Even though his tone hadn’t been judgmental, Chelle stiffened. “I had planned to go away to school, but it wasn’t meant to be.” She briefly told him the story of her grandfather and how she’d stayed to care for him. “I don’t regret a minute of it, though. I miss him every day. He was an open-minded man. I’d like to think he’s up there cheering me on as I try to figure out what I want to do next. My parents would love to see me marry locally and take over the family ranch. I don’t have the heart to tell them it’s not my dream. I don’t know where I’m meant to be, but have you ever gotten the feeling you’re still a work in progress?” Mason was watching her so quietly Chelle started to worry she’d talked so much he’d started daydreaming. “I’m sorry, I rattle on sometimes.”
Mason took her hand in his. “Don’t be sorry. I enjoy listening to you. I don’t know that I’ve ever met anyone like you. What do you consider your greatest flaw? Do you even have one?”
She made a face at his question. “Flaws? Sure. I just admitted to practically lying to my parents. I’m not perfect. No one is.”
With a flash of red, a stunning, tall brunette in a dress that revealed more than it concealed interrupted them. “Senator Thorne, I didn’t know you were back in town.”
Mason stood to greet the woman. He offered her his hand, but she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek instead. He took his seat again and said, “Chelle, this is an old friend of mine, Cameron Linke. Cam, this is my fiancée, Chelle Landon.”
The woman’s jaw dropped open. “Your fiancée?”
Chelle held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers, flashing her engagement ring at her. Although Chelle felt a twinge of jealousy, based on what she guessed was the history between Mason and the woman, it was hard not to be amused by how shocked the woman looked. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You’re really engaged?” Cam looked Chelle over, sizing her up.
Chelle smiled at her and shrugged. “It does seem that way.”
The woman looked skeptical for another moment, then a smile spread across her face. She raised her hand to her ear and asked, “Do you hear that? That’s the sound of a hundred single women sighing in disappointment at the news. You may have caught him, but are you sure you have what it takes to hold on to a man like this?”
Chelle met Mason’s eyes across the table. Maybe it was because all of it was an act anyway, but she found it easy to banter back. “I don’t worry about that. He’s still working on proving he has what it takes to hold on to a woman like me.” She winked at Mason for emphasis, enjoying how unexpectedly uncomfortable he looked. “But he’s getting there.”
Cam threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, I like you, darling. I hope it does work out for you two. You’re just what he needs.” With that, she excused herself and walked away.
Chelle smiled as she watched her go. She stopped, however, when she saw the expression on Mason’s face. He didn’t look very happy. Chelle reviewed everything she’d said. Was she coming on too strong to be believable? “Did I say something wrong? What’s the matter, Mason?”
Mason wasn’t a man who spent a whole lot of time analyzing how he felt. It didn’t require a degree in psychology, however, to attribute the irritation he felt to the amusement in Chelle’s eyes when she’d spoken to Cameron. Chelle had enjoyed the conversation because she wasn’t worried about losing him.
What had she said earlier? She didn’t take him seriously, and he was discovering that wasn’t a feeling he enjoyed. He wanted to pull her into his arms and prove her wrong.
A month ago, Mason would have said he was living a nearly perfect life. Both his professional and his personal life were exactly the way he wanted them to be. He played by his rules, and his casual lifestyle was something he’d been proud of.
He continued to glare at her. Chelle Landon had come into his life and turned everything upside down. Since meeting her, Mason had come face-to-face with the low opinion Charles had of him. He’d realized the women who slept with him saw him as little more than a reliable screw. Instead of reveling in the freedom that gave him, he resented how easily they all dismissed him as a potential life partner.
He was no one’s joke.
He’d felt like this once before. After he’d walked off the set of a movie because he’d still been reeling from his mother’s death and Irene had stopped taking his calls. He’d begged her not to leave him, but she’d explained that she could never have feelings for someone half her age. She’d told him to grow up and realize sex was just that—sex. The sting of her rejection had echoed through him when Chelle had joked about him not being good enough for her.
