The distinct impression of being herded in the direction her room, rushed over Annie. She needed to stop his progress and quickly. The way her emotions had been bouncing all over the place, there was no telling what would happen if Mason came into her room tonight.
The vision of them lying naked and sated under her white down comforter sprang to mind. Annie quickly shut the image out.
“I’ll manage, Mason.” A spurt of anger rushed through her. “I’m not an invalid. It’s a puncture wound in my shoulder.” She hesitated, looked down at her hands for a brief second, then lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “I think you should go home in the morning. I’m getting far too comfortable with you being here, and we both know that’s not a good thing to let happen.”
Dropping her gaze she pivoted on her heel. His warm grasp on her uninjured upper arm halted her movement. She closed her eyes. The desperate urge to cry overwhelmed her.
“Let me help you, Annie.”
Tears burned the backs of her eyes, welling up to cloud her vision as she stared down at the hardwood floor. She swallowed down the lump of emotion threatening to choke her.
“I can’t.” She whispered the confession, “I wish I could, but I can’t.” The pathetic sound of her words had Annie flinching inwardly.
“Damn it, Annie.” Exasperation laced the gruff sounding words. “What are you afraid of?”
“You, Mason.” Panic was fast rising in her as the words poured out. “The way I feel when we’re together scares me to death. And once you’re done here and gone, I’ll be the one left to sort it all out.” She wheeled around, and stared at him in bewilderment. “Are you happy now? Is that what you wanted to hear?”
He stared intently into her eyes, and said softly. “I have no intentions of hurting you, Annie.” Her skin tingled when he cupped her chin, and tipped her head back. “And if you don’t think that I’m as afraid as you are, then you’re not as perceptive as I’d originally thought.”
Her heartbeat kicked up as a calloused thumb brushed over her bottom lip. Before Annie realized what was happening, his mouth replaced the thumb and she found herself gently crushed against his warm body.
Blood leapt from her heart to pound through her brain, and make her knees tremble. She melted into the feathery light kiss. His lips brushed warm and sweet, against hers, teasing her rioting senses into a frenzied pitch.
Annie felt the second he began to draw away from the kiss. A small whimper of protest slipped from her. Standing on tiptoe, she pressed her eager mouth tight to his once again.
Humiliation built in her when he pulled away a second time. Opening her eyes slightly, she met his hooded gaze. His thumbs drew circles on the sensitive skin of her sides. The heat in his eyes drove her pulse skyward.
“I won’t stop, Annie.”
The simple statement bolstered her. Wrapping her good arm around his neck, she molded the soft contours of her body against his hard one.
“I’m not asking you too, Mason.” She closed the last few inches, recapturing his lips.
“Thank God.” The deep growl issued from him.
A gasp of alarm escaped Annie when he swung her up into the circle of his arms. Mason deepened the kiss, extinguishing the sound, before carrying her down the hallway and into her bedroom.
Annie clutched tighter to him as he gently eased her down onto the bed. The mattress sagged beneath their weight. Never breaking the kiss, Mason shifted to her uninjured side.
The velvet smoothness of his tongue as it mated with hers drove wave after wave of excitement through her body. She matched him move for move.
Desire shuddered from Annie when his roughened fingers captured her taut nipple. Mason seized the opportunity, deepening the kiss so that his tongue imitated every move they made.
Annie arched off the bed, wanting more, yet afraid she couldn’t take anymore. Her hands traced over his hard body. Lifting the hem of his shirt from his waistband, she stroked the tight muscles there. They quivered beneath her ministrations urging her onward.
She stroked upwards, brushing lightly across his chest, eliciting the same reaction from his body that he had extracted from her.
Mason’s heart pounded beneath her hand. Fingers trembling with desire trailed back down his body until they stilled at his waistband. He groaned, a tormented, but heady invitation. She slipped the button open, parting the material.
So intent on loving him, Annie hadn’t realized how deftly he’d unbuttoned the front of her blouse until the cool night air washed over her sensitive skin.
