Whatever It Takes (12 page)

* * * * *

After the game, Mason escorted Laurie out of the apartment
and down the hall to an empty unit with a door lock still intact. He’d set up a
battery-powered lamp just inside the door, and he turned it on and stood facing
her.

“At its core, a lock is just a puzzle,” he began. “The
answer may differ slightly from lock to lock but the way to solve the puzzle
has been pretty much the same since the pin-tumbler lock was invented. Work the
pieces just the right and you’ll succeed.”

He handed Laurie a lock pick set he’d chosen for her. It was
simple and perfect for a beginner. It consisted of a thin, pencil-length piece
of metal that curved slightly upward at the end and a flat piece of metal with
the small end bent 90 degrees. He pointed to the first piece.

“This is your pick.” Next he pointed to the flat piece.
“That is your torque tool. Get a feel for both of them.”

He stood back and watched her inspect the tools, turning
them over in her hands and testing their weight. As she familiarized herself
with the tools, he explained to her the process of picking a lock. Next, he
took the tools from her and she knelt beside him as he picked the lock on the
door to the apartment, explaining each step as he went. Her mouth fell open at
the speed with which he accomplished the task.

He winked at her and then handed her the tools and moved out
of her way. Laurie swallowed hard and took his place in front of the lock.
Slipping the torque tool into the lock first, she began to mimic his previous
movements. After only a moment, she sighed.

“Mason, I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Don’t you dare give up, Angel.”

He knelt behind her, leaning so close that his chest pressed
against her back. He reached his arms around her and wrapped his hands around
hers.

“You have to get a feel for it,” he said softly.

The scent of her hair filled his senses and his cock took
notice. He took a moment to steady himself before he continued.

“Stay very quiet and let the lock to talk to you.”

She shivered and he gently stroked her hands to calm her. He
maneuvered her hands, explaining exactly what the little clicks she heard and
felt were. He told her when she should give it more or less torque and when she
should put more or less pressure on the pick. After several moments, the lock
popped open. Laurie gasped and smiled.

“Again,” Mason insisted.

He remained where he was, holding her in an odd embrace, his
hands resting on hers as she worked the lock. He rested his cheek against her
head, enjoying the closeness of her and noted that her trembling had finally
ceased but her breathing remained fast and shallow.

He whispered encouragement to her as she continued to work
on the lock. Finally, she succeeded in picking the lock and she let out a
small, surprised yelp.

“I did it! Mason, I did it!” she whispered excitedly,
bouncing up and down.

The friction of her body rubbing against his made his dick
even harder and he was forced to release his hold on her before she became
aware of his physical state.

“I knew you could do it.” She was damn sure a quick learner.

He engaged the lock again and moved away to sit with his
back against the wall.

“Now,” he said, “do it again.”

* * * * *

James snored loudly in the recliner. He’d given out right
after their last attack on the food and Mason had decided just to let him
sleep. The old guy had worked hard making their dinner.

Laurie sat on one end of the couch, repeatedly using the
tools to pick a pin tumbler lock Mason had given her for practice.

“I just realized I don’t have a flashlight,” Laurie said,
looking at him in alarm. “I don’t think I should turn on a light once I’m
inside.”

“No need,” Mason told her. “You don’t want to go at night,
anyway. Go early in the morning but after daybreak. It looks less suspicious.
Just walk right up to the place as if you belong there. Dress normal, act
normal, don’t let anyone fuck with you. You’re just meeting your boyfriend for
breakfast. You’ll be fine.”

Laurie seemed to think about it for a moment before she
nodded and went back to working on the lock.

The local television stations were already showing Christmas
movies and Dewayne and Irene alternated between laughing at the antics on the
screen and making out throughout most of the latest movie, and Mason and Laurie
did their best to ignore them. The credits were rolling when Laurie looked at
the time and sighed.

“I didn’t realize how late it was getting. I’d better head
back to campus. I have a big day of breaking and entering tomorrow…I need my rest.”

