Mason (Remington Ranch Book 1) (Contemporary Western Romance)

by S. J. McCoy

  ~ ~ ~

  Gina leaned against Mason and looked up at the stars. She felt at peace. Sitting here under the big, velvety-dark sky, with Mason's arm around her, she knew that everything would work out. She didn't know how or when, but, right now, that didn't matter. She just knew it would.

  She turned to look up at his handsome face. She loved to look at him. She could still see the boy he'd been, but she loved the man he'd become. His face was weathered, the lines around his eyes made him even sexier. His full lips still had a ready smile, but when his face was resting he looked distant, lost in thought.

  “I love you, Mason.”

  “And I love you.”

  She slid her arm around his waist. “Want to show me how much?”

  His smile was all the reply she needed as he lowered his lips to hers. His kisses still stole her senses--that hadn't changed. She had wondered whether it was just because she was a girl back then how the way he kissed her made the rest of the world--every thought in her head--disappear. She knew it was just the effect he had on her. Even with everything that was going on, her head emptied as he claimed her mouth. She kissed him back hungrily, sliding her hand into his lap to cup his hard-on. It was chilly out here now. She could see her breath, but it was warm under the blankets. She was eager to shrug out of her clothes as he peeled them off her.

  When they were both naked, he rolled her onto her back, sliding his hand between her legs to torment her. For all the ways she wanted them to be equals, this wasn't one of them. He was in charge, and she was happily at his mercy. She moved her hips in time with his fingers as he stroked her. She wanted him badly, wanted him to take her hard and fast. She was surprised when he lifted his head, his gaze intense.

  “Ride me, Gina.”

  She wasn't about to say no. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders as she went. Taking hold of him, she guided him towards her, her breath coming slow and shallow in anticipation of the moment he would thrust his hips and fill her. He filled his hands with her breasts as she positioned him. His eyes were soft as he looked into hers. This used to be her favorite position with him. He would pull her on top of him and then grasp her hips while he gave her the ride of her life. This time it was different.

  His words confirmed it. “Take me.”

  She'd never taken him. He had always taken her—and she'd loved it. But just like when he'd made her come to him at the barn, she felt the balance was shifting between them. It felt right. She held herself above him, stroking herself with the very tip of him. Seeing him sigh, watching him close his eyes, she felt powerful. Now he was at her mercy. She took her time, rubbing him against her clit, teasing herself until she was soaking for him. His hands rested on her hips, occasionally tightening when she stroked his head, but never grasping and pulling her down onto him. Never taking control or taking over.

  He met her gaze, his eyes pleading, his breath coming hard. “Please?”

  Wow! Mason didn't beg, he took. She had to take him. She thrust her hips hard, taking him deep inside her. They both moaned as she impaled herself on him. He felt so damned good. She leaned forward, taking her weight onto her hands so she could kiss him while she rode him desperately. There was nothing slow or tender about it. She was fucking him! And it felt wonderful. She could feel him tense up, so she slowed down, pushing herself back to sit upright. She rocked her hips back and forth, sliding herself up and down the length of his cock. Tormenting him felt so good, but she was close to the edge and ready to go over. She caught his hands and brought them up to cover her breasts. She gasped when he fingered her nipples and squeezed, sending her back into her desperate rhythm. He grew harder with each thrust and she could feel herself tightening around him.

  “Gina!” his release triggered her own, making her moan as she rode the waves of pleasure that crashed through her. His hips bucked wildly underneath her and she hung on for the ride. When she finally collapsed back down onto his chest, he closed his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, just as he'd always done. It was so familiar and yet now completely new. He wasn't resting on her after doing what he'd wanted with her. He was nestling into her after giving himself up to her.

  When their breathing had returned to normal, she propped herself up to look down at him.

  “Ride 'em, cowgirl,” he said with a smile.

  She smiled back. “I'll have to wait a while before the next round. I've got jelly legs right now.”