He pulled back enough to look down at her. The want that shimmered in his eyes should make her feel self-conscious. After all, she was lying, half-naked, in bed with a man she had known less than a month.
“You’re beautiful.” His husky declaration broke the silence. He looked from her face to her breasts now completely bared to him. His gaze landed on stark white of the gauze on her shoulder. Fury colored his face, followed closely by worry.
She cupped his face in her hands, raising his gaze to hers.
“I’m okay, Mason.”
She pulled his mouth back to hers to reinforce her words. He held his body suspended over her for several seconds before relaxing. She squirmed beneath him, eager to touch flesh to flesh from head to toe.
“Easy, honey.” He breathed against her lips.
Her hands flew to the bottom of his shirt. “Not this time, Mason.” She tugged it up over his broad, muscular chest, ignoring the sting in her shoulder as she moved. Her progress stopped at his shoulders. “Please?”
Annie didn’t care that he could hear her pleading tone. Nothing mattered at the moment except the feel of him surrounding her.
“Damn.” Mason lifted each arm in turn, slipping first one, then the other from his shirt. He dipped his head until she could pull it over his head.
His lips recaptured hers, more demanding this time. Her bare breasts tingled against his hair roughened chest. His body was hard, and powerful against her soft, pliant one.
She inhaled deep, digging her fingers into the muscular back beneath them. Every muscle in his bare torso rippled with arousal.
Mason’s lips seared a path down her neck stopping at the bandaged area on her shoulder. The muscles beneath Annie’s hands coiled with tension as he placed tiny kisses around the injured area. He continued his torturous exploration. Heat spiraled through her as his tongue made a path down her ribs to her stomach.
Mason rolled up on one side, and tugged open the button of her pants, pushing her jeans and panties down her legs. Annie succumbed to a split second of shyness as his gaze traveled from her breasts to the curls encircling her womanhood.
His big body trembled beneath her hand.
“Lord you’re beautiful, Annie.”
His gaze locked on hers and any awkwardness she’d felt vanished.
“I hardly think we’re on fair grounds here, Mason.” She smirked, her good arm tugging in vain at his pants.
“Let me make things right then.” He stood, and made quick work of shedding what garments remained. Annie’s hungry gaze swept over the powerful masculinity of his nudity. Waves of ecstasy throbbed through her. The need to feel him against her body drove her on. She held her arms out, and he sank back down on the bed.
Mason took her in his embrace and rolled to his back, setting her astride his hips. The warmth of his soft flesh was intoxicating. He kissed her deeply as he slowly slid her onto his cock. Warm hands skimmed up and down her sides. The pleasure was pure and explosive as he stretched and filled her.
He began a slow, methodical motion sending waves of pleasure through her. She gasped in sweet agony.
Together they found the tempo that bound their bodies in exquisite harmony with one another. A moan of ecstasy was torn from her as she rode wave after wave of pleasure.
Her thoughts fragmented as his hands grasped her hips, holding them tight.
“Oh God, Annie. I can’t wait.” Flipping her onto her back, h
e plunged hard into her.
Annie cried out her release as she was hurtled past the point of return. Mason threw his head back, an answering cry issuing from him.
Seconds passed as Annie fought to regain control of her breathing. Mason’s chest heaved against her sending a wave of satisfaction coursing through Annie.
“Did I hurt you?” She opened her eyes a bit, surprised by the concern etched on his face.
“No.” Heat raced up her face. “In fact, I’ve never felt better.”
“I don’t know what it is about you, Annie, but I’ve never been like that with anyone else.” He slid from her body, and pulled her into the curve of his side. “And you can get that smug grin off your face.”
“What?” Annie couldn’t hide the beam of happiness his admission caused. “What did I do?”
“Give me a few minutes and I’ll wipe it off myself.” He squeezed her shoulders.
“I don’t think that’s a wise move, Mr. Ramsay?” Her singsong tone teased.
