by J. L. White
Just live here then, I think. What I say is, “Maybe you can get some more beach time while you’re here.” I know he’s here for a couple of days before he has to get back to work, but we haven’t talked about what that means. I’m assuming, hoping, that I’ll get to spend time with him, but he hasn’t said.
“Would you like that?” he asks, looking at me too now. I slowly grin, and his eyes linger on my lips a moment. “Or maybe you can show me around.”
“That’d be fun.” I scoot an inch closer so my upper arm is pressed against his. Partly for warmth, partly because obviously.
“Are you cold?”
I nod in answer, but he’s already shrugging out of his suit coat, drawing my eyes to his broad shoulders and thick biceps. I want to reach up and squeeze them right through his white shirt. He holds out his coat and I slide my arms inside the warm sleeves. I exhale slightly, not realizing how cold I was until I got some relief. “Aren’t you cold, too?”
“There was snow on the ground when I left Galesburg. This is nothing.”
He settles the heavy coat on my shoulders, then gives my upper arms a gentle squeeze. I’m absolutely swimming in it. As he takes me in, he gets a grin on his face. “You’re so tiny.”
“Too tiny, I know.”
“No,” he says, putting one arm around me and pulling me close, rubbing his hand on my arm to warm me up. “You’re perfect.”
I lean into him, under the guise of needing to warm up. Being this close with his arm around me, it’s happening pretty damn quick.
As he slowly rubs my arm, I look up to him. God, he’s right here. So close I can smell him, a heady, masculine scent that makes me want to bury my nose in the crook of his neck. Our eyes lock and my heart starts to race.
His hand stills on my arm, and he slowly tucks me tighter against him. I bring my hand up to the middle of his firm back, the tips of my fingers just barely clearing the cuff of his jacket sleeve. His eyes scan my face, sweep over the embroidered surface of my mask, and settle on my lips.
Heart pounding against my chest, I can barely breathe. His free hand comes up. Slowly, gently, his fingertips brush the outer edge of the mask’s feathers. Then down to my temple, feather light, then to the outside of my cheek. I’m tingling everywhere.
I tilt my mouth up toward his. He comes to me too, so slowly. His lips part, then he freezes.
My breath catches.
“We would regret it,” he says thickly, giving me a heated look. But even as he speaks, his fingertips are running down the line of my jaw toward my lips.
“Don’t tell me we can’t,” I whisper. “Not after you came here to see me.”
His eyes drop to my lips, then he does a quick scan of the balcony, apparently to make sure we’re not being watched. As if we haven’t been watching half-drunk partiers kissing all night long.
Come on, I think. It’s our turn. Kiss me.
Chapter 13
Corrine
His eyes flit to my lips again before he does a double-take to something on the balcony. His gaze sharpens, like he’s trying to verify whatever it is he’s seeing.
With a sense of foreboding, I look over my shoulder.
“Is that your cousin?”
And it is. Rayce and his date are wearing smaller masks that make them easy to recognize, and have come onto the balcony. They’re talking with some people at a table not far from the entrance.
I instantly realize my error. While my cousins and I usually spent the duration of the New Year’s balls in the Grand Ballroom, my Uncle Grant and Aunt Sharon would make the rounds through each room, thanking people for coming. Now that they’re gone, of course my cousins would take it upon themselves to do the same thing.
“Shit,” I whisper, turning back to Mason and hurrying out of his jacket. “Meet me in the hall. I’ll distract him.”
I quick step toward Rayce, trying to calm my pounding heart. Maybe eventually he’ll need to know I’ve been talking to Mason, but now is not the time or place.
I approach the group from the opposite side, trying to make sure that when I get Rayce’s attention, Mason will be able to pass behind him unnoticed.
When I’m nearly there, he spots me and smiles. “Ah, Corrine,” he says, gesturing me closer. “Have you met the Suttons yet? This is our cousin, Corrine.”
