Moments with Mason (A Red Maple Falls Novel, #3)

by Theresa Paolo

  He kissed her once, twice on her sensitive button, and then kissed his way back up to her. Her eyes fluttered open, a relaxed glow on her face that made him want to throw his arm up in victory.

  “That was…” she said.

  “Delicious,” he finished, dipping his finger in his mouth and sucking. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flared, and he loved every damn thing about it. “Was it good?”

  “No,” she said, and he froze. “It was better than good. It was amazing. I didn’t know it could be like that. I had no idea. I never…”

  “You never what?” he asked, and she shook her head. “You’ve never orgasmed before?”

  “No.”

  “Well, then we have a lot of time to make up for,” he said, bending over to his pants and pulling out a condom.

  “Let me,” she said, taking it from his hand. She ripped the package open and placed the condom on his tip, rolling it down his width. “You’re really big,” she said, biting her lip.

  “I won’t hurt you.”

  “I know. I trust you.”

  He kissed her, moving his knee in between her thighs and urging her down on the bed. “If you’re not ready,” he started and she pressed her finger to his lips.

  “I’m ready.”

  He kissed her fingertip then positioned himself at her slick opening. “Tell me if I hurt you.”

  She nodded, and he pressed into her, painstakingly slow. She sucked in a gasp as he inched forward, her nails digging into his shoulder. “Am I hurting you?”

  “No, don’t stop.”

  He kissed her as he eased ever more into her, letting her adjust to his size until he was fully seated inside. “You okay?” he asked again, needing the reassurance that he wasn’t hurting her. He wanted to love her, to pleasure her to make her lose control.

  She grinded against him and that was all the answer he needed. He moved inside her with long, sensuous strokes, loving her with every ounce of his being, every inch of his body.

  “Faster,” she begged.

  “You sure?”

  “Yes!” she cried out, her muscles contracting around him.

  Only wanting to please her, he thrust inside her. She cried out, her body arching off the bed, her hands tightening on him. He pulled her up against him, their heated skin pressing together, moving together as one.

  He felt the pressure build between his legs, but he didn’t want to come. Not until she did. He promised her more orgasms, and damn it he wasn’t going to blow it. He slipped his hand between them, finding her sensitive nub, circling it with his thumb as he pumped into her with long hard strokes until she came undone in his arms, shuddering and crying out.

  With one final thrust he let go, spiraling down a hole of pure bliss.

  Chapter 17

  Mason stroked Cassie’s back, running his fingers up and down her beautiful, soft curves. She looked up at him, those golden eyes shimmering in the faint light of the bedroom as she propped herself up on her elbow.

  He shifted his hand, tracing a line along the jagged scars that marked her skin and wishing he could find a way to make them disappear—make whatever she went through to get these disappear. “Who did this to you?”

  To think someone could hurt her so deeply, leaving behind traces of their evil on her porcelain skin made Mason’s blood boil.

  Her smile faded, and damn it if he wouldn’t do anything to get it back in place, but he didn’t want her to hide behind false joy either. What they had wasn’t just sex, and if he was going to go all in then he needed to know the things she kept from him, no matter how unpleasant the truth was.

  He tilted her chin up, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling back. “Do you trust me?”

  “You know I do.”

  “Then talk to me.”

  She dropped his gaze, her silence almost deafening.

  He brushed her hair out of her face, letting his fingers linger on her jaw. “What are you afraid of?”

  “That you’ll think of me differently. That you’ll realize I’m not the girl you thought I was.”

  “Impossible.”

  “You don’t know that. You don’t know what I’ve been through and—”

  “Everything you have been through has made you who you are today. Even the bad. I would never think any less of you. It’s your journey, and no one can judge you on that, and don’t let them make you think they can. They weren’t there, so they have no right.”

  “I never thought about it that way. People get the cliff notes and think they know the whole story, when really they don’t know an eighth of it. I don’t even think they’d want to know the whole truth.”

  “I do.”

  “I know.” She took a deep breath and sat up, crossing her legs beneath her. She fidgeted with her hands then let them drop to her lap. “Back then I wasn’t the girl you know today. After Francine died I was back to where I started. I had no family, no home, nothing. People I thought were my friends couldn’t even offer me a couch to sleep on. I was alone and scared. It felt like I was being punished and forced to relive my life where nobody wanted me.” Her voice cracked, slicing a hole right through Mason’s heart. He wanted to reach for her, take her in his arms and assure her that she would never be alone again. He would make sure of that. She was his and with that came his entire family. Cassie would never know what it was like to be lonely again.

  Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed her knuckles then laced his fingers through hers. He gave her a comforting squeeze as she closed her eyes, taking another deep breath. He hated that she had to relive this part of her life over again, and he wished he could find a way to take the pain away. But he had a feeling she’d been harboring this pain for so long, and the only way to help was to open up the wound and let it bleed out.

