Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Ainsley

It's impossible not to think of Porter.

For two days, my mind is flooded with scenarios of what he can do to me if… well, if I fall into his spell. It's an unfounded fear. My therapist and I speak about it. She gives me a few exercises to practice when the thoughts clutter my good sense. Do I also spend an entire day scrubbing my kitchen? Probably.

Breathing and meditation aren't enough to keep me occupied.

Fortunately, Jacob sends me a text. Get ready. I'm outside.

Talk about last-minute plans. I don't know where he's taking me tonight, but I welcome the distraction. I hurry to my closet, grab the light-gray, polka dot halter top, a pair of skinny jeans, and my gray, cutout ankle boots.

My hair goes up in a messy bun with a few curls covering my neck. Jacob honks as I put on my silver hoops. He has no patience, but who am I to talk when I'm pretty much a female version of Jacob? To hurry the process, I grab my makeup bag, pull my jacket out of the coat closet, and head to meet my brother.

When I open the door, I spot his Ferrari. He's in the driver's seat. My brother is no gentleman—at least not with me.

"Took you long enough," he says as I climb in the car. He's tapping his phone.

"This doesn't happen in two minutes." I point at my clothing and wave my hand from my head to my lap.

He tosses his phone inside the console and pulls out of his parking spot. Okay, so we might not be in a good mood. The drive is silent. I'm applying makeup while music blasts through the entire car. It's Chopin , "Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2." One of his favorites. If anyone knew what he listens to most of the time, he'd lose his cred as a rock star.

When we park, I take out my driver's license from my wallet and shove the entire thing under the back seat. The valet opens the door, giving me a hand.

Jacob glances at me. "You clean up well."

I roll my eyes at him but smile sweetly and show my ID to the large, muscled man wearing a navy-blue stretched T-shirt with the words Silver Moon on the front.

Jacob leads me to the small bar in the farthest corner from the stage, where there are a few empty seats.

"You want something to drink?" Jacob cocks his head toward the bartender.

"Whatever you decide, thank you," I request, knowing I'll ask for water after two sips. Instead of worrying about the drinks, I scan the area.

Next to the stage in the corner, I spot a couple of men with their backs to everyone. One of them towers over the other. Broad shoulders, a slim waist, and a pair of baggy jeans don't let me admire his ass-et. Pulling my eyes away from that man candy, I rotate myself and take a drink of the beer my brother ordered for me.

"How are things with you, Ainse?"

After a gulp of beer, I say, "I interviewed for a preschool job at a private institution for next fall. That's in case nothing opens at the school where I'm working at. If things progress with the music school, maybe I'll branch out and do more with it."

He nods. "You should stick to music. Today I needed a pianist for an album we were recording. If you were available for those gigs… well, they pay really well."

I shake my head and change the conversation. "What happened to blondie?" I'm half curious and half trying to find a way to tease him for all the times he's done that to me.

Blondie is a woman who decided that the one night she spent with my brother meant forever and stalked him for two weeks.

He grunts. "She's gone. I had to use your suggestion and told her to get tested for chlamydia."

I scrunch my nose. My brothers can be disgusting. "That was Matt's suggestion. I said to get a restraining order. So, she's gone, huh?"

Jacob doesn't respond. I lost his attention to a red-haired girl who is flipping her perfectly flat hair as she smiles coyly at him.

I facepalm my forehead. Didn't he learn anything from the blondie incident?

Wait, he's my ride. "Are you going to send me home in a cab?"

"Matt will drive you, little sis." He sends a bright grin and flirty wink to red, who I swear giggles. He follows the flirtatious approach by asking the bartender to send the girl another round of whatever she's having. "A man has his needs, Ainsley. It's been a couple of weeks without sex."

I poke my ears with my fingers, but I can hear him loud and clear.

Jacob's brow quirks, and I can feel he's about to do something stupid. "You should find someone too." He lifts his hand and waves.

What is he doing? Is he going to pimp me to someone? I try to pull down his arm but with that crazy strength of his, I can't. As I fight with him like a little child, a silhouette stands beside us. My heart flutters then accelerates to an abnormal speed and my hands sweat. It's him, isn't it? I'm not ready to see him. I haven't recovered from the kiss that happened… almost two years ago?

