Hard to Love You

I start cracking up behind Mason. “Looks like I’m not the only one with bad timing.”

Cooper and Jaylinn grumble.

Mason wraps his arms around me, “Yeah, I was starting to get jealous because you kept talking about Hunter’s na**d ass.”

Jaylinn uncovers her eyes only to cover her ears and say loudly, “I’m not hearing this shit.”

Cooper turns and stalks into the living room. “Where’s Chaos? I hope to God you didn’t scare him to death.” He yells. I shake my head and smile to myself, Coop still refuses to call him Ryder.

“He’s sleeping, ass**le.” Mason quips back.

I stand on my tip toes, “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go rinse off.”

Mason slaps me on the ass and I prance down the hall. I’m sure Mason has to be sticky as shit, maybe he’ll join me. I stop in the guest room to grab a clean pair of yoga shorts and my sports bra.

I go into the bathroom and start the shower, letting the water warm up. I look at myself in the mirror and for the first time in weeks I actually look like my old self. Of course the afterglow of sex is helping too. It feels so easy falling back into routine with Mason.

I pull Mason’s shirt over my head and step into the shower. I’m working the shampoo into my hair and I feel a cold draft, I spin to make sure I closed the curtain and I damn near fall on my ass. Mason is watching me.

“Damn it, Mase! Why do you always sneak up on me?”

He chuckles and looks at me with hooded eyes again. “Oh no, not again. Not with Coop and Jay downstairs.”

Mason lets his already unbuckled pants drop to his ankles and his c**k springs free. He stands in front of me in all his na**d glory. His six foot frame steps in the shower and he towers over me.

“You keep looking at me like that and I’ll take your sweet little ass up against this wall.”

I gasp, “You wouldn’t.”

Mason raises his eyebrows at me and has me pinned up against the wall before I even realize what’s happening.

“I warned you.”

Mason’s husky voice sends shivers down my spine. He did warn me and I pressed my luck, and I’m so glad I did.

A half hour later, with noodles for legs and a soreness between my legs, we are cuddled up on the couch downstairs. Jaylinn has her head resting on Cooper’s lap and Cooper is watching ESPN. Mason sits exactly how Cooper does, on the other side of the couch, with me sitting in his lap.

I tap Jaylinn on the foot. “What are you reading?”

She looks up from her e-reader, “Fallen Crest High by Tijan.”

“Any good?”

“It’s one of my favorite books ever. It’s only like the tenth time I’ve read it.”

I laugh at her. It must be good if she can read it that many times.

Cooper looks over at me with a serious look on his face. “Did you know people write about dinosaur  p**n ?”

I stare at him for a second, waiting for him to crack a smile but he doesn’t. Mason’s whole body starts to shake and before long we are both laughing so hard I get a cramp in my stomach. I climb off Mason’s lap and lay out on the floor, holding my side while I try to stop laughing.

“Laugh it up, ass**les. That shit is disturbing.” Cooper says over our fits of laughter.

“Baby its ok. Some people have a fetish with that shit.” Jaylinn starts giggling and I can see her trying to force her face to keep serious. “Although I do wonder,” She taps her pointer finger on her lips, “What was the name of that book? Shit, I forget, but it was something about being rammed by a dinosaur. I can’t imagine that would be pleasant.”

Mason and Jaylinn fall on the floor laughing, right alongside me. Forget my side hurting, my whole body hurts. Jaylinn keeps talking through her laughter, “I wonder how T-Rex masturbates with his little T-Rex arms?” More giggles.

Cooper tackles Jaylinn on the floor and kisses her so she stops talking. I start to calm down and roll over to cuddle into Mason’s side, giving Cooper and Jaylinn their moment. It’s not like they have many of them so I don’t want to be the cause of interrupting.

Mason places a kiss on the top of my head. “Damn that felt good to laugh like that.”

“Mmmhmm.” I run my fingers up and down Mason’s chest. I look up at him and kiss those full lips that I love so much.

I take a quick glance over at Cooper and Jaylinn and they’re just lying there, Cooper staring intently into Jaylinn’s pretty blue eyes.

I fake a yawn, “I’m calling it a night.” I nudge Mason. Cooper and Jaylinn haven’t acknowledged me.

Mason follows my lead and he stands up and pulls me to my feet. I walk over and grab the monitor off the end table. I take Mason’s hand and we head down the hall, as soon as I take the first step I hear Cooper yell, “Wake me up for practice in the morning.”

“Yeah, alright.” Mason yells back.

Mason and I are lying in bed, facing each other, arms and legs tangled together. We keep kissing each other but not taking it any further. I’m so helplessly in love with him that I can’t see straight right now. He understands me when I don’t understand myself half the time. He knows my wants, my needs, my passions. He’s perfect, caring, affectionate, understanding and absolutely sexy.

“Mase,”

“Boo,”

I squeeze my eyes shut, my heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. Mason kisses both of my eyelids. “I need you to tell me the truth about Lily. I want what we had here tonight, Mase. I hate not being by your side, in your bed. But I can’t move forward without knowing.”

Mason sighs and pulls me closer. “I want this too, Hailey. I had plans to ask you to move in with me. I was going to ask you the morning after the bachelor party.”

I frown as my broken heart shatters even more.

“I’m going to tell you everything; it’s killing me to keep it from you. I’m trying not to break my promise to you. Just give me a little bit more time.” He kisses me. “I love you more than anything, Hailey. I’d even give up baseball for you. Just …” Mason takes a deep breath. “I need a little more time.”

I nod, if I open my mouth to speak I’ll cry and I’m not crying anymore tonight.

Mason and I eventually fall asleep just after midnight but we are woken up shortly after by Ryder crying.

Mason throws back the covers, “I’ll go get him.”

I hear Mason walk into Ryder’s room, “Hey buddy.” There is some rustling and then a snap, “Damn kid you stink.” I start to giggle. “Alright buddy lets go get a bottle and cuddle with Aunt Hailey.”