I sat in the living room and stared at the clock. I’d gotten ready an hour early and was trying to patiently wait for Carlos to arrive.
My conversation with Victoria earlier in the day really put things in perspective for me. I did want to try things with Mason. I was never one to back down from a challenge, but I’d learned after being in a relationship with Tim that love causes blindness.
Not that I was in love with Mason, but I could see myself eventually getting there, and that’s what scared me.
There was so much I didn’t know, so much I wanted to find out. If I was going to be a good defense attorney then I needed to learn to ask the hard questions. I needed to drop the fear of being rejected and go for it. He was the one who sought me out, so I needed to go with the flow.
Calling him earlier wasn’t easy for me. The butterflies in my stomach were almost too much to bear. If anyone had seen me pacing around the apartment like I was, I would have been completely embarrassed. By the time I’d finally dialed his number, I’d gotten myself so worked up that I almost ended the call. That was when I heard his husky, gravelly voice. Any anxiety I’d harbored over calling him disappeared. Just the sound of his voice over the phone put me at ease. He was sexy and admirable in person, but his voice? He could make panties melt.
I hadn’t expected him to be so forthcoming and agree to see me, but I was glad that he took over the conversation. I had no idea what to expect, but that’s what made it exciting.
A knock sounded on the door and I leapt up to answer it. Carlos stood on the other side, dressed in a navy suit and silver tie.
“Good evening, ma’am. Are you ready?”
I grabbed my bag off the table by the door and gave him a small nod.
We made our way through the city, and I realized Carlos was taking me in the same direction as Mason’s house. I wasn’t sure why, but I half-expected to be taken to his apartment.
Memories of my last night at his house flashed in my mind and I tried to tamp them down, but they were front and center. Almost like a warning beacon telling me to be careful.
“Are you taking me to Mason’s house?” I asked Carlos.
“Yes, ma’am.”
I looked out the window and fiddled with the slit of my maxi dress. I wasn’t one to wear long dresses, but it was new and comfortable. The thought that it gave easy access for Mason only crossed my mind around a million times, but that wasn’t the reason I wore it. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
We pulled up to Mason’s colonial brick house thirty minutes later, and I smiled at Carlos as he opened my door.
The night was about starting something new. I wasn’t going to let my nerves get the best of me; instead, I’d see where the night took me.
After walking up the steps, I rang the doorbell and glanced behind me at the sound of Carlos driving away.
The door creaked open and I turned to see Mason standing there in a white button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and jeans. I smiled brightly and continued my perusal. He was so damn gorgeous.
I looked up to meet his gaze and slight smirk.
My cheeks heated.
“Do you approve?” he asked as his eyes drifted down my body and back up.
I bit my lip and laughed, diverting my eyes to the ground.
“No more blushing, princess,” he stated, calling me out. Which only made me blush more. “Come in, dinner is waiting.”
I looked up to see him standing to the side, waiting for me to walk through. Excitement coursed through me at his words. Not too long before, he’d told me dinner wasn’t something we’d be doing again. However, I was being invited into his home to eat, and I couldn’t contain the smile that displayed on my face.
I stepped over the threshold and my nose was assaulted with the smells of rosemary and garlic.
“Did you cook?” I asked, glancing back at him as he closed the door.
He smiled down at me as he stepped in close, placing a hand on my lower back to guide me past his office and sitting room.
“I can cook, but I didn’t tonight,” he stated, subtly
We walked through a foyer and past a few closed doors until we finally entered his kitchen. It was beautiful, something you’d see in magazines and nothing like I’d ever seen in person.
“Wow, this is beautiful.”
It looked as if it was as big as Mel’s apartment. The cabinets had a dark finish, the appliances were stainless steel and the island in the middle could seat at least eight people.
I tore my eyes away from every culinary student’s dream and looked at Mason. He had a bright smile on his face, which shocked me every time I saw it because it was so rare. It changed his look so much, and in a very good way.
“I had the kitchen redone when I moved in.”
“And you cook in here?” I asked, unbelieving.
He laughed. “From time to time, yes. But I do have a cook who comes twice a week to prepare meals for me. Ah, and there she is.”