Page 64 of Hypnotized By Love

He laughed and then said, “They’re for your grandma.”

Nana hated pretty much everybody in the world besides our family and Mason. She always talked about him.

I adored her, but it was annoying.

“Can you not?” I asked. “You’ve already won Nana over. You don’t need to be so overkill.”

“I can turn the charm down, but I can’t turn it off completely.”

And I knew that from firsthand experience.

“Look,” I said. “We can get through this. You stay on your end of the table and I’ll stay on mine and—”

“Never the twain shall meet?” he offered as he moved closer to me. The flowers were almost squished between us.

“You’re going to flatten those,” I said, my breath catching at the fire in his eyes, my abdomen swirling with want and liquid heat.

“It’d be worth it.”

My lips parted at his words, and that intensity in his eyes increased.

“Savannah?” My mom had come into my room, breaking whatever spell he had managed to cast over me, and I jumped back, as if she’d caught us doing something we shouldn’t. “Oh, there you are, Mason. Would you mind helping Sierra set the table? I need to have a word with my daughter.”

“Sure thing, Jodi. I’ve got some flowers to deliver.”

He walked backward for a few steps, keeping his eyes on me. Like he was promising something.

When he was gone, I put my fingers over my lips. They were still tingling from anticipation.

“Sit down,” my mom said, patting a spot on my bed next to her. “We need to have a chat.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

There was nothing that made you feel more like a teenager again than your mother telling you that she needed to have a chat with you. If she lectured me about finding Mason in my room, I was going to run amok, arms flailing about wildly.

I sat down next to her.

“Please be nice today,” she said. “Heather has been having a bit of a hard time lately, and I want her to enjoy dinner.”

Concerned, I asked, “What happened?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about,” she said, and I bet Mason knew and would probably tell me.

“I’ll behave,” I said, feeling guilty that so many different people had to tell me to keep my emotions in check.

“Thank you. And I need you to come be a part of the dinner. That means no running off to your room to read.”

“I promise.”

“Or Sierra’s room!” she added, foiling the loophole I had already planned on using.

“I won’t.”

“Thank you. Your dad just got back with Nana, so we’re going to eat in a few minutes. Come down and say hello.”

I was hoping I’d get the chance to fix my hair and put on some makeup, but she waited for me by my bedroom door. So I followed along behind her, trying to do what Sierra had suggested and mentally preparing myself. By showing up in my room, Mason had already thrown me off my game. Why did I physically respond like that to him when I was still angry?

And the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. If he was attracted to me and did like me, then why didn’t he apologize for what he’d done? Didn’t he think it was important to clear the air? There was no way anything could happen between us while that still hung over our heads.

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