Waves - Book #2 [completed]

34 ~ Meraki

I let Baby hop out on the passenger's side and slam the door shut. Not bothering to lock the truck, we approach the house. It's windy today and the breeze carries sounds from the oceanfront to my ears. I stop at the door and try to listen. Mixed into the natural noises of the crashing waves, cawing seagulls and rustling bushes are soft tunes of a strumming acoustic guitar and a deep masculine voice.

Someone's singing.

Not someone. It's Mason.

My heart begins to drum faster in my chest and the breeze sends goosebumps up and down my arms. The weather is changing, but that's not what causes the cold rush across my skin and my rapid-fire heartbeat.

This time, I chose to use my key and try to enter as quietly as possible. Inside, I grab Baby by her collar so she wouldn't run ahead and give us away. The patio door is slid open and the slow guitar notes as well as his voice reach my ears without being torn apart and being muffled by wind and walls. His voice is deep, a little husky. Throaty and chesty.

He sounds incredible.

I sneak up to the patio doors, hoping that Baby's tapping toenails won't expose me as the creep I am. There's a string scratch before the melody picks up and I shudder, my eyes falling shut. He sings about waves and young hearts that fall in love. He sounds sad and hopeful all at once and I just-

Baby yaps and shakes her big body, exposing us after all. The guitar notes break off and a chair scrapes across the patio floor. Mason clears his throat and I let go of Baby's collar. She flies through the door and barks, followed by an oomph-sound.

"Well, hello there. How did you get in here?" Mason laughs. Bracing myself, I step over the threshold too and find him squatting down and trying to avoid Baby's doggy-tongue-kiss attack. He's already smiling when his face tips up and he spots me.

Everything inside me pulls together and the tops of my thighs clench. Gosh, he's so beautiful. Wanton memories of him moving on top of me zap through my mind's eye and despite the cool breeze I suddenly feel hot. I can only hope he's got more control over himself than I do because I'm seconds away from climbing him like a tree. Who knew that the combination of a singing, guitar playing Thor who also likes my dog would get me all hot and bothered in no time?

His grey-blue eyes meet mine and glitter. I'm sure he knows what I'm thinking. His tongue runs over the front of his teeth and Baby uses that moment of distraction to slam her body into his chest. Mason tries to hold his balance but topples to his ass after all.

"Baby, stop!" I warn.

Mason laughs, brushing me off and holding Baby back from jumping on top of him. He manages to stand back up, unfolding his long legs and eyes sweeping across my face. "Hi beautiful."

My body heats some more. "Hi."

"Don't be shy, c'mere." He opens his arms wide and I hesitate only a second before bypassing my dog and hugging him. His muscular arms wrap around my shoulders and his lips meet the top of my head while I close my eyes and inhale against his chest and the soft fabric of his t-shirt. He smells fresh, woody and like something that's uniquely Mason. His body wash maybe or some kind of beard product he uses. My eyeballs begin to prickle and I never want to let go.

"You smell good," he tells me then, speaking my thoughts aloud. "Like summer."

"Summer's almost over," I whisper into his t-shirt while my traitorous hands find their way underneath it, splaying over the warm skin of his lower back.

"Hmm. I like fall too." His hands run up the length of my arms, over my shoulders and cup my face which he tilts up to him. My eyes bounce between his and my breath catches somewhere in my throat when he asks, "Can I kiss you hello?"