"Oh no. Don't smile.
You'll kill me.
I stop breathing
when you smile."

~~Tessa Dare

****************

~~Mason~~

My heart was still racing for a while after Anika had gone back upstairs, my thoughts scattered from just being in her presence. I had completely humiliated myself in front of her thanks to Kas's stupid prank and yet she had still come down to check on me. I felt... giddy, or at least like a little kid on the first day of summer vacation. Anika Rivers had willingly been in my room!

Willingly? What the fuck, Mase?!

"God, that sounds so fucked up," I muttered under my breath, pressing the tips of my fingers into my eyes.

"What's fucked up?" Kas asked from behind me, startling me. He laughed at my reaction. "Woah, what's up with you, man? Since when can I sneak up on you?"

I swiveled around in my desk chair and flipped him the bird. "I was busy and not paying attention."

Kas frowned and seemed like he wanted to press the issue but thankfully didn't. Finally he shrugged and leaned against the desk with his arms crossed.

"I gotta leave soon for my meeting, the one with that pretty councilwoman that likes me," he said, jumping right into the reason he had come down, this morning's incident already behind us.

"Oh, so you're going to visit your mom?" I asked innocently, making sure to keep a straight face as I blinked up at him.

As expected, Kas narrowed his eyes and scowled. "I said the one that's pretty and likes me, Mason. Not the evil bitch that grew my baby self."

I busted out laughing, unable to contain myself after his choice of words which earned me a harsher glare. Taking several deep breaths to calm myself, I managed to reduce my reaction to a grin which I mentally applauded myself for.

"Are you done?" Kas huffed impatiently.

"Yep," I replied, popping the 'p'. "Now what were you saying?"

"I have that meeting today regarding the building permit," Kas began again, careful to not to mention the councilwoman this time. "Were you able to find anything I can use if things don't go my way?"

Sighing, I switched into business mode and swiveled my chair around to face my screens. "Yeah, the first thing is that I'm almost positive she hates your mother, so that's already a step in your favor, if you're willing to admit relation."

"I don't know about that," Kas said, clearly unenthusiastic about the idea. "What else?"

My fingers flew across the keys on my keyboard in practiced strokes, the screens mounted on the walls coming to life. Each one held different bits of information, such as images, documents, videos, and news articles, all of them pertaining to one person. There were six screens in total that created a larger one when I put my system in sleep mode, but they were all being put to use as I did my job.

"Driver's license and social security card, insurance, etc., all match up to who she claims to be," I listed off in a bored tone. "No files or records hidden that even point to her being someone else, so that's out."

"Gold star for the politician," Kas said dryly. "Okay, what else? Is she clean?"

He sounded skeptical and he would be correct in feeling that way, and that's because he had me to find all her little secrets. That's who I was, the person the Southside Crew had come to when they wanted someone's digital footprints or access to something that a normal person couldn't legally do. It was my specialty and I loved it.

The law wasn't always just, often falling short or looking the other way and innocent people would always end up with the shit end of the stick. I learned that truth at a young age, saw the cold hard evidence with my very own eyes and vowed I would never play a part in it. I wasn't loyal to laws or rules, but to the truth... and to people, especially certain people.

"No, not clean," I admitted, tapping a few more keys before leaning back with a pleased smile tugging up the corners of my mouth. "However, she's not the dirtiest... well, depends on your definition."

I let the file speak for me, watching Kas's face instead of the screens that filled with still images. A single video began to play in the center of it all, showing a brunette woman in her early forties climbing out of a black sedan with dark tinted windows. She had large sunglasses and a floppy red hat on, obviously trying to mask her identity. Kas's eyebrows drew together as he squinted at the screen, his eyes following her movements with a frown.

"What is she doing?" he asked as he watched the woman cross an empty street in the seedier part of the city. "Is it sex or drugs?"

Whoever was recording moved and we momentarily lost sight of the councilwoman, but a flash of leaves and concrete later, she was back. She was standing on the front steps of an ugly brick building, its windows boarded up and graffiti decorating the entire front wall and sidewalk. The woman continued to look around her, up and down the street and behind her as if she felt someone watching her. The door opened a fraction for just a moment before widening enough to allow her inside.

