by Kendall Ryan
“I think I can manage that, Mason,” Mandy said. “I’m guessing it’s for a surprise?”
“It is.”
“Well, have fun and don’t let my girl tell you no. She can be stubborn.”
Relief shot through me at her words, but I was only halfway to the goal line. I still had no idea if my Hail Mary for a touchdown was going to backfire or win Bren over.
“I won’t.” I hung up the phone, then glanced at Trent. “I can reschedule my next couple days of appointments, but other than that, you’re sure you can handle things here?”
He nodded. “I’ll hold down the fort. Just text me your itinerary when you have one so I know when you’ll be back.”
The phone in my pocket chimed and I dug it out to find a response from Bren.
“Can’t. Work tonight.”
I typed back a rapid reply:
“Not anymore. Bring clothes for warm weather.”
I could tell she read my response and when she didn’t reply for five minutes, I launched into action. Might as well take that as a yes.
The next hour was a rush of buying luggage and tickets, along with reserving a last-minute villa, but when I finally arrived at Bren’s door an hour later, it was with a deep sense of satisfaction. This was going to work. I had no doubt about that. I just had to get Bren to see it, too.
I knocked on the door and it flew open without warning. Bren stood facing me, her arms crossing over her slender frame, and I smiled as I took in her pretty purple sundress.
“Ready to go?” I asked.
“You called my boss?” she asked, her gaze wary.
“Yes, but it was important. And I have a gift for you to make up for it.” I grabbed the tiny pink bag with matching pink tissue paper and held it out for her to take. For a moment, she eyed it with suspicion, then took it and dug past the tissue paper to pull out a navy bikini with a jeweled design near each of the hips.
“A bikini?” she said.
“For our trip. Now tell me you pulled out clothes. I got you a suitcase, too.”
I walked past her into the house, then stalked into her bedroom to find a small pile of clothing on the bed.
“Laundry or luggage?” I asked.
“Uh, luggage. But I’m not sure—”
“We need to get away from everything for a little while. I’ll admit that my idea was dumb, but we need to recalculate and start fresh. I got a private villa in the Cayman Islands for the next few days and everything has been arranged. Our plane is waiting and everything is set. All you need to do is say yes, Bren. Say yes to taking a chance. With me.”
She blinked at me, the bikini dangling from her hand. And then her wide, round eyes were even rounder. “You planned all this? Even though we’re not…”
She didn’t have to say the last word and let it fall unspoken between us. We both knew what it was.
“I planned everything because I meant what I said. You make me happy. Baby or no baby. And if you ask me, it’s the perfect time to grab our bathing suits and get out of this miserable weather.”
The rain tapped against her windows as I spoke, and she glanced to look at the storm outside before nodding and turning shining eyes toward me. “Okay. Yes. Yes, I’ll go away with you.”
Together we packed her things then made our way to the airport.
It was a rush to make it through security and to our gate, but once we were safely on the plane and in the air, Bren turned to me, her cheeks pink.
“So, what do you have planned for when we get there?”
“I think we need to get back to basics. Do things right this time.”
“You mean you’re going to meet me all over again?” she asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe. You want to pretend we’re two strangers who happened to book the same house overnight and we’ve got only one bed to share?”
“I like the idea of only having one bed.” Her eyes danced with excitement and a rush of need shot through me.
Fuck me, this might actually work.
I made a mental note to send Trent a beer-of-the-month-club membership.
“Me, too,” I said, then brushed her cheek with my hand as I leaned in for a slow, soft kiss. “Nice to meet you, Ashley Brennan Matthews.”
“Nice to meet you, Mason…some middle name Bentley,” she said.
I laughed. “Andrew.”
“Mason Andrew. I like it.” She gave me an approving nod.
“There’s something I want to tell you,” she said, voice going softer.
“You can tell me anything, you know that.”
She nodded, and took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever was on her mind. “I should have told you a long time ago. We lost my dad when I was sixteen...”
I reached out and took her hand, rubbing gentle circles on the back of her knuckles. I hadn’t expected her to choose this moment to finally open up, but I was grateful she was letting me in.
“I’m so sorry. Cancer?”
She nodded. I felt like a fool about all those times I’d told her about my mom—my mom had won her battle while Bren’s dad hadn’t. I imagined how hard that must have been for her to sit and listen to my stories. No wonder she’d chosen to remain silent and stoic.
I held her hand through the entire conversation, listening attentively and even wiping away the stray tear that escaped and tumbled down her cheek at one point. When it was done, she seemed so relieved, like maybe I could shoulder some of the burden that had been weighing her down for so many years. We didn't talk for a long time after that, I just continued holding her hand, and stroking her fingers with mine.
Then she leaned her head on my shoulder and we put on our headphones, both of us settling in to watch the in-flight movie before falling asleep.
