She reached past him and grabbed the bacon. “I’ll get this started.”
When she turned, he was there, smiling. “Drea, you’re an amazing woman.”
“Tell me that after you try my French toast.”
He curled his hand around her neck and kissed her, hard. When he finally let her go, she rocked back on her heels, her heart hammering.
“You could burn the damn toast and you’d still be amazing.”
She felt a blush coming on. Was she that good in bed, or was it that she was the first woman he’d been with since his wife? Could that be true?
Had he been celibate for two years?
She was getting too deep inside her head. That wasn’t good. This was a one-time thing and in the morning she’d go back to being cranky Drea from New York and he’d be the man she loved to hate.
Things would get back to normal.
“Uh, thanks,” she said, then set about searching for a pan to fry the bacon.
Ten minutes later, she flipped the French toast on the griddle while the bacon cooled on a plate. Mason came up behind her, lifted her long hair and planted tiny kisses behind her ear and along her neckline. Ever since they’d come downstairs, he’d found ways to touch and kiss her while she cooked. And each time, her heart raced and her mind flashed on how he’d made her feel upstairs in the bedroom.
“Did you set the table?” she asked softly.
“All done,” he said.
She dished up a platter of brioche French toast halves and bacon, and turned toward the table. “You’re only halfway done, Mason. You only set out one plate.”
He took the platter out of her hand, set it down and then sat in front of that one place setting. “One plate is all we’re gonna need, darlin’.”
“What are you—”
“Come here.” He grabbed her hand and guided her down onto his lap.
Her body nestled into his easily and he placed a hand on her thighs. “Comfy?”
She laughed. “Are you serious? You want me to feed you?”
“My stomach’s growling, but you get the first bite.” He lifted a strip of bacon to her mouth.
She hesitated half a second, looking into his eager eyes, then took a small bite. After chewing and swallowing, she offered a piece to him. He gobbled a big mouthful chewing with gusto like a little boy getting his first taste of candy.
“Mmm.”
“You like my bacon?” she asked.
His mouth twitched, a wicked gleam entering his eyes. “Very much.”
She caught his meaning and shook her head.
They took turns feeding each other in the dimly lit kitchen, munching on French toast and bacon in between sweet kisses until most of the food was gone. Mason’s body reacted every time she moved on his lap. His large hand held her in place as he stroked her thighs with the flat of his other palm. Her skin prickled and moisture pooled at the apex of her legs. Beneath her, Mason’s body was hard, his shaft nudging her side. Her breaths came faster now, and he caught her mouth and kissed her thoroughly until they were both breathless.
“Drea, sweetheart,” he whispered hastily, lifting her body and turning her so she straddled him on the chair.
His hands worked underneath her shirt and he tormented her unmercifully.
There was no hope for it. She gave him everything she had, and when he joined their bodies again, her release was instantaneous and damn near glorious.
And when they were through in the kitchen, Mason carried her upstairs to the bed. “The night’s not over yet,” he promised.
They still had two hours before the dawn of a new day.
* * *
Drea doodled on a pad, drawing irregular circles and juvenile-looking flowers, her mind a million miles away from her fund-raising update that would begin in ten minutes in the hospital boardroom. Her lists were all prepared, but it hadn’t been easy concentrating on the task. She had Mason Boone on the brain and she kept reliving the magical night they’d shared in California. She would probably never top those twenty-four hours. She and Mason had allowed themselves a brief interlude and made the most of it.
One night.
That’s what they’d agreed on.
She’d reminded Mason of that as they’d left the beach house two days ago. Two days of not seeing Mason by her request. She’d insisted on delegating duties and carrying them out separately. He hadn’t argued, but her gut told her Mason didn’t like it much.
It had made for a long, tense plane ride home. No touching, no teasing, no easy conversation.
And now her body ached, yearning for what was forbidden.
“Good morning, Miss MacDonald. Am I too early for the meeting?”
Her head snapped up at the sound of the female voice. She faced a pretty blonde woman dressed impeccably in a pencil skirt similar to the one she was wearing. “No, not at all. Please call me Drea. We’re all working toward the same goal here.”
“All right, Drea. Nice to meet you. I’m Linda Sullivan. I missed the initial meeting, but I’ve been briefed. I’ll be your go-to publicity person.”
“Great, we’re gonna need you. Our financial goal is lofty, but I think we can do it. Are you on the hospital staff?”
“Oh no. I don’t have a medical background. I work for Boone Inc. Mason Boone sent me over to help out.”
“Oh, so he’s not coming?” A dose of relief washed over her.
“That I don’t know. He told me about your incredible idea to raffle off a date with the singer from The Band Blue. I’ve been working behind the scenes and have already contacted their agent. We’re putting our heads together on some ideas.”
“Okay, great. Sean is a great kid and so are the other band members. We’re lucky to have them. So I’m hoping we can make this happen seamlessly.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said.
“Is Mason your boss?”