  “Then I met Dylan,” she finally said. “He promised me the world. I was weak and desperate and completely blinded by his empty promises. At first it was great. He was kind and gave me whatever I wanted, but over time things started to change. It didn’t happen all at once, and looking back at it now, I should have seen the signs. He was insanely jealous. I couldn’t look in the direction of another guy without him completely losing it. I lost my job because he would start fights with all my customers. He started telling me what I could and couldn’t wear. I wasn’t allowed to wear anything too low cut or too short, and if I did, he called me a whore and accused me of sleeping around.” Cassie paused and grabbed Mason’s hands, holding on for dear life as if she needed his strength. He’d gladly hand over all he had.

  “The first time he hit me…”

  Mason gently squeezed her hands and winced at the words. He knew they were coming, but he had hoped by some miracle that it wasn’t true. That the guy was just a verbally abusive asshole. Knowing he was physically abusive lit an untapped rage of fire inside him. He wanted to find the guy and make him sorry he’d ever touched her. Make him know what it was like to beat on someone his own size. Two brothers and three sisters, he better damn well believe Mason could take a hit.

  Not to mention “first” meant it happened more than once. How many times did this bastard raise a hand to her? How many times did she have to endure pain she never should have known in the first place? That no good, piece-of-shit deserved a taste of his own medicine.

  Mason took a deep breath, forcing the anger down. Cassie didn’t need his rage right now. She needed someone to listen to her story. He pulled her into an embrace and ran his hand up and down the curve of her back, comforting her the only way he knew how, trying to give her the strength she needed to continue.

  ***

  Cassie closed her eyes and when she opened them her jaw was set in determination, her eyes focused. “The first time,” she said again, “I wanted to do something nice for him. I thought I was the reason he was so angry.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Mason blurted out, and she dropped her head in embarrassment. It was ridiculous, but she was naïve and desp
erate for love.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, resting a hand on her thigh. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

  Cassie glanced down to her hands and fidgeted with her fingers. “You’re right,” she said, looking up and meeting his gaze. “It was ridiculous, but I was so blinded to the truth. All I knew was that I wanted to fix it. So I cooked him dinner. Steak and potatoes—his favorite. I put on a cute dress and did my hair and makeup. I was so excited when he got home, but then he told me my lipstick made me look like a slut and the steak was overcooked. He asked me if I had been hoping he’d bring one of his friends by and that’s why I was dressed the way I was. I was mortified so I tried to wipe the lipstick off, but he grabbed my hand and told me if I wanted to be a slut then he would treat me like one. I told him no, that’s not what I wanted, but he pinned me against the wall, grabbed me by the throat and pressed against me. He tried to get me to say I was a slut, insisted that I was cheating on him. When I denied it, he slapped me.”

  She grabbed her cheek now, remembering that awful night. She could still feel the hot exploding pain that radiated in her cheek. The throbbing heat that seemed to grow and burn hotter with each scared second that passed. She remembered how she hadn’t made a single noise, frozen into submission from shock.

  Mason’s fingers linked through hers, pulling her hand free of her cheek. He ran his thumb across the high set of her cheekbone. “How could anyone do that to you?”

  She forced a smile. “A question I should have thought sooner. Instead I thought I deserved it. I should have known not to put makeup on; I knew how Dylan got. I should have followed the recipe better and used a meat thermometer.”

  “No,” Mason growled, sliding his hands to her face and cupping her cheeks gently, but with intent. “You didn’t deserve it. None of it.”

  Ashamed for ever thinking it, for allowing herself to be subjected to such cruelty for so long she glanced down, but she didn’t want to be that feeble girl anymore. She had come so far. She was stronger than she had ever been before and with Mason’s gentle touch she felt safe and completely free of judgment. She looked up, catching his beautiful dark green eyes. “I know that now.”

  “Good,” he said, wrapping his hand around the back of her head and bringing her to his chest. She settled into the warmth, allowing it to wrap around her and comfort her. He cradled her, rocking back and forth as he kissed the top of her head. “Good,” he said again and again.

  It had been a long time since she had felt safe, but being in Mason’s arms, feeling the rise and fall of his chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart, knowing that after everything she had told him, he was still there willing to hold her, she knew he would protect her not only from any outside threats, but from her own mind and insecurities.

  She had no idea what she did to deserve him, but she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would never let him go. He had come into her life at a moment when she wouldn’t let anyone in, but somehow, he managed to creep into her heart, making his mark and refusing to leave.

  So many nights, going as far back as when she was a child, she had dreamed of a knight in shining armor coming to rescue her. She had no idea she didn’t need a knight at all. She only needed the strength within herself, and that the person who would guide her was not a knight either, but a straight-talking brewer in a pair of work boots. He wasn’t the dream guy she’d expected; she wasn’t creative enough to dream Mason Hayes up.

  He surpassed her fantasies as only a miracle could do.

  Chapter 18

  Cassie woke feeling invigorated and excited for a new day. Last night was wonderful, and she imagined every night with Mason would be. She had never felt passion like that, never felt worshipped and loved so deeply. It was amazing. Actually, it was absolutely beautiful. The way they came together, moving as one, joining at the hips and making love as one solitary unit, getting lost to the sensations and looking deep into each other’s eyes… it was more than she could have ever dreamed.

