Still inside of me, he lifts his head. “I missed you so fucking much,” he murmurs.
“I missed you too.” I sigh.
Smiling, he leans in and kisses me softly.
We’re deep into the kiss when I hear a noise, the sound of something moving in the yard. Stiffening, I tear my mouth from Mason’s. “Did you hear that?” I whisper.
He stills to listen, and his entire body goes rigid when we both hear something that sounds like a fan opening or a sheet being snapped before it’s shaken out.
He pulls out of me and turns in one lightning-fast motion, his arm going back to shield me from whoever is in the yard. I’m stunned when he lets out a snort of laughter.
“It’s okay,” he assures me. “It’s just my neighbor’s bird. Garrett warned me this could happen.”
Said bird must be the size of a medium-sized dog because that fanning sound wasn’t that of a little bird. Sitting up, I reach for my sweater and pull it over my head before I peer around Mason. My jaw drops and my eyes damn near pop out when I see a big, beautiful peacock standing about four feet from the lounger we’re on. His plumage is extended and he’s staring at us expectantly, like he’s waiting for applause.
“Holy shit,” I breathe. “He’s beautiful.”
The bird caws and looks proud as he starts turning in a circle to show off his feathers.
Just that quickly, something that was teasing my brain earlier makes sense. “Oh my God!” I squeak. “This is Elvis, isn’t it?”
Mason pauses in the process of reaching for his shirt. Turning, he raises a brow. “How do you know Elvis?” he asks.
“I don’t know him know him.” I laugh. “But when I was in the kitchen earlier, something about it seemed really familiar. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but seeing him just brought it all together. His mom is Emery Bellerose and her best friend Kaya used to post videos she filmed in the kitchen on Kaya’s Korner, her YouTube channel.”
Mason laughs as he pulls the shirt over his head before pulling on his boxers and jeans in one smooth move. “Yep, that’s this house. Emery and Kaya wound up marrying—”
“Billionaire brothers,” I interrupt. “I thought they lived in Spain, though.”
He nods as he hands me my underwear and pants. “They spend a few weeks here a year. It’s a little scary that I met the big guy for the first time yesterday and you know more about his life than I do.”
“Carly’s a little obsessed.” I laugh again. “She loved Kaya’s channel and was also a huge fan of Emery’s show, Bytes.”
A smile spreads across my face as I realize the perfect revenge for the date she’d sent me on was literally standing right in front of me.
“I’m going to put the rest of my clothes on. While I do, you need to go inside and get my phone because I’ve got to get a photo of me with Elvis. Carly is going to die when I tell her I was in the kitchen Kaya did some of her best cooking in, but nothing will top the jealousy a picture with Elvis is going to cause.”
Mason laughs, his eyes alight with understanding. Carly loves reality TV and celebrities. That I’m within touching distance of the world’s coolest bird is going to eat her up.
Once I’m dressed and Mason has assured me that my hair doesn’t look like I just got fucked on the lounger, I squat down at Elvis’ side and smile at the camera. The peacock is just as cool as I knew he would be, because he poses with his plumage out, his gaze right on the iPhone as Mason snaps a bunch of pictures. We’re only just finished when I hear a Spanish-accented voice call out from the other side of the wall.
“Elvis, Mommy wants you. Jasinda needs a feather dance.”
The way the bird folds up his feathers and races for the wall is the cutest thing ever. I watch in awe as he flies up and perches on the edge of the wall, stopping to look back over his shoulder at us for a second before he flies off to the other side. Coolest celebrity sighting ever.
After Mason hands me my phone, he links his free hand with mine and takes me inside. After locking the doors, he guides me upstairs into the bedroom.
6
“Time to wake up, angel. We need to eat.”
I groan as I roll from my side, where I’ve been curled up against Mason all night, on to my stomach and bury my face beneath a pillow.
“Too tired to chew,” I grumble.
Mason’s sensual chuckle teases my senses. After making love in the yard, we’d had sex two more times in his bed before I passed out from exhaustion. My body aches in the best way, the aftereffects of a night spent reacquainting myself with my favorite man.