“I work for all three of the Boones, but mostly for Mason. Risk does some traveling for the company and Lucas was just recently discharged from the military. He’s working his way back into the family business, I guess. Mason is pretty awesome to work for.”
Drea tilted her head. “How so?”
Linda shrugged. “He’s...nice. Not just to me, but to everyone in the office. You know, he seems to really care about his employees.”
“Does he?” She sounded skeptical and Linda gave her a funny look.
“Sure he does. When my mama took ill, he gave me all the time off I needed and then called me once a week to make sure I was okay.”
Drea didn’t want to hear this. She didn’t want Linda’s hero-worship of her boss to sway her opinion of the Boones. Especially Mason. “I’m sorry to hear your mom was ill.”
“She’s recovered now and living a good life again.”
“I’m glad.”
The committee members and volunteers began filing into the conference room, greeting Drea as they took their seats. Once they were settled, she rose to address them.
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for coming. I’m pleased to say that because of all of your hard work, the fund-raising event is shaping up nicely. We’re right on target and things are really coming together. I’m thrilled that The Band Blue has agreed to be a part of the festivities, with an added bonus. We’ll be raffling off a dream date with Sean Manfred, the lead singer of the band, to one lucky fan. We’re hoping this will spark more interest and bring in more revenue for the hospital.”
She spoke to the volunteers in charge of the game booths and the art auction, and introduced Linda Sullivan to everyone. Linda stood up and spoke about her ideas, all of which were right on target, and then Drea took the floor again. She went over her to-do lists and was just finishing up when Mason walked through the door, holding a poster board.
Their eyes met, and she froze
inside. He smiled at her, a dazzler that revealed his dimples, then apologized to everyone for being late and interrupting. Mason took a place beside her at the front of the room, and the slight hint of his cologne immediately filled her personal space. Breathing it in jarred a memory of being naked with him, losing her inhibitions and giving herself so freely. My goodness, she’d never done anything as wildly erotic as making love to a man on a kitchen chair before. It had been thrilling. Her body heated at the memory and she reined herself in from the rampant thoughts totally unfit for the boardroom.
“It appears Mr. Boone has something to share with us, so I’ll let him have the floor now.”
Mason turned to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes again for fear the entire boardroom would see something she was dead set on concealing. She immediately took her seat.
“Thank you, Miss MacDonald.”
She only half listened as he showed the volunteers a detailed mock-up of the grounds at Rising Springs, where everything would take place, from the pony rides and game booths to the art auction and dinner. He was impressive, but she already knew that firsthand.
When he was done with his presentation, he answered questions about the ranch and how it would all work. The dream date raffle also drew enthusiastic praise from the group.
Once the meeting concluded, Drea made quick work of gathering up her notes. When she heard laughter coming from the other side of the room, she looked up. Mason and Linda were chuckling about something they thought dreadfully funny, and sudden sharp pangs stole into her heart. It wasn’t easy seeing the two of them smiling at each other, seeing Linda’s gleaming eyes fixed on Mason. It was obvious she thought the world of him.
Drea grabbed her briefcase and moved toward the door.
“Drea, hang on a sec. I need to discuss something with you,” Mason called out in his deep baritone.
She turned to find both of them looking at her. “I’ll be in touch, Drea. Bye for now,” Linda said, giving her a little wave.
“Goodbye, Linda.”
When the woman exited and closed the door behind her, Drea was left alone in the room with Mason. He walked over to her. “Where are you running off to?” he asked.
“I’m a little busy today,” she said.
“Too busy to say hello?”
“Hello,” she said softly.
He didn’t find her joke funny. His eyes were on her, that dreamy, deep dark gaze latching on. He smelled delicious and looked even more so. She backed up a step.
“I’ve been thinking about you,” he said. “How are you?”
“Fine. Busy, like I said,” she blurted.
“Actually, I can’t stop thinking about you. Have you been thinking about me, Drea?”
“No.”
He gave her a crooked smile. “Liar.”
Mason was so confident; he would never believe he hadn’t left an impression. And she would have a difficult time denying it. “This isn’t the place,” she said, as forcefully as she could.
“Name the place, Drea. And I’ll be there.”
Oh God. No. No. “We can’t, Mason. We said one night.”
“Maybe we were wrong. Maybe we need more than one night.”
His hand came up to her face and he stroked her cheek. His touch warmed everything cold inside and now she couldn’t look away, couldn’t stop staring at him. “Go away,” she whispered.
“I can’t,” he said, stepping closer, cupping her face in his palm.
“I don’t like you,” she said, so quietly she could barely hear herself.
“I know. But you like the way I make you feel.”
And he liked how she made him feel alive and vital again. Though he hadn’t mentioned it since the very first kiss, she understood his attraction to her. He’d been dead inside, deeply grieving the loss of his family, a heartbroken man in pain. She’d been the one to wake him up to pleasure again, and of course he wanted more. His body was obviously craving life and lust again.
But could the same be true of her? Was having a satisfying sexual relationship good for her, too?
It sure felt that way when she was with him.
“Drea, you’re thinking about it.”
