I park the SUV and head toward the little shop on Main Street, with one thing on my mind, striding across the sidewalk to get to the glass door that stands between me and my dark-haired beauty. All eyes are on me as I walk in, but I only have eyes for one.
Those violet blue eyes look at me with open surprise as I close the distance between us and take her hand. “Ladies, if you’ll excuse us, PJ and I have some things to clear up.”
Her mouth gapes, and she sucks in a breath. “We’ve said all there is to say, Mason.”
I put a hand on the small of her back and guide her right into the back of the shop and into a room lined with rows of color, curling rods, and the like and close the door. “I woke up and you were gone. I didn’t much care for the note.”
PJ pulls her hand from mine, putting some distance between us and goes to stand against the wall of the storage room. “What do you want me to say? I said it all in the note. We had fun. That’s it. Now you can go back to your life.”
I take a purposeful step toward her.
She takes a step back…
I eliminate the distance, placing my hands on either side of her against the wall. “Tell me you didn’t feel what I felt. That you’re immune to the attraction that we share. Tell me that last night was just a roll in the hay to you, and I will leave and never come back. But don’t you dare lie to me, Priscilla Jean. That was me underneath you last night when you weren’t thinking of every reason that we shouldn’t be.”
Her lip trembles. “Like I was telling the ladies. We owe you a lot for last night, but this thing”—she gestures a finger between the two of us—“me and you. This thing we have? A long-distance relationship will never work. You have your job, and I have my life here. Like I said, it was a fun night, but I don’t want to draw out the obvious conclusion.”
I touch her lip, tracing my finger across its softness, and watching every myriad of emotion pass through those violet blues. “You thought you would dump me before I dumped you?”
She inhales as her chest heaves with emotion. “Something like that.”
I lean down and push a lock of hair from her face so that I can whisper in her ear. “I don’t intend on being dumped or dumping anyone today, little missy. This thing we have between us, it’s only going to end one way, because I don’t plan on leaving you or this town.”
Her gasp is an exhaled breath against my ear. I cradle her face in my hands, connecting with those wide eyes so she can see for herself that my words are sincere. I think for once in her life, Priscilla Jean is at a loss for words. She just stares up at me as though in a dream.
I stroke a finger down the creaminess of her smooth and silky skin. “You are mine, PJ. I’m not letting some baggage in the past or a job location get in the way of that, for either of us.”
Her eyes moisten. “You would give up Vegas, the big night life, the desert, and all the people you take care of out there, for me?”
“I would, and I did.”
She narrows her eyes at me like she does. “When did you decide to do that?”
I smile because now the sassy miss who’s managed to worm her way into my heart is getting her spunk back. “Last night while I watched you sleeping in my arms.”
“Before I got up and left you that Dear John note?”
I stroke a finger down the side of her cheek. “I know why you did it. Cole told me what happened in the past, but I’m not that guy, PJ. This feeling is as new to me as it is to you. But I’m not going to break your heart if you take a chance on me.”
She dabs the corner of her eyes with a dainty finger that’s been painted with white tips and glitter and nods. “I’ll take a chance on you, Mason. I’m sorry I left you this morning. If it means anything, it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I was just trying to protect my heart from all the hurt that would follow if you left me.”
I fold her into my arms. “From now on, protecting you, all of you, is my job, understand? I just want to feel my arms wrapped around you and for you to know that you’re protected, safe, and all mine.”
A persistent knock on the door pulls us from our moment. “Hey, lovebirds. Time to get to the church and get dressed!”
Mason laughs. “Is Jules forever going to be interrupting at the most inopportune times,” he whispers.
“I’m pretty sure she took that single room last night to leave me no choice but to sleep with you.”
He grins. “Then your friend is forgiven. Now let’s all get ourselves to the church on time so Lacy and Garrett can say I do. I’ve got something important to take care of first, but then I’ll meet you there. Wait for me, okay?”