Page 58 of Finding Us
“I’m going to get changed and head to the gym,” Connor says, rising from his chair and collecting his plate. “I need a workout after all those carbs.” He leans down and places a soft kiss on my hair as he passes.
I’m still mad at him, or maybe it’s betrayal I’m feeling. He has no clue that his concerns hold merit. All those flirty touches and sexual innuendos Mason keeps throwing my way have me tied up in a bundle of knots.
My brother apologised to his best friend the moment he returned, but you could still cut the air with a knife during dinner. Is Mason feeling it too? Because there’s no denying this tension between the two of us. Every time I’m in his presence, I’m left feeling all hot and bothered.
“We should get going too,” Mason says, reaching for Blake’s plate and placing it on top of his own. “I’ve got a lot of work to get through tonight.”
“You’re burning the candle both ends.”
“Something like that,” he chuckles as he stands.
My eyes move away from his face and down his inked arms. He’s changed into a pale, mint-green polo and a pair of faded jeans that are ripped at the knees. His dark-brown hair is still wet from his shower, and don’t even get me started on how good he smells.
I’m not sure what version I like best—the casually dressed wolf, or the man in a suit. Because holy hell, I almost swallowed my tongue when I got a look at him this morning when I stepped into the lift.
Maybe if he wasn’t so good-looking, I wouldn’t be struggling like I am. That and the fact that the more I get to know him, the more drawn in I become. A gorgeous, doting single father, who moonlights by feeding the homeless—what’s not to like?
“You done?” he asks, reaching across the table for my plate.
My gaze is now fixated on his big, strong hands as they grip my plate, dwarfing it in the process. “Yes,” I breathe, gulping air into my lungs as I try and get my radically beating heart under control, because I know full well what those hands feel like against my body.
“You okay?” he asks.
My eyes snap back to his, and that smug look on his face tells me he’s aware that I’m having impure thoughts of him.
“Yes,” I squeak as my face heats.
I move my focus to Blake as Mason rounds the table, heading towards the kitchen, because I refuse to notice how well his arse fills out those jeans.
“I had fun hanging out with you today.”
“Can you pick me up from school again tomorrow?” Blake asks.
“I have to work tomorrow, sweetie.”
“Oh.”
When his disappointed little face dips down to the table, I reach for his hand. “I’ll talk to your dad when I have my next day off and see what he says, okay?”
The moment Mason re-enters the room, Blake pounces. “Jazzie has to work tomorrow, but can she pick me up from school on her next day off?”
Mason’s eyes dart from his son to me. “It depends, is she going to cook for us again?”
“Please say yes, Jazzie,” Blake begs.
“You’re holding your son ransom in exchange for a home-cooked meal?”
“I can’t cook for shit, so I’ve got to get something out of the deal.”
“A free babysitter isn’t enough for you?”
“Right, you’ve got a point there,” he says, chuckling.
“Is that a yes, Dad?”
“I guess it is.” Blake beams as he slides off his chair and joins his father.
“Wait, Blake’s jacket and tie.” I cross the room and grab them before meeting them at the door.
