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  “Dylan won’t do much more than kiss me, even if I try to do more, he keeps telling me that I need to be sure that I’m ready. And Ash, well, I already told you about how we are just friends.” I rolled my eyes at the words. “Other than that, before tonight I really hadn’t met anyone else, I’ve just been pretty busy with school and stuff, ya know?”

  “And tonight? Me?” he asked.

  “And you what? Are you asking if I want to have sex with you?” I raised my eyebrows at him.

  “Yes . . . no . . . well, yes and no. I guess I’m just confused on what made you come back here with me. Surely that’s what you thought was going to happen?” He continued to play with his lip ring and I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his full lips. I wanted to kiss him again so bad, and I could feel the butterflies coming alive again in my lower abdomen. Feeling another surge of lust-driven courage, I crawled across the small area of bed that separated Mason and I and straddled his lap, hooking my legs around his back. I ran my hands over his head and down to the back of his neck. He stared deep into my eyes and I felt so safe.

  “Honestly, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I’m just going with what feels right,” I explained. “And coming here with you tonight felt right. I hope I did okay?” I was a little nervous that I had sucked, no pun intended, at my initial attempt at giving head.

  “That was the first time you had ever done that?” His eyes grew wide in surprise. I nodded and looked down, embarrassed. He lifted my chin up so that I was staring in his eyes once again. “Scarlett, that was way better than okay. It was . . . I don’t know the right words to do it justice . . . incredible, mind-blowing, stupefying. I just can’t believe that you did that for me when you had never . . .” He shook his head.

  “Look, that’s what I don’t want,” I interrupted. “I don’t want my first time to be some production, some planned event . . . If it so happens that I go out with a guy a few times and it slowly builds to that, great; or if it so happens that one night at a bar I meet some hot piece of ass that charms me out of my wet panties and screws me against a wall in a back hall, well then great for that too. I just want it to be a natural procession of events, like it is for everyone else. The fact that we are even talking about it right now sucks.”

  He closed the small gap between our faces and pressed his forehead against mine. The look in his eyes was intense and I thought he was about to say something heartfelt or meaningful, but instead he asked “So you think I’m a hot piece of ass, huh?” I pulled away from him laughing and swatted his arm.

  “Who said I was talking about you? My hypothetical ‘hot piece of ass’ charmed me out of my panties, and I’m pretty sure my panties have been intact the entire time I’ve been in your presence.”

  Mason rocked his body weight forward so that I was flat on my back on the bed and he was hovering over me. Mischief glimmered in his eyes. “Is that a challenge, angel?” I groaned and rolled my eyes at him. “What?” he asked, confused at my sudden mood change.

  “Angel? Really? What is it with all of the nicknames and people? Everyone I know has some stupid ass nickname and it drives me insane. Yours, by the way, has got to be in the top three of all-time worst ever.” I complained. He threw his head back in laughter.

  “You’re mad because I called you ‘angel?’” He shook his head. “You are one intriguing little girl, Scarlett. I’ve definitely never met one like you.” He leaned down and brushed my lips with his ever so lightly. Hungry for more of his touch, I moaned and arched my body into his. He pulled away slightly and tsked at me. “Calm down, angel. I have got to start getting ready here in just a bit, and the next time we’re together, I don’t want to rush. I want to spend hours showing you how I can make your body feel.” He gave me a quick peck and rolled off of me and the bed in one sweeping motion. My folds had slickened at his tempting words and I growled quietly in frustration when his body left mine. I hoped there was a next time.

  “So have you always hated nicknames or is that something recent?” he picked up our previous unfinished conversation as he pulled his t-shirt over his head.

  “Always. I have some strange aversion to them.” I climbed off the bed and began a search for my shoes while I talked. “I’ve never met anyone else that feels the same way, so I guess it’s my unique quality.” I snickered.

  “I knew there was something different about you, I never would have guessed it was moniker-a-phobia.” he teased.

  “Dare I ask where the name ‘Rat’ comes from?” I couldn’t help but make a face every time I said it.