“I’m...not. I need to go.”
He dropped his hand from her face and immediate disappointment set in. What was wrong with her? Deep down she understood this wouldn’t end well, so shouldn’t she be relieved that he let her go?
He was messing with her head, confusing her.
“You can’t avoid me forever,” he said.
“I know that. We’ve got a common work goal. It’s important to remember that.”
“I haven’t forgotten the good we can do for the community.” He focused on her mouth and then quickly swept his gaze over the rest of her body. It was enough to send shivers along her spine and quicken her pulse. “We’re capable of separating the two, Drea.”
“I’m not so sure of that.” He had no idea what he was asking of her. He had no idea of her pain and suffering. She had too much pride to tell him what she’d gone through. She hadn’t trusted anyone with her secret, and Mason was the last person on earth she’d tell.
“Maybe I’m sure enough for both of us.”
She glanced at his mouth, recalling what those lips had done to her, how expertly he’d kissed her, and the memory caught her off guard. Her mask of indifference crumbled and she felt completely exposed.
“Drea, sweetheart.” He took her hand and pulled gently until she was encircled in his arms, pressed against his chest. Then he kissed her thoroughly, devouring her lips as if he were starving. The kiss ended too quickly, yet both of them were completely breathless. Mason smiled at her, satisfaction in his expression as if to say he’d been right. They needed more time, more nights.
Maybe they did. Maybe Mason was right but it scared her and she had to end it now. “I’d better go.” This was not what she’d expected when she’d come home to Boone Springs. Mason was changing all the rules and confusing her. It wasn’t fair.
“I’ll see you soon, Drea,” Mason said confidently.
Oh no, he wouldn’t. Not if she could help it.
* * *
“Dad, next time please ask me before you accept a dinner invitation from the Boones. I was planning on working late tonight.” And the last person she wanted to see socially was Mason. They’d had their day and night, and now it was over, but she couldn’t tell her father that.
Drea muttered under her breath as she and her father walked up the path to the Boone mansion. When she’d seen Mason as the hospital earlier, he didn’t say a word about dinner, yet he must’ve known.
“I thought you’d want to spend more time with Lottie. Lord above, Drea. Can’t I do anything right?”
Drea’s shoulders fell. She had been hard on her dad for years, and she’d never accepted his acceptance of losing Thundering Hills to the Boones. Why hadn’t he fought harder to save their home? “Yeah, Dad, you can. You do.” He’d made a supreme effort to win her over since she’d been home. She shouldn’t take out her bad mood on him. He had no idea what Mason had put her through, back then and...now.
She couldn’t fault Mason for now; she took full responsibility for spending the night with him. It had been her own once-in-a-lifetime guilty pleasure, and now she was trying desperately, and without much success, to put that all behind her. “I’m just... Never mind.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry...about everything,” her dad said.
His tone was heart-wrenching.
She didn’t mean to sound like a scrooge. And none of this was really his fault. It was hers, for caving in and letting Mason upend her life the way he had. “No, I’m sorry, Dad. I guess I’m stressed about the job. And yes, of course I want to spend time with Lottie. Let’s just go and have a nice time tonight.” She slipped her arm
through his and smiled. “Okay?”
He hesitated a moment, then gave her a nod and a smile back. He seemed relieved and that was all she could ask for at the moment. “Sounds good to me.”
Her father looked really nice tonight. He’d never had a smoother shave, his silvery hair was newly cut and tidy, and he’d put on a crisp button-down shirt and pair of slacks for the occasion. On his head was his ever present tan Stetson.
He rang the doorbell and a few moments later Lottie appeared, wearing an apron tied around her waist over a lovely rose silk blouse and skirt, her blond hair touching her shoulders. Drea heard a sudden noise: a quiet intake of breath from her father as he removed his hat.
“Welcome, you two,” Lottie said, opening her arms to Drea. “You come here and let me give you a big hug.”
Drea laughed and stepped forward, immediately cocooned in Lottie’s brand of motherly love. She closed her eyes and hugged back. Only Lottie could make her feel this way, as if she was loved unconditionally. “So good to see you again, Lottie. You look wonderful.”
“Thank you. Same here, sweetheart.”
Her father remained stonily quiet.
“Hello, Drew.”
“Lottie.”
Drea wanted to roll her eyes at the two of them, but whatever it was between them they’d have to work out on their own.
“Please come in. Everyone is here.”
Lottie led them into the main drawing room, where all three Boone brothers were conversing. Lucas and Risk leaned against the river rock fireplace mantel, and Mason immediately stood up from his chair as they walked in.
His gaze latched on to her and she felt the burn from across the room. Suddenly all the intimate things they’d done to each other were up front and center in her mind. It was as if Mason owned her, at least a little bit, because of what they’d shared. How they’d been with each other.
But she’d had too many years of crushing on him as a young girl and then too many years of hating him as an adult. She was tired of being owned by Mason. Tired of letting him have that much power over her.
She aimed her greeting at Mason’s brothers, the other culprits of the Boone clan.
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