Julia felt she must have misheard. Misinterpreted – at least this one for sure.

“Wh-what?” she stammered. “What do you mean?”

She was facing Mason now, and there was no mistake about the almost evil twinkle in his eyes.

If there was anything better than Mason’s smile, as to his physical features, these were his eyes. It was too easy for him to mesmerize her with those eyes of his.

“Julia?” he called, still sprawling on the settee.

He must have meant nothing, Julia told herself. How silly you are, and how miserable.

“No, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she forced a smile.

“Why? We’d save lots of time.”

“Don’t see where y o u waste any time. You happen to be at home. It’s me who needs to travel.”

“Ok,” he agreed. “Why should you?”

She did look miserable. “What are you saying?” she inquired with desperation.

Julia had never been good enough at this kind of sports. Not when her heart’s safety was at stake. And Mason was too obviously enjoying her confusion and this cat-and-mouse game.

She hated the twinkle.

“Come on, Julia,” he teased. “Don’t tell me you must run off now.”

‘I must, and run for life I must,’ Julia thought to herself. She couldn’t.

Mason stood up slowly, came close, framed her face with his hands, so that she had no chance to break away, and oh so gently brushed his lips against hers.

Julia forgot who she was and where she was. The magic of the moment enthralled her completely. She reached out for more, and Mason gave her more.

This time he kissed her as if he’d had the right to. The owner, imperiously and at the same time selflessly, claiming her mouth to be his legal property.

However, he let her go the moment he felt her stir.

Julia stepped back, and one more step, and now the cradle with Matt in it was between them.

“Where’s Mrs. Whitcomb?” she asked breathlessly.

“She’s not coming today,” Mason informed Julia matter-of-factly. “I told her to take the night off.”

“No,” Julia said.

“Why not?”

Oh you silly, silly conceited idiot, she thought. Because I love you.

“I must go home now,” she said.

“Why?”

Oh well, he was as understanding as an oyster, and as sensitive as a rock. And about as subtle as a dump truck. She told him that.

Mason just shrugged his shoulders.

“Am I being rejected?” he specified.

In an answer he got something in between an indignant chuckle and a desperate sob.

“We’re adults, Julia,” he reminded her. “Opposite sexes, too. It’s just waiting to happen, don’t you think?”

“No,” she wanted to cry out.

Strangely, his last words, so down-to-earth, sober and bluntly sensible, helped her to regain control. Another conversation, a very recent one, surfaced in her mind.

“…once it''s happened, you realize that you won''t be able to settle for anything less. Ever again.”

He was right, you know. Theoretically. Today’s incident showed he himself divorced things like love and sex; and well, since in h e r life everything had changed, she was not able to settle for anything less than love – ever again.

And she knew the kind of love Mason was – or had been – capable of.

It hurt like hell.

“No,” she heard her own voice that sounded even enough. “I see intimacy as too intimate a thing to share with someone you don’t love. I am sorry, Mason. Good-bye.”

Julia grabbed her handbag and walked out with her nose up and her head high. Mason did not attempt to hold her back.

And who cares if she wept all the way home?

[P.S. Oh, I guess both Mason and Julia are a little bit too weepy in my story… can’t be helped ;)]

/Olga Lisenkova/

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