Reckless (The Mason Family Series Book 3) Adriana Locke (best mystery novels of all time TXT) 📖

minutes. My burger was sent out with vegetables on it, so I pick them off. I get the pickle off the bun when Jaxi’s stare catches my attention.

I raise a brow.

“You know,” she says, “you should go to Vegas if you want to. I don’t want you canceling stuff because of us.”

I bite off the end of a fry. “If I wanted to go, I would. Unfortunately for Vegas, it’s being outshined at the moment.”

She grins. “Is that so?”

“Yup. Unless you want to go. We can have a lot of fun there.” I wiggle my brows.

“I want to go,” Rosie says, a glob of barbecue sauce pooled at the edge of her mouth. “Take me with you.”

“I thought you wanted the zoo? Will you make up your mind?” I ask her.

“Zoo! Zoo!”

Jaxi laughs as she wipes Rosie’s face. She’s an unwilling participant in getting a clean face.

“Did you give your mother my phone number?” Jaxi asks.

“Maybe.” I eat another fry. “Why?”

“She called me today and asked if I thought Rosie would like to play with a little girl named Bree.”

“Bree is the little girl who Bellamy babysits. She’s a little wild but fun. I think Rosie might like her even though she’s quite a bit older. Might be good for her.”

“Well, apparently your mom is going to Coy’s tomorrow with Wade.”

Rosie perks up. “I like Wade.”

“We know,” I deadpan.

Jaxi chuckles.

“I want to play with Wade,” Rosie says, dancing in her seat. “Can I?”

Jaxi looks at me as if she’s waiting on an answer.

“I think she might have fun,” I offer. “Might be good for her to start making some friends.”

“Do you wanna go?” Jaxi asks. “Do you want to go with Siggy and meet a little girl tomorrow?”

“And Wade?” she asks through a mouthful of chicken.

“And Wade,” Jaxi agrees.

“Then yup!”

I sit back in my seat and laugh.

I never knew I would be so grateful for Wade.

Life just gets weirder by the second.

Nineteen

Boone

“You good?” I make a face at Rosie all strapped in her car seat in the back of Mom’s car. “Need anything?”

“Nope. We’re going to see Wade!”

I lean out of the car. “I’ve never been that excited to see Wade.”

She giggles, pulling her Glo Worm up against her face. “Bye, Boone.”

“So, that’s it? You’re done?”

“Wade!”

“Fine. See ya later, alligator.”

“After a while, donut pile.”

I laugh and close the door.

Mom laughs too. “Where did she hear that?”

“Jaxi. We were making up goofy rhymes this morning as I left for work, and she latched on to that one.”

“It is cute,” Mom says.

The breeze picks up and ruffles my mother’s hair. It reminds me of a movie … one that’s not getting over quickly enough.

Jaxi is inside the house. Alone. Waiting on me. And I’ve been waiting on this moment too fucking long to be standing outside talking to my mommy.

“You’re good then?” I ask her. “Don’t give her too much chocolate or sugar. It hypes the shit out of her.”

Mom rolls her eyes. “I raised five children. They all turned out just fine.”

“Not all of them. Something is wrong with Oliver.”

She smacks me on the arm. “Stop that.”

“It’s true.”

“You go on and spend some time with your …” She lifts a carefully arched brow.

“I don’t know what she is to me, Mom. But I like her.”

She winks. “I know you do.”

I shuffle my feet against the concrete. “Do you think this is too fast? I mean, I haven’t known her that long. This all just happened, but it didn’t feel like it. Not to me.”

“You get one life. If you know what you want, and who you want to spend even a day of it with, you should do that.”

Makes sense.

I kiss her cheek. “Thank you for all you do. You’re the best.”

“I know. Thank you.”

Laughing, I walk backward toward the house. “When does Dad get back from Michigan?”

“Next week. This fishing hobby of his is starting to get on my nerves.” She opens the driver’s side door. “Although, I do enjoy falling asleep to things other than sports channels.” She climbs in. “I’ll call you later with an update.”

“Bye, Rosie. Later, Mom.”

“Goodbye, Boone.”

As soon as her door shuts, I turn and jog to the house.

My heart thumps in my chest as I enter the foyer. The sound of running water comes from the kitchen, so I head there.

Jaxi is standing at the sink with a plate in her hand.

“What are you doing?” I ask her, my voice pained with suppressed desire.

“I just wanted to rinse some of these off while I have a second.”

I nearly prowl around the counter. “They can wait.”

“It’ll just take a second.”

The Alexa switches songs to “Ride” by Chase Rice. The slow, sensual opening beats pulse through the room.

I walk up behind her and grab the end of her ponytail. The motion causes her back to arch and her ass to pop out. I widen my stance and let my cock brush against her backside.

“Are you rushing me, Mr. Mason?” she asks, the words raw.

“Yes, I’m rushing you.”

I press my lips against the crook of her neck. Her head falls farther back, and a low moan escapes her throat.

It’s as if someone cranked the thermostat in my blood.

I can’t take it.

From the edge of her shoulder, up her throat, and to the base of her ear, I press kiss after kiss to her sweet, soft skin.

Her eyes flutter closed. The lashes splay against her cheeks as she bends her head to allow me more access.

“Turn,” I whisper. “The. Water. Off.”

The plate in her hand wobbles. The edge catches the stream of water and falls noisily into the sink.

“Let me finish,” she whispers breathlessly.

I nibble at her neck, making her jump, before I pull away from her. A host of goose bumps spatter down her arms.

She reaches for the plate again, and I’m not sure if she’s fucking with me or if she really thinks this is the time to do dishes.

Fuck. That.

I grab her hips, letting my fingers dip into her waist, and turn her