“Why’s that?”
“Because I’m afraid you might already be falling in love with me.” She swallowed a nervous laugh. “And I wouldn’t want to be responsible for allowing you to fall deeper.”
“That’s quite a theory you’ve got going there.” Smoldering brown eyes locked on her face. “I’m not afraid to test it out.” He rolled up onto one elbow, his big body hovering over her. “Are you?”
The breath caught in Annie’s chest as his head dipped to her exposed breast.
She was in big trouble, despite her teasing seconds earlier, Annie really was falling for Mason.
CHAPTER TEN
His hands fisted in anger at his sides when the couple crossed the front lawn to Annie’s porch. Just look at the two of them strolling around like they had not a worry in the world.
The door swung closed behind the pair and fury twisted his gut tight. Annie should have never gotten close to Mason Ramsay. It hadn’t taken long to find out the true identity of the ATF agent and the real reason why he’d shown up in town.
Annie had welcomed the bastard into her home, and surely into her bed. Betrayal gnawed at him. Why had he thought she would be any different than the other women in his life? He’d met only one who had been faithful to him through thick and thin. It was a shame he couldn’t return the sentiment.
~&~
Mason’s eyes flew open with the first set of vibrations from the cell phone on the stand. He snatched it up and punched the accept button before it could sound again.
“Yeah?” He rolled up on the edge of the bed, casting a gaze in Annie’s direction. She looked so damned beautiful lying there, tangled up in the sheets. Did she know how hot she was? Mason didn’t think so. Want flared higher, and his body twitched in response. His heart thudded as memories of last night flooded his mind. Though they’d explored, aroused, and given each other pleasure throughout the night, it would be so easy to go to her again.
“Hello? Mason? Did I lose you?”
Trey’s questions dragged Mason up and out of his thoughts.
“I’m here.” He spoke in hushed tones so as not to disturb Annie. “Give me a second.”
Mason snatched up his jeans from the heap of clothing on the floor, and slipped into them, before he headed for the kitchen.
“Whatcha got, Trey?”
“Well it seems I’ve got a couple of possibilities for you, partner.” His gruff laugh flowed through the phone. “Who would have thought that a small town like Hammond’s Bend could have so many potentials?”
“Well it’s not like there’s a lot in the way of entertainment around here.”
“Is that so?” Trey chuckled, “Is the hot little number you had with you the other day all through entertaining you?”
“None of your damn business.”
“Touchy, touchy.”
“Just give me what you’ve got, Trey.” Mason growled. Trey’s teasing had hit a nerve, and Mason wasn’t in the mood to analyze the reason why. He needed to keep his focus on stopping the person responsible for wreaking havoc on this town.
That was easier said than done at the moment.
Mason listened to his partner rattle off a list of names. Most were unknown to him. But when Trey got to the last two on the list, the hairs on the back of Mason’s neck stood at attention.
“Mark Flynn and Joseph Martin.” Trey finished reading the list, and a heavy silence permeated the conversation. “Did you want me to fax this to you?”
“I don’t have a fax handy so shoot it to my email. I can get it in a few minutes.” Mason ran an exasperated hand through his already disheveled hair. The memory of Annie’s fingers running through it less than an hour ago flooded him with longing. He longed to tell Trey to call him back in a few hours, and return to the warm woman waiting in bed for him. One more hour with her wouldn’t be enough. Hell, the way he was feeling right now, one more year wouldn’t be. Nothing short of forever would do with a woman like Annie.
“What do you have on Flynn and Martin?” He pushed aside thoughts of Annie, and focused on the phone call.
“It seems your friend, Mark Flynn, had been attempting to get on a lot of big city departments over the past several years. All his attempts have been to no avail. He can’t seem to get past the written test.” Paper rustled in the background. “The real interesting thing about that is, when I dug a little deeper, I found that each of the places he’s tried out for had a sudden outbreak of unsolved arson fires in the time span he was there.”
