Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men #1)(By Linda Kage)

CHAPTER 21

I wrinkled my nose. "Big of you."

A full, throaty laugh rumbled from his chest. "That and I can't see your nose wrinkling from all the way across the courtyard. You have no idea how much I've missed that."

His cute and playful side got to me like nothing else. Needing to control my own urges, I sighed and went back to my homework I'd been trying to work on before he'd appeared. "Yeah, yeah. I bet you're just falling behind in calculus and need my help."

Without denying it, he gave a shrug. "Since you mentioned it..." He pulled his calculus book from his messenger bag and flipped it open to the page where his homework sat, half finished. As he searched for a pencil, he asked, "What're you feeding me today?"

His smile was so fresh and alive, it sparked a piece of life back into me, something that had wilted in the past few days without a good dose of him around.

I still couldn't believe Mason was here, across the table from me, being my friend again. Without saying one sarcastic comment, I slid what was left of my mini bag of potato chips across the table to him, since I had finished all I was going to eat, and I probably would've offered him one of my most cherished lattes at this point because I was so thrilled he was here.

He nodded in approval and snagged my chip bag. "Nacho cheese. Nice." As he pulled out a handful, he glanced at me. "Turn in your English paper yet?"

I lifted my eyebrows. "Oh, so you care about my English paper today, huh?"

His shoulders slumped. "Reese. Come on. I'm sorry I said that to you at the party. I was in a mood." He set his hand over his heart and sent me a pout of sincere apology. "I care about everything you do."

I groaned to cover the whimper of melting emotions. "Okay, enough already. The bullshit around here is getting too deep to wade through."

"What?" He had the gall to look offended. "I'm serious."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. So let me guess. Your landlady still thinks you and I are riding the baby-making train together, doesn't she?"

With a sigh, he dusted the nacho cheese dust off his fingers. "Pretty much."

"Wow." I sighed as if ashamed of Mrs. Garrison for her prejudiced opinion. "Why is it so hard for people to think we're just friends?"

Mason studied me a moment, his expression probing and indistinguishable, before he gave a non-answer shrug. I could tell he didn't want to discuss the topic.

"She insulted me when she had you cornered at Sarah's birthday party, didn't she?"

"Yep." This time, his distraction tactic was to open his bag and pull out my copy of The Prisoner of Azkaban, which I'd left with Sarah a week ago.

Snapping my fingers, I crowed. "I knew it! Typical, petty, jealous move. What'd she say? She said I have a big butt, didn't she?"

Rolling his eyes, Mason muffled out his answer from a full mouth. "She did not say you have a big butt. Trust me, your butt is...perfect."

I swallowed. Then swallowed again. I don't know why his compliments totally came at me from left field. He gave me plenty of them. Still, I was never prepared for the impact his flattering words wrought.

Not quite sure how to respond, I waved my hand and kept talking about Mrs. Garrison, because I felt petty and jealous myself. "Then what did she say about me?"

"Nothing worth repeating." He wouldn't look me in the eye as he tipped the bottom of the chip bag up to make sure he had freed every last crumb. "Don't worry about it."