Mason’s hand, which had been frozen at his side, slowly rose to gently stroke her back. "Alright, don’t cry," he said. "You’re my girl. Who else would I be good to if not you?"

Eve Vaughn pulled away from his embrace, wiped her tears, and gazed at Mason intently. "Mason," she said, "I think... I’m starting to like you a little."

"Just ’starting to like me a little’ now?"

Mason narrowed his eyes, his tone tinged with a hint of danger. "So, you’re saying that all this time, you were just stringing me along?"

Eve Vaughn quickly shook her head. "No, no! What I mean is... I’m liking you more and more."

The corner of Mason’s mouth twitched as he held back a smile. "And just how much is that?" he asked.

Eve Vaughn bit her lip. That was a tough question.

But his dark, intense gaze remained fixed on her.

After a long moment of thought, Eve Vaughn seemed to make a decision. She suddenly rose onto her tiptoes, slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, and her lips brushed against his, light as a dragonfly on water.

In that instant, a jolt like an electric current shot through Mason, starting from his lips.

The young woman hesitantly extended her tongue to trace the shape of his lips. She must have been shy, because her eyes were squeezed shut, her long, curled lashes trembling like a butterfly’s wings.

Mason didn’t move, letting her kiss him slowly, yet with a surprising depth of feeling.

But he couldn’t hold out for long. Overcome by her soft, warm body, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulled her closer, and deepened the kiss.

They only parted reluctantly when their lips were numb from the kiss.

Both of them were breathing unsteadily.

This was especially true for Eve Vaughn. A deep blush spread across her fair cheeks, reaching all the way to the tips of her ears.

She couldn’t even bring herself to look Mason directly in the eye.

Mason knew how incredibly shy she was about these things, so he didn’t tease her any further.

He stroked her cheek. "Hungry? What do you want for dinner?"

"Whatever you want."

Eve Vaughn looked up at him with a bright, radiant smile, her dark eyes seeming to sparkle with starlight.

Ever since Mrs. Lawson’s scheming led to her breakup with Julian, the light had vanished from Eve’s eyes.

But now, Mason felt like he could see the stars again in her eyes.

That evening, they went out for Japanese food and then saw a movie—a comedy.

Eve laughed so hard her stomach hurt. On the way back, she was still complaining, "Oh man, my stomach is cramping from laughing. Mason, you were so stoic through the whole thing! Everyone else was cracking up, but not you. Did you not get the jokes?" 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Do you take me for an idiot? Unable to understand a simple comedy?"

Mason said as he drove, "The entire theater was full of kids. I suppose we just don’t find the same things funny."

Eve thought that made sense. "Well, next time, let’s see a movie someone your age would like. What kind of movies do you like?"

Mason shot her a look, clearly displeased. "I like to watch the evening news."

Eve suddenly realized what she’d just said. ’Was I just implying he’s old?’

She quickly tried to backtrack. "Mason, you’re not old, really! You’re not even thirty yet! I mean, you’re obviously older than me, but for a guy your age... you’re not considered old at all in the dating scene."

Mason’s lip twitched. He warned her, enunciating every word, "I think it would be better for you to shut your mouth. Otherwise, the moment we get home, I’ll show you just how many tricks an ’old man’ has up his sleeve."

His words made Eve’s face flush crimson.

She made a mental note to keep her mouth shut around Mason from now on.

’One more slip-up, and this budding romance would be dead in the water!’

When they got home, Mason proved true to his word.

He didn’t take her fully, but with his hands alone, he teased her until she was half-dead with pleasure.

And that wasn’t all. He nibbled on her earlobe, whispering intimately, "Now that you’ve had your fun... isn’t it time you returned the favor?"

Eve kept her eyes squeezed shut the entire time. The only sensation was the searing heat in her palm, making her entire body go taut.

’Ever since I met Mason,’ she thought, ’I feel like I’m becoming more and more depraved.’

A part of her was still resistant to... that sort of thing. And yet, whenever Mason touched her, the wondrous feelings he stirred within her made it impossible to refuse.