Just One Touch Read online

  My skin feels flush, and that’s when Mason brings me in closer to his side, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and we walk down the beach until we reach our destination.

  It’s packed with beach goers, we grab the first available table we see. It doesn’t have the view of the beach, but you can hear the ocean in the background.

  Mason hands me a menu, and I see what I’m getting right away.

  “Do you know what you want?” he asks.

  “I do, what about you?”

  “I always get the same thing here, I never seem to deviate,” his ocean blue eyes reel me in. We’re lost in our own little world until the waitress appears.

  “Hey! I’m Mary, I’ll be your server today. What can I get you two to drink?” She asks.

  “I’ll have a sweet tea,” I tell her.

  “Make that two, please. We know what we’d like to order too.”

  I rattle off my order of the blue cheeseburger with the works, and Mason orders a blackened Mahi sandwich.

  “Oh hey, I didn’t see you there Mason,” she says when she finally looks up from her notepad.

  “I figured you’d be too busy to look up,” he says with a chuckle.

  “How’s your mom doing?” She’s older than Mason is, and I hate to admit it but at first the green-eyed jealousy monster started to come out. Then when I really looked at her, I could tell she was closer to Momma Tina’s age.

  “She’s good, hanging out at Rome’s place a lot these days,” he says with a proud smile.

  “If my kids would ever give me a grand baby that’s where I’d be too,” she harrumphs.

  “I imagine you would. Have you met Quinn yet?”

  “No, I sure haven’t. It’s nice to meet you, Hon,” she says, and we shake hands.

  “It was nice meeting you too,”

  “Let me go put these orders in and bring out your drinks,” she turns and leaves, just as fast as she gets the words out.

  Mason and I laugh at the same time, “If I have that much energy when I’m older, I’ll be thrilled. I feel like a bum as it is today, sleeping in until almost noon.”

  “You deserve it, I know you’ve been going just as much as she is right now,” Mason responds.

  “Really? And how would you know that?” I reply with a wink.

  “I may have bugged Summer,” he says with a shrug.

  “I kind of did the same thing,” I say with honesty. Mason caught my attention when he was helping Summer along the way and I was moving in. He caught my eye, and I’ve never been able to get him out of my thoughts ever since.

  6

  Mason

  We sat and talked about anything and everything, only stopping when Mary brought our food. Quinn’s burger was so big, it covered most of the basket they served it in.

  I watch as she takes her first bite of the burger she ordered, Quinn’s eyes close, and she moans out loud.

  “Fuck,” I mumble under my breath wanting to her moan while she’s writhing beneath me, skin slicked with sweat, hair a tangled mess from me running my fingers through it.

  When she finishes chewing, she sees me, the me that has a fire burning inside, only for her.

  “Oh,” she whispers out.

  “Yeah, Sunshine,” I grunt, her face blushes and she dips her head down.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, looking down at her food.

  “Don’t do that, not to me. You have nothing to apologize for, it’s just you and me here. We’ll go slow.” Even if it fucking kills me, I say inside my head.

  “Thank you, Mason. I’m not scared to see where this is going, but it’s also brand new to me too,” her hand goes to her hair, and she places the strands that were falling in front of her face behind her ear.

  “I get that, but we’ll go at your pace. I promise, I’m in this with you and only you,”

  “I appreciate that,” we both go back to eating our meal, her stealing a French fry off my plate, and then her feeding me a bite of her potato salad.

  Once the awkwardness of our conversation went away, it was smooth sailing from then on out. We talked about my job, what she’s hoping to do in the near future.

  “You ready to head back?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, I could really use a walk after eating.” I look at her plate and smirk, my girl likes to eat and thank fuck for that.

  “Let’s go then,” I leave cash on the table with a hefty tip for Mary. I know she only works part time here now that her husband passed, but that still doesn’t mean I can’t pay it forward.

  This time it’s Quinn who takes my hand in hers as we head back to my place.

  Her touch sets something right within my soul, and I don’t care if that makes me sound like less of a man. I know I’m only as strong as the woman standing beside me.

  7

  Quinn

  When we get back to Mason’s place the sun is dipping lower and lower into the skyline and with that brings a chill in the air, yet I don’t want to leave the back deck.

  “Do you mind if we stay out here?” I ask him.

  “No, not at all. Let me light the outdoor heaters and grab us a blanket though,” he’s up off his feet in an instant, and I know Momma Tina raised her boys to become gentlemen. Even when Heath mouths off like he’s the jokester. There’s more to him than meets the eye.

  Mason comes back with a blanket for me and drapes it over my legs. His backyard needs some work. It has a small pool, but there isn’t hardly any furniture out here, except the two lounge chairs and I’m sitting on one now.

  I can imagine an outdoor day bed, that has a canopy you can fold out to shade you from the sun. Maybe a couple of umbrellas for the lounge chairs and some potted plants too.

  “I can see the smoke coming from your head, what are you over there thinking about?” He brings his lounge chair so we’re side by side with nothing in between us. I open the blanket for him, and we get as close as possible to each other while staying comfortable.

  “Nothing much, just imagining what you could do with a place like this. It’s really beautiful,” I respond.

  “Mom wanted to decorate throughout the house and even out here, but I put my foot down. I didn’t want to meet someone and have to change everything all over again, because my mother’s stamp was all over it. Kind of a waste of money, you know?” he tells me, and I can see a twinkle in his eye as if he’s conjuring something up. I look towards the ocean before responding, “Makes sense, plus it’s senseless to waste money. Believe me, it goes against every grain of my being to rent a condo. But I was in a pickle and needed to vacate as soon as possible, and really who knows. Maybe I’ll buy a home beach side.” I can imagine having a home with a view like this, decorated the way I wanted, maybe with a few babies toddling around.

