Texan for the Taking

by Charlene Sands

  “What time is it?”

  “Eleven thirty.”

  “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize how late it was.” Sean had asked them to stay for the final song of the night, when the band joined the headliner, Rusty Bonner, and Drea had been happy to agree. “Can we get a hotel at this hour?”

  “We could try. But the beach house is twenty minutes from here. We could be there faster than trying to find rooms on a Saturday night.”

  Drea eyed him carefully.

  “There’s five bedrooms, Drea. You can sleep downstairs and I’ll—”

  “I get it.” She wasn’t worried. The house was enormous, and all she wanted to do was plop her head on a pillow and get some sleep. It had been a long day. “It would be cool to wake up in the morning at the beach.”

  Mason nodded and they took off immediately. The drive to the house was traffic free. When they got there, he parked the car and grabbed their bags. They entered the house quietly; the gentle roar of the ocean was the only sound in Drea’s ears. She welcomed the peace and quiet.

  “Pick a room down here,” he said. “I’ll check things out before turning in upstairs.” Their eyes met. Mason hesitated briefly, as if he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it. “Good night, Drea.”

  “Night,” she said. “See you in the morning.”

  Drea entered a bedroom decorated in dove blues and grays, the furniture sleek and modern with sharp lines. The contemporary feel of the place was so different from anything Mason Boone was accustomed to in Texas. She had a hard time picturing him being happy here. There was too much Texan in his bones.

  She unpacked her bag, taking out fresh underwear and her nightie, and walked into the bathroom. What had she been thinking, bringing her finest lingerie on this business trip? She chuckled at the absurdity. After that kiss today on this very beach, Drea knew better. The kiss had only reinforced her resolve to steer clear of Mason. As soon as she was back on Texas soil, her focus would be on the fund-raiser, and not on Mason’s swoon-worthy body and masterful kisses.

  After undressing, she showered quickly. Then she dabbed herself dry with an ultrasoft towel, donned her sage nightie and crawled into bed.

  Pure heaven.

  Closing her eyes, she sank down into the comfy mattress and settled in.

  Minutes later, a piercing alarm brought her head up from a sound sleep. She glanced at her surroundings, disoriented, until she finally remembered where she was. The alarm rang louder, more urgently.

  “It’s okay, Drea,” she heard Mason call over the deafening noise.

  She rose and opened her door just as she heard a crash in the other room. “Ow! Damn it.”

  “Mason?” She ran into the living room and found a shadowy form pushing up from the floor, then hopping on one foot. “What on earth?”

  “Hang on a second,” he shouted above the blaring alarm. He limped over to the hallway wall and punched a code into the security system. The harsh ringing immediately stopped. Turning, he explained. “Sorry. I, uh, couldn’t sleep and decided to get some air. I forgot I’d set the alarm and when I ran inside to shut it off, I knocked over a lamp.”

  “Are you hurt?” she whispered.

  “Just my pride,” he said.

  In the darkness she could barely make him out.

  “Let me take a look.” She found a light switch and clicked it on. When she turned back to Mason, the expression on his face faltered as he looked her up and down. His mouth dropped open and a fiery heat filled his eyes.

  “Holy hell, Drea,” he rasped.

  Oh yeah, her slinky nightie.

  He cleared his throat. “Is that what you wear to bed?”

  His chest was bare, his pants dipping well below his waist. She swallowed, her heart racing, his hard body disturbing her sanity.

  “No, I, uh...yes. Sometimes.”

  “Sometimes, meaning when you’re on a business trip with me?”

  “Don’t flatter yourself.”

  “I’m not. I’m...grateful.”

  “I just grabbed the first thing I found.” What a lie. “Let’s just forget about this.”

  “Don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”

  She closed her eyes. She was drawn to him in inexplicable ways, and right now her body was calling the shots. Seeing that look in his eyes wrecked her good sense. She spun around. She couldn’t submit to him. She hated him. She...she didn’t want him or anything to do with the Boones.

  “Don’t go, Drea.”

  She squeezed her eyes tighter. Her feet wouldn’t move. “This isn’t going to work,” she murmured. She couldn’t possibly cave, not after all that had happened—or rather, hadn’t happened—between them years ago, all that had changed the path of her life.

  “We have the night. One night, Drea. Here. You and me.”

  “There is no you and me.”

  “There could be.”

  “Mason, we can’t do this. There are things you don’t know. Things that make this impossible.” Why was he being so persistent? Why wouldn’t he just let her go? Maybe for the same reason she’d packed her sexiest nightie for this trip. Maybe there was something that needed finishing.

  “All I see are possibilities tonight.”

  He was pleading his case, countering every one of her refusals. It was hard saying no to him. Not when her body cried out for him. To know Mason that way one time. Would that be a punishable crime?

  She pivoted around slowly and Mason was there, in front of her, his eyes raking her in as if he’d already touched her. As if he was making love to her with his deep dark gaze.

  Just once. Just once. Maybe she needed to finish this.

  Yet she wanted to scream at the injustice. She hated him more because she wanted him.