As Rayce introduces me to the group, I see Mason pass by out of the corner of my eye, but don’t dare look at him. In seconds, he’s gone. I begin to tremble slightly out of delayed nerves. I use the cold as a reason to excuse myself and exit through the room as calmly as I can.
Mason is at the opposite end of the hall. When I get to him, we exchange sober glances but I don’t stop, leading him to the elevators. Once we’re alone in the descending car, he says. “I don’t know what I was thinking. This was such a bad idea.”
“Don’t say that.” I’m rubbing my arms again, inexplicably still feeling chilled. “We just should’ve left.” I step a little closer, just shy of touching him. I wish he would put his arm around me, or something. Anything.
Instead he just looks at me, a mixture of heated desire and firm restraint. “We shouldn’t,” he says tightly. “You know we shouldn’t. Things would get so damned complicated.”
I exhale, step away, and cross my arms, looking up at the number above the door. “Gee, and things have been so simple up to now.”
“Corrine—” he starts, but the doors open to reveal a few people in masks, waiting to go up.
I don’t want him to finish, anyway. His tone alone is enough to put me in agony. We exit the car and I go left, not even sure where I’m taking him, just going in whichever direction takes us away from people.
Since the lobby is packed, that ends up being right back outside. At first, I think there’s no one out here, but I spot a couple in the dark on the far side of the pool area, sitting close to each other. I bet they’ll get a New Year’s kiss.
I turn left again, my heels click, click, clicking on the path that eventually leads around the building. We’re still in our fancy clothes and fancy masks, but nothing feels festive anymore.
Once we’re alone again, I say, “Look. I didn’t want a scene tonight, but I’m past caring whether Rayce would be okay with this. I’m sorry if it hurts him, but it’s not for him to say.”
“He’s not the person I’m most worried about.”
This takes some of the steam out of me. I exhale hard, my steps slowing. “Does she know you’re here?”
He doesn’t answer right away. We circle the corner of the west wing. The darkened ocean comes into view on our right. Up ahead, the large second-floor balcony is gently lit, a few people lingering at the railing. The base of the music thrums through the air.
Finally he answers. “She thinks I’m here to check on the house.”
“That’s what you told me, too.”
“Yeah.”
“But that’s not the reason, is it?”
He doesn’t answer.
Forget your mother, I want to say, but how can I? I’m the niece of the man who killed her husband. I get that she probably wouldn’t want me getting involved with her son. I get that he’s worried about it. But he came to see me, didn’t he? Why did he do that if not to encourage things?
I exhale in frustration, rubbing my arms again.
“Here,” he says, gently catching me by the elbow. I reluctantly stop and look up at him.
God, even now I can see how much he wants me, but he’s fighting it. He starts to take off his jacket—presumably to put it on me—but I narrow my eyes at him. He’s the one who started this. He’s the one who came here. Nothing about the complexity of our situation was unknown to him when he walked into this resort looking for me.
Why come all this way and look at me the way he’s been looking at me, just to take it all back?
I turn away, hands still on my arms because I’m fucking cold, and head for the area under the balcony. It’s nothing but vacant tables and softly-lit pl
anters. I stop next to a table, my back to him. My heart is pounding, and I’m panting slightly. I hear him come up behind me and drape his jacket over a chair.
“It’s not fair,” I say, feeling like a little kid and not giving a shit, either.
“Corrine...” he says thickly, that damned heated desire for me practically dripping from his voice. I ignore him.
I tug the ribbon at the back of my head, removing the mask and slapping it on the table.
I’m only just standing here, but I’m breathing hard and shallow. His breaths are coming hard too, but still he doesn’t move. He crossed half the country to get to me, but he won’t close the final one-foot gap.
I want to say that I wish he’d never come, but it’d be a big, fat lie. Even though it would’ve been so much easier, even though I’m hurt and angry about the situation we’re in now—which I know isn’t even his fault—my heart still clings to every second I’ve had with him, wishing so hard for more.
I hear his mask drop on the table next to me.