Chelle put her hand on his tense one. “I don’t understand why you’re upset, but I want to.”
The softness of her tone, the sincerity in her eyes brought him back to the present. He laced his fingers with hers. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten anything yet today, and hunger puts me in a foul mood.” He beamed a smile at her in an attempt to distract her.
She looked down at their linked hands, then back up to his eyes. “Just so you know, I’m really good at knowing when people are lying to me. I’ll let you get away with it this time, though.”
He marveled at how quickly he could go from feeling defensive and angry to once again being completely mesmerized by Chelle’s voice. He neither agreed nor disagreed with her.
Her smile was gentle and accepting as she continued, “New friendships are tough, aren’t they? Deciding what to share and what to hide? You don’t have to tell me anything. It might not be worth it. Really, after tomorrow, how much will we see each other? Unless you think we could be friends, and then I’d say honesty is a good foundation for that.”
Mason tightened his fingers on hers. “I don’t know if I’ve ever actually been friends with a woman. Not by your definition, anyway.”
Chelle cocked her head to one side. “Maybe it’s time you change that.”
Their food arrived, and they both took a moment to savor the steak. Mason had called it chateaubriand, and it came with béarnaise sauce. Chelle claimed to be hard to impress because she came from cattle country where steaks were plentiful, but he smiled when she said it was melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. Mason could have let the topic from earlier drop. Chelle wasn’t pushing him to open up to her, but somehow that made him want to. “I learned some tough lessons at the end of my acting career. I usually consider them ancient history, but sometimes I have flashbacks to moments that would be better forgotten.”
Chelle nodded quietly.
When she didn’t push for more, he asked, “You’re not going to ask for details?”
She shook her head. “My mother would say, ‘You can yell for the sun to come up in the middle of the night and be angry when it doesn’t, or you can wait for things to happen as they’re supposed to.’”
The more Mason thought about that advice, the more he liked it. It didn’t fit, though, with his first impression of Chelle. “You’re much more levelheaded than you came across at the wedding.”
Chelle glanced away and laughed self-consciously. “Yeah, that wasn’t me at my best. I guess you could say I saw the sun setting and went scrambling after it by throwing myself at you.”
The way she shared her own insecurity as if it were the most natural thing to do crumbled another wall around Mason’s heart. He took her hand in his again. “The sun is far from setting on you.”
Chelle met his eyes and shrugged awkwardly. “I try to tell myself that, but it’s getting harder and harder to believe. That’s why I’m here. I don’t want to wake up and realize I let life pass me by.”
Mason wasn’t sure if she was referring to traveling, losing her virginity, or both. He was torn between demanding that she keep waiting and offering to show her what she’d been missing. Neither felt like the right thing to do, so he said, “You asked me about my family. I haven’t spoken to my father in well over ten years. He used to be my manager when I was an actor. That was a difficult situation. Children
want to please their parents, and I wanted mine to be proud, but I also wanted to control my own career. I fired my father when I turned eighteen. That didn’t go over very well. My mother overdosed on prescription drugs a short time later, and my life pretty much went to shit for a year after that. When you’re at the top, everyone loves you. It’s a whole other story when things go south. That’s when you discover who your real friends are, if you have any. And I didn’t. Chelle, you might feel like you’ve missed out, but I’ve been in life’s fast lane for as long as I can remember, and there’s a price to be paid for that, too. Hang on to your innocence as long as you can. The world out here can get ugly.”
No actress could have copied the sweet look of concern on Chelle’s face. Expressions like that came from the heart. Chelle had a softer one than anyone he’d ever met. “I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. That must have been horrible. I don’t know your father to know what would keep him away, but I’d bet he’s hurting about it just as much as you are.” Chelle gave his hand a tight squeeze. “Mason Thorne, the more I get to know you, the more I like you.”
Mason frowned and said nothing. He absently played with the diamond ring on her left hand. That’s the same problem I’m having.
