His to Claim

by Sierra Cartwright

  She grinned at how far out of his element he seemed. “I’ve never seen a clawfoot tub like that.”

  “Definitely not original to the house,” he agreed. “The feet are supposed to be lions’ paws. Unless the designer was joking, and I bought it.”

  “I bet that’s what they’re supposed to be.” She crouched for a better look. “I like them.”

  He liked that the faucet was on the side and that it had a handheld shower to go with it. “It’s made from acrylic, rather than metal. Better insulation, so it’s not as cold when you first get in. Supposed to stay warmer for longer too.”

  “You don’t mind if I use it while I’m here?”

  He’d like it if she did. Until now, he hadn’t shared it with anyone. “Please do. As many times as you’d like. Make yourself at home.” The niceties were wasted on him, but Hannah’s joy delighted him. “If you’ll bend over the sink, I’ll remove your plug.”

  She wrinkled her nose as she straightened up. “Thank you. I can manage that on my own.”

  “In that case, I’ll leave you to it. Feel free to use the towels. Washcloths are in the linen closet. Anything else you need?”

  “Actually, I forgot to bring pajamas.”

  “Naked is fine.”

  “How did I know you were going to say that, Sir?”

  “I’ll find you something to wear.” As he left, he closed the door behind him.

  Mason grabbed her one of his work T-shirts and draped it over the leather bench at the end of the bed.

  While she soaked, he went back downstairs to clean up their toys and to make sure the doors were locked. Then he turned off the lights before returning to the master bedroom.

  Hannah stood in front of the fireplace, a towel wrapped turban-style around her head.

  She was holding a picture of him with his father. “You look a lot like him.”

  Their heads were tipped toward each other, and they were both holding up hammers. “It was right after I joined him in the business.” When life had been simpler, and before the horrible diagnosis that would come a few years later.

  “He looks happy.”

  “It was a dream. Yes. The company was owned by my great-grandfather, and he was hoping I’d carry on the tradition.”

  “Always in Louisiana?”

  “Yes. My great-grandfather’s brother moved first. When we emigrated, my family decided on New Orleans. My great-grandfather’s brother had been here for a few years and wrote home with stories about the weather. After a particularly harsh winter, he packed up the family and moved.”

  “You’re an only child?”

  “My parents never planned it that way, but yes.”

  “So am I. My parents divorced early. Probably a good thing there weren’t more kids. It was a struggle for my mom after my dad left Texas.” She put the picture back, in the precise place it had been. “The logo on your T-shirts is the same as the one I’m wearing.”

  “It looks much nicer on you.” He swept his gaze over her. The material covered her to midthigh, but his imagination filled in the missing details.

  “Thank you for letting me use that bath.” She took the turban from her head and towel-dried her hair. “I don’t suppose you can arrange to have it transported to Austin?”

  “As much as I’d like to, probably not.”

  “I’m sure my apartment superintendent wouldn’t approve, anyway.”

  “Well, you’re welcome here anytime.”

  Hannah walked over to her bag and pulled out a brush. She curled up on his bed, cross-legged, and ran the bristles through the damp length.

  Voyeuristically he watched her. Her nipples were hard against his T-shirt, and she seemed lost in thought.

  He was more comfortable with her than was possible in this short length of time. It was nice having a woman around, and the scent of something sweet on the air. “You used a soap?”

  “It’s called Sweet Dreams,” she said. “Lavender for relaxation, coconut oils for rehydration, colloidal oatmeal to soothe”

  “All that from a bar of soap? I thought it was just for cleaning off the grime.”

  “You know that statement makes you a heathen, right?”

  The only thing he was certain of right now was that he was looking forward to waking up next to her in the morning.

  And so was his insistent dick.

  Hannah blinked her world into focus.

  For a moment, she was disoriented. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, unhampered by the sheer curtains covering them.

  This wasn’t her bedroom, with its thick blinds and small bed.

  Some of her muscles were a bit stiff, and her pussy…

  Awareness rushed through her, jolting her awake. She was in New Orleans, in the world’s most comfortable bed. At Mason’s house.

  Slowly she turned over to face him.

  In sleep, he appeared much less formidable. Younger. Less overwhelming. No doubt that would change quickly.

  After their scene at the Quarter, she’d revised her expectations for the weekend. When she signed up, she’d hoped for something really physical to snap her out of her funk. And while she wanted a high-octane experience, Mason had been kind. Solicitous, even. Eight gentle strokes from a competent Dom. Competent and nice.

  But here, at his house, he’d taken her places she’d never been. It thrilled her and scared her all at the same time.

  But worse were the emotions he’d reawakened in her. She’d spent months burying her past, trying to forget Liam and her experiences with him, and yet they’d shaped so much of who she was and the reasons she’d changed. Things she’d been okay with were now on her limits list. While Mason respected her wishes, he was obviously curious about her. His questions were insightful, and that unnerved her. She knew he wouldn’t be satisfied for long. But all she had to do was fend him off for the rest of their time together. Then she’d never see him again, and she could keep her memories where they belonged. In the darkest recesses of her mind.