“Why did you even bother coming?” I spin to face him. And there he is. All him. No mask. No hiding. Only Mason. Just looking at him consumes me.
He doesn’t answer. His eyes grip me and his breath comes out in hard, little puffs. The intensity of his stare halts my own breath. God, he looks like he’s going to attack.
Then he does. He rushes me, cupping my face and backing me against the wall. I let out a gasp.
“I know this is a bad fucking idea,” he says heatedly, “but I’m so tired of fighting it. The whole flight over, I kept asking myself what the fuck I’m doing, but I have no idea. I only know I can’t take this any longer.”
Having this much testosterone aimed in my direction is making my ovaries pop. He’s so fucking male. I’m pinned, the wall behind me and nothing but Mason in front. He dominates everything I see. All I know is his hard body against mine, his hot breath on my lips, his gaze seizing me. I can’t look away. I can hardly breathe.
“I can’t resist you. I have to have you.” His eyes lock on my mouth. “I have to taste you.”
Stripped of the ability to speak, I can only part my lips in invitation. Begging him to give in at last.
He wipes my lipstick off with one firm swipe of his thumb and his lips crash on mine. I let out a whimper. His tongue demands entrance, and when I give it to him, I whimper again. I’ve never made such wanton noises. Kissing him back, I cling to him, feeling his firm muscles underneath the material of his white shirt as his hard chest presses against the softness of mine.
His hands move until I’m wrapped up inside him, his arm tight around me, his hand on the back of my head. And we kiss like we’re fucking drowning. We break long enough to make eye contact, just long enough for each to say, Yes, I want this. Then we dive back in and I whimper again.
Holy god, this is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
My body takes over any rational thought. I angle my hips out and press myself against him, sucking in breath when I feel his hard cock against my pelvic bone. My hands have a mind of their own: frantically exploring his back, his ass, then around to his front.
Good lord, his cock just goes on and on. I’ve discovered the base and it seems like an eternity before I get up to the tip. And it’s so thick too. A fucking hearty handful. I can’t stop groping him.
He’s been working me up too, sending thrills of pleasure everywhere he touches me: my ass, my breasts, my mound. My clit throbs against his fingers, and I angle closer, wanting more, feeling like he could make me come just like this. Right here.
He’s sucking and kissing my jaw, my neck, my collar bone, and I can’t get my hands off his cock. It’s shameless, the way I’m rubbing and squeezing, gasping and whimpering.
His mouth comes off my neck and he growls low in my ear, “Corrine, I swear to God, you keep that up and you’re going to get more than you bargained for.”
A thrill drops through me. I’m astonished to realize that if he wanted to take me right here, right now, I wouldn’t do a thing to stop him. Scratch that. I would fucking help. Climb on board, mister.
I had no idea I had such a brazen hussy inside of me. I fucking love her.
I squeeze him firmly in the center of his shaft, then come up to the head and desperately squeeze again. My hand is saying, Please, pleeease.
His hold on my body tightens and a sound escapes him that’s somewhere between a moan and a growl. Before I have a chance to wonder what else I can do to encourage him, he lifts me up, spins us around, and plants me on the edge of the table.
My legs automatically circle his waist, and a high cry escapes me as his hard cock presses directly against my swollen clit.
He shushes me and I bite my lip, breathing hard as he thrusts against me again.
The front of my skirt is short enough that I’m fully exposed to him, the thick material of his pants right on the thin fabric of my panties. His rock hard cock is rubbing against me from clit to opening.
God, yes. Why the fuck wasn’t this on the bucket list?
Taking the back of my head in his hand, he kisses me so deep and fierce I almost can’t breathe. When we come up for air, I throw my head back, gasping. He angles us back slightly, supporting me as he grinds against me.
“I don’t want to stop,” he says lowly. “I don’t think I can.”
“Don’t,” I gasp. “Please.”