  He closed his hands around her ass. “That's okay, you won't have to work so hard for it next time.”

  “I'm surprised you let me this time.”

  He shrugged. “You're different. We're different. It only makes sense that what we do will be different. His grin was back, letting her know the balance between them would never shift completely. “And besides I wanted to see what you had for me.”

  “And you approve?”

  He winked. “I dunno yet, we may need a few repeat performances before I can give you a final verdict.”

  She laughed and rolled off him. “Why does that not surprise me?”

  He curled an arm around her and hugged her to his chest. “Because you know me, babe. Better than anyone ever has or ever will.”

  ~ ~ ~

  As they rode down the long driveway back to Gina's dad's, Mason shot a look over at her.

  “I don't like this. I really have to drop you home in the middle of the night and go back to a cold bed in the bunkhouse?”

  She laughed. “You hardly live in a bunkhouse, Mase.”

  “I know, but it's the same principle. You're going home to your father's house and I'm going back to the place I share with a bunch of guys.”

  She stared at him for a long moment. “You could come in, stay with me? I hardly think Dad would be surprised to see you in the morning.”

  Mason thought about it. He didn't like the idea of staying in Al's house, in his daughter's bed. It just didn't seem right. But the alternative was going back to the cabin and sleeping another night without her. “I don't know, G. I want us to work something out. Have a place that's ours.”

  Her smile felt as though she was trying to appease him. “I do, too. Let's both think about it while I'm gone and we'll figure out what to do when I get back.”

  Mason scowled. He didn't like that idea. She was putting him and their future on the back burner while she focused on her career. Was that really more important to her?

  “Don't look like that. I swear I just saw thunderclouds roll across your face.”

  ”Well,” he shrugged, “whatever you say, babe. I just don't want to wait too long. We've got ten years to make up for.”

  She nodded as he pulled up in front of the house. “I know that. I feel the same way. But after waiting ten years to get here, I think it's worth taking a couple of weeks to make sure we get it right, don't you?”

  He couldn't argue with that, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead, he leaned across and slid his fingers into her hair. “I suppose. But you know I'm not a patient man.” He pulled her head back and took advantage of her open mouth to kiss her thoroughly.

  When they came up for air, she smiled at him. “Are you sure you don't want to stay?”

  He nodded reluctantly. He did want to stay, but he wouldn't feel right doing what he wanted to do to her under her father's roof. No matter how old they were. “Call me in the morning? I'll be out at the barn early. You could come ride Annie if you like?”

  “I wish I could. I'm going over to Cassidy's and then I'm hoping to get down to the park in the afternoon. I want to have some shots that I can show people in New York, to give them an idea of what we're planning.”

  There she went again. Cassidy and New York were all she seemed to think about. “Okay. G'night then.” He pecked her lips and put the truck back in gear. She gave him a puzzled look, but opened the door and slid down. “Good night.”

  He waited until she was inside the house and he saw her bedroom
light go on before he pulled away. He wanted to speed things up, yet Gina seemed content to take it slowly. He didn't get that. Why wasn't she in as much of a hurry as he was? He shook his head, he knew he had a tendency to be impatient. What if he just took things into his own hands? He did understand that she felt the need to get busy with her career. Maybe he should take the pressure off her and get things in place for their future by himself. If she didn't want his help with her dad's place, then he was free to find them a place of their own. He didn't want to bring her to live on the ranch and he knew that the two of them living with her dad wouldn't work. He decided he would talk to Beau in the morning, see what property was available. He didn't want to move too far, he needed to be near the barn and his horses. Despite her having said she'd do it if she had to, Gina didn't want to move up to town either. Maybe there would be something for sale down here. He didn't exactly keep an eye on the property market, so maybe there was.

  He pulled up outside the cabin and decided to go check on the horses before he went to bed. The sense of peace in the barn always calmed him. The smell of straw and the small sounds of the mares in their stalls was so familiar and comforting. Storm stuck his head out and nickered.

