by Matie Cole
“You should just tell her,” he scolded himself, remembering how bold his younger self had been. With Jackson’s mother, he had not even given it a second thought, he had simply told her how he felt, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would want him too, and he was right. Yet with Bethany, even with the feeling that the love for one another was a two-way street, he had nerves. Butterflies almost.
He tried to imagine how he would start to tell her how he felt, but the words would not come easily to him. Even inside of his mind. If she could be so brave in the meeting, then why was it so hard for him?
Knock, knock. There was a loud banging sound on the door to the meeting room. Mason’s head snapped up in surprise. He was not expecting visitors here at this time of night. The meeting had been over for a while. In his mind, he could only picture it being Ethan, which he had to brace himself for.
“Come in,” he called out while straightening his spine and jutting his chin out. Mason might have been too weary to fight any longer, to continue to listen to complaints and argue his side of things, but if Ethan had come to see him then he did not have any choice. This would have to be done right now...
But it was not Ethan. A realisation that caused a gasp of surprise to escape Mason’s lips. It was not a man at all. Almost as if he had conjured her up simply by thinking of her, it was Bethany.
“I am sorry to come to you so late at night,” she declared quietly as her night dressed swished around her body. “I would have preferred to come and speak with you sooner, but the meeting went on for hours. I know that perhaps I should not come to you while I am ready for bed...”
“Oh no, it does not matter,” Mason insisted, glad to have been given the opportunity to see her in such a way. She was even more angelic than usual as the whiteness of her dress shrouded her.
“I feel the need to thank you for the way that you believed in me and stood up for me today,” she continued. “I understand why others might think that I do not want to help, but I do feel like it is much better for your son to be out of jail. My father is not a nice man, as you have seen in his treatment of me, and it is not right for a young boy to be subjected to his whims. Although I did not want to cause issues...”
“You have not caused any issues.” Mason grinned happily at Bethany as his fingers lightly traced over the map once more. “You have given us a solution. I would not know what to do without you. I should be the one thanking you, Bethany. And that is exactly what I will say to you now; thank you.”
“But Ethan...” she started, looking like the guilt was crushing down on her painfully. “He is unhappy.”
Mason chuckled and shook his head. “You do not need to worry about Ethan. I will deal with him.”
“He has a deep hatred for me.” Bethany’s sadness crushed Mason. He did not like seeing her that way. “For where I have come from, and I can not blame him. If I were him, then I would feel the same.”
“But you do not have a hatred for us.” Mason stepped closer to Bethany, internally trying to find the right way for him to comfort her, to make her understand that she was not to blame here. “You have come from England where your father has a deep hatred for me and the Scottish people. You have clearly grown up with it your entire life, yet you do not seem to feel the same way. You have made your own mind up.”
Their eyes met and some true honesty spilled from her. “I do not have any hatred for anyone. Perhaps I have grown up with a dislike for myself, but that has come from my father’s words. Now that I am here, I have found a way to understand that he is the bad person, the one in the wrong, not me.”
Mason could not stop himself. He did not like the idea of Bethany thinking anything negative about herself when she was such a wonderful person. So beautiful, so sweet, so loving. She did not deserve any negativity surrounding her. He vowed to himself that he would not let that continue. He would do what he could to ensure that her life from now on, especially once he had Jackson back, was happy.
“You have never been in the wrong.” He reached out and took her hands in his, the electricity of her touch zinging through him. “You have always been wonderful. If George can not see that, or he wants to strip it from you, then he has always been the one in the wrong. Not you.”
“You think so?” Bethany leaned a little closer to him and the air became thick with need. It swam heavily between the pair of them making it impossible for either of them to think. “Thank you, Mason.”
As soon as Bethany said his name, something seemed to snap within her. She panicked and snatched her hands away. The embarrassment clearly flowed through her. She backed away, apologizing profusely and before Mason knew it, she was running away from him, he was losing her...
Chapter 12
B ethany did not have an explanation for her irrational behavior, any of it, even to herself. She did not know why she had thought it as a good idea to come and see Mason when she was only in her night dress, it was highly inappropriate, but she was so keen to see him again that rationality never came in to play. She just wanted to see him, she could not seem to stop herself from caving in to the magnetic pull.
And then she allowed him to hold on to her hands for what seemed like an extraodinary length of time. Either it really had been hours or it simply seemed that way because with Mason time did not move in the same way. It slowed down, it sped it, it did not work as it should which was glorious and terrible in equal measures. She knew in that moment that if she leaned in to him, time would never be the same again.
Which was why she took off. She ran like the wind in a desperate need to get away from him. She could not get caught up in that bubble with him because there was no telling which way it would end up, which way it would go. She did not know if it was a great idea or an absolutely terrible one. Without the guarantee that it would end well, she could not even begin to imagine the horror of it all going wrong.