Once she disappeared, I let the video continue but brought another window to overlay so Kas could see it. A calendar stared back at us, filled with appointments for hair, nails, meetings, and dinners, everything you would expect of a councilwoman.

"What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?" Kas asked, not catching the one appointment that stood out like a sore thumb to me.

"Cocktails and Icecream," I answered, opening the little box and showing the scant details inside, "every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with Mr. Long."

Kas chuckled lightly and clapped his hand on my shoulder. "Ah, so it's both. Busy woman, sex and drugs three times a week, and still maintains her councilly duties."

"That's the second building down from a stop light." I informed him, displaying the video once more, just in time for councilwoman Pritchett to make her exit. "I've tracked the person taking the video, and the device, to Mrs. Pritchett's personal assistant, a girl named Darcy Pebbleton."

"Pebbleton? No wonder she's bitter." Kas pulled his phone from his pocket and checked the time. "Alright, send me the stills and the address. I've got to get going."

"You got it, boss," I replied out of habit, one that Kas had given up on correcting me for.

"Thanks, and find out who this 'Mr. Long' is," he said, crossing the room. "Make sure he's not dealing to kids or any of that other stupid shit."

"On it." Once more my hands moved across the keyboard, my mind already starting to sink into the task at hand.

"By the way, Nik will be here by herself until we get home," Kas tossed over his shoulder, the news causing my movements to falter. "Maybe you could keep her company."

And with that, he was gone, leaving me torn between the work I thrive in and the girl I desperately wanted to know. I knew I could do this job, find out the things Kas wanted to know about the dealer. However, I hadn't been very successful so far with having a normal conversation with Anika. The chances of me screwing it up and making a fool of myself were pretty good. Plus, she had seen the tech I had down here, the whole setup, and she probably had questions that I wasn't sure I could or was allowed to answer. The secrets I kept weren't all mine to tell.

●●●●

Too big of a coward to leave my cave immediately after Kas's noisy departure for his meeting, I remained in my chair. At least I did until the smell of smoke drifted through the air vents and the shrill beep of the smoke alarms began to fill the house. I raced upstairs as fast as I could, coughing and waving my hand in front of my face as I tried to find the source.

"Anika!" I called out, panicked that something had happened to her. "Anika! Where are you?"

I could hear her cough from the kitchen and I hurried my steps, unconcerned about whether or not I was going to walk into a fire.

"In here!" she called, her voice a bit hoarse from coughing and inhaling smoke. "It's fine, I'm fine!"

"What the hell?" I asked, covering my mouth and nose with my shirt as I stepped into the smoky kitchen. "What happened?"

Anika was struggling to open the window above the sink and I quickly moved to help. She was coughing and frustrated, not noticing I had stopped beside her and I was forced to place my hand on her side, pushing just enough for her to get the idea. The moment she moved, I made hasty work on the window latch and picked up a cookie sheet from the drainer. Fanning it through the smoke to help clear the harsh air, I look over at Anika who was perched on a stool with her head in her hands.

"What happened?" I croaked, eyeing the flush of her cheeks and the tremble of her body.

"Ugh," she groaned, shaking her head.

Her lack of response only served to concern me even more. I tossed the pan onto the counter and grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge.

"Hey, look at me," I coaxed gently. My only concern being to make sure she was okay. Nothing else mattered. "Come on, Anika, look at me."

Slowly, she dropped her hands and looked at me with bloodshot eyes. I couldn't tell if it was from the smoke or if she had been crying. Her eyes were bluer than any I had ever seen, like a Mediterranean sea on the clearest of days.

"I broke it," she mumbled, her voice cracking.

"What?" The smoke alarms were still screeching, and I could feel a headache trying to form. Moving away, I snatched the annoying devices from their locations in the kitchen and hallway before yanking out the batteries. Satisfied when the horrible sound died suddenly, I made my way back to the island where Anika sat, red eyed and red faced, with her shoulders slumped. "Now let's try that again. What happened?"

