by Amy Star
“I am relaxed,” he said through gritted teeth, sending Clara into fits of giggles. “What's so funny?”
“Nothing. I'm just going to have to give you some lessons before we start riding on trails. But you'll make it to the lake.”
She turned Rain north, waiting for Sunshine to amble up beside them before she asked the mare to walk. Watching him out of the corner of her eye, she enjoyed the feel of the warm sun that caressed her skin and the cool breeze that blew even though it was nearly summer.
“Isn't this wonderful?” she asked breathlessly.
He smiled but didn't answer, too intent on staying on the horse to make small talk.
“You don't have to steer. Sunshine will go wherever Rain goes.”
Mason relaxed then, letting the reins out a little and resting his hand on the withers.
“This is much better,” he said.
“Now you can enjoy the sights and stop worrying about controlling everything.”
Mason laughed.
“You aren't talking about horses, are you?”
“I guess not.” She sighed. “I just wish you could see the world the way I do. It's not about land and acquisitions and deals. It's about being outside, away from the hustle and bustle of city life. These moments are worth more than millions in the bank. This,” she said, flinging her arms wide. “This is everything.”
He was grinning from ear to ear when she looked at him again.
“What?”
“The way you look at the world—I can't see things that way until you point it out. I've never met anyone like you.”
“You're a first for me, too,” she said, stopping herself before she let slip that she'd seen him shift the week before.
“I’m not sure that’s a compliment, but I’ll take it.”
When she didn’t reassure him that it was indeed a compliment, he shook his head.
“You don’t give an inch, do you?” he laughed.
“It isn’t like you’ve been very welcoming these past few weeks. Well, not until that one night.”
She winked at him.
“I helped you load hay in your barn.”
“Only because I asked you to, nicely. And because you didn’t want me to have it delivered and unloaded by strangers. If you weren’t so dead-set on keeping people from coming up here, I would have gotten it done.”
“It’s important that this place stay secret.”
“It’s not like the entire town of Little Hope doesn’t know we’re here.”
“That can’t be avoided,” he conceded, but she could tell it was something that really got to him. “But as long as they think we’re just two weirdos, living off the grid and off the land, then we’re still safe. No one wants that life. And those who do are already living it. Getting to know people puts us in danger, and…”
He stopped, and Clara waited for him to explain why. She’d been waiting for weeks for him to tell her his secret, and he still had avoided bringing it up. She could have told him that she already knew, but to Clara, that wasn’t the point. It had to come from him, in his own time. As many perfect opportunities as he’d passed up, Clara was still willing to wait. As a witch, she understood. You didn’t just go around telling people that you could turn into a bear whenever you wanted to, just like she wouldn’t go around telling people she could cast spells. He needed to ease into it, and Clara needed to be patient with him.
Instead of pressing him, she pointed off into the distance, giddy with excitement even though she’d been to the lake several times since she’d moved into the cabin.
“I will never get tired of that view,” she said dreamily.
“Neither will I. In all my life, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.”
Clara turned to him, surprised to see that he was looking at her and not the lake.
“Oh,” she said then blushed. “I was talking about the lake.”
“I wasn’t.”
His gaze poured over her like liquid heat. She fought the urge to squirm. It wasn’t just his words that were lighting her soul on fire. She could feel his need between them, so heavy in the air that she could almost see it. It turned out that Clara wasn’t the only one who’d had more on their mind than the scenery.
“We should let the horses graze while we’re here,” she said, sliding off Rain’s back and onto the thick grass that surrounded the lake.
“They won’t leave?”
“Not with this much food to eat,” she laughed. “We could be here for hours and they would hardly notice.”
She removed Rain’s bridle as she spoke, setting it on a boulder near the lakeshore and holding Sunshine’s bridle while Mason dismounted.
“You’re much better at getting off than you were…” she stopped, her face flushing. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded.”
“No, it’s pretty apt,” he teased.
He watched her remove Sunshine’s bridle, taking careful note of how it was done. Clara couldn’t help but smile to herself. It was only a matter of time before Mason was as accomplished at riding as she was. He was fit and well-muscled from the gym and from hours spent outside hiking, climbing, and running. She knew from experience that he had excellent control over his body. She had no doubt that he would be riding comfortably and handling the horses with ease by next spring, if not sooner.
She envied his confidence in himself and his ability to bend the will of the world around him. Not that it worked on me, she thought, laughing to herself.
“I would pay to know what you’re thinking right now,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her soundly.
“No, you wouldn’t,” she said, her voice breathless when he finally released her.
“I bet I can tell what you’re thinking about right now.”
She arched an eyebrow at the challenge, deciding then to surprise him… and herself. They were alone on a mountain on a warm spring day without a soul in sight. It was time to live life to the fullest, and she had an idea.