  “You know Summer wouldn’t hold you to the lease you signed, but you’re more than welcome to come over here anytime you want and enjoy it too,” Mason says, as he brings his hand to the side of my face and holds it there as I look into his eyes.

  “I’d like that, are you sure you wouldn’t mind? I may become a permanent fixture at your place if you let me,” I’m half joking, half hoping that this dream will come true.

  “No, Sunshine. I don’t mind at all. I’ll give you a set of keys, so you can.” I lean up, my lips going towards his. When our lips touch, I thought it would be something swift, a glancing pass of our lips.

  It’s not though, and Mason makes it known by the way he cups the side of my face. I moan out loud and that’s when his tongue tangles with mine. Both of us turned into each other as we taste each other.

  Before I know it, Mason is lifting me and I’m straddling his lap. He growls deep in his throat and it causes me to sink further into him. My hips grind against his and I break apart from his lips on a gasp.

  “Shit, I’m sorry Quinn. I just told you we’d take it as slow as you wanted and I’m not doing that at all,” Mason tells me.

  We’re both breathing heavy, and in answer I pus
h my hips down further and feel his hard length even with the layers between us.

  “I promise, you have nothing to apologize for,” and then I become the assaulter, going after his lips.

  This is probably the most perfect day I’ve had in forever, and I get to be in Mason’s arms too.

  8

  Mason

  We stayed out on the back deck until it got too cold with the sea breeze to keep the chill at bay.

  Quinn groaned how she hated to go inside, but her constant shivering wore her down. I took one look at the living room hating like hell that I didn’t at least put a television down here. The only one I have is in my bedroom, “If you want to watch a movie, it’ll have to be upstairs in my room. I don’t have one down here, something I guess I should do and soon.” My hands are running through my hair.

  “I can just go home, I don’t want to impose. Plus, you have work tomorrow,” Quinn offers.

  “It’s still early, and I don’t have to be at the office for a meeting until ten, but it’s up to you.”

  “Okay, I can stay for one movie at least.” I take her hand and lead her up the staircase, thankful as hell, I cleaned this room and made the bed. When I get home tomorrow, it’s going to be a day to clean up the house. Especially if Quinn takes me up on my offer to spend her days here. I’ll even hit up the grocery store, but cooking, that’s not going to happen. Rome got the good end of the stick when it came to that. I can make a few decent meals, but nothing like him.

  Watching Quinn slide into my bed, it sends me into a tailspin of ideas. I want her here forever, not in a condo ten minutes away, not jet setting across the world and modeling. I just want Quinn here with me. Always.

  She snuggles in on my side, not even aware of the side I sleep on. I get in beside her, handing her the remote.

  “Are you feeling okay? You handed a woman the remote. You may get stuck watching some drama filled romance now,” she says with a laugh.

  “I’ll take watching whatever movie you pick over one of Heath’s choices any day. Just wait until we have a movie night. You’ll be bored to tears,” I reply.

  She goes through the television until she finds a sitcom series we both agree on, she hands me back the remote. I throw it on the nightstand and lay on my back, sliding an arm under her neck, she turns and lays her head on my chest.

  Quinn looks into my eyes, as I look into hers. Yeah, this is right where both of us are supposed to be.

  We spend the next few episodes snuggling and laughing. After the fourth one though, I feel Quinn’s body relax and that’s when I notice she’s sleeping.

  I probably should go sleep on the couch and let her sleep in here alone, but there’s no way I’m moving from this spot tonight. I turn the television and lamp off. I curl into her as she sinks in closer to me, only then do I fall asleep too.

  9

  Quinn

  I snuggle in deeper to the warmth that is surrounding my body. When I feel Mason bring me in closer, I start to fall back to sleep, only I can’t because I can hear whispering and I have no idea where they are coming from.

  “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.

  Smirking, she finds the plates and sets them beside the stove. I put our food on them and then we both venture out to the back deck, not caring that there’s not a formal table and chairs out there. I sit down on one lounge chair, Quinn goes to sit on the other one, but I motion for her to sit with me on mine.

  I sit back with my legs open and she nestles he
r way inside but leaning to the side so we can both eat.

  “I hate that I have to go in this morning, especially knowing you’ll be here all day,” I say in between bites.

  “Well, I won’t be here all day. I’m going back to my condo for a bit, I checked the weather and it’s supposed to get in the high seventies today, so I’m going to grab a shower, my bathing suit, and run an errand or two before coming back here.”

  “That doesn’t make it any easier to leave you,” I grumble.

  She laughs, and we both finish eating our breakfast, giving each other heated glances every chance we get.

  11

  Quinn

  Mason had to head upstairs to get ready for his meeting at work today, so I offered to clean up the kitchen. After I was done cleaning up, I looked in the pantry and the refrigerator. It was completely bare, as in Mason cooked the last of what he had. I remember Summer telling me on the phone never to let Mason or Heath cook for you, it’d be burnt to a crisp.

  The jokes on her though, I think that’s more a Heath thing than a Mason issue.

  Making a mental note to get some things for him from the store while he’s at work, along with a pool float in case it gets hotter too. I’m lost in thought when Mason comes back from upstairs.

  I stop in my tracks, if I thought Mason was handsome dressed in jeans and shirt, there is nothing that compares to him in a suit. I’m pretty sure there’s drool running down my chin.

  “This damn monkey suit, I can’t believe I’m wearing this. If it weren’t for Rome chewing my ass out, I’d never be in it,” Mason is grumbling as he comes into the kitchen.

  “I think Rome and I are going to be best friends,” I say with a laugh. Mason’s frown deepens as he says, “If you’re going to be best friends with anyone, it’s going to be me.”