First Choice, Second Chance, page 14
He hadn't been able to get out of her what had brought this on. He didn't care. He liked the feel of her fingers on his skin. The way her lips moved against his, the thrust of her tongue into his mouth. He wanted to get this dress off of her. They only had a pretense of privacy out here. His parents could come out at any moment. Even worse, her father could show up, if he figured out where she went. His hands would have to do.
He broke away from her mouth and fastened his lips onto her neck, right where her pulse throbbed. He wanted to forget about the lack of privacy. She wasn't averse to that either. She moaned and pressed up against him. It would be quick, but he could at least relieve some of this pressure building in him. Instead, he pressed his hands against the wall of the barn on either side of her head and ran his tongue over what he'd found was an extremely sensitive spot on her neck.
She didn't have the same restraint. Her hands went to his waist, her fingers sliding under the waistband of his jeans. He couldn't bring himself to stop her, either. Not even when she undid the button of his jeans and pulled down the zipper. He was sure his eyes rolled back into his head when her hand brushed over him. If she didn't stop soon, he might explode right there. That would embarrass both of them.
He almost let go of his resolve and moved under her dress when a car door slammed out in the driveway. All the curse words ran through his head, but he wasn't sure which ones actually passed through his lips. He jerked away from Lila and yanked up on his zipper, adjusting himself before he turned. He went to grab for his shirt, before remembering he'd left it on the hay wagon. Well, there wasn't anything he could do about that. He stepped around the corner of the barn, prepared to face Lila's father. No matter how he adjusted himself, there was no hiding his reaction to what they'd been doing or where it had been heading. Unless Luca was blind, he'd notice.
When he stepped out of the barn, he didn't see Luca or the Corelli's luxurious but classy car. Instead, a man only a couple years older than him stood next to a used sedan. His whole body stiffened at the sight of the other man. "Kyle, what are you doing here?" He hoped Lila stayed in the barn. The last thing he wanted was for his brother to see her here with him. It wouldn't really matter. If he stayed in town for more than an hour, he'd find out they were together. Probably stupid of him, but he didn't want his brother to know. The last time his brother knew about a girlfriend, he'd done everything he could to steal her away. Cassie had ended up leaving both of them before she moved away with her parents just before their senior year. Lila would probably be leaving at the end of the summer, too. He didn't want it to be because of his brother.
"You don't sound too happy to see me, brother," Kyle said, a smirk on his face. "What's the problem?"
Mason vibrated with anger as Kyle stepped closer to him. No matter what he had done, his brother had always caused trouble for him. He hoped when he'd gone off to school in Pittsburgh, he'd never have to see his brother again. He should have known that would be too good to be true. He'd graduated the week before after attending a summer semester. His parents had wanted him to go the graduation, but he'd had no desire to be there. Instead, he spent the day with Lila.
"No problem," Mason said, but he could feel his jaw clench, and his teeth ground together on the words.
Then, Lila's hand settled on his back. He wished there was a way to warn her back without alerting Kyle to her presence, but there wasn't. He let her step around him, then he grabbed her hand and held her close to his side. Light flared in Kyle's eyes, and he could read the greed there. His grip tightened briefly on her hand, but he relaxed it again at her quick gasp.
"Mom's up at the house," Mason said, not taking his eyes from his brother. "Dad's probably there by now, too."
"Maybe it's you I want to talk to."
"I don't have anything to say to you." He turned away and walked with Lila toward her car.
"What's the matter?" she asked as they approached her car. "You're acting weird. I'd think you'd be happy to see your brother again. It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"Christmas." Even that word came out as a snarl. "A little more than six months since he went back. Not damn long enough."
"What's the matter, Mason? He's your brother. What's your problem?"
He looked down at her, and for the first time, actually saw the confusion in her face. "That's a loaded question, Lila. There's a lot between us. It will take a while to get through it."
"I have time." Her voice was soft now, and she reached up to touch his face.
"I don't." He savored her touch. "Now that he's here, Mom's going to be expecting me to be up at the house, to be welcoming. I wish he'd go back to the city, stay away from me."
"He's your brother, Mason."
"You don't know him, Lila. Trust me. Him being around isn't a good thing." He sighed then leaned in to kiss her. "I'll call you later. I'll try to explain it all to you. You should get back before your father sends out a search party. I need to get up to the house."
She leaned in and laid her lips on his again. "It'll be all right, Mason. He's your brother. I'm sure he's changed in the time he's been gone. He's probably grown up. Give him a chance."
He nodded then watched her climb into the car and drive away. She was wrong, Kyle hadn't changed. He'd seen it in his brother's eyes when Lila had stepped out of the barn. He would lose her, too. He wasn't sure there was anything he could do to stop it.
#
Lila left the store and headed down the street. It had felt like her father hovered even more lately. Like he had found out, or realized for himself, how close she and Mason had been getting. She didn't know what his problem was. She had walked into this knowing it could never last. Once they were back in Nashville, she'd be too busy to have a broken heart. She wished he'd stop reminding her they had less than a month up here. She was perfectly aware of that fact, thank you very much.
