Whatever It Takes (5 page)

Standing outside the ramshackle building again, Laurie tried
to calm her nerves. Initially, she’d been confident she could handle the
situation. After all, she was a grown woman. She’d gotten around in the world
all on her own for a good deal of time, and she was sure she could handle this
new situation as she did every other one that had arisen in her life. She would
be fine.

Then she’d gotten that text from Mason, telling her when to
show up, and her confidence had faltered more than a bit. She’d assumed Trey
would drive her there and wait for her while she went inside but she’d assumed
wrong. He’d begged off, insisting he had an early class he just couldn’t get
out of if he intended to graduate. Thus, instead of having someone there to
watch her back, she stood alone, calling herself every kind of fool as she
contemplated entering the building.

Unlike on her previous visit with Trey, she’d parked right
outside the building so she didn’t have to walk far in the scary neighborhood.
Her stomach was in knots as she climbed the stairs, a cup of Kopi Luwak in each
hand. She’d stopped at Malta’s for a cup for herself and had decided it might
be nice to bring some to Mason. She hoped she didn’t come off as an ass-kisser
though.

She was supposed to be there at 7:00 a.m. and she was about
fifteen minutes early, so she wasn’t sure if she should knock or just wander
around until it was time. Glancing down the dark hallway answered that
question. Looking into that darkness conjured up images from every scary movie
Laurie had ever seen, and one thing was for sure. Chicks who stood around in dark
hallways in abandoned buildings always got their dumb asses mangled.
Always
.
Juggling the two cups of coffee, she knocked on the door. She did her best not
to think about what happened to the dumbass chicks in those movies who went off
alone with sexy bad guys.

The door swung open and a barefoot Mason greeted her.

“Come on in, Angel,” he said and disappeared behind the
door.

Laurie stepped inside and noticed the smell of bacon. Her
stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had skipped breakfast.

She shut the door and glanced around the apartment, noting
that they seemed to be alone. She wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. She didn’t
want to see Joe again, but being alone with Mason might not be such a good
idea, especially with her hormones deciding she might be a bit of a shameless
whore.

Laurie climbed onto a barstool and tried not to gawk as he
moved around the kitchen. She finally gave up, rested her chin on her hand and
enjoyed the view. His jeans were just tight enough to be interesting, his shirt
was a tank that showed off his toned, muscular arms, not to mention a good
portion of his tattoo, with which she was fascinated. His looks were lethal and
he radiated masculinity. There was no doubt in her mind that she was looking at
an alpha male. She got the impression that when he wanted something he took it,
and damn anyone who tried to stop him. The idea was both scary and enticing.

The show lasted only a few minutes before Mason spun around
and headed toward Laurie, carrying two heaping plates of food. He slid onto the
empty stool and started to hand one plate to her then pulled it back, narrowing
his eyes.

“You better not be a damn vegetarian.”

He asked the question in a harsh voice but Laurie laughed.

“No.” She held up the second cup of coffee she’d brought
with her. “I’ll trade you.”

Mason looked at the cup and grinned. He set the plate in
front of her and accepted the coffee.

“I like a woman who knows how to negotiate.”

“I like a man who knows how to cook.”

They both laughed and dug into their breakfast.

Laurie’s anxiety eased as they ate. The conversation was
friendly and light. They discussed books, movies and favorite hobbies. She
couldn’t help but feel the whole situation was a bit surreal. Not that she had
much experience with drug dealers, but she was willing to bet most of them didn’t
cook breakfast for their customers. Even more disturbing was the realization
that he was easy to talk to—not to mention smart and funny. Over the course of
their conversation, he became a real person to her and she realized his sex
appeal wasn’t the only thing that drew her to him. She actually liked him.
Oh
fuck.

They finished eating and Mason cleared the dishes. When he
came back he stopped directly behind Laurie and spun her stool around to face
him. He gave her a serious look and then sighed.

“I know you hate this part, Angel, but it has to be done.”

