“It’s because of your husband?” he finally asks me and I don’t waste a second to answer yes. The word is barely a breath. It’s more than just publicity and articles that paint me however they want. It all cuts deeper than that.

“I want to take you home,” he says then licks his lips, and instinctively my eyes are drawn toward them. He lets his eyes roam down my body. “We can talk about this in bed.”

My lips part and I struggle not to look back at the barista who’s no doubt watching us.

“Do you want that, Jules?”

I do. I want him to touch me and hold me and make me feel alive.

Why is this so hard? It’s emotions, that’s why. Luring me in and then snapping me out of it.

“Jules?” he asks, pushing me and I cave to what I really want, because if I deny him, I may lose this chance at an escape forever.

“Yes.” I whisper my response and I hope the tone reflects my gratitude.

I think it does because he places his hand on the small of my back, as if he knows I need support in this, leading me away from the counter and toward my jacket and coffee that I’ve left on the table.

As I pick up the white jean jacket, focused on calming down and ignoring my overactive brain, Mason leans forward and whispers in the crook of my neck, “I don’t know what I want, other than I want you in my bed every night.” Every night. There’s a pang of both fear and desire from his confession. A small wave of relief and arousal flood through my veins. He lifts the jacket over my shoulders, helping me slip it in place and then looks me in the eyes.

“Is that something you want?”

That’s what I want, but this seems like more. I choke on the answer, the words colliding together in a jumble and refusing to come out.

It’s because I don’t know how to separate the two. A relationship versus someone to sleep with at night.

It’s going to be a problem for me, I already know it is, but telling Mason that in this moment is something I can’t do. If I do, I’ve lost him.

Silence sits between us for a moment, growing more tense by the second and as though it slows the the clock in the room, time stalling and my mind whirling with how this is all going to end.

He’s going to crush me. He’ll leave me shattered when he’s done.

He’s not the first though and there’s not much of me that can break any more than I already have.

I put a small smile on my face and nod, feeling as though I’m making a death wish. “Yes,” I answer, holding his gray eyes, “I want that too.”

He doesn’t know the truth and I’m too much of a coward to tell him.

I’ve sealed my own fate in this moment. I know I have.

If only I hadn’t said it. If only I could walk away.

Mason

What’s right and what’s wrong are overrated.

The lines are blurred; consequences negated.

I’m left with no truth, only lies that I’ve built.

I’m left all alone, consumed by the guilt.

She’s fidgety, quiet too. My parking spot is the last one on this level in the garage; it’s the largest and away from everyone else’s. We walk in unison, my hand still on the small of her back. I’m not letting go until I have her in my car. She’s running, we both know it, and I won’t fucking allow it.

She needs to know that she belongs to me. She wants to hide this and that’s fine with me. But only to the extent that she knows not to be ashamed for going after what she wants. Discretion is one thing but I won’t be denied.

I’ll give her everything she desires; I want to. I want to see her smile, to hear that laugh that drew me to her. I’ll do everything I can to make it up to her.

And she’ll give me all of her in return. There’s no exception to this compromise.

The passenger side door clicks loudly in the empty garage as I open it but then I stop, shutting it before she has a chance to slip in.

My dick is hard; my blood is hot. Glancing at a confused Jules, her doe eyes stare back at me. The same eyes I’ve been looking at all day. But there’s no hint of a smile, only concern and rejection mixed in those soft blue hues.

There’s a large cement post to the right of my car. It’s square in shape and maybe three feet wide. If someone drove up, it would block us for the moment. Only a moment, but the odds of anyone coming to a commercial parking garage this late at night are slim. Fixing what’s between us right now is worth taking the risk of being caught.

My shoulders are tense as I slip off my jacket and lead her to the front of the car, where we’ll be blocked from view. Her heels click and her eyes flicker with a knowing want. Although her steps are hesitant, she follows my lead, looking over her shoulder and no doubt wondering what exactly I have planned for her.

“Mason?” The hesitation in her voice comes out as a gasp as her lush ass presses against the car.

My only answer is to grip her hips and back her up to the hood of my car, pinning her down and crushing my lips against hers. Her hands fly to my chest pushing me away at first, caught off guard by the sudden change of plans. But then they travel up my neck ever so slowly, giving in to me and then move to the back of my head, pulling me in for more.

That’s a good girl. My good girl. The woman who needs me and I damn well need to show her I need her too.

I break our heated kiss to breathe, her chest touching mine as I look down at her. “Be good for me and be quiet.” I murmur the command and she can only nod in response, her warm breath trailing down my neck.

I crush my lips to hers again and she moans into my mouth, but before she can deepen it, I fist her hair in my hands. Pulling her away, I grab her hip and flip her over so her breasts are pressed against the metal.

“Stick your ass out for me,” I command her in a rough voice as I palm my dick through my pants and look around the pillar. There’s no one in sight and I fucking need her tight pussy cumming on my dick.

Her lust-filled whimpers encourage me as I pull her head back by her hair and kiss her neck. She rocks her hips and that small space between her thighs brushes against my dick. Teasing me.

I’m quick to unzip my pants, my pulse racing from the very thought that someone could see us or hear us. I finally let her go to stroke myself once and wait for her reaction now that she’s fully aware of what I plan to do. She lets out a gasp, bracing herself and looking over her slender shoulder at me with those gorgeous blue eyes so full of lust … and trust.

Slipping her lacy panties to the side, I kiss her neck once more before shoving myself deep inside her tight cunt. Fuck. She feels too good. With my eyes closed, I give her a moment to adjust. Only for a moment. This has to be quick, no time for playing.

Her back arches and her fingers scrape along the car, but she doesn’t scream out. Nothing leaves her lips but a small gasp as her mouth forms a perfect O. Her pussy spasms and feels like heaven as I hold in a groan and place my hand on the small of her back, pressing her down and keeping her in place.

Her eyes are closed tight and her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. I rock out slightly and push back in, forcing the sweetest sound from those beautiful bloodred lips. A moan of pleasure.

I grip her chin in my hand and force her to look at me. I want her to watch me. I want her eyes on mine as I take her just how she needs.