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Mason sat across from Spencer in his new boss’s office. Mason didn’t start work for a couple of days, but they were meeting this afternoon to work out the details of his contract, and make things more official than a couple word exchange at a wedding reception.
“How was the honeymoon?” Mason asked. Not that he wanted details. But it seemed polite to ask.
Spencer was all smiles. Which made sense. Lucky bastard was going home to the woman he loved at the end of the day. “It was great. Weird, taking two weeks off, but nice.”
Mason hoped he could keep up his half of this conversation. The one with Ginny last night still echoed in his thoughts. I love you. Her words were on a loop in his head, and he needed to say it back in person.
It was going to be a little while though. At least a couple of weeks. Even staying in her apartment, the last of his money was drying up fast. Especially having to pay for gas to get down here and back.
“Are you still looking forward to the job, or have you changed your mind in the past couple of weeks?” Joking filled Spencer’s question.
Can’t wait. The reply froze in Mason’s throat for half a heartbeat too long. “I can’t wait. I’m really excited to start.”
Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Mason forced out a more believable reply. He wasn’t going to spill his romantic woes to some person he barely knew. Especially this person.
“All right.” Spencer didn’t sound convinced. “How was the drive down?”
“I got in as lunch traffic was dying down, so it wasn’t too bad. I have a couple of appointments scheduled this afternoon to look at local places, so it won’t be an issue going forward.” That should help cement that he really did want the job.
Spencer’s frown deepened. That didn’t look like a good sign. “Do you not like the place in San Francisco?”
“It’s not really commuter friendly.” And every inch of it reminded him of Ginny, despite the fact she’d been gone longer now than she was there.
“Fuck.” Spencer scrubbed his face “I knew I forgot something. This is a remote job. I swore I mentioned that. I forgot to mention that, didn’t I?”
Mason’s heart skipped. He’d heard that wrong. “Remote?”
“Telecommuting. Whatever you want to call it. You’re training people in centers around the country, so you don’t need to be in this office to do that.”
“I can be anywhere in the country?” This was a dream. Mason tried to be subtle about pinching himself. Ow. Maybe it wasn’t a dream.
Spencer shrugged. “As long as it’s quiet and whatever is in the background for your webcam is work appropriate.”
Mason wanted to hug him. No, maybe not. But it was taking a lot of restraint to keep from hopping out of his chair and whooping. He only heard snippets of the rest of the conversation. His mind was already skipping ahead. Should he call Ginny? Show up on her doorstep and surprise her?
It would be rude to assume, but she felt the same way he did. He just had to get to her. He could fly. That meant leaving his stuff behind. And finding money for a plane ticket. He could drive... which meant money for gas, and too many hours on the road before he saw her again. He could just wait until he had his first paycheck.
No. I really can’t.
****
DISAPPOINTMENT FLOODED Ginny. Mason wasn’t answering his phone.
He’d spent the day in Malibu, though. He was probably either still looking at apartments, or driving home. For all she knew, his new boss took him out to celebrate.
With Trina?
Ginny didn’t care. Mason was hers. She didn’t doubt it.
“Hey. It’s me. I hope everything went well today. Call me back.” She didn’t like speaking to his voicemail, but if it was her, she’d want to hear his voice if she missed the call.
She settled onto the mattress on the floor in her bedroom. This place wasn’t furnished like the one in San Francisco, but her co-workers had donated odds and ends of furniture, and someone had hooked her up with an inexpensive bed. There was no frame or springs, but she was happy to have a place to sleep.
Not so happy she had to sleep in it alone.
Now she needed to bide her time until she heard from Mason. Work had worn her out, but she’d be up for several hours. She was addicted to their conversations, and needed her fix.
She opened her laptop and clicked through Netflix. Nothing caught her attention. She continued to tumble into the what to watch rabbit hole. There was some weird shit on here.
Someone knocked. A co-worker, probably. She was getting along great with the people at the hospital. She grabbed her phone, so she wouldn’t miss Mason’s call, and wandered into the living room.
She peered through the peephole, and her heart flipped when she saw his familiar face looking back. She had to be hallucinating. How long could she hold onto it before he vanished?
Ginny opened the door. “Holy shit, it’s you.” She poked his chest. Solid. Real. “Actually you.”
“Hey, sexy lady.”
She dropped her phone with a laugh, and threw her arms around his neck. When he squeezed her tight, all the little fractures inside her snapped back together. “I can’t believe you’re here.” Her words were muffled by his chest. “How are you here? No. I don’t care. You’re staying, right? God, you didn’t give up your job for this, did you? I’ll never forgive myself. But let me enjoy you first, before you tell me.”
He kissed the top of her head, and her rambling thoughts slowed. “Yes, I’m staying. No, I didn’t give up my job,” he murmured against her hair.
Those were the two details she needed. The rest could wait. “Inside, now. Or I’m jumping you on the porch.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nudged her back with his body, never letting go, and kicked the door shut behind them. He cupped her face and crushed his mouth to hers. Their tongues swirled in a frantic dance.
Ginny couldn’t get close enough to feel everything at once. She needed more of him. She tugged at the bottom of his shirt, and yanked it over his head. “Fuck, I missed you.”
He kissed her again, hard and hungry. Nipping her lips and devouring her moans. “I thought I remembered how incredible you are in person. I wasn’t even close.”
“It’s only been two weeks.” She lifted her arms, so he could pull off her top. The skin on skin was nice. Still not enough, but getting there.
He dragged his mouth along her jaw and down her neck, sucking on the tender skin as he went. “Longest two weeks of my life.”
“Me too.” They should draw this out. Relish every minute.
Or get all the clothes out of the way now, fuck hard and fast, and then try things more slowly. He did say he was staying.
He gripped her hips. “The folding chair doesn’t look like it’s going to support what I want. Tell me there’s something sturdier in the bedroom.”
“Sturdier? Yes. More elegant? No.” She traced his erection through his jeans, smirking when he jerked against her hand. She cupped his hard length, teasing and stroking.
He tangled his fingers with hers, breaking the contact, and gave a strained chuckle. “Lead the way.”
They reached her mattress, and a faint cloud whispered across her reality.
“What’s wrong?” Mason asked.
She loved that he could read her hesitation without her saying a word. “This is different. Everything’s changed.”
“It is different. The only thing that’s changed is we’re not fighting it anymore.” He kissed her fingertips. “That I love you is real and potent and undeniable. There’s no pretending this is just a quick fuck, or friends with benefits. I’m not just fine with that, I think it’s incredible.”
She wrapped herself in the passion of his words. It was what she needed to hear, and she hadn’t realized it. She kissed him again, trying to get the rest of their clothes off without breaking contact.
They mostly figured it out, and tumbled to the bed in a tangle of limbs and frantic need.
He rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. “This is one of my favorite views.” Mason raked his gaze over her. “Seeing your stunning form. Watching you enjoy yourself.”
“So sometimes it is just about getting naked,” she teased.
He skated his palms up her sides. “Sometimes.”
She lowered herself, but instead of letting him enter her, she slid his shaft between her pussy lips. He wasn’t going to last. Hell, neither would she, but rocking her hips this way, felt incredible. Friction built between them, and the head of his cock bumped her clit.
He squeezed her breasts as she gyrated against him. When he rolled her nipples between her fingers, it tugged a cord inside that stretched through her body, pinging in her core.
Mason’s gaze and touch and drawn out groans pushed her to the edge of climax. She ground harder against him, and orgasm spilled through her. She didn’t slow down, still needing to feel him.