  As if aware of her scrutiny, he opened his eyes. The jade hue was brighter this morning, maybe from the sunshine. “Morning.” His voice was husky with sleep, and it sent sexual skitters through her.

  “Good morning.” She pretended a casualness she didn’t feel, telling herself this was an ordinary day with an ordinary man. “Can I hope for coffee in my future?”

  “You any good at making it? Because I’ve been told mine is like tar, only thicker. My mom says mine made her spoon disintegrate the last time she was here.”

  “It sounds dangerous.” Hannah seized the opportunity, not just to put a little distance between them, but to use his kitchen. In Austin, hers was galley-type, with hardly any counter space. The dishwasher door couldn’t be lowered all the way without bumping in to cupboards on the opposite side of the kitchen.

  “If you don’t mind bringing me a cup, we can drink it up here on the gallery.”

  “Gallery?”

  “Porch. It’s a regional term, perhaps. When a home has double galleries, it means it has both an upper and lower porch.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “I’ll tell you more about the house, if you want. You might have seen drawings of it in the study. It was featured in a magazine in the mid-1840s.”

  “I’d love it. I’m completely enchanted, and I want to know all the details.” Though she watched a lot of television shows on the home improvement channels, getting to stay in a luxurious historic home was an amazing experience. Up until she’d rented her most recent apartment, Hannah had only lived in places that were aged. Leaky faucets and questionable electric had been part of her growing-up experience.

  “There’s a robe in the closet, if you’d like to wear it. That way you don’t have to get dressed when you come outside.”

  She made a quick stop in the bathroom and used a luxury moisture-rich cleansing bar for her face. Now she was going to need to buy these for her place since she’d discovered she liked being pampered.
/>   When she exited, he was standing near the window, and he turned to look at her.

  Unable to help herself, she froze and stared at him.

  He was wearing navy-colored boxer briefs. Until now, she hadn’t seen his mostly naked body.

  His arm muscles were massive, thicker than she’d thought they would be. Why it was a surprise, she didn’t know. When he’d taken off his tuxedo jacket at the club, she’d known he had a nice build, with broad shoulders and a slim waist. He’d picked her up and carried her.

  His chest had a scattering of hair that arrowed down his breathtakingly sexy abs to disappear inside the waistband of his tight underwear. Beneath them, his cock was hard.

  She shook her head and ordered herself to get a grip, leave the bedroom and brew the coffee, but she was unable to move. Instead, she was drinking in his muscular and powerful legs, thinking of his strength as he held her down and fucked her.

  “See something you like?”

  “I…”

  His lips quirked.

  Warmth flooded her, a combination of embarrassment and arousal. But then, instead of denial, she opted for the truth. He’d been vocal in his appreciation of her. “Yes, I do. Sir.”

  “So do I, Hannah.”

  As if hypnotized by him, she walked toward him.

  “I’m looking forward to spending the day with you. I have a number of ideas of how we can fill the time.”

  Even though he’d satisfied her again and again, she was suddenly ravenous—wanting her fantasies to become a reality. “Sorry I was so tired last night. I thought we might… Well. I mean, I assumed…”

  “That we’d have sex? It was my plan, yes.”

  “I didn’t mean for you to be unsatisfied.”

  “Did I give you that idea?” He demolished the distance between them. “If so, it was unintentional.” He brushed back the hair from her face, and his voice resonated with tenderness, and then, when he spoke again, a hint of teasing. “If I’m honest, I’m rather proud of myself that I wore you out so completely. You passed out in about twenty seconds.”

  Because he was relaxed, he put her at ease.

  “Today, though, I fully intend to set a different pace.” He lowered his hand, and her gaze was riveted on him as he trailed his fingers down her chest, to trace the globe of her breasts before circling her nipples. They’d hardened even before he touched them through the T-shirt. “You’re not wearing panties, are you?”

  “Ah…”

  “Oh?” he arched an eyebrow as he caught her gaze.

  “I am. Sir.”

  “That was a mistake.”

  At odds with his words, there was no displeasure in his tone. Was he pleased that she’d violated an unspoken rule?

  “I presume that won’t happen again?”

  “Of course not, Sir.”

  He stopped touching her.

  “I assume you want me to take them off now.” While you watch? He didn’t need to answer. His eyes darkened, and that was all the response she needed for her to reach beneath the T-shirt and remove her thong.

  “The color is nice,” he said when the scrap of material landed on the floor.

  Her tote contained a few different choices. When she’d gone to the lingerie store, they’d had a special on panties, so she’d bought a dozen, in all different colors, some with lace, others that were plain. “It matches the rope you used last night.” She’d selected them on purpose.

  “Seems we’re both deliberate with our choices. I wanted something that contrasted well, your pale skin with red marks.”

  He made her senses swim.

  “Show me.”

  She slowly turned and drew up her T-shirt again. Then she spread her legs and bent to grant him access to every part of her body.

  “Such perfect behavior. Makes me want to take you, hard.”

  She was drenched from the sound of his need. “Do it. Please.” She glanced back at him. “Yes.”

  “I’d planned something a little more romantic.”