At least her mother had talked him into letting her go into town on her own. He'd been like a shadow the last few days. She wasn't even going to meet Mason, not right now, anyway, but they did have plans for after the concert tomorrow night. She didn't know where they would go, but she was eager to spend the time with him. They didn't have much left. She had to leave in a few days for a concert down by Pittsburgh. Once she returned, they'd have less than two weeks. It wasn't enough time. It could never be enough.
She was so deep in these thoughts she almost walked right into him. Not Mason, she realized when she'd recovered from her shock. They didn't really even look alike. Kyle was smaller, stockier. His hair was darker than Mason's, his eyes brown instead of the bright blue she was used to seeing. But, his smile was charming.
"Lila, right? I saw you the other day out at my parents' farm."
"Yeah. You're Mason's brother."
"That's right. And you're his girl. He didn't give us much of a chance to get acquainted."
She wrinkled her nose at that. She still hadn't made much sense of Mason's reaction to his brother. She had always wanted a brother or sister, but she was an only child. She understood there could be sibling rivalry, but it seemed like it went beyond that. As Kyle smiled at her, she didn't understand why. He seemed perfectly nice. And he was cute. Still, she felt the need to defend Mason. "Well, I had to get going, anyway."
"I hope you don't need to get going yet. I'd like to get to know you better. You're important to my brother, so I should know you."
She hesitated. Something didn't feel right about this. This was Mason's brother, though. What harm could there be in spending some time getting to know him? "I have some time. Why don't we go to the diner for some coffee?"
"Sounds great."
She kept her hand on the strap of her purse as they turned together and walked down the street. People were watching her, and it made her want to hide from the stares. It was stupid. She wasn't doing anything wrong. She could go for coffee with her boyfriend's brother. It's not like they were doing anything bad. Why did she feel like people judged her?
She smiled at the waitress who greeted them in the diner. "Hey, Anna. We'll just be getting coffee today."
"Is Mason meeting you?"
Her stomach twisted at the question, or maybe it was her heart. Had the whole town really tied them so closely together? She couldn't even go out without someone asking if he'd be with her. "No, not today. I'm getting some coffee with Kyle here."
Anna had always been friendly to her, even though they had never really hung out in school. Now her face went cold and hard. "I see. Well, I'm sure we can find a table for you."
Lila glanced around the dining room. A few tables were occupied, but other than that, it was empty. "I don't see why that would be a problem."
"You wouldn't," she muttered, but she grabbed a coffeepot as she led them to a table.
Lila was confused. What was Anna's problem? She didn't say anything until the woman had poured their coffee and left. "What was up with that?" she asked him. "She's usually so nice to me when I come in."
"Anna and I used to date. I guess she's still angry I moved on."
She didn't feel real comfortable with his explanation, but she wasn't sure why. Then he smiled at her. It was almost enough to wipe that discomfort away. He didn't make her feel the way Mason did. Even though it still did something to her when he smiled at her. "What do you want to talk about?"
"We could start with you and go from there."
The flush heated her skin. Even now, she didn't feel comfortable talking about herself, the reason she hated giving interviews. The press made it seem it was because her father was overprotective. Which he was, but she had more to do with the lack of coverage than him. "I don't know what to tell you."
He kept his gaze focused on her. "Why don't we start with what it's like living in Nashville? You were moving there about the same time I was getting ready to go to school in Pittsburgh. I've never been somewhere as big as Nashville, though."
Okay, she could do this. Where she lived wasn't too personal a topic. Maybe it would help her ease into other topics he wanted to talk about. With his hand on hers, and his gaze never wavering, she found words tumbling out. She didn't understand why Mason had so many reservations about him. He was being perfectly friendly and a perfect charming gentleman. He wasn't the monster Mason had made him out to be. She'd convince him he was mistaken. Then, the brothers could be friends, too.
Chapter 22
Now
Mason slid his hand into Lila's back pocket as they walked behind the bleachers. She shivered a little and smiled. "I was surprised you wanted to come tonight. You were never much for the football games when we were in school."
"Daddy said I didn't need to be here. I needed to be focused on my music."
Mason frowned at that. Luca had been strict when she was younger. Hell, he still would be if she allowed it. He hadn't realized how much pressure he'd put on her. He pulled her closer to his side, wishing there was more he could do to wipe that wistfulness away. She seemed to shake that away.
"What about your father? Was he upset you didn't play?"
"Are you kidding? He'd rather I be out at the farm. If I got injured playing football, I wouldn't be much help out in the barn or fields. Mom was glad." He was quiet for a minute. "I did play for one season in junior high. We weren't together yet, so you probably wouldn't remember." He let out a little laugh. "I was on the bench most of it, anyway."
Lila gave a little shake of her head. "In Junior High, I had voice and guitar lessons during my spare time. I didn't have time for sports."
That twisted his heart. She'd loved to sing, but he realized the dream of Nashville had come more from her father than her. He cleared his throat. "Mom was a wreck the whole time I played, afraid I'd be hurt permanently. I didn't like it much, anyway. I didn't play again."
