Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Mason

There're two cars parked outside Ainsley's house. One of them is Matt's Jeep. I don't want to run the plates of the other dark SUV, but it gives me an idea that she's not alone. This was our last date for now.

Yesterday, after spending the entire day together, I offered to come over for another jog. This time I planned to take her to Green Lake Park. However, around four in the morning, I received a call from my team in Norway. Since then, I've been troubleshooting the system we're installing. As soon as I finished that project, I called Ainse to tell her I was now free and asked if we could do something.

She suggested dinner at her house. She's cooking, but maybe she meant cooking for her family?

I ring the bell and wait for Nine to open the door. It doesn't happen. Instead, I find Gabe Colt on the other side. His blue, cold eyes staring at me.

"Can I help you with something, Son?" He blocks the entrance. "Directions on how to leave, maybe tips on who not to date. See, Mason, my husband is unhappy, and I hate when he's upset. How about we fix that?"

"Gabriel!" I hear Ainse yelling. "You promised to behave, Dad."

His dark-blond eyebrows crunch to a V in the center of his forehead, and his jaw twitches. "I'm behaving, sweetheart. He's still in one piece. See?" He moves away from the door, his palm pointing toward me.

Finally, I spot Ainsley. Her curls fall down to her bare shoulders, a scarf covers some of the cleavage her white lace camisole blouse creates, and she's wearing a short jean skirt that covers part of her long shapely legs. She's barefoot, and for some stupid reason, I find that hot.

"Oh, Dad…" Ainse rolls her eyes and walks to where I stand, pulling me toward her. "You and your husband are something of a nuisance, but I love you both."

"Hi." I approach her and dip my head, automatically taking her mouth with mine. "It's good to see you."

"Nuh-uh," Gabe complains, and Ainsley grunts. "Two inches apart at all times. No touching, no talking, and definitely no kissing."

"Hi," she whispers, rises on her tiptoes, and brushes my lips. "Sorry about my guys, they promised to behave. Right, Dad?"

Gabe nods. The left side of his lip lifts up as I catch movement from the corner of my eye, Chris Decker.

"Bradley. Mind joining us in the backyard?"

I look down at Ainse, whose shoulders have curved into a ball as those green jewels dimmed.

Sorry, Nine mouths, closing her eyes for a couple of breaths.

She's hurting, and my own heart clenches at the sight. I lift her chin with my index finger, lower my mouth to her ear, and whisper, "Don't be sorry. I think I can defend myself." I kiss her cheek and then hold her tight. With one last kiss on the lips, I stride to where her fathers wait for me.

"Ainsley's tough," Gabe starts as I step outside.

"On the outside, and extremely sensitive, too—she's an artist," Chris compliments what Gabe began. "I trust her instincts, and she trusts you. In her mind, there are no limits to what she can do, so we can't stop her from doing what she wants."

"Never could." Gabe releases a chuckle. "God knows we tried to mold her into a refined young lady, as my lovely mother suggested when she held her granddaughter for the first time."

I've known her for a long time, and she always tried to keep up with the boys. She's also feminine, soft around the edges.

"There are two issues I have about this dating thing, Bradley." Chris straightens his shoulders, and his green eyes shoot daggers at me. "One is that there won't be a man or a woman good enough for any of my children. You'll understand when you're older. The second, she was emotionally abused for years and can easily fall back into that pattern after the first time. She's working hard to overcome all that fucked-up shit, but I'd appreciate it if you don't take advantage of her."

"I'll shoot myself before I hurt her."

"Hey, parental units." Jacob comes outside. "The princess is getting anxious, are you done?"

I don't give a shit if they're done or not. I walk inside and start searching for her. She's standing in front of the stove, stirring a pot.

"You're cooking?" I circle my arms around her waist and lean my chin on top of her shoulder. Nine nods. "A heads-up next time would be nice, Nine. I thought it was our night."

"It's Sunday, family dinner," she murmurs. "My brothers and I established this a couple of months ago. My parents try to come to Seattle for it. When you called and said you might come over tonight, I thought we could include you in our new tradition. They weren't happy either. I guess I fucked that up."

I place my lips on the side of her neck, my tongue playfully taunting her soft skin as I think about my next move. Shit, I crashed their night. I didn't know about that. Her reaction worries me. She's in some kind of guilt trance that Chris just warned me about.

Being included in her family dinner makes me feel welcome. I don't want to jump in my car and leave. I kiss her cheek. "Thank you for extending the invitation. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

She leans her head against my chest and looks up at me, giving me that sweet smile of hers. The world makes sense for her, but not for me. Never before have I wanted to stay in one place and she… she's making me want everything.