  * * *

  Mason knew the exact moment Drea decided their destiny tonight. It was in the sudden release of tension in her shoulders, the parting of her sweet lips, the tiny, almost imperceptible nod of her head.

  He reached for her hand. “Come with me.”

  “Where?” she whispered.

  “Upstairs.”

  Without another word, she took his hand and he led her up the staircase to the room he’d chosen to sleep in. The bed was massive, but that wasn’t why this space spoke to him. He’d slept in big beds before, but never one with a wall-to-wall window looking out to the ocean and a big beautiful moon. It was as exquisite as a painting. And to have Drea here, set against this stunning backdrop, only heightened the moment, heightened his arousal, made him ache for her. “You’re beautiful, Drea.”

  She looked away, out the window to the seascape. She was still unsure.

  “Just one night,” he promised. He couldn’t take anything more. His heart wasn’t healed yet and he didn’t know if it would ever be. But Drea woke something in him and he couldn’t let it go. He couldn’t stop what was about to happen between them.

  Taking her hand, he placed it flat on his chest, right over his heart. Her body trembled and her lips quivered.

  Was she remembering the last time they’d been like this? Ready to make love, until his brain finally clicked in. It seemed like a lifetime ago. He’d wanted her then, but she’d been young and pure, a virgin, and Drew’s daughter.

  Tonight was different. She was no longer that young, insecure girl who’d needed affection, who’d needed to feel loved. Drea was all woman, decisive, someone who knew what she wanted. Even though she was reluctant, she would have walked out the door if she truly didn’t want to be here with him.

  Right now her sweet palm was on his skin and he burned for her touch. He had been empty for so long, but Drea was filling him up, making him overflow with need.

  No other woman had done that to him. Not since Larissa.

  Tomorrow he might regret this encounter. Tomorrow they’d have to forget all
about this and go back to working on the fund-raiser. But not now. Tonight was about the two of them finally coming together.

  Just once.

  Her fingers glided over his chest. He sucked in oxygen and moved closer to her, giving her better access to his body. “Oh man, Drea.”

  She put her lips to his chest and her lustrous black hair fell forward. He spread his fingers through the strands as Drea’s mouth skimmed over him, licking, kissing, gently, timidly.

  She was driving him insane.

  He tipped her chin up and brought his mouth down, tasting her sweetness. Her lips were soft and plump, and deserved to be ravaged.

  A tiny moan escaped her throat, proof that she wanted things to move faster. His body was on fire and each kiss brought them closer and closer to...more.

  All he could think about was getting her naked and touching every single part of her. “I’m glad you wore this,” he murmured, slipping a finger under one strap of her sexy gown.

  “Why?” she asked, sounding innocent.

  “Because I’m dying to take it off you.”

  “Mason?”

  He lowered the strap all the way down her arm, then did the same to the other, allowing. her gorgeous, perfectly rounded breasts to pop free. It was suddenly hard for him to breathe. “Wow.”

  She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck, causing all that beautiful softness to crash into his chest. His skin burned hot where her nipples pressed against him, and he struggled for control. He kissed her once more, then moved her back against the window and undressed her, removing the flimsy garment carefully.

  “You’ve got it off me,” she whispered. “Now what are you going to do with me?”

  “Are you kidding me, sweetheart? What am I not gonna do with you?”

  “Hmm. I like the sound of—”

  He brushed his mouth over hers again, impatient and yearning to touch her. Then he whipped her around so that she faced the window, her back to him, and cupped her breasts in his palms, stroking her again and again. He kissed the nape of her neck and watched her reflection in the window as she opened her mouth to gasp, to smile, then squeezed her eyes shut at the pleasure. His thumb flicked one rosy peak, then the other, and she squirmed in his tight hold. “Drea, open your eyes and look out. It’s—”

  “Stunning.” She gazed out at the glistening water, and then her eyes met his in the reflection from the window. “You’re a devil,” she whispered, fully aware now that he’d been watching her. “I’ve never...” She didn’t finish her thought, but she wasn’t backing off, wasn’t angry. Instead, there was awe in her voice.

  “Don’t close your eyes, Drea. Try to keep them open.”

  She nodded, the back of her head gently knocking into him.

  He rained kisses along her shoulder blade and then slid his palm down her torso, leaving the comfort of her beautiful breasts, seeking another comfort below her waist.

  She jumped when he touched her there. “You okay?” he asked.

  “Oh, I’m perfect,” she murmured, meeting his gaze again in the window, her eyes smoky.

  “I can’t disagree, darlin’.”

  And then he began a slow deliberate stroking, eliciting whimpering moans from her. She was so ready, so willing, and he wanted to go on making love to her this way.

  In just a matter of minutes, she came apart, and he witnessed the pleasure on her face, knowing full well he’d given that to her.

  She turned around and fell into his arms. He clasped her to him and held on tight. It seemed so natural with her, like it was meant to be.

  Then he lifted her up and carried her to the bed.

  The night was just beginning.

  Five

  Drea lay on the bed, not quite believing what had just happened with Mason. It was so much more than she’d expected. Now she had to face her new reality: she’d just given in to the enemy and liked it. How monumental was that? And how did she feel about Mason now?

