Page 45 of Unburied

“Don’t take too long.” He swatted her butt, then rolled to his feet and strode through the connecting door to the bathroom. His muscles bunched as he moved, and she watched him shamelessly as he flipped on the water, then stepped into the shower. He tossed a look her way as if he’d felt her eyes on him, a come-hither smirk lifting his lips.

She followed him almost immediately, stepping into the glass enclosure that was already filling with steam. He dipped his head beneath the spray then, as if feeling the change in the air when she opened the door, turned to her. A huge grin curled his mouth as he wrapped one arm around her waist and tugged her inside. Dipping his head, he kissed her deeply, leisurely.

Once they were both sufficiently cleaned and sated, Mason flipped off the water, then grabbed a towel and passed it to her. She quickly dried off, then headed into the bedroom to dress.

She hitched one thumb over her shoulder as she watched him grab up his boxers. “I’m gonna start dinner. You feeling anything in particular?”

“Whatever you want is good with me.” He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a quick, hard kiss, then let her go.

Vivi drifted toward the kitchen, practically floating on air. Just as she cut through the living room, movement from the driveway caught her attention. She strode toward the window and caught sight of a black SUV parked outside.

Oh, no.

Her brother reached the front porch just as she opened the door. “Hey.”

His eyes widened with surprise, one brow lifted as he inspected her between the narrow opening. “Hey. You good?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She leaned against the doorframe, adopting a relaxed pose and hoping he wouldn’t see right through her. “Just got out of the shower. What’s up?”

“Not much.” His eyes skated over her, and she fought the urge to shift under his scrutiny as he took in Mason’s shirt hanging to the middle of her thighs. “You steal a shirt?”

“Yeah. You know… marketing,” she finished lamely.

Her brother threw her a look like he didn’t believe her. “Mind if I come in?”

“I’m not really ready for guests.” She fought the urge to look over her shoulder to see where Mason was. She hoped he would stay in the bedroom until Knox was gone.

“Okay.” Confusion tugged her brother’s brows together. “Well, I just thought you might want to go look at some flooring.”

“Oh, no thanks. I would, but…” She scrambled for an excuse. She couldn’t very well tell him she left a man in her bedroom. And not just any man—one of his best friends.

A wary light entered Knox’s eyes, and he straightened a bit, an awkward look crossing his face. “You have company.”

If she said yes, would he leave or ask to meet the man she was dating? God, she was in no way ready for that conversation. Not right now. “Um…”

Too late, she heard the soft pad of footsteps behind her, and her stomach dropped to her toes as her world bottomed out.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

Mason stepped into his boxers, a strange feeling welling up in his chest. He swore every day with Vivi was better than the last. He had never felt more comfortable with a woman. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her.

From the outer recesses of the house, he thought he heard a strange sound. His ears perked up, and he was instantly on alert. Low voices came from the direction of the living room, and his heart rate kicked up as he followed them.

Vivi was partially obscured by the front door, and he swore he heard her hiss the word no. His blood began to boil in his veins as he strode forward. So help him, if that idiot Tyler was back and giving Vivi trouble, he was going to knock his teeth in.

Vivi stiffened as he curled one arm around her waist and planted himself behind her. “You good, babe?”

Over the top of her head, his gaze landed on Knox’s face. He watched a dozen emotions flicker in Knox’s dark eyes, the initial shock quickly morphing into fury as his face darkened.

Knox lunged forward, and Mason spun Vivi out of the way, already bracing himself for the hit. “You son of a⁠—!”

Mason managed to get one hand up, but Knox’s knuckles landed hard in his ribs, knocking him back.

“Stop!” Vivi pulled at Knox, who only shook her off. She reached for Mason next, her voice frantic and pleading, tinged with anger. “Knock it off!”

He didn’t dare look away from Knox, watching every move as he swung at him again. Mason ducked and weaved, grabbing Vivi with one hand and shoving her away again. It left his side wide open, and he grimaced as Knox’s fist landed in his ribs again.