"I broke it," she repeated, looking up at me. "I broke the toaster."

Nothing but silence passed between us as I could do nothing but stare at the beautiful, yet strange, girl in front of me. Cocking my head slightly to the side, I repeated, "You... broke the toaster."

"Yes," she groaned, dropping her head with a loud thud onto the island countertop. "Then, I threw it in the pool."

"Uh..." I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that so once again, I repeated her words. "You broke the toaster... and then threw it... in the pool."

"Yes! Why do you keep saying what I'm saying?" she whined, her voice slightly muffled. "I fucked up."

A laugh escaped me in the form of a snort but I squashed it down. "No, it's not that bad."

"I always fuck up," she whispered, her voice breaking as she continued to talk like I hadn't said a word. "Everything I touch... it falls apart. Nothing ever happens like it's supposed to."

She's not talking about the toaster. A thousand thoughts went through my head all at the same time as I just sat there. Only one kept repeating itself, over and over again. It was my job to protect her... and I failed.

Anika suddenly raised her head and quickly wiped her eyes, pasting on a smile as she forced a laugh. "Do you think they'll be mad?"

"Uh, n-no, I seriously doubt it," I stammered, caught off guard by her sudden change in demeanor. "What, uh, what happened with the toaster?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed, running a hand through her hair before answering. "Somehow, the bread got stuck. The damn thing wanted to eat it itself, I guess. Those little metal thingies on the inside wouldn't move so I tried to use a wooden spoon to pry it out, because I didn't want to electrocute myself."

"Yeah, that would have been bad," I agreed, my gaze traveling over her face.

"Right? Anyway, I broke the spoon off into the stupid thing." Anika gestured absently toward the door that opened out to the backyard. "One thing led to another, and smoke was pouring out everywhere. I couldn't find anything to put it out because I've never been here and know nothing about this place."

I could tell she was upset about more than just not knowing the layout of the kitchen. When she had moved out in August to go to Juilliard, things had drastically changed compared to the life she had known. Her sister, Rory, had been through more than any person should in just the first few weeks, had moved from their childhood home and was suddenly in a committed relationship after never showing a hint of interest in anyone before. Anika's twin had gone from a fragile, innocent girl, to a feisty, strong woman that was in a three way relationship with two men they had both known for years.

That was just a basic summary, merely the tip of the iceberg of how life had unfolded and flourished during Anika's absence. Coming home after seven months, she was obviously struggling to adjust but there was something buried, hidden beneath her strong exterior. Whatever secret Anika kept locked away, it was making it even harder for her to be here.

"Stupid, I know, but I remembered seeing the pool through the window right before that happened, so I threw it in there."

Anika bit her lip, my eyes drawn to the movement and unable to look away as the plump flesh slipped free, her tongue darting out to soothe it. My cock began to stir at the sight, images of myself doing the exact same thing to those pouty, pink lips forming relentlessly in my mind. I cleared my throat, barely able to tear my gaze away, and shifted uncomfortably on my stool. My anxiety shot up, unsure of what I would do if she noticed the current issue I was sporting.

"It's, uh..." My voice cracked like that of a preteen boy and I felt heat rise to my cheeks. I had no idea what I was going to say but I had to say something. "D-don't worry about it. We can, uh, we can just go and, uh... we can replace it."

"Are you okay, Mason?" Anika asked with concern. "You look pale but your cheeks are flushed."

She raised her hand, moving as if to touch my face, and I barely swallowed the panicked yelp that nearly escaped. I leaned back quickly, unsure of what my body would do if she actually touched me, almost falling into the floor in the process and having to grab the island countertop to keep myself upright. Anika giggled, the sound like velvet to my ears and if it were possible to wrap yourself in a sound, that would have been it for me.

Unfortunately, my jeans were becoming increasingly uncomfortable and my humiliation continued to go up because of it. I wasn't used to situations like this and had no idea what I was supposed to do. Girls thought I was weird when I was younger and I couldn't talk to them any better then than I could now.