  He stood by the bed, his eyes dark, bold and dangerous, totally wiping out her long-ago fantasies of him. He was better than anything her young mind could’ve conjured up. But back then, it had been about more than sex. Then, it had been about love.

  Mason unzipped his pants and pulled them down, never once looking away from her.

  A lump formed in her throat. Her body immediately revved up again when she saw him fully unclothed for the first time. All that bronzed skin and muscle. Below the waist, he was pretty awesome, too. He caught her eyeballing him and smiled, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t a kid anymore. She knew lust and desire, and if this was her only night with Mason Boone, she wasn’t going to hold back. “Come to bed,” she demanded.

  “Bossy,” he said with a wide, gorgeous grin. “Are you always like this in bed?”

  She chewed on her lower lip and went for the truth. “I’m never this way...in bed.”

  “Then I think I like it.”

  He placed one knee on the bed and the mattress dipped. The reality of what was happening hit her, but she focused her attention on him, his masculine beauty, this drop-dead handsome guy covering her body with his.

  Every touch, every caress was thought out, meant to bring them both the greatest amount of pleasure. He played the boss game with her, asking her what next, what did she want from him, and he obliged, but deep down she knew Mason wasn’t a pushover. He was in full control at all times. And secretly, it turned her on even more.

  She wanted to think of this as an impulsive, quick encounter, one they’d both probably come to regret later on, but there was nothing impulsive about the way Mason made love to her. He was slow and deliberate and knew exactly how to make her cry out, how to make her want more, how to make her forget everything but what was happening right now.

  “Tell me when you’re ready,” he murmured against her throat.

  “I’m ready,” she blurted.

  He pressed a kiss to her mouth. His face was a picture of sheer lust and promise.

  “Hang on, darlin’,” he said, leaning over the bed. He rummaged through his pants pocket and came up with protection.

  “Do you always bring those with you?” she teased, watching him rip open the packet.

  “I grabbed them at the last minute,” he said. “Sorta like how you brought along that slinky piece of fluff you were wearing tonight.”

  She smiled. Wasn’t he clever. “How many did you bring?”

  “Three.” And then he was settling over her body, laying claim, joining them together in a hot flurry of lust and craving.

  * * *

  Drea lay in the crook of Mason’s arm, her head resting on his shoulder, her body drained, all her energy spent. She didn’t know how long she’d been resting against him. She must’ve dozed off for a time. Clouds partially covered the moon now and through light and shadows she saw the steady rise and fall of his chest.

  She considered going downstairs to sleep in her designated bed, because somehow, sleeping like this with him seemed far too intimate. Yes, they’d taken liberties with each other tonight, but that was about sex. And this was about intimacy and closeness.

  She still didn’t know Mason any better than she had before.

  Except to say he was better than good in the sack.

  Her decision made, she slowly backed off, slinking away from the warmth of his arms.

  But he pulled her closer. “Drea, where are you going?”

  “To...to my own bed.”

  He sat up then, and urged her to do the same. She kept a sheet around her nude body, covering her to the neck. His eyes dipped there and he frowned slightly.

  “Why?”

  “Because...it’s for the best.”

  “You know what’s best? Getting something to eat. I’m starving,” he said. “You must be hungry, too.”

  Now that she though
t about it, they really hadn’t had much of anything to eat since having lunch at Big Fish. “I am a little bit hungry.”

  “Missy keeps the fridge semistocked.”

  “We can’t just eat her food.”

  “Sure we can. I’ll replace everything. I owe her for the busted lamp, too.”

  Mason swung his legs over the bed and stood up. He wasn’t shy, that was for sure. She had a great view of his backside as he slipped on his pants. He grabbed his shirt and stepped around her side of the bed to hand it to her. “Come on, Drea. The night’s not over yet. Let’s raid the fridge.”

  According to the digital clock on the nightstand, it was 2:15, the middle of the night, for heaven’s sake. But Mason bent his head and kissed her softly on the lips, and her arguments dissolved. There was still some time left before this magical night would end. “Turn around.”

  His brows shot up. “You’re kidding, right?”

  He had a point. There wasn’t any part of her body he hadn’t caressed or kissed, so she shouldn’t be shy with him. “I’m not kidding.”

  He didn’t argue as he turned away from her, which gained him a brownie point. She rose and slipped on his shirt; it almost reached her knees. Her fingers quickly worked the buttons all the way up to her throat. “Okay.”

  He turned and nodded. “Cute.” He took her hand in his and they went down the stairs together, bumping bodies in the dark and chuckling about it.

  Once in the kitchen, they set the dimmer switch to soft lighting. Mason opened the fridge and she peeked around him to see inside.

  “Eggs, bacon, bread, milk,” he said.

  “Do you like French toast?”

  He looked back at her. “You willing to make it?”

  “I am. I might cook up some bacon, too.”

  “I didn’t think this night could get any better,” he said. He sounded serious and his tone sent shivers through her body. He wasn’t teasing. He wasn’t making a joke. So far it had been a pretty spectacular day and night, yet everything about it scared her silly.