Chapter Eight
The next night Chelle, was standing in front of her cell phone doing a little spin in her flirty little black dress. “So do you approve?”
Sarah exclaimed from afar, “Yes! The dress is perfect. I love your hair up like that. You look so happy, too.”
Chelle smiled into the phone. Video chat was a beautiful thing. “I am. You were right. This is the adventure I needed. Mason took me to dinner last night. Tonight we’re off to a charity dinner. I’m having fun.”
Sarah leaned closer to the camera on her phone and said, “I can’t believe you’re out there pretending to be engaged to Mason. I mean, I know I suggested you do it, but it still sounds crazy when I say it. What’s it like?”
Chelle picked up the phone so Sarah could stay with her as she checked her makeup in the hotel bathroom. “It’s interesting. People tend to be really surprised when they first hear that Mason and I are engaged, but then they take the news well.”
With wide eyes, Sarah said, “The way Mason goes through women, I was afraid your visit would be one catfight after another. Nothing like that?”
“No. Not so far.”
“So you’re staying in a hotel alone? And nothing is . . . going on between you two?”
“Are you asking me if I slept with him?”
Sarah laughed. “Yes.”
“I didn’t. And I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
“You sound disappointed.”
There was no reason to lie. Sarah wasn’t the type to judge. “I’m not. Well, not really. It’s hard to explain. I like him—so much more than I thought I would. On the outside he’s all flirt and swagger, but on the inside there is someone who has been really hurt. He was telling me about his family, and I wanted to hug him and say everything was going to be okay.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Mason I know.”
“It’s not the Mason I thought I was coming to visit. I came because I thought it would be exciting, but it’s so much more than that.”
Sarah wiped one of her cheeks. “That’s so beautiful.”
Chelle found her own eyes misting up. “You’re a cornball. Stop, before I mess up my makeup.”
“Promise to call me tomorrow and tell me every last detail about your date tonight.”
“It’s not a date. He said this might help him get support for his bill.”
Sarah laughed. “You keep telling yourself that. Oh, and remember, even though you’ll be meeting dignitaries and people who could probably buy and sell Texas, don’t let them intimidate you. They have more money and power than you, but that doesn’t make them better than you.”
Chelle froze. “I wasn’t even worried about that until you just said it.”
Sarah shook her head back and forth with a huge apologetic smile. “Oh, then Etch A Sketch it right out of your head.”
Chelle checked her makeup in a hand mirror. “I’ll try.”
“I miss you,” Sarah said with a huge smile.
“Me too,” Chelle admitted. She thought about what Mason had said about not having friends when he was younger and felt doubly blessed to have so many. “Tell Melanie I miss her, too.”
“I will,” Sarah answered and hung up.
A few minutes later, Chelle jumped at a knock at the door. She opened it and tried not to dissolve into an adoring pool at Mason’s feet. He was far too handsome on a regular day, but in formal attire he was drop dead gorgeous. He leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, and she inhaled deeply. He smelled as good as he looked.
Friends. Just friends.
Mason’s lips lingered on Chelle’s cheek longer than he’d intended. He lifted his head and looked down into her eyes. Innocent desire burned within them and shook his resolve. She looked as hungry to kiss him as he was to kiss her.
Friends. Just friends, he reminded himself harshly. “You look beautiful.”
“You too,” she answered in a rush, then blushed.
This is hell. Mason stepped back from her. “Are you ready?”
She nodded wordlessly and walked with him out the door and to the elevator. He offered her his arm, and she linked hers with his as naturally as if they’d known each other for years. When they stepped out of the elevator door, she tugged on his sleeve as if she wanted to say something to him. He bent and she turned in his arms and gave him a deep kiss that sent him rocking back onto his heels. Her tongue swept through his mouth, flirting with his, but withdrawing before he had time to respond. Mason stared at her, feeling dazed.
Chelle said softly, “For the sake of those watching.”