  “Hey, old fella.” Mason rubbed his nose. “What do you think I should do, old boy?”

  Storm butted him gently and nibbled on his collar making Mason chuckle.

  “I wish you could tell me what you think. You’ve always been the smart one, huh?”

  Storm nodded his head as if he understood and agreed. Mason scratched his forehead and then moved on down the line, checking on the mares. He made a special fuss over Annie and then went to check on his office. Sitting at his desk looking out of the window, he laughed out loud at the sight of the moonlight glinting off a metal roof in the distance. Why hadn't he thought of it before? A couple of years ago Beau had bought a strip of land down on the creek with the intention of building vacation homes down there. He'd only had one finished when the economy had dried up and he'd shelved the idea. The place had mostly stood empty since then. Shane used it to accommodate overflow ranch guests occasionally, but that was all. Most of the time, the cabins were enough to cater to as many guests as he could handle.

  Mason decided to call Beau first thing in the morning. He might want to sell it. It would be ideal if he did. Even just renting it for a while would work. It would be a place he and Gina could call their own while they figured out what to do long-term. He smiled as he let himself into the cabin. He'd had some great times sharing this place with Shane and Chance, but it was time to move on. Time for him to start the next chapter of his life, the chapter where he and Gina finally got their happily ever after.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Gina smiled at Cassidy. “So, what do you think?”

  Cassidy grinned. “I love them! I can't believe how you managed to capture the light and color. Look.” She held the photograph Gina had showed her up next to one of her paintings. She was right. The watercolor almost shimmered with the light greens and pale yellows of a cut hayfield under a bright blue sky. Gina's photograph echoed and reflected the colors. The bright hues of a bluebird perched in sunlight that shone through early yellow and green leaves.

  Gina nodded happily. “We seem to look at things in the same way, even if we capture them differently, we reflect each other perfectly.”

  “I can't wait for people to see these,” said Cassidy. “Are you all packed and ready to go tomorrow?”

  “Ha. You don't know me very well yet, do you? I'll be packed and ready about ten minutes before we need to head to the airport.”

  Cassidy laughed. “I see. Good to know.” The bell sounded out front, alerting them to the fact that someone had just entered the gallery. “Oops. Give me a minute?”

  “Of course.” Gina looked around the back office where they'd been sitting. She loved this place. She'd never felt this at home in Liam's gallery. To be fair, she wasn't comparing apples to apples. While the Moonstone sat on Main Street and was open to the public, who often wandered in out of curiosity or simply hoping to buy postcard prints, Liam's gallery was very different. It was one of those places you'd never find unless you knew where to look. It made Gina feel inadequate. Even the doorman looked down his nose at her—or so it felt.

  She started when Cassidy popped her head back around the office door. “Sorry, this may take a while.”

  “No worries. Do you want me to run over to the coffee shop and get us some lunch?”

  “That'd be great. Thanks. I'll take a Turkey Rueben and an apple juice.”

  “Okay, see you in a little while.”

  Gina gathered her purse and made her way out through the gallery. She was pleased to see that the customer Cassidy was dealing with was Mrs. Dunbar. She was a good friend of Monique Remington and had been one of the ladies interrogating Cassidy in the kitchen at the party. The fact that she was here confirmed that Gina had been right. The locals were accepting Cassidy and the Moonstone as their own. With Mrs. Dunbar's stamp of approval, many of the other well-to-do ladies would soon become clients, too.

  She enjoyed the feel of the warm sunshine on her back as she wandered down Main Street. She waved through the window of the hardware store as she passed, glad that Iris had a long line waiting at the cash register and she wouldn't be able to come out to talk—or dig for gossip.

  She pushed open the door to the coffee shop and hesitated a moment. Guy and April were sitting at a table in the corner. Guy looked angry while April looked terrible. She looked scared and pale. Gina would love to be able to help, but she didn't know how she could without making things worse for April. She averted her gaze and hurried to the counter to wait in line.