Laurie had a moment of confusion but then she understood.
She closed her eyes and sighed, giving a yielding nod. She reached for the
bottom of her shirt but Mason surprised her by brushing her hands away. He
pushed her knees apart and stepped into the space between her legs. She leaned
back until she felt the bar behind her. He stood so close she could feel the
heat of his body, and his scent settled over her like a warm blanket. Her mind
was reeling.
Holy shit. No, no, no. This is not a good idea. Tell him to
stop. Damn, he has nice arms. I’m so screwed.

Mason reached for the top button on her shirt and tugged it
open then moved to the next button. He continued from button to button, keeping
his eyes locked on hers. When he had her shirt open, he looked down. He held
his breath as he took in the sight of her smooth, bare skin. She wore a more
modest bra than the last time she was there. It was pink and sturdy and somehow
even sexier than the red one. He gazed longingly at her supple breasts. His
eyes widened, as her nipples hardened and poked against the fabric of her bra…just
like last time…as if they were inviting him to have a taste. His mouth went dry
as he considered leaning forward, taking one of them into his mouth and sucking
it through the thin layer of fabric. He thought of moving lower, finding her clit
with his tongue, tasting her tight little pussy. Somehow, he knew it would be
tight and sweet.

He rested his hands on her shoulders and trailed them down
her chest. Her soft skin felt amazing beneath his fingertips. He slipped his
fingers under her bra straps and trailed down to the top of the cups before
slipping them out and moving down, and she bit her lip. His thumbs lightly
brushed her erect nipples through her bra. She released a shaky breath. He trailed
his fingers down her ribs. Her muscles tightened as his fingers brushed over
her firm belly and stopped just above the button of her pants.

Leaning back against the bar with her arms spread out, she
gripped the edge behind her. The position gave him a nice view of her whole
torso and made it seem as if she was an offering, ready for sacrifice. Thoughts
swirled in his head and he fought to control himself.

Damn it, why isn’t she wearing a skirt? I could already
be balls-deep in her if she was wearing a skirt.
He bit his lip and looked
back to her face. All he needed was a sign from her. Anything to let him know
she was willing, that she wanted him like he wanted her. Her cheeks were
flushed and she was breathing rapidly. He moved his hand to the button of her
jeans and he gave an experimental tug.

She didn’t resist or appear distressed. He had never seen a
woman look at him that way. With such a mixture of panic and passion. She was
seductive and innocent at the same time and combination nearly drove him mad.
Unable to resist, he leaned closer, hovering over her, only an inch or two from
making contact. He placed his hands on the bar behind her and brushed his lips
across hers. Her lips parted as if she was about to speak and he took the
opportunity to dart his tongue between her lips for a quick taste. A small gasp
escaped her.

A tremor coursed through her and he pulled back, frowning a
little as he studied her. He estimated her age at about twenty-four or twenty-five
but the feeling that she was quite inexperienced bemused him. Leaning closer,
he scented her, loving the warm, spicy smell of her. He wanted to grip her hair
and hold her still while he invaded every corner of her mouth with his tongue
but he held back.

“How many men have you had?” he asked in a whisper.

Laurie looked shocked. Her face turned even redder but she
answered.

“One.” She turned her face from his but he gripped her chin
and forced her to look in his eyes.

“Don’t be ashamed of that,” he ordered gruffly. “There’s no
reason to be. Too many women throw it around to anyone who asks for it.”

Laurie held his gaze and nodded.

Now Mason wanted her even more and he knew he could have
her. He could pick her up and carry her to his bed at that very moment and she
wouldn’t resist. She would let him use her body for as long as he wanted, he was
sure, and he had some very specific and creative ideas about what he’d like to
do to her willing body. The opportunity was almost too much to resist but he
decided he needed to take a step back. Something told him she wasn’t the type he
wanted to spend a day in the sack with and then forget all about her. Not to
mention, she was the kind of girl who would need something more, a commitment,
and he was certain he wasn’t ready to give that to her. She would likely end up
hating herself if things went any further and that bothered him. He didn’t know
why and his concern for Laurie was definitely a foreign reaction.