Plus, Mason had a son. A son which meant he had experience in the romantic department. She, of course, did not, which had never been something to trouble her until now. Now, her inexperience shone through her body, made her feel incredibly naive, which was why she could not stop. She had to keep on running. As soon as she was in her bedroom she would feel safe, but until then...
Well, until then she had no choice but to keep on running. Bethany was running faster than she had ever gone before and she kept slamming in to walls which knocked the wind out of her, almost slamming her to the floor.
This was making her head spin, her eyes blur, her body shake and tremor. It was making everything that much harder. She could hardly contain herself in her sheer panic.
“Bethany!” Was that Mason? She nearly lost her damn mind as his voice circled through her brain. She quickly decided that he was not following her, but that the fall was making her hear things. She continued to run, heading towards the direction she was pretty sure her room was. “Bethany, Bethany...”
She tripped. She tripped over and fell. She could feel the floor coming towards her at the speed of light. There was no way that she could stop herself from falling, there was nothing that she could do, aside from put her hands out to hit the floor before her face because that pain would only make things worse.
What is happening? Her brain screamed out as the floor did not get her. Instead, she found a warm pair of arms surrounding her waist, preventing her from harming her body in any which way.
“Bethany?” It was Mason. She had heard things. She was not losing her mind. He had chased after her and caught her before she harmed herself. “Are you alright, Bethany? You do not have to run from me.”
“I... I...” She twisted herself around to look at him, to thank him for everything that he had done for her, yet again. Mason always seemed to be putting his neck on the line for her, one way or another, and she was all too grateful. But as her eyes found his and she saw the intense way that he was looking for her, the words fell apart on her lips. She did not know what she wanted to say anymore.
&nb
sp; “I do not want you to run from me ever again,” he whispered in a sexy, sultry tone of voice. “I do not want you to feel like you need to get away from me like that. I want you with me. As much as you want to...”
“I... I want to,” Bethany admitted. “I want to be with you as well.”
Wow, it felt incredible to free those words from her mouth. She was shocked that after all the time that she had spent twisting them around in her head, they came out so easily. They were so nice to say aloud. There was a lot more that she wanted to say to this man as well. So many other words she wanted to use to express the intensity of what he did to her and how much she wanted to remain with him, but she could not find them. This moment required more than words. So much more than words.
Mason lifted her up, only slightly, and bent himself downwards. She could now feel his breath all over her face, it was almost as if he was asking permission to go further. Permission which she ached to give. So, she used all of her strength to lift herself upwards ever so slightly, just until their lips brushed against one another ever so slightly.
Of course, Bethany had absolutely no idea what a first kiss was supposed to feel like, but this was wonderful. It was powerful, it was electrifying and warm, it was every sensation that she did not know she needed and more. This near kiss was perfect, but not enough, so she tugged herself up higher to claim more of his kiss, more of this moment, more of him. He was delicious in every way.
“Oh, Bethany,” Mason murmured against her lips, sending a powerful shudder down his spine. “You do not know how long I have wanted to kiss you. You do not know how deep my feelings run for you.”
“I... I feel the same way,” she breathed back, her head now spinning with desire not pain.
“Here.” Mason took Bethany’s hand and pulled her fully in to an up right position. He walked backwards and led her in to her bedroom, a place where she had spent a lot of time thinking about this man, but now she was with him. She could not believe her luck. This was perfect, nerve wracking but perfect. Perfect because she just knew that Mason was going to treat her with the utmost respect. He was a kind gentleman who had been soft and caring with her so she trusted him with all of her.
She closed the door behind her with a click, noting the way that her heart pounded violently against her rib cage. It was so strong that she could hardly breathe, that she could not think. She was utterly consumed in Mason and that was the most intoxicating sensation on the planet.
“May I undress you?” he asked softly as his hand rested lightly on her shoulder. The room was dark, but a glitter of moon light ran between them, lighting them up enough. He would be able to see all of her, but that was alright. It was what Bethany wanted. She needed him to know all of her if they were going to be together, so she nodded and smiled, gasping with delight as her dress slid from her body.
“You are beautiful.” In her underwear alone, Mason stared at Bethany like she was breath taking, as if he wanted to devour her whole. He was her predator and she his prey and all she wanted was to allow him to eat her alive. With that one thought circling through her, she peeled the rest of her clothing off for him.
“Now, I must take the clothing from you too,” she murmured. “I have always wanted to see the body of a highlander. Well, one in particular.” She giggled girlishly. “Because I imagine you look wonderful.”
Bethany did not know what to expect as she unbuckled Mason’s shirt and removed his kilt. Having never seen a naked man before, this was a brand-new experience. But Mason was like a gift, and she relished in unwrapping him. His body was broad, strong, and muscular from all of the fighting. He was perfect, even when he had faded scars covering his torso. Her body lit up in ecstasy the more that she saw of him, until she was almost completely out of control. She no longer had the power to contain her next movements, she was driven by lust, by the intense sexual desire bolting through her like lightning.