Without a word, she stepped out of her shoes and kicked off her clothes, leaving them strewn about in the grass as she took off toward the lake.
“What?” Mason said, shocked but already running after her. “You can’t be serious.”
He was laughing, running after her and stripping out of his own clothes with each step. The lake was like ice when she leaped into the waist deep water. She started swimming out to the island with Mason right behind her. But she was fast, a lifetime of ocean swimming making her one with the water. She reached the island long before Mason did, climbing out of the deep water that surrounded the entire island and running across the sandy beach, giggling all the way.
She was halfway to the largest, flattest boulder in the center of the tiny island when a strong arm grabbed her around the waist, swinging her into the air and up over his shoulder. She laughed, long hair hanging down, ass in the air and legs hooked under his arm. When he gave her a playful slap on her wet rear end, she squealed and wiggled, still laughing.
He laid her down on the sun-warmed rock, kissing her as he did.
“You are beautiful,” he said, standing above her and drinking in the sight of her. “And you’re a good swimmer. I can’t believe you beat me. No one ever beats me.”
“It looks like I’ve done a lot of things no one would ever dare do to you,” she teased.
“You definitely force me to be a better man.”
“Wow,” she said. “I’m kinda speechless.”
“That’s alright. We don’t need words to say what needs to be said.”
He kissed her again, taking his time and kissing her deeply. His mouth was hot against hers. She felt his hand on her breast, slowly circling her already taut nipple with one finger. She moaned into his mouth when he pinched her gently.
He released her, trailing kisses down her neck, then over her collarbone before capturing her nipple in his mouth. His free hand went to her other nipple, playfully tugging and pinching while he sucked on
the first. Writhing beneath him, she arched her back and dug her hands into his thick hair. She could feel the vibration when he laughed at her desperate movements, opening her legs to him while he focused his torturously slow attention on her breasts.
When she didn’t think she could take his mouth on her nipple anymore, he switched sides, giving the second breast the same drawn-out attention. Her body was on fire, the need to feel him inside her all-consuming. But she knew Mason, and she knew that begging him to hurry would only end with him taking twice as long. She felt like she would go up in flames if that happened.
He pulled back, holding her in his mouth then letting her go. He trailed his fingers over her body, hovering over her and looking down at her body bathed in the warm sunlight.
“I could do this all day,” he said, watching her face as he spoke.
I can’t, she thought, but she knew that she could. He was on his knees between her legs, his broad chest smooth, his skin bronze from hours spent outside. The muscles in his arms flexed when he slid his hands between her legs and stroked her. She was already excited, raising her hips against his hand and opening her legs wider.
“I want you,” she said, breathless with need.
“Be patient,” he teased, still stroking the tiny nub between her legs.
She bit her lip, trying to hold off on the orgasm that was threatening, but her resolve was slipping, and Mason’s hands were driving her wild.
Her face flushed an instant before the climax overtook her, sending her soaring into the clouds, , her cries of ecstasy echoing around them. He watched her, smiling as she convulsed beneath his touch, begging him to take her. But he had other plans.
When she finally fell back onto the rock completely spent and limp, he scooped her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wound her legs around his hips. He lowered her down onto his rigid shaft, burying himself inside her, standing with his bare feet planted in the warm sand as he rocked her gently in his arms.
The tension was already building up again, her nerves tender from the recent orgasm, her heart still racing in her chest. She kissed him, her already dry hair floating on the breeze, her hands on his shoulders.
“I love you,” she said softly.
“I love you,” he said.
She could feel his body tensing beneath her. He squeezed her ass, moving her up and down on his cock as she clung to him. She was on the edge of climax again, sensations heightened, the world around them dropping away until it was just her and Mason and this moment. She lost herself in the shared rhythm—the perfect joining of breath and heartbeat. When he grunted, then tensed, that was all she needed to know so that she could let herself go. They rode the waves of pleasure together, crying out into the open sky.
Mason leaned down and nibbled her ear, whispering sweet nothings over the sound of her racing heart pounding in her ears.
She collapsed onto his shoulder, wrapped around him, the sun beating down on her back. Still inside her, he turned until his back was to the boulder, then carefully lay down so she was on his chest and cradled in his arms.
Clara was already starting to doze off when he let out a deep sigh, signaling that he’d fallen asleep holding her close, their bodies tangled together. She buried her face in his neck and snuggled against him before closing her eyes and letting herself drift away.
It was nearly an hour later when they woke up, still holding each other tight.
“I don’t think I’ve slept that well in a long time,” Clara said, standing in the sand and stretching. “We should do that more often?”
“Which part?” he teased. “Swim naked, have sex out in the open, or sleep naked in the sunshine.”
“All of it,” she said with a mischievous smile.
“Sounds good to me,” he growled, pulling her into his arms and kissing her one last time. “As much as I’d love to do this again right now, we should probably be heading back.”
“Do you need a head start?”