Mason nodded and bit off the urge to invite her to stay on
the couch. He knew damn well he wouldn’t be strong enough to leave her alone if
she stayed. He’d barely made it through the day without dragging her to a
private spot and having his way with her. There was no way he’d make it through
the night with her undressed and stretched out on his couch. The very idea made
his dick twitch.

He thought back to the day before when Dewayne asked him a
question Mason had been asking himself.

“Why are you working so hard to spend time with her if
you’re not planning to nail her?”

Mason hadn’t been able to answer the question for Dewayne
any more than Mason could for himself. He supposed on some instinctual level he
knew that sex with Laurie would change everything, and he didn’t want to
change. He liked his life the way it was. It had worked just fine for him for
the last twelve years and he could see it working out for at least twenty more.
That being the case, he knew that he should stay as far away from her as
possible but at the same time, he couldn’t get enough of her. It was a huge
mess and at that moment, he couldn’t see his way out of it.

Dewayne shot Mason a smirk from across the room as he rose
to his feet to see Laurie out. When she wasn’t looking, he flipped his buddy
the finger behind his back. Dewayne snickered.

“Come on, I’ll walk you to your car and protect you from the
boogeyman,” he told her as he helped her into her jacket.

On the way down the stairs, he teased her about monsters
jumping out of the shadows, just because he liked the way she clung to him when
she was scared. He put a protective arm around her and laughed as he thought
about how deep in over his head he was.

Laurie felt silly for her fear of the dark and even sillier
about how much she enjoyed Mason’s arm around her as he escorted her to her
car. As soon as they reached it, he noticed her front bumper hanging loose on
one side and insisted on fixing it before she left. She waited at the entrance
to his building while he ran back upstairs to grab a flashlight, and then as
she stood beside him, holding the light for him so he could see what he was
doing, he lectured her the whole time about the importance of keeping her
vehicle properly maintained. Listening to the sound of her engine, he told her
she needed to have it serviced soon. He offered to take care of it since she
couldn’t afford to take it to a garage. Laurie wondered if that was why people
called him Mr. Fix-It. She considered all the parts and projects in his
apartment and decided that must be it.

Finally, he seemed satisfied that her car wouldn’t break
down on her way home. He opened her door for her and asked her to text him when
she got to her room so he would know she made it okay. She agreed and he gave
her a gentle, fleeting kiss on the lips that made her tingle down to her toes. The
muscles in his arms twitched as he backed away and she wondered if he was as
affected as she was. She slipped into her car and he shut the door for her and
then lightly pounded on the roof as he backed away.

“Be safe, Angel.”

She nodded and waved at him as she pulled away from his
building.

* * * * *

An hour later, Laurie sat on her bed, reading the same
paragraph for the third time, once again not comprehending a single word. She was
antsy and tense. Being around Mason always left her wanting more and tonight
was no exception. Her whole body tingled and she couldn’t stop seeing those
green eyes.

She couldn’t deny it anymore. She wanted him. He wasn’t the
kind of man she
should
want—he was a criminal with a propensity for
violence but that seemed to make her desire stronger. She felt a kind of safety
with him that she never had but always wanted. She considered that perhaps that
was the basis of her attraction. Simply the safety a strong man could offer.
Then she thought of his deep, rich laugh, his beautiful eyes and that smile
that made her tingle. No…it wasn’t just the feeling of safety she craved. It
was him. After their first meeting, he became more than just a scary criminal
to her. He was a real person and she secretly looked forward to seeing him more
and more each time.

She gave an irritable sigh and shoved the book off the bed.
She got up to pace the length of her room. She was spending too much time
preoccupied with thoughts of him and she couldn’t afford it. If she didn’t get
her shit together real quick, her grades would plummet and she just couldn’t
have that.