Wow, time flies when you're trying to fix your life.

"Nine?" I close one eye and gradually turn toward that low, sexy voice.

Mason Bradley.

I'm a mix of fluster, goo, and annoyance fluttering inside my chest.

He's here. I'm not ready but fuck if I'm not annoyed at him. He was hurt, and I wasn't allowed to see him. At least I know he's alive.

"Hi." I wave like a twelve-year-old in front of a heartthrob. Then clear my throat and try again. "Hey there, Mason."

My voice comes out like a squawk, and my body is frozen. It might be the combo of excitement, embarrassment, and the memory of our last goodbye.

He kissed me.

It wasn't just a kiss. It was… an earth-shattering, down-on-your-knees-thanking-the-universe-for-that-blissful-moment kiss.

Ah, the kiss.

The taste of Mason fades daily and is about to disappear forever. Even when every night I count kisses from him instead of sheep. In my dreams, I want him to uncover me, to see me.

If only he could touch me the way no one has done before and become the missing piece of me. Occupy the void that remains in my heart and keeps me awake during the night. But will I ever be able to fill it?

"If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend," Jacob says, right as the guy on the stage finally begins to play his guitar.

"How am I supposed to get home?" I repeat.

"I'll drive you." Mason pats Jacob's back. "Don't do anything stupid."

My brother salutes us and turns around, disappearing into the small crowd that's beginning to gather. Red grins as Jacob stalks toward her. Yep, my brother is getting some tonight.

Lucky bastard . I'm getting some kind of… I don't know. Mason confuses me. And though I want to confirm what I've been fantasizing about for almost two years is real, I also want to avoid him.

My heart is too weak. It just left the intensive-care unit for broken souls.

"Let's get out of here," Mason orders. His smoky voice makes my skin tingle. "Or do you want something from the bar?"

I shake my head. "Don't worry about me."

He squints. I'm pretty sure he can't hear me with the music blaring through the speakers. I slide closer to where he sits and whisper in his ear. "I'm going to ask Jacob for my purse. It's in his car. You can leave. I can get myself home if Matt doesn't show up."

When I try to bolt to where Red and Jacob sit, Mason grasps my arm, not only bringing me to a stop but drawing me to him. I stand between his legs. His hands hold my waist. My body is heating up. He better release me soon or I'm going to combust.

Call the fire department.

We're barely inches apart, and I'm enjoying the view, and the feel, of Mason. His eyebrows knit together, his lips tighten, and his gray eyes narrow at me.

"Why?" One word with a gruff tone that is less amused than his handsome face.

His earthy-woodsy scent makes me want to bury my face in his chest, making a home inside this small enclosure he created with his body. But can I trust him?

This is what I was telling my therapist. I doubt I'll ever be able to entrust my heart and myself to another man—not even Mason.

He quirks an eyebrow. "Ainsley?"

"Yeah?"

"We're heading to a quieter place so we can talk. Is that okay?"

"I don't want you to change your plans."

"My plan was to go to the office, order a pizza, and maybe work some more." He glides a hand over my cheek. "I'd rather catch up with you. It's been ages."

"You noticed, huh?"

He rises from his seat, grabs my hand, and pulls me closer to him. "Of course, I noticed." His whisper tickles my ear.

Mason lightly kisses the top of my head, like a guy would do to his best girl buddy. There goes my mind overthinking again. My heart, well, between those words and his kiss, it's tap dancing around in my chest. Poor thing, she believes Mason is here for her. As my heart is siphoning all my energy with that happy dance, making my body quiver, my mind stops functioning. Brain failure.

Mason leads me toward the door, but not before speaking to the bartender. The same gray-haired man he was talking with when I first spotted him.

When we reach the exit, my shoulders feel light, and the breeze sprouts goose bumps on my arms. My brain cells begin to function again, hinting that I don't have my jacket or my purse. Oh well, I'll figure it out later. Jacob can drop it off tomorrow or I can pick it up. Not a big deal. I have it covered.