“For such an enlightened soul, you sure do like to talk smack,” he said with a laugh. “How about we go at the same time and I let you beat me?”
She rolled her eyes.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.”
“You do,” he said.
She blushed.
“You’re just trying to butter me up, so I let you beat me back to shore.”
Laughing, he swung her off her feet and into his arms then tossed her into the water on the opposite side of the small island before diving in and racing toward the shore. She easily overtook him then passed him and made her way across the lake. Mason wasn’t far behind her, but his strength couldn’t help him outswim her. She’d been considering making a show of almost losing, but then he’d thrown her in the water, and she knew that she couldn’t let him win after that. Mason had said before that she kept him on his toes, and she wasn’t about to stop while she was ahead. She was enjoying the chase… and enjoying being chased.
CHAPTER 12
Clara beat Mason to the shore, laughing when she stepped out of the water and saw how far behind he was.
“I thought you’d be a better swimmer,” she teased, standing naked on the shore, water dripping from her hair down her body and over her curves.
Mason’s body ached at the sight of her.
“I should pull you in again,” he teased.
She laughed, hands on hips, completely at ease with herself.
“I’d like to see you try. Shall I wait until you make it to shore, or do you plan on swimming faster at some point?”
He laughed.
“If only there were time for another round,” he said, smiling. “But I have a few things to do, and I won’t be hurried.”
When she bit her lip in response, he felt need rush through him. Her hold on his heart was stronger than ever, and with each passing day, he found himself falling harder for her. Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, but at some point, he’d stopped caring about the plan. He didn’t want Clara to leave, which meant he had to find a way to tell her what and who he was before the others started arriving in the fall. That didn’t leave him much time to ease her into it.
What if she runs away? he wondered, watching her pull the shirt over her head without bothering to put her bra back on. Wasn’t it funny that now that he didn’t want her to leave, he worried she might anyway? He was so busy trying to convince her that he was really in love with her that he hadn’t even noticed when his feelings had changed into something more. It was scary and exhilarating all at once, and feisty Clara wasn’t a woman to be messed with. If he was going to pursue her seriously, he was going to be all in. And that meant being honest about who and what he was.
When he looked up again, she was already dressed and looking around the large grassy area around the lake to see where the horses had wandered off to. She whistled when she spotted them, and without hesitation, the pair started walking back to her, heads still buried in the grass and slowing their progress.
Mason stepped out of the water, using his fingers to shake the water out of his hair.
“Would you mind handing me my pants?” he asked.
“I would mind, actually. I prefer you naked.”
“I’ve noticed. I’ll come by this evening and spend the night.”
“In my cabin?” she asked, sounding shocked.
He didn’t blame her; they’d spent most of their time at his place, where he had so many creature comforts that he sometimes forgot about the wild and untamed land just outside his window.
He smiled.
“Actually, it’s a really beautiful night, and I was thinking we could sleep under the stars.”
“That sounds amazing,” she said, tossing his jeans to him with the rest of his clothes.
“There’s this place I want to show you. It’s the only place like it on the mountain.”
“Kinda like my lake,” she said, teasing him.
“Yes, like your lake,” he conceded, knowing full w
ell that she had every intention of sharing her resources with the rest of the community. “But this place is different. It’s a warm spring where the hot spring and the cold water meet, creating the perfect natural spa.”
She closed her eyes and sighed.
“That sounds heavenly.”
“I thought you would like that. So, what do you say? I’ll come get you tonight, and we’ll check it out?”
She nodded.
“Alright. I’ll see you then.”
“It’s going to be late, so don’t hold dinner for me.”
“I understand. Do what you need to do. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
He leaned down and kissed her just as the horses finally ambled over to stand a short distance away.
“Do you need me to help get them back to your house?”
She shook her head.
“I’ll ride one and the other will follow.”
He kissed her again.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said. Then he left, taking the little trail that led through the woods and to the house.
***
Clara watched Mason go, her hand on Rain’s muzzle. She was still on cloud nine, her steps as light as air as she climbed onto the boulder and called Rain over to her. She put Rain’s bridle on, putting the other bridle over her arm so that Sunshine could follow them without the risk of stepping on the reins. She was about to climb up onto Rain’s back when something caught her eye in the tall grass, sunlight sparkling off the glass screen.
“His phone,” she said, hopping off the boulder and jogging the short distance to the phone. “It must have fallen out of his jeans when I tossed them.”
She looked up to see if he was still in sight, but he was long gone.
“I’ll see him tonight,” she said with a shrug, picking up the phone. She was about to put it in her pocket when the lock screen lit up. “What?” she said softly, reading the previewed text message so quickly she didn’t have time to avert her eyes.
She had invaded his privacy without meaning to, but now that she’d read the text, she couldn’t just let it go.
Did you get rid of that airhead yet? the text from Bethany said.