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Rose Tee
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“Do you always break into women’s bedrooms… or am I special?” 😏 Jasmine screams. Mason smirks. Then he makes an omelet like that fixes everything (it does not. It helps, annoyingly). Before romance bulldozes her schedule, Jasmine is trying to live like a grown woman with boundaries and a locked bedroom door. Too bad Mason has a key, zero shame, and the kind of “I’ll handle it” energy that makes you want to throw a pillow and then keep him. She should hate him—she does hate him—until he’s wiping sauce off her mouth in public like it’s normal, and paying for his mom’s surprise trip like money can silence chemistry. You know that man who acts like he owns the room? Now imagine he’s also your best friend’s son and he keeps touching your back like he forgot his hand is attached. Jasmine laughs it off. Mason plays sweet. Then she steps toward her car and his mom turns her head, loud enough for everyone: “So… when are you going to tell Jasmine you like her?”
Chapter 1: An Accidental Wake-Up Call
JASMINE
The sound of the phone ringing instantly made me groan. I checked the ID and loudly exhaled as I answered, putting the phone on speaker.
“You had better be dying.”
“Jas! Get your butt up!” Mason yelled through the phone.
He was too excited, and I wasn’t in the mood. I looked at the time on my phone and groaned. It was eight o’clock in the morning, and I’d planned to sleep in.
I repeated my original sentiment. “Mason, are you dying?” I turned onto my stomach and dropped the phone on the bed next to my head.
“Jasmine! Get up! You said you’d help me shop for my mom’s gift,” Mason continued to yell as if he didn’t understand the concept of lowering his voice. I could just picture that stupid grin on his face. He knew he was disturbing me, and he was getting a kick out of it.
Now it was my turn to yell. “At eight in the morning?! Have you lost your mind?!” I ended the call and pulled the covers back over my head. Mason knew I HATED to be woken up, especially since I had insomnia. When I could sleep, I took full advantage. I had just fallen back to sleep when I felt the covers fly off of me.
“WHOA!” Mason was frozen, mouth agape and eyes bulging. He dropped the cover on the floor and locked in on me.
I was so shocked and pissed that I sat up on my knees, demanding an answer from him. “MASON! Have you lost your mind?! What are you doing?”
He didn’t say a word. His eyes traveled up and down my very naked body. They came back up to my eyes, and he stared at me.
The look on his face was a mixture of appreciation and apprehension. Mason squinted, and it was as if he was seeing me for the first time and didn’t know what to do with me.
“MASON! GET OUT!” I screamed.
I threw a pillow at him, hitting him in the face. This snapped him out of his reverie. He made a hasty escape and closed my door.
As my hands slid over my body, I thought about Mason’s face as he drank my body in and how, when he looked back into my eyes, I saw desire, and his tongue peeked slightly between his lips.
By the end of my shower, the anger had dissipated, and I laughed.
Seeing him want me put a little boost in my ego. I mean, I knew I had it, but it was always nice to be noticed. Now I wasn’t stupid enough to think Mason actually wanted me.
He was just a man caught up in seeing a naked woman, best friend or not. I had a nice build, thick in the places I needed to be, and that included my waist. Never got any complaints, though.
I wanted to make him squirm and couldn’t wait to give him a piece of my mind. I wasn’t mad, but Mason didn’t need to know that.
MASON
My mom’s birthday was coming up, and Jasmine had agreed to go shopping with me. I knew it was early, but she loved my mom, so I was taking a chance that she wouldn’t curse me out. I dialed her number, and it rang throughout my ride.
Her voice was low and gravelly when she answered. “You had better be dying.”
Okay…this conversation didn’t go the way I expected. She hung up on me.
I drove to her house and used the key she gave me. Surely she wouldn’t kick me out. Like I said, she loved my mom, and I was pretty sure I could convince her.
Or she’d try to kill me. Hmm…I’d take one for the team for my mother.
I walked into her room and saw her outline under the cover. She didn’t see me because her head was covered, so I yanked the cover off of her.
My Lord! She was naked!
I heard her voice, but the words didn’t register. My brain was focused on one thing.
All I could do was stare at this chocolate goddess kneeling on her bed. I took in everything she had to offer.
Her breasts were like melons, and those thick thighs. I knew Jasmine had a body, but in all the years I’d known her, I hadn’t seen it. This was what had been under those clothes!
When I finally looked back into her eyes, I wanted her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, suck on that bottom lip, and hear her moan.
I was brought back to reality when a pillow hit my face. She told me to get out, and I made a hasty retreat, heading to the kitchen.
“Lord, she’s going to kill me!”
I heard her shower turn on, and I tried to think of something to get me out of trouble before I got in it. Well, got in any deeper.
I decided to make her breakfast. Jasmine loved food, and maybe this would calm her.
I went to work, making her an omelet with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms. I heard the shower turn off as I was making toast.
By the time I was done plating the food, she was strolling into the kitchen. I was slightly disappointed that she was clothed (wait, what?), but she looked good in her fitted T-shirt and some tight denim shorts.
“I come in peace,” I said as I put the plate on the counter.
Jasmine looked at the plate and then back at me. She was shooting daggers at me as she walked past me and went to the refrigerator.
“Jassy, I am so sorry. I didn’t know you were going to be naked. Please say something.”
She didn’t even turn to me as I spoke. She took a drink of orange juice from the carton and closed the refrigerator door.
I watched as she walked to the kitchen sink and turned on the water. I sat at the counter and hung my head.
Jasmine and I had disagreements, but we always worked them out. Had I gone too far this time?
“Mason?”
I looked up at the sound of my name and was splashed with water from the sink sprayer! “WHAT THE—” I sputtered as the water hit me in the mouth.
Jasmine was laughing so hard as she talked. “Don’t come barging in just because you have a key. Next time you might see something.”
I had seen everything I needed to see, and I liked everything I saw. No! NO! I can’t think that way about Jasmine. We can’t cross those lines. “JASMINE!! Okay, I give! Stop the spray!”
She walked to the hallway closet and got a towel for me. “Give me your shirt. I’ll throw it in the dryer.”
I froze as I wiped myself down. The thoughts that were going through my head about my best friend had me a little scared, and I didn’t want to take off my shirt. A flash of me holding her to my chest, kissing her neck right under her ear, caused me to shiver.
“Dude! Give me your shirt. You will not be sick for your mom’s birthday and blame me.”
I snapped out of my thoughts and took off the shirt, tossing it on her head. She laughed as she walked to the laundry room, then to her bedroom. Coming back out, she handed me a T-shirt.
“Here, you left this when we were putting the bed together.”
I quickly grabbed the shirt and put it on. “Thanks!”
I wasn’t self-conscious, and Jasmine had seen me without a shirt before, but I felt truly naked in front of her right now. “So, you ready to help me?” I gave her a toothy grin.
Jasmine bit into her omelet as she nodded her head yes. I played on my phone to occupy my time while she ate. It kept my mind and hands busy because I was very tempted to touch her.
When she finished her food, she kissed my cheek and said, “Thanks for breakfast. I love when you spoil me!” After putting the plate in the sink, she headed toward the door with me trailing behind her.
I watched her hips sway and felt the beginnings of an erection. “Help me, Jesus!”
