Page 81 of City of Sin (Men of Manhattan 1)

"Meeting the family already? That's a big step."

"Mhm." My mind was wandering back to Mason's parents. They weren't speaking. My mom always used to tell me to find a boy who treated his mother right. That was how you could tell if they'd treat you well. If Mason wasn't speaking to his mom, that probably wasn't a great sign.

"Is everything okay with you?" Marie asked.

"Yeah, I just..." my voice trailed off as I looked down at his note again. What would Marie think of this invitation? I wasn't going to ask. Because I had already decided to go. It felt like this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Even if it wasn't going to be a lasting thing, I'd regret not going.

"You just what?" Marie said.

"It was weird. At the gala, I ran into Patrick."

"How the hell did he get tickets? Did everyone have tickets to this thing except for me?"

I laughed. "I don't know. I'm sure he didn't buy them himself if they cost $3000."

"Probably not. So what happened?"

"He was asking why I wasn't willing to give him a second chance. And I got to say a lot of stuff that I wished I had said before. I think he might have been trying to get back together with me. But I said no. A few weeks ago, I probably would have said yes. It was different seeing him this time though. It was like I was actually seeing him for what he was."

"Does that maybe have anything to do with the guy you were there with?"

I couldn't help but smile. "Yes. Mason even comforted me afterward. He came back here and we talked and laughed all night." And kissed a lot. "He's such a sweet guy."

"Really?"

"You sound surprised."

"Oh, no. I mean, I don't know. I can't really picture Mason doing that. He seems so...macho. I feel like panties drop whenever he enters a room. I never would have thought someone would describe him as sweet."

I laughed. "Macho? Well, I think maybe he's softer than he lets on. Not that he isn't sexy. Because he is...really, really sexy." I was rambling just thinking about his abs. My words were greeted by silence. I pulled my phone down to see if the call was still connected. The seconds were still ticking by. I put the phone back to my ear. "Marie? Are you still there?"

"Bee, are you falling for him?"

Was I falling for a guy who knew every secret underground strip club in the city? Was I falling for a guy with a reputation for one night stands? Was I falling for a guy who had inadvertently ended my engagement? "I think I am."

Marie squealed into the phone. "Kendra can suck it! I knew setting you up with him was a good idea."

I laughed. "Yeah, I really owe you one."

"Maybe I should quit my job at Blue and start a matchmaking service."

"Maybe you should."

"I'm sure Carter would love that. You should call Kendra and tell her that you're in love with Mason and that she was completely wrong."

"I'm not going to do that. You just love being right about stuff. I'm sure you're going to call her as soon as we hang up anyway."

"You're right. I am."

"And I never said I was in love with him." I was falling for Mason Caldwell. But I wasn't in love with him. I couldn't be in love with him. I wasn't ready to be in love again.

"Right again. You didn't. But Kendra doesn't need to know all the details. I'm going to call her now. Bye, Bee!"

"Bye, Marie." I was pretty sure Marie had hung up before I had even said goodbye. I looked down at the note Mason had left me. I couldn't be in love again. Because I wasn't ready to be hurt again. And Mason was the type of guy who didn't stick around for long. I needed to remind myself of that. If I allowed my head to catch up with my heart, then I'd be back at square one, alone in this horrible city. That was what love always led to. I just wished I was better at compartmentalizing.

***

My mind had flitted back and forth all day. But here I was, standing in front of the veranda with Trump International Hotel And Tower written in huge gold lettering. I felt like I had been standing still ever since I had given the ring back to Patrick. Mason made me feel like moving again. And if tonight was going to be the last time I saw him, I was going to take advantage of it. I was going to spend the night in a hotel that I would never be able to afford to come back to, with a man that was way out of my league. And I was going to sleep with him. Because I was an adult. And that's what adults did.

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