  She knew Guy was coming over to her, even with her back turned to him. Her creeper alert was finely tuned after living in New York for so long.

  “Good to see you again, Gina. Have you considered my offer?”

  She didn't turn around to face him, simply shook her head. “I told you. I'm not interested. Not interested in selling to you and certainly not interested in anything else.”

  He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I hate to see him make a fool of you again, Gina. Don't forget that I'm here for you when you see the light.”

  She shrugged his hand off, hating the feel of it, but decided not to waste any more words on him. She waited until he walked away before she shuddered. The girl behind the counter gave her a sympathetic smile, but said nothing. It seemed Guy had the same effect on most people. Gina watched him leave and was surprised to not see April with him. She turned and saw her still sitting at the corner table. The poor thing looked even more miserable. Gina would have thought she'd be happy just to be away from Guy!

  When she finally reached the head of the line, Gina ordered the sandwiches and went to get the two apple juices from the fridge. April caught her eye and beckoned her over.

  “Are you okay?” Gina asked.

  April nodded slowly. Gina could see she was shaking. “I'm fine, thank you. I need to talk to you.”

  What on earth might she have to say? “Give me a minute?” She went back to collect and pay for the sandwiches, then pulled out a chair to join April. The two of them had never really known each other. April was a couple of years older than her. Their only real connection over the years had been Mason. “What is it?”

  April fiddled with her coffee cup with trembling hands and refused to meet her eye.

  “Are you okay?” Gina was starting to worry about her. Was this going to be a cry for help? Was Guy hitting her?

  April nodded. Her reply couldn't have been further from what Gina was expecting. “I'm fine, but there's something I have to tell you.”

  Gina waited.

  “I think you should know.”

  She was starting to get impatient, wishing April would just spit it out—whatever it was.

  “Guy told me you didn't believe him.”

  Gina drew in a sharp breath. Was April saying what she thought s
he was? “That I didn't believe him about what?”

  “That Marcus is Mason's son.” April's face turned even paler as she said it.

  Gina felt her heart starting to race. It couldn't be true. Mason had told her. For a moment her mind began to spin wildly. What if he'd lied? She held April's gaze and saw the truth in her eyes. She took a deep breath. “I don't know what's going on with you. I don't know why you would tell me something like that, but it's not true, is it?” She slammed her fist down on the table, causing heads around them to turn in their direction. “Is it, April?”

  April looked panic-stricken, her eyes wide with fear. She shook her head mutely and her eyes filled with tears.

  “What the hell are you playing at, then? Why would you say that?”

  “I'm sorry, Gina. I'm so sorry, but I have to. He's threatening me. He told me if I don't make you believe Marcus is Mason's then he'll take Marcus away from me. Claim I'm an unfit mother. He'll do it, too. You don't know what he's like.”

  Gina stared at her. “He'd try to take your own son away from you?”

  “He won't just try. He'll do it.”

  Gina shook her head. “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I don't know. Once he finds out that you don't believe me, he might do it anyway. I just want to take Marcus and run, but even that would be no use. I've got nowhere to run to. He'll take my boy and ruin me.” April was shaking as she spoke, the tears starting to run down her face. “I don't know what I can do, Gina.”

  Gina covered her hand with her own. “We'll come up with something. You're not alone, you know. You have friends here.” She squeezed her hand. “Including me and Mason. And you have family, too. What about them? Can't they help you get away from him?”

  April shook her head sadly. “I haven't told them. They told me I was a fool to ever marry him. I knew it even then. He's not a nice man. But it was already too late. I was pregnant, and you know how that goes around here.”

  Gina did know how that went. A single mom here was destined to a life of poverty. There was very little work to be had for anyone, and few of the businesses were willing to hire women who needed to make their kids a priority.