She shrugs. “I figured he did. Makes sense, I guess. Keeping it in the family.”
Keeping drug dealing, gun smuggling, and God knows what else in the family? Nothing has changed. Not a single fuckin’ thing.
I throw my thumb over my shoulder, motioning to my room. “I’m gonna hit the sack.” And I can’t stand to hear another word of her cluelessness.
“Okay, sure. Sleep tight.” She pats me on the arm. “I’m glad you’re home.”
This isn’t my home.
My thoughts crank back to a few nights ago, in my apartment, tangled up in bed with Trix, her purple and blond hair tossed around my chest and neck.
That’s home.
I’ve been in Vegas for a year and never felt like I totally belonged. Until her.
I grin as I step out of my jeans, crawl into bed, and hit the light. I pull my phone off the bedside table to plug it into the charger. Damn, I miss her. Maybe a quick text. Even if she’s sleeping, she’ll see it in the morning and know I didn’t forget about her.
Just got home. Miss you too. Seeing you bright and early doesn’t seem soon enough.
I lean over to hook up my charger when the phone vibrates in my hand.
New text.
I can be there in an hour.
I grin so big my cheeks hurt.
I’ll be here waiting. Don’t forget your bikini.
I hit “send” and stare at the screen, willing her to write back.
Oops! I didn’t bring one. Nude beach?
A low groan rolls around in my chest at the thought of Trix fully naked on a secluded beach with no one around for miles. Just the two of us, the contrast of the coarse sand against her silky skin beneath me as—my phone vibrates.
Hello? Did I scare you?
I run my hand through my hair, taking note of the tent I’ve created in my boxer briefs, and contemplate how to respond.
Got lost on a nude beach alone with you for a sec. I’m back now.
I press “send” and wait.
That didn’t take long. Should I be worried?
I type back.
We stay on this topic, the next time I get you naked beneath me I won’t be responsible for what happens.
My phone vibrates almost immediately.
Promises . . .
Seconds pass and I want to tell her how much I miss her, I want to smother her with fancy words and flirty innuendos, but everything seems like too much and never enough.
Mason?
Beatriks?
I want you. More than I should.
I blink at the text and then type back.
You’ve got me. Whether you should or not, you have me, baby.
My phone vibrates.
I’m smiling.
I type back.
Get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.
Minutes pass and stretch into longer minutes, and I wonder if she fell asleep when my phone vibrates in my hand.
Goodnight, Mase.
I smile through a small wave of disappointment. I don’t know what I was expecting, but something felt like there was more to say.
I close my eyes and go back to a deserted beach with nothing but the warm body of my woman and the waves crashing around us.
Twenty-one
Trix
I squint into the sun that just came up minutes ago as we cover the last few miles from the highway to the beach. The weather report said it’s supposed to be a perfect day, sunny and seventy-five degrees. Although the water is cooler up here than in Southern California, when the sun’s out, it’s heaven.
I shake Isaac, who’s in the passenger seat next to me. “Wake up! I can see the water!”
He jerks awake and pops on his aviator sunglasses, his black, board-straight hair sticking up at all angles. “Sweet, we got here before the crowds.”
“Yeah, that’s because we basically left last night,” Josiah pipes up from the back of the van followed by a yawn.
“Bee-a-ah, are we the-r-r-e?” Leah’s scratchy, sleepy, little-girl voice quakes with excitement.
“We are, Leah-bear. Now remember . . . whoever sees the sand first wins.”
The entire van explodes in voices saying “I see it!” at the same time.
“Guess we all win,” Zoe says and then squeals.
After I texted Mason last night, I was so excited to see him I barely slept. I didn’t even need to set an alarm to get up at five a.m. and make a ton of peanut-butter sandwiches to pack in the ice chest. I hope Mason likes peanut butter.
My stomach flutters with nerves as I pull into the lot, not sure what I’m expecting to find, but I’ll know when I find it. I’m not even sure what to look