“Wow, you are lovely to look at,” she murmured as she closed the gap between them and rose up on to her tip toes to kiss him once more. “I really do believe that I am falling for you.”
She did not know what she was expecting in return, but Mason lifting her from the floor as if she weighed nothing and flinging her on to the bed was not it. It did not stop her from getting caught up in the heat of the moment though. She could not wait to have him join her.
“Oh my.” The weight of his body pressed against her, almost leaving her breathless, but she did not mind. She enjoyed it. “Oh, Laird Mason MacGregor, you really are a wonderful man.”
The next kiss was much less careful. Much deeper and more passionate, which was exactly what Bethany needed. To know that Mason was in the same intoxicated mind set as her was utterly wonderful.
As they kissed more and even after they stopped kissing, Mason’s hands and fingers explored Bethany’s body, every peak, every dip, he seemed to graze over all of her skin and she could not stop herself from crying out in sheer bliss. Every touch was orgasmic, was beautiful, made her feel phenomenal.
Eventually, he moved between her thighs where she was throbbing and aching for him. He nudged her legs apart ever so slightly, and stroked the pool of wetness that was there just for him. The way that Mason groaned with delight showed Bethany that the feel of her core pleased him, so of course she wanted more. So much more. She arched her back and rolled her hips, crying out for him.
But if Bethany thought that he was driving her wild, sending her flying higher than air, then she had no idea what was to come as he slid down her body and he massaged her with his tongue. That was all too much. He fixed her in place so that she could not wriggle away, so that she experienced every part of him deep within her, so it was not long before he tipped her over the edge in to the deep abyss of pleasure.
And the pleasure did not stop coming. It came for her over and over again, slaughtering her, shattering all of her organs, making her feel things that she did not know she could even feel. It was too much, the intensity was too powerful for her, the waves kept coming endlessly, ensure that she could not escape it.
It was overwhelming for her, yet still she wanted more, so as Mason slid back up her body and begged for entrance, she parted her thighs further for him, allowing himself to bury deep inside of her, making sure that she felt every damn inch of him. Bethany wrapped herself around Mason, she clung to him tightly, so that the second time she exploded in pleasure, he was right along side her, feeling it with her, connecting them on a level that they knew would result in a life long bond. Nothing could tear them apart now. Not when it was so obvious that they were meant to be together, that they were fate.
Destiny had caused their paths to cross for a reason, and love was just the beginning.
Chapter 13
“I see what you mean,” Alex, one of Mason’s men, patted him on the back as he declared. “Lady Bethany Windsor is a wonderful person. I can see now why you have put so much faith in to her.”
This was not a singular comment. Mason had been getting this a lot over the last few days. People had thankfully listened to his advice and they were giving Bethany a chance. As soon as they had done and they saw the same goodness inside of her that he did. Of course, once they saw that, more and more people came around to his way of thinking. It was obvious now that everyone understood why they needed to follow her map and why he was so set on following what she wanted to do.
“She is lovely, is she not?” The only thing that Mason found challenging was the fact that he had to keep his feelings for Bethany to himself. He had to stop himself from screaming his love for her out from the roof tops. They had decided to keep their love for one another a secret for the time being, until Jackson was back in Scotland and everything had settled down. It would be an easier transition that way. “And you can see now that she is on our side. She wants us to succeed. That is why we follow her map.”
“I agree.” Alex nodded emphatically. “So, does everyone else. Well, almost everyone.”
Mas
on knew who Alex meant and hung his head low sadly. “Ethan might not agree with everything that we are doing, but he will join us on the road when we go to George's lands. Everything will work out alright.”
All that Mason knew for sure was that he would have to keep an eye on Ethan while they were in this lands. He still seemed very angry, like there was a rage burning underneath his surface, and Mason was not sure if it would work out well or not. There was a part of him that considered leaving him behind, not bringing him along to the battle because he did not want to have to keep his eyes on anyone, but deep down he knew that would only make things so much worse. Ethan would lash out on his own which would put everyone at risk. He might have been distracted a little by the snatched kisses with Bethany, but not that much. He still had his eyes all over the place, noting what was going on around him.
“I will speak with Ethan before we ride tonight,” Mason reassured Alex. “You do not need to worry.”
Alex smiled and nodded, before leaving to get himself ready for the battle that was to follow. He had goodbyes to say, things to put in place, arrangements to be made. As did Mason. Although he did not know how he was going to say goodbye to the love of his life who he was going to be forced to leave behind, especially when people could not know that he had someone waiting at home for him, but he would find a way. For Jackson. He had to. At least he would know that he could come back to to her after all of it was over and they were free to do whatever they wanted, free to love one another.
But he did not want to worry about that at the moment. He wanted to deal with Ethan first. He knew where to find him, he knew where his friend went when he was angry, and that was exactly where he found him, down by the lake, throwing stones so they bounced on top of the water, almost like they were dancing.