He’d never given much thought to what a woman felt after a
fling with him. He didn’t care about her emotions as long as she had them
somewhere else. If she was willing to go for it and knew when to take her leave
once he was finished, he was happy. No need for any further thought of “what’s
her name”.

After stroking Laurie’s hair one last time, he stepped away
from her. Part of his brain screamed at him to capture her lips with his, throw
her on the floor and fuck her until she couldn’t even remember her name, could only
think about the fact that she belonged to him, but he resisted. The concern he
was feeling for her was a bit disconcerting but he decided to go with it,
telling himself he was too damn old to keep letting his cock make all the
decisions.

Laurie began re-buttoning her shirt, meeting some difficulty
because her hands were shaking. He noticed her struggle so he brushed her hands
away and took over the task. When he was done, he leaned back and inspected his
work then smiled at her. Her cheeks were bright red and her breathing was
shallow and fast. He reckoned he didn’t look much calmer. He stepped out of the
room for a moment, giving both of them a chance to calm down.

When he returned, he carried a pink backpack and gave it to
her. She accepted it and handed him the wad of cash.

“Was it College Boy?” Mason asked as he stuffed the money
into his pocket.

Laurie looked up and gave him a confused look.

“The
one
.”

She blushed and looked down at her lap, shaking her head.

“No.”

That made him smile but he couldn’t let it go. The idea of
anyone
touching her made him feel crazy jealous but he just had to know who the lucky
bastard was, so he pressed further. “Who was it? High school sweetheart?
Favorite professor?”

She looked up sharply and studied him. For a moment, he was
sure she was going to tell him to mind his own fucking business but she cracked
a small, rueful smile.

“Brady Johannes, my boyfriend during my junior year in high
school. First time was after prom and of course, the cops caught us. It was so
fucked up. They dragged us to the police station and called our parents. My
grandmother was so embarrassed she threatened to disown me. As punishment, I
had to spend the summer at a boot camp for at-risk teens. I learned to grow
weed and make a shank out of a toothbrush. Spent the whole summer fighting
fuckin’ assholes who were even bigger goddamn troublemakers than I was.” She
stopped abruptly and blushed as she bit her lip. “Sorry, I picked up the habit
of cursing a lot back then and sometimes, it still slips out. So, that should
give you just a little insight into the life and times of Laurie Donovan. You
should probably throw me the hell out of your house in case it’s contagious.”

“I’ll take my chances, Angel.” He couldn’t help but laugh,
unsure of which tickled him more—her story or the unexpected curse words that had
spilled out of her pretty mouth. “Did you ever see the guy again?”

“Yeah, we dated for about a year. Of course, we were much
more careful after that. Then his dad’s company transferred him to Taiwan.
Neither of us wanted a long-distance relationship so we said goodbye. We
exchange Christmas cards every year though. He’s still over there, working for
the same company as his dad. He’s married with two little girls.”

The way she smiled at the last part convinced Mason she was
happy for her first love and for some reason, he found the fact endearing. He
smiled at her then dared to step close to her again and kissed her forehead.
She blushed and smiled then stiffened at the sound of voices outside the door
and turned as it opened.

Her anxiety noticeably ramped back up as Joe and Dewayne
came in. Behind them was a guy named Chris who had been hanging around for a
few weeks. The last one in was Brook, his girlfriend—at least, that’s what she
called herself when she wasn’t fucking any guy who looked at her. Dewayne gave
Laurie a nod, and the other two men ignored her as they stumbled toward the
couches. Mason tensed when Brook headed straight for her, looking ready for a
fight.

“Who the fuck are you?” she demanded.

“Leave her alone, Brook,” Mason warned her.

Brook shot him a dirty look and extinguished her cigarette
in what was left of Laurie’s coffee.

“Oh, you must be a customer. What are you buying? Diet
pills? Yeah, I bet it’s diet pills. Skinny bitch like you, what else could it be?”