Page 49 of Unburied

Grabbing the sprayer in one hand, he directed it away from his face as he used his free hand to slam down on the handle, cutting off the water. Once the water was off, he snatched the sprayer from her hand and slammed it back down into the sink before flipping on the light and whirling back to her.

Icy water dripped down his face, and anger radiated off of him in waves. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Vivi stared up at the man in front of her. “Waiting for you to break in,” she retorted.

“What if it hadn’t been me?” He made an agitated, sweeping gesture with one hand. “You just wait in the dark like some psycho, waiting for men to break into your house?”

His lethal glare threatened to cut right through her, and she notched her chin up defiantly. “I knew it was you. Who else would park out on the main street, then hike all the way back here in the dead of night to break into my house?”

“In any other instance, I would almost take that as a compliment,” Mason said, a smug smile tipping his lips.

“I didn’t mean it as one,” she snapped. “And the question remains, what are you doing in my house? I told you to leave me alone.”

He took a step forward, closing the distance between them with a little shake of his head. “We both know that’s not gonna happen.”

“Are you out of your mind?” she exploded. “Do you seriously think you could pull the crap you did this afternoon, then just come waltzing back in here?”

The tension in his muscles drained away, and he lifted one hand to cup her face. “I needed to see you…” His voice lowered, took on a soft quality she’d never heard before. “I had to make sure you were okay.”

Anger still crackled through her, and she wasn’t quite ready to let go of it yet. “You acted like an idiot. Both of you did. I’m not some toy for you to fight over.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” His fingers speared into her hair, curling around the back of her head. “You’re not a toy, Virginia, but I will always fight for you.”

The sincerity of his words, coupled with that intense look in his eyes, hit her like a thousand bricks to the chest, knocking the wind from her sails. She should have known her brother would overreact, and she regretted not just telling him sooner so they could have avoided this whole situation. “Did he do anything stupid?”

He lifted one shoulder. “He threatened to fire me.”

“What?” Her voice rose several octaves. “Are you serious? Are you done?” Mason had known her brother for years. He loved his job here. She would feel terrible if she were the reason he had to leave. “Mason, tell me he wasn’t serious.”

His mouth kicked up in a little smirk like it didn’t matter one way or the other, and she smacked his chest. “If he⁠—”

“Don’t worry about it, babe. I think we… understand each other.”

She couldn’t begin to comprehend what that meant. She would never understand men. She swore to God, one second they were throwing fists and the next they were best friends again. Still, she wasn’t completely ready to let go of her anger. “Whatever. Doesn’t mean you just get to walk back in here like you own the place.”

“You’re right,” he acknowledged. “I came to apologize.”

She lifted a brow. “Feel free to start any time now.”

A grin split his face before he could fight it back, and it incensed her even more. “You think I’m kidding? I⁠—”

His hands moved to her face, his eyes turning serious in the dim light. “I would never joke about making sure you’re safe.”

Disgruntled, she eyed him as he spoke, feeling the gentle sweep of his thumb as it moved over her cheekbone. “I felt awful all afternoon. Thinking I’d left you here after I hurt you.”

“You didn’t really hurt me,” she said softly. Her cheek was still a little tender, a little red, but he hadn’t clipped her too hard.

He examined the light bruising under her eye and gave his head a little shake. “Your poor face. God, babe.” She went willingly as he tucked her head into the crook of his neck, one hand curved around the back of her head, the other around her back. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” He was soaked, but the heat of his huge body radiated through the sodden material, warming her and melting the last of her anger.

“It’s not. I should have been more careful. I can’t believe that happened.”

“Well,” she admitted, “I kind of threw myself between you two. I should have let you kick the crap out of each other and get it out of your system.”

Mason’s chest rumbled beneath her cheek as he laughed. “Probably. I can honestly say that’s the first time anyone’s ever tried to defend me.”

She smiled against his neck. “Just protecting you.”