allergies, because I got tested two weeks ago, and it only happens this time of year. It’s ash tree pollen. Happens every time I work long hours outside in the yard.”

“That sucks.”

“My doc gave me allergy meds,” he said. “Just took a couple.”

“So responsible.”

“I’m also fuckingravenous. Thank you for bringing food. Nobody ever brings me food.”

“Don’t you have a ton of friends?” I asked. “They don’t ever bring over lunch?”

“Not exactly,” he said, leaning over the giant kitchen island toward me. “It’s more like…theycome over and drink all myliquor, sometimes pass out on the couch, then head home in the morning.”

“Doesn’t sound that great to me.”

“I don’t mind it. I hate being alone.”

“Usually Ilovebeing alone,” I said. “Lately it kind of drives me crazy, though.”

A moment later he was next to me, sitting down at the counter. We both dug into our sandwiches, and he looked over at me after a minute.

“Your house is beautiful,” I said.

“Thanks.”

“And the kitchen looks even better with you in it.”

“Oh, shut up,” he said. “Flatterer.”

I blew him a kiss.

“You want to help me pick out this cocktail for tonight’s party?” Mason asked a moment later, standing up and walking around to the other side of the kitchen. “I need to make it a good one.”

“Need to impress your friends with your drink-making skills?”

He shook his head. He grabbed one of the cinnamon rolls, taking a bite and moaning at the taste.

I needed to somehow get Mason to stop making sounds like that around me. It was way too appealing, and I could picture him doing it for other reasons that had nothing to do with cinnamon.

“No,” he finally said, his eyes flashing up again to meet mine. “I need this party to be good, and I need people to bringtheirfriends. Because I can’t take it anymore. I’m lifting the ban.”

“Wait. What?”

He licked the icing from his fingers. “Sex-free summer needs to end tonight.”

7

MASON

I wasn’t sure what time it was when Jesse had shown up in my backyard, and I definitely didn’t know what time it was now.

But tonight was already a ‘Mason makes very bad decisions’kind of night.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Jesse said. He was still standing in my kitchen, but I’d gone over and sank down onto the couch. “You’re not lifting the ban.”

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