Page 42 of Sin for You

I jolted, shocked. “What? Why?”

He pulled off his jacket, tossed it on a chair, sat heavily on the couch, my state of undress forgotten, and rubbed his hands over his face. “Says she’s fallen out of love with me. I’m not the one,” he recited monotone.

I dropped to my knees and pulled my big, tough cop brother in for a hug. He wrapped his strong familiar tattooed arms around me in return, and I held him tight.

I couldn’t believe it. I thought they were solid, in love, unshakeable. If Mase and Janie couldn’t make it work, no one could.

“I’ll leave you to talk,” Bull said from the door.

Mase glanced up, giving me one last squeeze before releasing me and sitting back. “No, stay, have a beer with me. Don’t want to talk about it. I’m all fucking talked out at this point.”

I squeezed his hand. “How long are you home for?”

He shrugged. “A few days, maybe more. Took some annual leave owed to me. I just needed out of the city.” He glanced back at Bull. “Glad I ran into you, man.” Mase frowned. “Did you and Quinn have plans?”

I forced a laugh that sounded a little shakier than I’d have liked and shot a look down at what I was wearing. “Um…no. Obviously not.” I thought my heart was going to pound right out of my chest.

Mase chuckled as well.

“Quinn had a cougar hanging around. Came to check on the alarm I installed.”

My brother stood and moved to Bull, taking his hand and clapping him on the back. “Thanks for watching out for her. Appreciate it.”

Bull shrugged, looking more uncomfortable than I’d ever seen him.

“Come on, let’s go raid Quinn’s beer.” Mase turned to me. “Maybe you should get changed? If I wasn’t already traumatized from my breakup, seeing you in your underwear would have done it.”

I smirked and flipped him the bird.

Bull and Mase headed for my kitchen, Bull’s gaze shifting and locking on me for several heart-stopping moments, that dark chocolate stare unreadable.

I let out a shaky breath and raced upstairs, heart beating like crazy at how close we’d come to being caught. If Mase had arrived just ten minutes later…

Yanking off my robe, I pulled on a pair of jeans, socks, and a big comfy, extremely unsexy sweater, then headed back downstairs. Mase and Bull were back in the living room, beers in hand.

“So we going to meet this mystery man?” Mase said. “I guess he’ll be here any minute?”

Shit. “I, ah…called him while I was upstairs and canceled.”

Mase nodded. “It serious?”

My gaze darted to Bull. I couldn’t help myself. “No, nothing serious. It’s new.”

My brother frowned. “You think jumping into another relationship’s a good idea right now?”

I rolled my eyes and flopped down on the couch beside Bull, the only free seat. No way did I want to talk about Bevan or the state I’d been in only a few months ago. “Dude, chill. It’s nothing, just some fun. Anyway, we’re not talking about me.”

“Not talking about me either,” Mase said. “I just wanna get smashed and forget my own bullshit.” He turned to Bull. “What about you?”

Bull stilled then raised his brows at Mase.

“You seeing anyone?”

Bull shook his head.

“Good,” Mase said. “We’re drinking at The Mule tomorrow and neither one of us is going home alone. It’ll be like the old days.”

Now it was my turn to freeze.