“Shh,” I whisper out.
“Look at that, Heath. If only you would find a nice girl and settle down,” I hear a woman say, but I’m so tired I don’t open my eyes to see what’s going on around me.
“Ma, please. I’m happy where I am. Not everyone can be the cool single Uncle.”
“Good morning, Sunshine. I’ll be right back,” Mason murmurs to me, but I’m too lost in dreamland to care.
“Morning,” I grouse and then roll over, snuggling into his abandoned pillow, but not before I hear Mason say, “Mom and Heath, what do I owe this wakeup call at seven o’clock in the damn morning for?”
Mason moves them out into the hallway, but now that he’s out of the bed and not near me, it’s hard to fall back asleep. I roll over onto my back and take in the sun shining through the windows.
It takes me a few minutes to stretch, then I get up, making my way to Mason’s balcony view. I open the door and take a step outside, the sun is shining, but the air still has a coldness to it. In the next few months, it’ll get hotter and we’ll all be praying for the colder weather.
That’s where Mason finds me standing. We’re both still in our clothes from the day before, rumpled and ruined.
“I’m sorry about that,” he tells me as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my middle. The way I feel around Mason is something I’ve never felt before. I feel at home around him, like I did with my Grams.
I lean back into him and respond, “It’s okay, you probably have to get ready for work.”
“Not for a while yet, that’s why I was surprised to see Mom and Heath over so early,” his chin is placed on my shoulder, both of us looking out at the ocean.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, I slept through the alerts going off on my phone. Heath wanted to surf, then when I wouldn’t answer he called mom. It was a domino effect after that. Everything’s okay though,” his voice is still husky from the remnants of sleep.
“That’s good, what time do you need to go to work?”
“Not until ten, come downstairs. I’ll make breakfast and give you the house key,” Mason responds. I turn around in his arms, he pulls me tighter into his embrace.
“I’d really like that,” my smile says it all, it erases what happened this morning with his Mom and Heath being here. Not that anything bad was happening, but still it’s enough to make you blush. I know Heath, he’ll tell Summer right away and I’ll get a phone call as well. She’s fast becoming not only my only friend, but my best friend as well.
Mason leans down and kisses me, it’s soft and sweet. Something, I’m learning I like a lot about him. He’s a fierce protector, yet still has a softer side that he seems to only show his family and me.
10
Mason
Heath knew what he was doing this morning, calling our mom, as if he was gathering the troops. The only reason Rome wasn’t here is because he’d beat Heath if he woke up Summer and Sawyer.
I left Quinn upstairs while I came back downstairs to start on our breakfast. It’s something simple and easy.
One thing I do know for sure, waking up with Quinn in my bed, it’s something I want now and forever. Continuing with a smile on my face, I set up to make our breakfast.
“Hey, need any help?” Quinn offers.
“I got it, thank you though. Coffee is over there,” I say with a nod towards the back counter. I set everything out, not knowing what she prefers, but I for damn sure will from now.
“You don’t have to thank me, I’ve barely done anything. I should be thanking you. Are you sure you don’t mind me hanging out over here during the day?”
“Not at all, I like the thought of you being here. Probably more than I should.”
“Hey,” she comes up beside me, bringing her hand to the nape of my neck.
Our eyes meet one another’s, and she says, “I promise, I want to be here as much as you want me to. But, please tell me if it’s too much. I don’t ever want to overstay my welcome.”
“Not a chance in hell, Sunshine,” I reply, wanting so badly to take her lips again, but knowing if I do neither of us will leave this house and I’ll be stripping us bare, licking, sucking, and nipping every square inch of her body.
“Okay,” Quinn reaches up on her tip toes, kissing the side of my lips. Fuck, what this woman does to me.
I get back to cooking while she looks in the cabinets for the plates and silverware. Hoping like hell she doesn’t see just how badly I need to grocery shop if she wanders into the pantry.