Maryann made a tsking sound. “Don’t start that, girl. You deserve a life. Mase doesn’t have to be your world. He can be the most important part of your world, but you need to live, Reese. You need to feel accomplished and make your mark on this earth. I love my son, but I don’t want you giving up your dreams for him.”
I let her words sink in, but they didn’t matter. “But he’s in all of my dreams.”
She nodded. “As he should be. But they’re your dreams. You have control over them, not his jealousy. He knows that, too. He just needs to get his head straight.”
We drove past the gate of the ranch, and I wiped my damp face as I prepared to face him. I was so used to seeing him smiling at me and wanting me. I didn’t know how to deal with a Mase who didn’t want to even look at me.
“There he is,” Maryann said, slowing the truck. “Guess I should stop if the fool’s gonna come running straight at me.”
I glanced up to see Mase running toward the truck and panicked. Was he going to demand that I leave? Oh, God. What if he wouldn’t let me on his property? I had to explain myself.
Maryann opened the truck door and started around the front to meet her son. I death-gripped the seat as if he was going to open the truck and yank me out.
When Mase saw his mother, he shot her a look. She said something to him and then slapped him on the back of the head, before walking toward the house and leaving me alone in her truck, just sitting there. I didn’t want her to leave.
Mase took several long strides to my side of the truck and jerked the door open. I closed my eyes tightly and held on, thankful that I was wearing my seat belt. It wasn’t much, but it was a form of protection.
A warm hand touched the side of my face, and my eyes snapped open to see Mase looking at me intently. His eyes weren’t full of the anger I’d seen earlier. He looked . . . sorry. Worried.
“I am so sorry,” he whispered. “So goddamn sorry.”
Tears of relief filled my eyes, even though I didn’t think I had any more tears to cry.
“I didn’t . . . I don’t even like him. I try to get him to leave. I’m rude to him. He just doesn’t care.”
Mase leaned in and kissed my mouth gently as he unbuckled my seat belt. “I don’t doubt it,” he said softly. “I was an ass. I let him rile me up, and I took it out on you. I was jealous, Reese. You’re mine, and I can’t lose you, baby.”
I wrapped my arms around Mase tightly and buried my face in his neck. Inhaling deeply, I felt safe again. He was here. He wasn’t mad at me. “I’m sorry. I should have told you. I was afraid you’d be angry.”
His hand ran over my hair, wrapping the long strands around his fingers. “Guess I proved that theory correct,” he said, sounding amused.
I nodded. “But I should have told you. He says he’s not flirting, but I don’t know what he’s doing. I’ve told him to leave me alone.”
Mase took a deep breath. “I want to kill him.”
Right now, I wanted to kill him. He had done it on purpose. “I think it would be better if I quit my job. That way, I don’t ever have to see him.”
Mase didn’t reply at first. I stayed in his arms, thankful to have them around me. I didn’t care what I had to do to keep this. “No. You love your job. I won’t let my fear and that asshole take it away from you. But from now on, I’ll be bringing you lunch.”
Smiling, I looked up at him. “Really?”
He cupped my face with one hand. “Really. And I’ll bring you Momma’s food. It’ll be better than any restaurant shit he brought you.” A small laugh escaped me, and he grinned. “You’re just so damn beautiful inside and out, Reese. I’m going to have to get used to men wanting what I have. They can’t help themselves.”
My cheeks heated, and I put my head on his shoulder. “I don’t think that’s the case. Captain is just . . . annoying.”
“You call him Captain. Do you know who he is?”
“He’s Blaire Finlay’s brother. He was at Lila Kate’s birthday. I found out his nickname then.”
Mase frowned. “I never saw him.”
“That’s because we talked when you were inside with Harlow. Then he just disappeared. I figured he went inside.”
“But he found you and talked to you,” he said, sounding annoyed.
“I was with Blaire,” I reminded him.
“Still, the dude is a dickhead.”