April (Calendar Girl #4) by Audrey Carlan Read Free Book Online Page A

before.”
    “Leave now!” he roared, stood up, and went into his ensuite.
    “You deaf?” I opened the door.
    “You just want him for yourself.”
    “Well, since I’m the girlfriend…I’m going to go with yes. Now get out!”
    I just got the girls out of the room when Mason came out in a pair of jeans and was digging through his suitcase for a t-shirt. “I have to go find her.”
    Rubbing a hand over my face, I grabbed his hand. “And tell her what? Sorry you caught me fucking two floozies? I don’t think that’s going to work.”
    He pushed his hands through his hair and then flopped back down on the bed. “I can’t just leave it like this.”
    “Technically, you don’t owe her anything. Besides, it was my fault.”
    He blew out a tortured breath. “No, you were just trying to help, but as usual, I started thinking with my dick.”
    “What happened?” I tried. When I’d left him he was hanging out with the guys eating pizza.
    Mason shook his head. “One minute I was chatting it up with my bro’s, the next minute I notice you and Rachel were gone. The two groupies were all over me, and the more I drank, the more I didn’t care. I just wanted to feel…something. You know? I looked for you, looked for Rachel, but they kept on me and I got weak.” His shoulders slumped. “Do you hate me?”
    I put an arm around his shoulders. “No, I don’t. What I saw was fucking hot.” He chuckled softly. Man, he really was beautiful when he gave a genuine smile. “I just don’t think your girl, the one you really want, thought it was as hot as I did. She was really sad. Crying and everything.”
    His head shot up. “She was crying? Honestly, Mia, I knew she might be sweet on me, but it’s never been like that between us. She’s always been untouchable. Perfect, professional, pretty, the whole package. A girl like her would never be with a guy like me. We’re in totally different leagues.” He rubbed his chin and the sound of hair grating along calloused palms sent chills racing up my spine. Reminded me of another time and another guy that I adored.
    “I get it. There’s this guy I like, too. Way out of my league, but I’d like to think when the time is right, we’ll be in the same league at the same time. I think you can do that, too.”
    “You like a guy?”
    I grinned. Of course, that’s what he’d zero in on. “I do, but the timing isn’t right. When it’s right, if it is ever right, it will just be. And it will work out. I have to believe that. But you can do something now.”
    Mason looked off into the distance then brought those green eyes to me. They were soft, almost beseeching, as if my own held the answers to every question he’d ever want to know in them. “Show her what type of man you can be. What type of man you are in here,” I pointed to his chest where his heart was. “Live like the man you want to be. She’ll come around.”
    “You think?”
    I smiled wide and hugged him into my chest. He smelled of sex and cheap perfume. “I know.”
    “Thanks Mia. You’re pretty all right you know that?”
    I laughed into his neck. “You’re pretty all right yourself, but you smell like a whorehouse. Do the world a favor and shower. I’ll work on Rachel. You work on you.”
    He stood up and helped me up. “I’ll work on me.”
    “While you’re working on you, can you work on getting these people out of our room? I can’t sleep with people fucking on the couch, pot being smoked, bodies everywhere, and music blaring.”
    He opened the door from his room to the living area and took in the party. “Fucking hell. We’re never getting smashed again.”
    I choked on a laugh. “Never say never.”
     
    ***
     
    The rest of our visit in New York City went by in a flash. The team had three games in NYC, lost one, won two. So far, their rank was looking really good. Quick Runners booked Mason as their official year-long spokesperson for the new performance all-around sports shoe. It