“Now that is interesting.” Mason paced the tiny kitchen. “We need to find out the specifics of those fires. Where were they? What was used as an accelerant? Email me the information and I’ll see what I can uncover from this end.”
“Going a little stir crazy in Mayberry, partner?”
“Something like that.” Mason wasn’t about to tell Trey that he needed something to do to keep his mind off the hot little body he’d left in bed. Trey knew him too well. He’d read between the lines. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Mason had been involved in an affair of convenience. He pushed the thought aside. “What do you have on Martin?”
“Joseph Martin.” More paper shuffling. “Now he’s an interesting fellow.”
“How interesting?”
“Well, one, Mr. Joseph Martin isn’t from your quaint little town. It seems that at one point, he lived in Houston, Texas with his parents. At the young age of nine, he became suspect in an arson fire there.”
“Shit.” Mason practically spat the word out. How had he missed that in the initial background search?
“It gets better my friend.” Trey continued, “The fire in question claimed a life. Ms. Tina Martin, Joseph’s mother. Neighbors told the investigating officers that around two o’clock in the morning, they were awakened by the smell of smoke.” Again, paper rustled in the background. “Fearing that their homes were on fire, the neighbors on either side of the single mother’s home had fled their own houses. According to a Mr. Emory, they had all gathered on the front lawn across the street, fearing that the young boy and his mom had perished in the flames, when much to their surprise, Joseph emerged from the rear of the house.”
“So maybe he got lucky and climbed out a window?”
“That’s what I thought at first, too.” Trey agreed. “Reading the witness statement further makes me question that theory. Bystanders stated that when he finally made his way to where the group stood, he didn’t have an ounce of soot on him and only a faint smell of smoke. And his bedroom was upstairs, next to his mother’s. The same area of the house where the fire originated.”
“If he was inside when it started, then he should’ve been covered in soot. Damn.” The idea of telling Annie that her best friend's husband may have been responsible for the death of his own mother tore at his heart. He needed more proof before he made that call. “Maybe he snuck out before the fire started.”
“That’s a possibility I suppose.” Trey consented. “They found
minute traces of gasoline on his hands and shirt. Neighbors said that Joseph often mowed lawns to make some extra cash. Aside from that, there was no other evidence to indicate he’d been the one to set the fire.”
“What did the neighbors say his relationship was like with his mother?”
“From what I’ve got here, they had a pretty rough one. Tina Martin wasn’t very nice to the kid. Neighbors reported hearing her screaming tirades on a regular basis. Children’s Protective Services were called a couple of times, but the kid always denied any abuse.”
Mason tried to fit the mistreated child from the verbal picture Trey painted, with the Joe Martin he’d met. There was no comparison.
“Joseph Martin’s a pretty common name. Are you sure you’ve got the right one?”
“It took a lot of digging, but yes, I’m sure. There’s only one Joseph Gillian Martin with the same date of birth.”
“So how did a kid from Houston, Texas wind up all the way up here in less than six months?” Mason muttered. “And better yet, how did he end up with a completely different set of parents?”
“I’m not sure. So far I haven’t come across any adoption papers.”
“Maybe that’s because none exist. Did Tina Martin have any siblings who might feel obligated to take in a foundling relative?”
“None that surfaced in the preliminary search, but I’ll dig a little deeper and see what washes out.”
“In the meantime, I’m going to do some digging of my own at this end. In a town the size of this one, I’m sure someone knows all the dirty little secrets.”
“I bet you will.”
“Smart ass. I’ll check in with you later tonight. If you turn up anything interesting in the interim give me a call.”
“Will do.”
~&~
“I can’t believe that Joe would be involved in setting fires.”
Annie’s words resonated through the early morning stillness. A twinge of guilt skittered through her. She knew it wasn’t right to eavesdrop on Mason’s phone conversation. That hadn’t been her intention at all.
Where There's Smoke: The Heroes of Hammonds Bend(Romantic Suspense) Page 11