For one brief moment, she thought of breaking her deal with
Trey and telling Mason to stay the hell away. Her mind rejected the thought
before she even finished thinking it. The idea of cutting off all contact with
him made her stomach clench in a way that caused her even more concern. She had
no business experiencing such strong feelings for the man. Frustration washed
over her again and she wanted to yell at someone, but even if there were
someone to yell at, it wouldn’t do any good.

Giving up, she turned off the light, got in bed and stared
up at the dark ceiling. She found herself wondering what Mason was doing at
that exact moment.

Closing her eyes, she pictured his face then his beautifully
strong body. She began to imagine him slipping under her covers with her. She
could almost feel his hot skin slide against hers and the weight of his body
settle in the cradle of her pelvis. Her hand slid down into her panties and she
brushed a feather-soft stroke across her clit. Moving her hips, she moaned
softly and her lips curved up in a small smile.

* * * * *

Mason stared up at the ceiling, thinking about dark hair and
pouty lips. As was becoming his custom, he’d attempted to exhaust himself by
working out in the makeshift gym he’d set up in the unit next door. This time,
he’d taken his frustration out on his heavy punching bag. He’d hoped he’d be
too wiped out to lie awake, wishing for things he couldn’t have. Yet there he
was, picturing Laurie in his mind.

He wondered what it would feel like to slide his naked body
alongside her soft curves. He imagined her spicy scent surrounding him. He
firmly gripped his cock and slid his hand from base to tip. He imagined lying
cradled between her legs, slowly pushing into her. He pictured her lying
beneath him, open and ready, begging him. He could hear her little moan of
pleasure as he filled her. He pumped harder, aiming to please her.

* * * * *

Laurie stroked herself faster. Mason whispered illicit
promises in her ear that caused the fire in her to flare hotter. Her heart
raced and her breath came faster as she neared release. She made small sounds
of encouragement. Almost there.

* * * * *

Mason pumped hard and fast, feeling himself nearing the
edge. Her body felt like heaven and the little whimpering sounds she made drove
him wild. He was so close.

* * * * *

Laurie covered her mouth with one hand to muffle her cry of
pleasure while she shuddered with release. She began to relax as her body came
back down from the cloud of pleasure that had carried her away. Her breathing
slowed and she wondered if the real thing could be this good. She curled into a
ball on her side and closed her eyes, feeling so relaxed that she was already
drifting off to sleep.

* * * * *

Mason groaned loudly as he came harder than he ever
remembered before. The ghostly visage of Laurie faded as he came back to
reality. He chuckled a little as he considered how much time he’d spent jacking
off since he’d met her. In all honesty, he was a little disgusted with himself
for the fact that he’d become a twenty-nine-year-old compulsive masturbator.
Thoughts of Laurie would catch him off guard and leave him frustrated.
Encounters with her left him desperate and he only had two options for release.
Either take care of the problem himself or pin her against the wall and take
what he needed from her. The second option was becoming more and more difficult
to resist. He closed his eyes, feeling as if he hadn’t slept in days.

* * * * *

At eight thirty the next morning, Laurie stood inside the
front door of the Kappa house. The silence was eerie and chills spread across
her skin as she slipped on the gloves she’d brought with her. She wasn’t sure
if she needed them but decided to play it safe and leave no fingerprints.
Taking a deep breath, she ran up the stairs before she lost her nerve.

Breathing heavily, she dropped to her knees outside Trey’s
door. After removing the lock pick set Mason had given her, she slipped the
tools into the lock. She worked the lock for a few moments but didn’t feel the
tumblers moving. A panicked voice in her head told her to give it up and get
the hell out of there. She yanked the pick and torque tool out the lock and
shoved away from the door. She’d taken a few steps toward the stairs when she
stopped herself.

“Do you want to be under Trey’s control forever?” she asked
herself.

Her voice filled the hallway and oddly, the sound helped to
calm her. She moved back to the door and lowered to her knees again. This time,
she imagined Mason’s steady breathing at her back and his strong arms around
her.