  She didn’t believe in perfection—everything had its quirks—but Mason was so damn close, and last night, was the epitome of what she thought perfection would be.

  The late fall sun shone through the bedroom window, bathing her in warm rays. She pushed the blankets off of her, not ashamed of her body anymore or the scars that marked her. Every mark and imperfection helped mold her into the person she was today. She never looked at it that way, but Mason had opened her eyes, and she felt free of all the preconceived notions that she’d hidden behind for so long.

  He thought she was beautiful, and despite the scars—or maybe because of the scars—she finally saw it, too. She was beautiful.

  Wanting to take advantage of the last days of fall, she hurried off to the shower then slipped into a pair of black yoga pants, a white t-shirt, and her leather jacket. She tossed her hair up in a messy bun and headed outside.

  Most of the leaves had fallen from the trees, but there were still enough holding on that it was a sight to see. She smiled up at those stubborn leaves, appreciating their strength and their beauty. She walked out onto the main road and down to a trailhead that Mason had pointed out to her one day when he had picked her up.

  She had told him that she might not ever be able to bake a cupcake or hand blow a growler, but she didn’t need a hobby where she made things. She loved to hike, to disappear into the woods for a while and be one with nature. Appreciate the birds chirping overhead, the silent blow of a breeze, and the soothing babble of a brook. When she was in the woods, hidden away from the world, she felt free of all her demons. Free of the things that held her back. It was the only time she felt boundless, and as someone who was restricted for so long, it was as close to heaven as she could imagine.

  She entered the trailhead and followed the path that lead up a steady incline. Her thighs burned as she pushed forward. Mason had told her this particular path was a bit of a challenge, but once you reached the top it was well worth it.

  She had felt a little guilty for going without him, but she was eager to check it out and had time to kill. Besides, this place wasn’t going anywhere. They could come back together, bring a blanket and a picnic.

  Her cheeks warmed at the thought of the blanket being used for more than a picnic. Heat shot to her core as she thought of Mason above her, thrusting deep inside her as the sounds of nature surrounded them, a cool breeze blowing across their naked skin.

  A branch cracked somewhere near her, knocking her out of her fantasy. She looked around, suddenly on high alert. Her heart raced, slamming against her chest as she scanned the hundreds of trees surrounding her.

  Maybe going into the woods alone wasn’t a smart idea. What if Dylan was here, and he’d followed her? Her body froze, every muscle turning to ice as she tried to tell herself that was impossible. He was in Florida. There was no way he would come back for her or even know where she was.

  She thought about calling out and asking who was there, but she was scared of who might show their face. Instead, she casually turned around and made her way back. She didn’t look over her shoulder. If she learned anything, it was that looking back was never the answer. She had to keep moving forward.

  Her legs shook with fear, her hands trembling uncontrollably as she picked up speed until she was sprinting through the woods, dodging tree branches and kicking up dead leaves in her wake.

  It felt like eternity before she made it to the main road, but even then she didn’t stop. She kept going, forcing her legs to move faster. She couldn’t stop. There were no cars around. Nobody to see her or hear her scream if it came to that…

  Oh god. The thought sent an extra jolt of adrenaline through her body propelling her faster. She didn’t stop. Not until she was in her driveway, and she would have kept running until she was in the house with the door locked if it wasn’t for Mason sitting on her front porch.

  “Hey,” he said a huge smile on his face, but as soon as his eyes met hers the smile vanished. He ran down the few step
s and came to her, taking her shoulders in his hands and staring at her with panic. “What’s wrong?”

  She couldn’t breathe, could barely get air into her lungs to even begin to form a sentence, but the fear in Mason’s eyes was so real. She didn’t want him to be scared, so she swallowed and forced words out.

  “I went for a hike and got spooked.”

  “Why? What spooked you?”

  “I heard a branch snap, and I panicked.”

  “Was someone following you?”

  A chill ran through her veins and she couldn’t speak. She never looked back so she couldn’t really be sure. She didn’t want to worry him if it was nothing.

  “Talk to me.” Desperation dripped from his words. “Cassie?”

  “I don’t know. It could’ve been anything honestly.” Tears pressed against her eyes, and the adrenaline that had been pumping so strongly through her system began to vanish. Her lip trembled, and Mason rested his hand on the back of her head, pulling her against him.

  She breathed in his familiar scent, finding comfort and peace within his warmth. “It’s all right,” he said against her ear as he ran calming strokes down her back. “It’s all right.”

  But it wasn’t all right. It couldn’t be.

  As long as she knew Dylan was out there, she would never really be free.

  ***

  Mason’s heart finally slowed down as Cassie nuzzled her head against his neck. Seeing the sheer terror in her eyes as she ran up the driveway made him feel helpless and scared. He had felt those things many times before, but this time was different. This time it reached deep into his heart and strangled his soul. He couldn’t breathe until he touched her and could see with his own eyes that she wasn’t hurt. That she was as warm and real as she was when he left her that morning.