  “My last name is Templeton,” Mason said like that explained everything. I looked at him blankly, clearly not making the connection.

  “You know, Charlotte’s Web . . .” he began. Instantly the image of Templeton, the rat that had gotten so fat after eating all of that food at the fair crossed my mind and I erupted in giggles. “You think that’s funny, huh?” He picked me up over his shoulder and lightly spanked my ass as he strode across the room to the door. “Consider yourself lucky that I need to go now, otherwise I would make you pay for making fun of me, angel.” I wiggled and squirmed and kicked trying to escape his grasp, but I had no chance. Instead I laughed and started pinching his butt while he walked. It seemed that my request to not be called pet names fell on deaf ears when I talked to both him and Ash. And surprisingly, not only did it not bother me, I kind of liked it.

  When we made it to the door of the apartment, Mason slid me down his hard chest until I was standing in front of him, facing him. He gently pushed me against the door with his body, I could feel his cock pressing against my belly. His warm breath on my neck sent shivers down my back. He planted several soft kisses up my neck until he reached my ear. “We will finish this conversation when I’m done, Angel. Tell your friends that I will take you home later and meet me next to the stage when the show’s over. I’ve got a surprise for you, I hope you like it.” He continued his trail of kisses across my jaw line to my mouth. I loved the feel of the warm lips accompanied by the cool metal ring as it drug across my skin. When his mouth met mine, he kissed me with craving and desire, a promise of what was yet to come.

  When we exited the hallway to the main warehouse, Mason went to gather up the other members of Jobu’s Rum, and I walked directly over to the table where Evie and Mina still sat with the guys from 32 Leaves. Evie jumped up and ran toward me as soon as she saw me.

  “Are you okay? Where in the hell have you been? What happened to you? Did you fuck him? You look like you fucked him. ” Her eyes ran over my appearance, doing an inventory of each hair that was out of place and looking for smudged lipstick.

  “I’m fine, Evie. As a matter of fact, I’m more than fine.” I smiled as I saw Mason disappear into the back with his band. “And no, I didn’t have sex with him, at least not yet.”

  Evie jumped up and down in excitement. It was like she was my own personal sex cheerleader. Up until tonight, I wasn’t sure who wanted to get me laid more, her or me. However, after feeling what I had earlier with Mason, my desperate want to lose the V-card definitely outweighed her hopes.

  I gave her a quick rundown of what had happened as we walked back over to Mina. She told me that she was most likely going home with Max and I let her know it was no problem since Mason would take me home later. We were both anxious to watch him perform since we had only seen the end of his first set. I knew that I would look at him completely different now, after what had happened in the apartment. I tried not to let myself get too excited. I knew that Mason, much like Ash, probably hooked up with several different girls a week. As a matter of fact, with his front man rocker image, he probably put Ash to shame. Why was it that I was insanely attracted to male whore musicians? So I knew that whatever happened or was going to happen between us, wasn’t anything special to him, but I was elated nonetheless.

  As I waited for Mason and Jobu’s Rum to take the stage, I found myself scanning the pool table area to see if Mason was right, that Ash
had stayed. It didn’t take me long to find his messy, long sun-kissed hair in the crowd. He was standing against the wall while his date mauled him from the front. Even though they were locked in a kiss and she was pawing him frantically, his eyes were open and staring across the room, directly at me. I rolled my eyes at him, still irritated he was even here. He closed his eyes and I saw his hands weave in blondie’s hair, as if he was suddenly interested in the skank in front of him. Whatever.

  Nearly thirty minutes later, I finally heard Mason’s deep voice echo throughout the warehouse. I immediately turned to look at him and loved that we was staring directly at me, smiling. I shot him my biggest smile back and he began his performance. I didn’t recognize the majority of their songs, and based on the raw emotion I heard in his voice while he sang each lyric, I assumed he had written most of them. When it seemed like they were wrapping up the set, the music stopped and Mason grabbed the microphone off the stand and addressed the crowd.