I had been sixteen, I think, when Southside took me in, providing the physical protection I couldn't give myself in return for my services. I was very closely guarded, for more practical reasons in the beginning, but they became my family. Being overprotected came with that gift. So women,dating, sex... it was completely uncharted territory for me.

"I'm f-fine. Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, trying to distract myself, and her, from my situation. "Breathing okay? Did you burn your hands or anything?"

"No, nothing damaged but my pride." Anika gave me a small smile and shook her head. "Well, thanks for coming to my rescue. I think I'll take a shower and go on a toaster hunt."

"Oh. Okay."

I couldn't help but feel disappointed as I watched her hop off the stool and leave the kitchen. Everyone was gone and would be for most of the day, which meant this was a good opportunity to spend time with her and get to know her. However, Kas had wanted me to look into the dealer and I was still working on getting a hit on the guy's name. That was my job and I loved it, but... something was wrong with Anika, she was hurting and didn't want anyone to know.

Making a split second decision, I raced from the room, nearly tripping on the area rug in the living room as I headed for the stairs.

"Hey, Anika!" I called out hoping to catch her before she got in the shower.

The bathroom door opened on the second floor a moment later, just as I stepped into the upstairs hallway. She stood with a towel pressed against the front of her body, steaming beginning to slowly fill the room behind. However, from where I was standing, I could see her reflection in the mirror and my mouth went completely dry, all brain cells ceasing to function.

I could see the whole back side of her body, every inch of smooth, creamy skin on display. She was a dancer, had been for years, which had made her body lean and graceful. My eyes trailed over the soft, but generous globes of her ass and down the length of her long legs. She was gorgeous, even more so than my mind could have imagined, and my fingers yearned to trace every dip and curve of her lithe body.

"Mason?" she asked, snapping me back to reality.

Mortified that I had been caught gawking, I nearly ran. However, she didn't seem upset that I had been staring at her or maybe she just hadn't noticed.

"Uh... uh... Do you, I mean, can I give you a ride?" I stammered, my heart hammering in my chest so hard I thought I might pass out. "To find a toaster. W-we co-could go together... i-if you wanted."

"You look like you're going to throw up." Anika giggled, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from groaning due to the tension that riddled my body. "Okay, yeah, that sounds like fun. Just give me a little bit and I'll be ready to go."

She smiled again before closing the door and I quickly released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. With a hiss, I adjusted myself as much as possible and carefully, yet hastily, made my way back to the basement. Making sure to lock the door this time, I yanked open the front of my jeans, freeing my erection from its painful confines, and nearly tripped down the stairs on my way to the couch.

I felt like I was on fire as I sat down and had no choice but to remove my shirt as I took several deep breaths trying to calm down. My cock ached for relief as it rested against my stomach, the memory of Anika's partially naked body etched in my mind and on the back of my eyelids. Blood rushed through my veins and I felt pathetic, my body having a mind of its own and refusing to obey the commands from my brain. I had to get this under control before she was done in the shower.

That notion led to a string of other images and scenarios forming like a flip book movie in my mind, serving only to increase my arousal. This wasn't normal, was it? Or maybe it was, but how the hell was I supposed to know?! I had no idea what I was doing, or how I was supposed to be around her if this was going to happen every fucking time she laughed. She would eventually notice and think I was a perv or a freak or something.

Growing desperate to get myself under control before Anika came looking for me, I wrapped my hand around my shaft. I let my head fall back on the couch cushions, the image of her body filling every possible space in my mind. Groaning, I worked my hand up and down my length, feeling both pleasure and shame that I had been reduced to a sweaty, trembling mess after an accidental glimpse and a handful of moments.

It was more than that, though, and I knew it. From the moment I had first laid eyes on her, I had never wanted someone like I wanted Anika. She was so much more than she showed the world and everything about her was beautiful... and I wanted to know it all.

I wonder what she tastes like?, I thought half a second before my orgasm crashed over me.

Snatching my shirt up, I managed to catch most of the mess as I panted for breath, my skin damp with sweat. Staring up at the ceiling, I thought about what would happen next.

How the hell am I going to get through this? Fuck, it's going to be a long day.