Not What She Seems (20 page)

“It’s fine, it was just my cousin.” She waved her hand dismissively. “He gets a little needy sometimes. Sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem. So we’re on to spend the weekend at Marjory’s?”

“You bet. I just hope you can keep up with me on our ride.
” She stared boldly into his eyes, waiting to see if he read more than one meaning in her comment.

He gazed right back into her eyes and chuckled softly. “Sylvia, when the time for our ride comes, I just hope so too.”

Much to her surprise, she blushed when she realized not only did Mason pick up on the sexual implication she had thrown out to him, he was agreeable to having sex with her- eventually.

~~~

After a lovely dinner spent chatting and enjoying the Boston night skyline, Mason drove her home. The Audi was barely in park before he reached over and pushed both of his hands into Sylvia’s blonde tresses, pulling her to him. Their lips met and she moaned softly as her body came to life from his simple kiss. Mason’s kiss was firm and aggressive, but not unpleasantly so. She fought hard against her own instincts to move things along, fearing scaring him off if she was too pushy to take it to the next level.

It was Mason, not Sylvia, who
progressed their intimacy when he hesitantly removed a hand from her hair and began lightly stroking her breasts. She arched her back to rise up to meet him and unbuttoned her blouse a few more buttons before guiding his seeking hand under it for better access. His touch became more confident, bolder, as he explored her bare skin before dipping a few fingers beneath her bra and gently rubbing her nipple. She broke their kiss and leaned her head back against the seat as she parted her legs in anticipation and need.

He
made a trail of soft kisses beginning at her earlobe and working his way down her neck, down her sternum, finally reaching her cleavage where he kissed and licked her lightly while still exploring the contents of her bra with his hand.

“I want to stay in the guest house,” Sylvia whispered huskily.

He paused. “Okay, I’ll stay in the main house.”

“No,” she shook her head violently. “I
want to stay in the guest house, with you.”

He
resumed his exploration of the top of her breasts and her cleavage. “I would like that, as long as you don’t have expectations I’m not ready to fulfill yet,” he replied in between kisses, licks and nibbles. He stopped suddenly, pulled his hand out of her bra, and slumped back in his own seat.

“I’m sorry, Sylvia,
what must you think of me? I’m telling you we have to take it slow, and yet here I am, enjoying you like this, then reminding you I’m not ready to have sex with you yet.” He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “I don’t mean to be giving you mixed signals like this. I’m just not sure what the hell I’m doing. I know myself, and I know I’m not ready to have sex with you, yet here I am acting like a jerk, acting like that might happen sometime soon.”

“
It’s okay, Mason, you were feeling me up, not slipping on a condom or something.” She tried to casually shrug it off but her body screamed for more of his touch. She wanted more of his energy, more of his touch, more of his everything. He was becoming a drug of sorts and she the addict, and she didn’t even care. She had thought she needed him simply to win the Challenge, but she now knew she couldn’t walk away from him even if it was called off. What he did to her with his mere touch was beyond compare, like nothing she had ever experienced.

It wasn’t just the physical chemistry between her and her Innocent that left her yearning for more. He made her feel good inside, like she actually mattered to him. The sincerity in his interest
in her was genuine and not the usual transparent crap men tried to pull with her, pretending to have an interest in her as a person so they could get in her panties. It was a new experience for her, and she was startled to realize she really was beginning to develop feelings for him as well. It was no longer just about the Challenge. Mason made her feel valued for more than just her stunning looks. His company brought her the companionship she had been missing for so very long.

“You’re right;
I guess I’m blowing it out of proportion. I just don’t want to disappoint you, or myself. I really like you, Sylvia, and I haven’t been able to say that about a woman in a long time. I don’t want to blow it between us. I want you. You have no idea how much I want you, but that’s no excuse for me to act like some horny teenager at the drive-in.”

She
leaned over and kissed him chastely on the lips. “I’ve got news for you, Mason, I really like you too, and what we just did was nice. I really enjoyed it
but
you’ve told me you don’t want to rush this, and I’m fine with that. I don’t want to blow it either,” she added softly. “I just want to be with you, even if it means I sleep on the floor in the guest house.”

“You’re not going to sleep on the floor,” Mason scoffed. “We’ll figure
it out when we get there, there’s probably more than one bedroom.”

Sylvia
silently hoped not. She would even be happy just to sleep next to him, if sex was off the table for now. She couldn’t bed him yet but she was quickly discovering that simply being with him was the next best thing.

“I best
be going. Thank you for a lovely evening, Mason.”

“Hang on a sec.” He
got out of the car and came around to open her door for her. “I can’t tell you how excited I am about our trip to New Hampshire this weekend.” He pulled her into a strong embrace and her eyes widened ever so slightly when she felt his erection brush her thigh.

She kissed him good
night, savoring his warmth and his taste. It felt like she could stay there forever, standing on the sidewalk in the chilly city evening, lost in Mason’s strong arms.

“You coming in or what?”
Keith’s angry voice caused her to pull away from Mason’s kiss abruptly. He stood in the open apartment building doorway, glaring at Mason.

To his credit, if Mason was surprised by Keith, he didn’t let it show. “Mason Kent, nice to meet you,” he said without missing a beat as he moved to Keith and extended his hand.

Keith crossed his arms against his chest and ignored him. “Let’s go, Sylv,” he commanded.

S
he intervened in an attempt to smooth over the awkward moment. “Mason, this is my cousin, Keith. He’s staying with me for a bit, because he just moved to Boston.”

“Your cousin?”