  “’I hope everyone’s having the fucking time of their life tonight, I know that I am,” he yelled and then paused as everyone started screaming and shouting. He rewarded them with his flirtatious grin. “That’s what I like to hear. Alright, well before we call it a night we are going to play a few extra songs for you. This is a little different from what we usually do; it’s a little old school, but I think you’ll recognize most of them.

  “You know,” he continued, his voice growing softer and more serious. “Every so often in life, you randomly cross paths with someone that touches you in a way that you really can’t explain, but somehow you know that you will never be the same again. A person that is unknowingly, so incredibly beautiful, both inside and out, that they truly take your breath away. Recently, I met someone exactly like that. As a matter of fact, I’m still not convinced that she isn’t an angel here to protect me from myself and the rest of you crazies.” He chuckled and the crowd cheered again. I heard one girl scream, “I’ll protect you, Rat!” Another panty-dropping smile. “No, seriously though, these next few songs are for my angel. I hope the rest of you find your angel someday. Just remember, don’t let go when you do, even if they try to fly away.”

  Up until this point, he had not even glanced in my direction while he was speaking. However, right before the drummer began the first song, he looked directly at me, winked, and turned my body to jello with one smile. “Enjoy, Angel.” Evie and Mina were both staring at me with their mouths opened. I looked at both of them and shrugged my shoulders in disbelief myself. Evie whispered in my ear, “Are you a witch? I think you put spells on boys.” I snorted and shook my head.

  Mason opened with The Doors’ “Hello I Love You.” I sat in awe, not moving my eyes from the gorgeous singer serenading me in front of a room full of people. I didn’t dare look in Ash’s direction, I would not allow him to ruin this for me. I had never felt so wanted in my life.

  I fell a little more for Mason with each verse that he sang during a grunged-up version of “Brown Eyed Girl.” He would occasionally look around the room at the other guests, but for the most part his gaze stayed locked on me. I was euphoric.

  The music paused once again and Mason lifted the mic to his lips. “Okay, last two for the night everyone. Let’s liven it up a little, everyone on your feet . . . feel free to join me.”

  He belted out the opening lines to “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and those who weren’t standing prior, jumped to their feet. Mason and the band were having a blast as was everyone else in the warehouse, singing at the top of their lungs and dancing. He was no longer singing directly to me, but when the lyrics said, “little miss innocent, sugar me,” he pointed at me and I nearly came in my panties.

  The band went directly into “Cherry Pie,” which got a similar positive response from the audience. Evie, Mina, and I were having so much fun, I could not wipe the smile off my face. We were jumping around, grinding against each other, and then the next thing I knew, there was a large masculine hand wrapped around my arm, dragging me away from the table and toward the door that headed outside.

  I desperately tried to free myself from his grasp, but I had no leverage as I struggled to stay on my feet while being pulled through the bodies. I was drug through the warehouse and out the main door into the cool November night. Finally we came to a stop a few feet outside the entrance. “What do you think you are doing?” I screamed. Ash turned around, glaring at me through thunderous eyes. He didn’t say a word, instead, he cupped both sides of my face into his hands and pulled me into a toe-curling, heart-stopping kiss.

  As soon as my brain registered what was happening, I pushed him away. “Get off of me! Have you lost your damn mind?” I was furious.

  “Scarlett, I’m sorry, but I had to get you out of there. You have to stay away from that guy. He’s bad news. He’s . . .”

  “He’s what Ash?” I cut him off mid-sentence. “He’s a self-absorbed, arrogant, pompous ass womanizer? Is that it?” My voice was still elevated, but I had brought it down a notch, hoping to avoid any unnecessary attention from the people walking by.

  He took a step forward with his arms stretched out toward me. “Butterfly, please,” he begged.

  I took a step back. “Don’t,” I said shaking my head and holding my arm out in front of me. “Just don’t.”

  He stood there silent, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, just looking at me. The anger in his eyes from just moments before had turned to either sadness or disappointment or a combination of the two.