They were both quiet for a moment. They'd been together again for about a month. She still hadn't said those words he'd been wanting to hear. The ones he kept saying to her. He told her it didn't matter, but it was a lie. His heart cracked a little more every time she didn't say it back to him. He tried to give her time, though.
"One of my students really hoped I'd come," she told him. "His older brother goes to the public high school. I guess their parents give them the choice once they hit middle school age. I told him I'd be sure to be here. He's a sweet kid, and it's homecoming. Everyone in town comes to the homecoming game."
He didn't, usually too busy working the farm to stop and come to a football game or the parade the next day. When she had asked if he would go with her, he'd jumped at the chance. What did the farm matter if his father sold it, anyway? They hadn't spoken more about it, but his dad had been meeting with Brian. Just figuring things out, he'd said the one time Mason had asked him.
He glanced over at Lila. He kept waiting for her to leave again. He couldn't think about that, just needed to take whatever time he had with her.
"It should be starting soon. Why don't we go find a seat?"
The bleachers were already filling in. They had to weave between people before they could find enough room for both of them. They kept their hands clasped together as the game started. Mason tried to keep his mind focused on the game, but how could he when she filled all of his senses. The first half of the game flew by. He didn't even know what the score was when people filed out of the bleachers for halftime. He glanced at the scoreboard; they were losing by three points. Not too far apart. They could come back and win during the second half.
That's how he felt. Seven years ago had been their first half of the game. He had been trailing behind on the score when she left. It hadn't been the end of the game, not like he'd thought it was. Now, he had the chance to come from behind and win the game, win her, his own personal homecoming game.
She dragged him out of these thoughts as she tugged on his hand. "Come on, let's walk. We can get something from the concession stand when the line dies down, too."
He followed her down the bleachers and around behind them. He could see the line trailing away from the concession stand. Everyone else used this as a chance to get food and drinks, too. "We have time," he murmured, turning to her.
Mason wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in for a kiss. "This is what I would have wanted to do if I ever came to the games when we were in high school," he murmured. "I wouldn't have paid any attention to the game."
She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "Makes me wish we would have supported our school a little better back then."
They walked a little farther, and Mason saw Brian standing in line with Ashley and their little girl. He gave a quick wave and the other man smirked in response, but Mason steered Lila away from the line. He wanted her to himself for at least a little longer, and to keep her for the rest of the night. He hoped she wanted the same thing.
"I see you've found your way back to my wife."
Mason's body tensed up at his brother's voice. He glanced at Lila. The color drained out of her face. He turned, putting himself between her and Kyle. The look had been more than only shock or hurt. There'd been fear there, and he wondered if there was more to what had happened between them than she had told him.
"She's not your wife anymore. You gave that up when you signed the divorce papers."
Kyle tried to step past him to get to Lila, but Mason moved with him. He stopped then and pitched his gaze over Mason's shoulder. "Are you really going to hide behind him? I know I made some mistakes. Agreeing to the divorce was one. I want you to come back home, Lila. We can work things out."
"After what you did? You cheated on me, Kyle. For how long? You know what? It doesn't matter. Once was too often. The lies you spread destroyed me. Why would I go back with you? There's nothing left for me down there."
He waved that away. "Some misunderstandings. Like I said, we can work things out."
Mason stepped forward now. He'd had enough of this. "She said she's not going back with you. Can't you get the hint?"
"That's no way to talk to your older brother. And," he said, looking past him to Lila again, "like you can say anything about me. I've heard all about the two of you."
"The difference, Kyle, is we're divorced," Lila said, finally stepping around him. "I don't wear your ring anymore. I'm free to do what I want. You did your running around when you were still supposed to be loyal to me. Mason's right. You need to get the hint. I'm sure you're not here to support your old alma mater, so why don't you go?"
He glared at her for a moment then turned his gaze back on Mason. "You better watch it. She chose me over you once. Don't think she won't again."
"Everyone's allowed their mistakes," Mason said, but he didn't move away from Lila's side.
Kyle only stayed another moment before turning around and striding away. Mason watched until he was gone then turned to Lila and realized for the first time she was shaking. "You okay?" he asked taking her hands.
"Yeah." The word came out on an expelled breath. "I wasn't expecting to see him, but I'm okay." She looked up at him. "Thanks for standing up for me. I didn't need you to stand between us, but still I appreciated it."
"I wanted to pound his face in."
A smile cracked her face, and a soft laugh came out. She brought her hand up to his cheek. "I know you did. I appreciate you only threw words at him instead of your fists. You don't need to go to jail on assault charges for him." She gave him a quick kiss then slid her arm through his. "Come on. Let's get some food. Maybe some hot chocolate before the game starts back up."
Mason walked with her to the concession stand, but a part of him still felt unsettled. He had never thought Kyle would come back here. Now that he had, what did it mean? Would he lose Lila again? Maybe his brother was right, and she would choose the other brother again. He wasn't sure he could survive that a second time.
