Page 39 of The Associate
Mason places a hand on the back of my head, running his fingers through my hair. “It is Rico. I noticed him earlier, just try to ignore that he is there.” He lowers his voice. “He won’t do anything while we are together and in a public place.”
I release my breath, relieved to know that I am safe in this moment. As intriguing as Rico is, he does not look like someone I want to be around.
“Ok, Mr. Hawthorne.” The girl comes out from the back room with a tray full of rings. “I have found only the biggest and the best engagement rings for you.”
Mason looks back towards me and smiles. “My fiancée has already chosen her ring.”
The young girl’s shoulders drop.Sorry, lady, no huge commission for you today. I bite my lip to shut myself up from saying anything. This woman annoys me, especially thinking that Mason is interested in her. She wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence whilst in the shop.
Mason takes hold of my hand. “This ring right here, now please. I need to put it on my fiancée’s finger this moment.”
“Of course.” She hurries behind the counter, pulls the ring out from its holder and passes it over to Mason.
Taking the ring, he turns and faces me, then drops to one knee. “Miss De Luca, will you do me the honour of accepting this ring and becoming my wife?”
“Yes, Mr. Hawthorne. I accept your proposal and this ring.” The corner of my mouth lifts into a cheeky smile.
“Now, let’s get home.” Kissing my hand just above the ring he had on my finger, he stands up and turns back to the girl behind the counter.
He hands the cashier a roll of cash. Father would have made sure there is enough. “Thank you, Miss. Have a good day.”
He wraps his arm around my waist and leads me out the door of the shop and back to the car.
I look up and down the street but there is no sign of Rico or the black Challenger. I turn to face Mason, only to be caught off guard by him standing so close to me, looking down at me through hooded eyes. All thoughts of Rico have now left my mind as my breath catches and my stomach flips.
Heat radiates off him as he looks down at me. My train of thought disappears as his hand reaches forward, resting at the base of my neck, pulling us closer together. “Look at me, Viv.”
His face inches closer to mine, the faint scent of whiskey clinging to him — sharp and smokey with a hint of sweetness that lingers between us. The air hums with something unspoken.
I open my mouth but close it again, unable to find the words. He smiles down at me, tilting his head, his voice low. “Did you forget how to talk, Princess?”
Shaking my head, I’m still at a loss for words.
“Come on.” He takes my hand, moving me towards the car. “Get in.”
“So where are we going now?” I ask, finally able to find my words again.
“Well with you dressed like that, my original plan has gone out the window.” He glances over at the dress that is riding up my thighs. “Unless you want to try your hand at firing a gun for the first time wearing that?”
“Maybe teasing you with this outfit wasn’t a good idea.” I turn my head, gazing out the window. “If you’d told me the plans for today, I would have worn something different, but you chose to keep me in the dark.”
He chuckles. “Well, let’s change the plans.” His eyes flicker to mine every few seconds before returning to the road. “And tomorrow we will try your hand at shooting.”
I just nod. I didn’t know what else to say. I am worried my father will find out what we’re doing and that Rico will somehow find a way to get his hands on me too.
“With Rico being at the jewelry place, maybe we need to head back to the mansion. We don’t want him following us. He will no doubt keep sending things to Sal to increase his paranoia, and that is something we want to avoid.” Mason reaches out, placing his hand on my leg and gently squeezing.
“I think that’s a good idea.” I lean my head against the window and close my eyes, drifting off to sleep as we travel the rest of the way back home.
I don’t remember much of the drive back, but I feel the car stop. I am still half asleep but alert enough to know what is happening around me. The driver’s door clicks open and then shuts. My own door opens and then two large arms surround me, one under my legs and the other behind my back. He places one of my arms over his shoulder and then the motion of his hip flicks the door of the car closed.
I hear feet shuffling around. The front door, opening and closing behind us. The click of dress shoes against the marbled tile floor down to my room, where he gently places me down on my bed.
Mason’s callused hands try to undo the straps of my heels. The scent of his aftershave burns through my senses and the touch of his hands over my legs is sending electric sparks through me. The straps of the shoes can be difficult to figure out and even more so when it is dark inside the room. He says a little cheer to himself when he manages to get them both off.
He kisses my cheek lightly and whispers, “Get some rest Princess, I’ll come back and see you later.”
“No, stay,” I whisper. “Please?”