  “You know Ash, whatever this is between us, whatever we are, it’s all your doing,” I hissed. “You knew how I felt about you. You knew what I wanted. But you were the one that insisted that we just be friends. I didn’t like it, but I went along with it so that I could keep you as a part of my life. And now, the first time that you see me with another guy, the first fucking time that you feel threatened, you go all caveman on me and then play the ‘Butterfly’ card?”

  “That’s not true,” Ash argued. “I see you with Dylan all the time and I never say anything.”

  I rolled my eyes. “That’s because you know as well as I do that nothing is ever going to happen between Dylan and I. We see each other one night a week only in locations full of other people, like a restaurant or Jacob’s.”

  “Scarlett, I’m just worried about you,” he tried to explain.

  “No need.” I snapped. “Look Ash, you’re the one who told me I needed to experience life—to try new things, to meet new people, to learn about myself from my mistakes. Remember?” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed in frustration. I knew this conversation was not going the way he had planned, and much to my chagrin, I found myself wanting to hold and comfort him.

  My voice softened but remained stern as I looked intensely into his eyes. “Ash, our relationship has grown into something very special over the last couple of months. I could not imagine my life going forward without you in it; I cherish all the time we spend together. I also know that no matter what we call it, we will always be something more than just friends. I can’t explain it and I don’t think you can either.” He shook his head in agreement and a small smile briefly crossed his lips. “But I’m not going to sit around, waiting and pining after you while you gallivant around and fuck half of the female population in Houston. I’m going to have a life, which includes dating other guys whether you approve of them or not. I hope that doesn’t interfere with us continuing our relationship the way it was before it got all weird tonight.”

  Without saying a word, he walked toward me with his arms stretched out in front of him, and this time I did not deny his embrace. He held me tight against his body, his face buried in my neck, my arms locked around his waist. We stood there silently for a few minutes, both of us needed an opportunity to reflect on the events of the evening.

  People started filtering out the door of the warehouse signaling that closing time was approaching. Before letting me free from his arms, Ash whispered in my ear, “I know I really m
essed up tonight and I’m sorry. I’ll work on it, I promise. I can’t lose you, butterfly.”

  I took a step back from him and gave him a small smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay? Be careful going home tonight.” As I turned on my heel and headed back toward the entrance, I could feel his eyes on me the entire walk. Just before I slipped back inside, I glanced back at where he still stood. I gave myself a silent pat on the back for standing up to him and not giving in, even if my inner voices were having a knock-down, drag-out over whether I should run back to Ash’s arms or continue flirting with trouble inside with Mason. I would’ve said it was my inner angel and devil, but in this case I had two devils. I knew I was playing with fire either way I went.

  Evie and Mina had followed Ash and I out when he had abducted me. They had given us our space and privacy, but there was no way that Evie was going to let me be out there without her. I found them lingering outside the door, waiting to make sure I was okay.

  “You alright, Sam?” Evie asked as I walked over to her.

  I nodded and forced a smile. “Yeah, I think it’s all going to be okay. Now I only hope that Mason is inside and still wants to hang out tonight.”

  “Do you want me to go in with you?” she asked.

  “No, I’m fine, I promise. I’ll text you if I need you,” I reassured her. She gave me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, and then she and Mina bounded off across the parking lot to where Noah and Max waited for them. I couldn’t help but smile at how happy Evie was tonight.

  Back inside the warehouse, the overhead lights had been turned on and other than the employees, there were only a few people lingering around. I instantly spotted the back of Mason’s tall frame standing at the bar. I drew in a deep breath and made my way over to him.

  “Mason?” My voice squeaked as I tried to get his attention. He sat his bottled water on top of the bar and turned around to face me. When he saw me, his face lit up and he exclaimed, “Angel! You’re still here!” His enthusiasm to see me made my heart swell. He appeared so tough with his big muscles, tattoos, and piercings, but for the short time I had been around him, he had been so sweet, soft, and cuddly.