Seduction by Velvet Page B

door. But since he had asked if the seat was empty in the first place, he sat down so he wouldn’t seem schizophrenic.
    â€œDo you live in the neighborhood?” she asked the second he sat down.
    â€œUh,” he hesitated, “yeah.”
    â€œCan you tell me where the nearest cleaners is? I just moved here from Mississippi, and I can’t find a good cleaners, shoe repair guy, or a decent market. This city is so big and confusing that I’m having a hard time finding my way around. I’m used to country roads and friendly faces.” She smiled, exposing her beat-up grill.
    Mason wanted to say, Maybe you need to go back to the country. But instead he said, “Coliseum Cleaners is half a block away, going south. It’s on the east side of the street. You can’t miss the bright red awning.”
    She looked confused. “On the south side of the street, going east?”
    â€œNo, on the east side of street, going south,” he repeated.
    â€œDo you mind showing me after you finish your coffee?” she asked in a helpless damsel-in-distress southern accent.
    Mason nearly choked on his espresso. He wouldn’t be seen dead with the likes of her. “I’m sorry, but I have to run,” he said, abruptly getting up from the table. Before she could utter another word, he was taking giant steps toward the door with his coffee in hand. He knew he was being rude, but at this point he really didn’t care, all he cared about was putting some distance between him and Ms. Southern Belle.
    â€œWatch it!” Terra shouted as Mason ran into her with his open cup of espresso, spilling the hot coffee down the front of her shirt.
    He had been so busy trying to escape that he hadn’t paid much attention to where he was going. “Excuse me,” he said, looking into the face of his intended prey.
    Terra reached into her tote bag, quickly retrieved a handkerchief, and dabbed at the coffee stain, trying in vain to absorb the dark liquid before it ruined her bright white shirt.
    Mason looked at the coffee collage on her blouse and began to apologize profusely. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you. I’m so sorry,” he repeated. “Let me get you some seltzer water so it won’t stain,” he said, and rushed over to the counter.
    When he came back with a bottle of Perrier, Terra was sitting at a window table, rubbing the stain with her monogrammed handkerchief. “They didn’t have any seltzer, but I thought that this would work just as well,” he said, drenching a napkin with the carbonated water and handing it to her. He wanted to rub the spot himself, but it was right near her breasts, and he didn’t want to get slapped in the face for being out of line.
    She took the napkin. “Thanks.”
    Mason watched her dab away at the stain; the more she soaked her blouse, the more transparent it got. It was like having his own private wet T-shirt contest. His eyes were glued to her every movement, and when he saw her nipples peak through the sheer bra that she wore, his lethargic dick woke up. Mason wanted to rip her blouse off and suck her nipples right there in Borders. She was just the type of anchor—beautiful and sexy—that he needed to keep him from straying into the bowels of BD2. He picked up another napkin and poured the rest of the Perrier on it. “Here, let me. It’s the least I can do,” he offered anyway, hoping she wouldn’t refuse.
    Terra pushed his hand away. “No thanks, I’ve got this,” she said in a terse voice as she shot him the evil eye.
    She didn’t seem like the type who was into small talk, so Mason didn’t bother. “At least let me buy you another shirt,” he said as a peace offering.
    Terra loved white shirts, and had a closet full of them in different styles and fabrics. “No thanks, that won’t be necessary,” she replied, taking in his appearance for