Mason swallowed hard. He could barely breathe, but he said, “Good thinking,” in the calmest voice he could muster.
He was still working on calming his libido when they slid into the backseat of the car he’d hired for the night. She turned half away from him and asked, “I thought I’d brought underwear to match this dress, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. Is the strap of my bra showing?”
Mason wasn’t admitting to anything. “It’s fine.”
She sat back with a smile. “Oh good. I could have sworn I remembered unpacking them. But I guess I didn’t. Strange, huh?”
He loosened the tie that suddenly felt tight around his neck. “Yesterday was a busy day.” Which wasn’t a lie.
Chelle looked out the window briefly, then met his eyes again. Her cheeks were glowing with excitement. “This weekend is flying by. I can’t believe I leave tomorrow. I feel like I just got here.”
“Are you heading home?”
“I considered that, but instead I’m going to do something completely spontaneous.”
Mason couldn’t have looked away from Chelle if he’d tried. “What?”
“Sarah already helped me arrange it. I’m not deciding my next destination until I get to the airport.” She briefly described the box Sarah had made with all the photos glued to cards. “Sarah will pull out a card, and whatever place is on it, that’s where I’m headed next.”
“And then?”
Chelle’s confidence wavered for just a second, but she continued on in a gush of enthusiasm. “It depends. This is a journey as much as it is a vacation. Sarah says you have to trust fate to take you where you belong. It worked for her, so I’m giving it a try—at least until my savings run out.” She chewed her bottom lip. “I know that sounds a little irresponsible, but like I said, I’m a work in progress.”
Mason touched the side of her face gently before forcing himself to break the connection. Being with Chelle felt good. Too good. He wanted her to find where she belonged and didn’t want to be what stood in her way. Still, the idea of not seeing her again was hard to accept. “Keep me updated on where you decide to go.”
She gave him a cautious sideways
look. “You really want to know?”
He surprised himself by not retracting the idea. “I don’t like the idea of you traveling alone.”
That brought a smile to her face. “Now you sound like David.”
Wham. Mason’s mood took a jealous turn. “What did he think of you coming here to see me?”
“He didn’t ask, and I didn’t say. He’s been moody ever since he heard Lucy got engaged. No one blames him. It was unexpected, to say the least. If you ask my opinion, he fell in love with her when he went out there to see her and was too damn stubborn to tell her. Texan men can be loyal to the grave, but try getting one of them to talk about their feelings. My first boyfriend wrote a love song for me in high school. Or that’s what he said it was. It was all about his truck and how much he liked driving it. That’s probably why I never slept with him. I didn’t want to compete with a vehicle.”
Neither David nor the boyfriend she referenced sounded like men she had any sexual interest in, but the thought of Chelle being with anyone was enough to send Mason’s thoughts on dark tangents. Was Chelle heading off to parts unknown looking for a husband, a new career, or something a bit more carnal?
That thought alone made him want to demand she go home.
He’d always considered monogamy an archaic practice, but when he was with Chelle he felt territorial in a way he’d never been. He’d never cared who a woman was with before or after him.
Chelle was different. He wanted to be her first and her last lover. It was an admission that shook him to the core.
“Who was your first girlfriend?” Chelle surprised him by asking.
Mason forced himself to focus on her question and not on his primitive desire to pound his chest and claim her as his. “I didn’t date much until college. My acting career started early, and then travel and long days of filming kept me away from people my age. People wonder why so many children who make it in Hollywood end up in rehab. I don’t. It’s a lifestyle no one can prepare you for. One day you’re playing street hockey with your neighborhood friends, just being a regular kid. The next day everyone knows you, and you’re expected to navigate situations and make decisions that would intimidate most adults. You can never have a normal day again. People equate money and fame with happiness, so you don’t find much sympathy if you get to the top and wonder if what you lost was worth it. You will never meet someone without wondering if they like you just for you or for what you can do for them. You’re always watched. Always judged. It’s easy to feel trapped.”