  But this was perfect. She wasn’t looking for seduction. She was looking for new memories. “Take me.”

  He crossed to the nightstand and grabbed a condom.

  Fascinated, she watched him remove his underwear. And then she saw the size of his erect cock and gulped a shallow breath. He was huge, and when he took her bent over, the penetration would be shockingly deep. If last night hadn’t happened, she might doubt her ability to do this at all.

  It took him mere seconds to open the package and roll the latex down his length.

  He stopped in front of her, and for a moment she was nervous that he’d ask her to suck on his massive dick.

  Instead, with a grin, he instructed her to wet his fingers. “But don’t think you’re off the hook. You will take me that way later.”

  Filled with butterflies, she sucked. His pseudo-threat had temporarily replaced arousal with fear.

  “I’ll never ask you to do something that’s impossible, Hannah.”

  She might believe him, if his cock wasn’t jutting in front of her.

  When his fingers were wet, he moved behind her to play with her clit.

  It took him only a couple of strokes to make her knees weaken. He seemed to know her body better than anyone ever had, and it was difficult for her to remember that they were new lovers.

  He dipped inside her. “Sore?”

  “Not exactly. It’s more like I’m tender, Sir.”

  “It’s a good thing your ass and mouth are both available for me, then, isn’t it?”

  Now that she’d seen him naked, her fear was a very real thing.

  “You skin is unblemished. Not a single mark is left over from last night. Pity.” He slapped her right ass cheek.

  Shrieking from shock, not pain, she rocked forward.

  “And that position, Hannah, is even better. Try to stay there.”

  “I thought you weren’t going to ask the impossible.”

  “Well, not often,” he amended. “Ten times a day, perhaps.”

  When his cockhead was against her, she tensed and almost broke position, but he curled his fingers into one of her hip bones to keep her in place.

  “Turn your toes in a little.”

  He slowly worked part of himself inside her. “Relax for me.” He reached beneath her to flick a finger across her clit, making her cry out and wiggle. And that was enough for him to surge forward, claiming her completely.

  With him so deep, against her womb, she could hardly breathe. Instead of fucking her, he remained still, allowing her to accommodate his length.

  “You’re built for me, Hannah.” He played with her nipples, gently tweaking and squeezing, his touch so light that it drove her mad.

  It wasn’t consistent enough to heighten her arousal. Instead, it left her needy. And then, he tugged on one, and lightning shot through her. “Yes.” All of a sudden, she was wet again, and her body was supple.

  “That’s better.”

  He fucked her in earnest then, replacing thought with sensation. Nothing existed except him.

  Mason gripped her waist, keeping her where he wanted her but also supporting her body. She had nothing to worry about, and he allowed her to surrender to the moment.

  “I could fuck you all day.”

  All she knew was that she wanted him inside her. “Oh Mason!”

  “Do you want to come?”

  “Please.”

  He continued to relentlessly impale her and, with his silence, withhold his permission.

  Now that the urge to orgasm was uncoiling, she could think of nothing else. His masculine scent filled her. His calluses abraded her skin. Mason’s breathing was as labored as her own, and still he rode her.

  “Sir! Sir…” Unexpectedly, the climax rushed through her, and she screamed his name.

  He moved in short thrusts, drawing out the orgasm even longer.

  When she was depleted, he was there. He pulled out, then moved her to the bed. “I’ll finish you off th
is way.” Mason knelt, then took a moment to be sure she was properly lubricated before stroking himself a few times.

  She sighed as he sank into her.

  This position was much easier, and when all of him was inside her, she realized he was studying her. His eyes were flinty, hiding his thoughts.

  “Put your arms above your head.”

  When she did, he clamped her wrists.

  “This…” He fucked her but never released her gaze or his grip. “You…”

  Unbelievably, the conviction in his words brought her back to the cusp. His cock swelled. He rode her until she cried out. And then, only then, did he allow himself to come.

  “That was…”

  He kissed her, with complete sweetness. He was dichotomy, toughness and tenderness in the same moment.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “It was.” He rolled to one side but tucked her into the nook of his arm while they both drowsed.

  A few minutes later, after stroking her shoulder with the gentlest of touches, he left the bed.

  Lazily, she propped herself on an arm to watch him.

  He stopped to pick up her thong. “If I liked you in underwear, I would have approved of them.”

  With a grin, she flopped back onto the pillow.

  Right now, she was replete. Having sex with him, submitting to his dominance, had been spectacular. With each moment, Liam’s powerful effect on her was fading.

  The tiniest possible part of her wished the weekend with Mason would never end. The practical part of her, however, was relieved that they had a time limit. It would be far too easy to fall for him.

  In the beginning, Liam had been kind as well. Once he’d fastened a collar around her neck, things had changed. Instead of caring, he’d become possessive, seeing her as an extension of himself. Everything she did reflected on him. He required perfection, and she never met his exacting standards. Incrementally, over a year, he’d become lost in his power, determined to bend her to his will. Her life had become a series of recriminations to go along with his punishments.

  To protect herself from another disaster, she needed to avoid giving away her heart along with her body.

  Why did Mason have to be so damn tempting?