Then it’s all fumbling with buttons and zippers, panties and skirts. He whips a condom out so quick, it’s practically on by the time his wallet and the wrapper hit the ground. Then his massive cock is sliding in and out of me and I’m so wet I can hear it.
I curl around him as he thrusts me. Everything about him is so big and overpowering I’m dizzy with it. Somewhere overhead I hear the steady beat of the crowd counting down to midnight. He thrusts me harder and every time he hits bottom, intense pleasure deep inside me pulses outward. I tuck my forehead against his neck, clinging to his chest, my nails digging into his shoulder as I climb hard and fast toward orgasm.
A swell of sound roars above us as the clock strikes midnight. With one arm braced on the table, and the other holding all my weight tight against him, Mason takes me again and again. I give him everything. I’m gasping over and over, opening fully, my channel yearning and reaching for him. I’m closer, closer, closer, then frozen by my impending orgasm. Breath halted. Heartbeat rushing. Then I careen over the edge and I’m nothing but movement.
Stars dance at the edge of my vision as I contract violently around him. He groans and thrusts erratically, coming with me. It goes on and on, my heart beating so hard I think it’s going to burst. As the powerful grips of my orgasm start to loosen, my head drops back and I pant loudly, riding out the rest with my mouth gaping open.
At last the waves recede, and our grips on each other soften slightly. Weakened, I try to hang on to him. He still has a firm hold on me. Panting, we slowly straighten. He pulls out and I collapse against him, resting my check on his shoulder.
“Come home with me,” I whisper, still panting.
He buries his mouth into my hair. “Yes.”
Chapter 14
Corrine
The crowd in the Grand Ballroom has thinned out some, but not much. This party will go on until at least two in the morning. There have been a few years that ran even longer.
They’ve cut the cake and are still in the middle of handing out generous portions. I spot Lizzy and Brett not far from the cake. Rayce and his date are on the other side of the room, talking and laughing with some people I don’t know. His tie is slightly loosened, which he almost never does on property, party or no. I wonder how much he’s had to drink tonight.
I hurry over to Lizzy. When she sees me approaching she says, “There you are. Where have you been?”
With an apologetic glance to Brett, I grab her by the arm and pull her aside where we can talk privately.
“Mason’s here.”
Her eyes widen as she leans in
conspiratorially. “What?”
“He came to see me. He’s on his way to my place now.”
She blinks in shock, straightens, and gives her head a shake. “What?”
“I know. But please don’t tell anybody.”
“Wait, wait, wait.” She starts to grin and leans in again. “I thought you said this was nothing.”
“I totally lied.”
“So what’s really going on?”
“God, he’s so amazing,” I say, hanging on her arm and leaning forward. I’m gushing, but I don’t care.
She laughs, then gives me a shrewd look. “You guys weren’t making out were you?”
“Sure, let’s call it that.”
Her eyebrows raise. “More than that? Did you get a room or something?”
“There wasn’t really time for that.”
“What?” She leans in delightedly. “Where?”
“Never mind.”
“Are you serious? Oh my God. How was it?”
“Mind-blowing.”
We grin at one another a second, then as if on cue, we both look in Rayce’s direction.
“What are you going to do about him?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll worry about that later. Right now, I’m going. If anyone asks, just tell them I was tired and went home.”
“Okay.” She gives me a firm hug. “Call me later.”
I go through the rest in a sort of intoxicating trance. On the drive over, my body is still invigorated from being with him My mind is both processing what just happened and eagerly anticipating whatever comes next. When I pull into the drive and see him leaning against his parked rental car, thick arms crossed over his chest, eyeing me with a half-smile, my heart starts to thump. He’s put his jacket back on, but I want it off again.
I pull into the garage, and he meets me at my car door just as I’m getting out. Without saying a word, he slowly and deliberately cups my cheeks. He comes in unhurriedly, holding me fast just with the look in his eyes. When his lips press warm and soft against mine, my heart flutters against my chest. It’s a lingering, simmering kiss. When he pulls back, I actually sway a bit. I didn’t know kisses could really do that.