“Yes. I really should be going.”

“May I call you tomorrow?”

Sylvia smiled at Mason as she moved to join Keith in the doorway. “You’d better!”

Chapter
20

“Why would you
do
that to me?” Sylvia hissed at Keith as she swatted his arm once they were safely enclosed in the elevator.

“Gee, I
don't know, Sylv, maybe I don’t think you should be making out on the sidewalk late at night when a Hunter’s after you?” His sarcastic tone only fueled her anger.

“I was
fine,
no thanks to you. You could have ruined
everything
for me! What if Mason doesn’t believe you’re my cousin? I don’t think cousins act like such dicks to their kin’s significant others.”

“Oh, is that what you two are now,
‘significant others?’” he sneered.

“You know what I mean. You can’t go acting like that!” The elevator deposited them on the correct floor and Sylvia stalked off down the hall, keys in hand. She unlocked the door and threw it open but stopped in the do
orway to yell at him once more.

“You have
no right
to interfere in my business, none! If I didn’t need you here…” she cut herself off before she said something she’d regret, but it was too late.

“If you didn’t need me here what?
What? Just say it. You’d rather have Mr. Moneybags boy-toy than me, is that it?” He raised his voice to match her level.

“No,” she replied softly, “I’d rather not hi
m than you. This isn’t a choice for me, Keith; you know that.”

“Isn’t it though
?” Keith stopped yelling but anger still shone clearly in his eyes. “You do have a choice. You can leave town with me, and start over somewhere else, where it’s safe. But you won’t, you refuse to. You’re so hung-up on your own pride you can’t even tell which way is up anymore. You’re running around town with Mason, trying to bed him before Elora beds her Innocent so you can show her up and keep your hunting grounds. For what, Sylvia? At the end of the day, you and I have a chance to start over, leave this city, leave the Hunter behind us… but you won’t. All for a territory that’s easily replaced and an Innocent who’s into you. Aren’t I worth more to you than that?”

“Once upon a time, you were,
Karl
, but that time has passed. You left me to rot, to waste away, and Lilith helped me pick myself back up again. I learned to get along without you, and I’ve been fine ever since, thank you very much.” They glared at each other, the anger and hurt between them a palpable thing. “You stroll in here, tell me you love me, tell me you’ve changed- but you haven’t, have you? You’re still the same old Karl looking to keep me on a tight leash, and I think you’re just using this ‘Hunter’ excuse to try to get me to bend your way.”

He
opened his mouth to reply but she cut him off before he had the chance. “I can’t believe I was so dumb, and for a second time. Yes, I love you still, but I refuse to be in a relationship with someone who doesn’t have the self-confidence to allow me to do what I need to do. And you know what? I
do
have feelings for Mason. He’s kind and attentive and sweet and actually gives a damn about me and my happiness. He’s not into ‘owning’ me like you seem to wish to do again.” Sylvia spun on her heels and stomped off to her room before he could see the tears that were about to fall. “God, how could I be so
stupid
?” she yelled back down the hallway to him. “For a while there, I thought you really had changed, or were at least trying to!” With that she slammed her door and locked it. She didn’t want him in her bed that night.

She collapsed on her
bed and wept into her pillow so Keith wouldn’t hear her. What a fool she had been, to think he was different now. She had wanted them to work out so badly this time that she was lulled into a false sense of confidence in his ability to change and control his jealousy. He had just proven her wrong. Now she was dependent on him to help keep her safe and there was nothing she could do about it. Or maybe there was.

Lilith picked up immediately when she called. “What is it?” Sylvia could hear the stress in her voice.

“I want him out! This isn’t working.”

“Come now, I’m sure whatever’s going on betwe
en you two can be fixed.” She paused a moment. “You didn’t sleep with him, did you?”

Sylvia didn’t answer her but
she assumed the answer in her silence. “What did I warn you about?” she sighed. “Now he’ll have to go, I agree. You two can’t properly be on the lookout for the Hunter if you’re caught up again in the personal drama between you. You’ve ruined it completely and now your personal affairs are getting in the way of your safety. I’m very disappointed in you, but I agree, Keith needs to go. Give me an hour, I’ll find someone else to send over to stay with you. And Sylvia?”

“Yes?”

“Keep your pants on this time.” Lilith’s words stung her, but she knew it was deserved.

She
took a moment to pull herself together and went to find Keith. He was in his bedroom, packing up his things again. She stood in his doorway, watching him, but said nothing.

“Lilith text
me,” he told her tersely. “So this is what you want, huh? You want me to go?”

S
he nodded cautiously but didn’t speak.

He
offered her a bitter smile. “So that’s it then. You’re kicking me out to be with your Innocent.”

“It’s not because of him, personally. I can’t have you interfering with my life outside of you,” Sylvia explained gently. Now that it had been agreed that
he would go she felt calmer, despite the pain losing him again was causing her.

“That’s the thing,
Sylv, I thought we might have had a life together.” He turned his back on her and continued packing.

Sylvia watched him for a moment before going back to her room. Half an hour later she heard the
front door slam shut, and he was gone, out of her life for good. She felt empty, hollow inside, but she knew it was for the best. She had gotten too wrapped up in Keith again in their brief time together and it wasn’t good for her. Best to cut if off before things got any worse. His behavior around Mason had just proven that it had all been a farce; he was no different than before, and his jealousy was out of control.

~~~

Her new body guard arrived a few hours later. He was a short, solid fellow named Tucker that looked like a stout wall of solid muscle. He was polite, but distant, as Sylvia showed him around the apartment and helped him to get settled in. He was all business, and she was certain she didn’t have to worry about him trying to start something up between them. He was purely there on business, at Lilith’s request.