When we arrived, it took a solid hour to get to our villa, since it was secluded from the other, more tourist-friendly hotels. It was a little house that sat on the white sandy shore, with an outdoor hot tub, pool, and shower inviting us to enjoy the gorgeous sunset.
Me and Bren, alone.
Like in my apartment, there were wide glass windows that looked out on the rolling ocean, and when I led her into the little loft-style room inside, she sucked in a breath.
“What?” I asked.
She shook her head. “It’s just so beautiful. I couldn’t have imagined anything like this. I mean, one minute I was just getting ready for work and the next I’m here. Tell me, do you plan to make a habit of this?”
“What?”
Her eyes softened. “Turning my whole world upside down in the best possible way.”
“If you’ll let me,” I said, the last of the ice that had been building in my chest since the night before melting.
“Good.” She nodded. “I want you to.”
As Bren unpacked, I made us some drinks from the items I’d ordered ahead, then pulled the fresh fish from the fridge and started the grill.
“You might not have needed the bikini,” I said. “This place is pretty secluded.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said as she stepped into the kitchen in her tiny navy swimsuit. She took her drink from my outstretched hand, then said, “Let’s wait on the fish. Let’s just go watch the sunset, okay?”
“Okay.” I nodded, then followed her out onto the deck, taking a seat beside her on the swinging bench.
“This was romantic of you, you know that?”
“I’m glad you like it,” I told her, and as I looked at her in the fading evening light, I felt like she still deserved more. Everything I could give her would never be enough. Baby or no, the warm swell I felt in my chest when I looked at Bren made me understand one thing—I was going to do my damnedest to make this work.
Come hell or high water.
Chapter Twenty-One
Bren
“What an amazing day.” I let out a groan and dropped onto the bed, my muscles sore and legs trembling.
“You killed it on that hike. I was impressed.” Mason sat down
on the mattress beside me, smiling down at me.
We’d just spent the day hiking in the beautiful Crystal Caves, and then followed it up with paddle-boarding in the Caribbean.
It had been exhilarating, and I’d been amazed to see how well our personalities meshed. From the moment we’d arrived in paradise, Mason and I had been on the same page with every decision. Skip breakfast and grab coffee to go or sit down for a leisurely brunch? Nap or go for a walk on the beach? It was nice to see how well we got along, how easy he was to be with.
I also got to see how he handled challenges. Like when we got to the rental car counter and found that they’d messed up his reservation, and didn’t have any available cars for the next three hours. For a moment there, my heart had sunk. He’d tried to pull together the perfect weekend and we’d only just landed when already something was going wrong. I took a deep breath, turning to watch how Mason would react. But rather than blowing his cool, he rolled with it. He arranged for us to get a ride to our rental house and negotiated for an upgraded car to be dropped off to us later. The memory made me smile.
“What’s next on the agenda?” I asked, almost afraid to hear what he might say. All this touring paradise and I was exhausted.
“Hmm.” Mason reached out, rubbing my shoulders. “You look a little flushed from all that activity today. Do you want a nap?”
I shook my head. I wasn’t sleepy. “Maybe just something low-key.”
“I’m thinking we go cool off in the pool with a frozen drink. You in?”
My mouth lifted in a smile. “It’s like you can read my mind.”
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my mouth. “You’re perfect.”
He’d told me that so many times, I was starting to believe him. Wrapping my hands around his neck, I pulled him in for another kiss. “Thank you for all of this.”
He met my gaze, and his eyes softened. “It’s not just me—you’re feeling this, right?”
“This?” I challenged, smirking at him. Wasn’t it the common joke that men couldn’t talk about their feelings? For Mason and me, that was reversed. He was so open and loving, and I was the guarded one.
He took my hand and pressed it over his heart. “Yes. This. Everything that’s developing between us.”
The steady thump of his heart under my palm sped up. I nodded. “It’s been fast, but yes, I’m very much feeling this.”
In that moment, I sensed that he wanted to say more, maybe even the L-word. His eyes already revealed what his lips held back. But the only thing that scared me was how badly I wanted to say it back to him.
With one last kiss pressed to my forehead, Mason rose to his feet. “Go get changed into your swimsuit and I’ll make a batch of piña coladas.”
“You’re perfect,” I murmured.
“Careful now, Bren. Don’t you go falling in love with me.” He shot a wide grin over his shoulder.
“Why, Dr. Bentley. Would that be a problem for you?” Part of me couldn’t believe the boldness of my words, but the other part of me? The one that wanted to be rash and brazen and emotional? She had already fallen for him. That day when he delivered prenatal vitamins to me. Even more so when he stuck by me even after finding out I wasn’t pregnant. Most guys would have cut and run, relieved at the idea of not being tied down with a kid. But not Mason.
His expression turned more serious, his eyes blazing on mine. “Not for me. Just be ready to give me forever.”
Then his tight ass was retreating toward the kitchen, and I lay there, my heart pounding.
We might not have been brave enough to say those three little words yet, but I knew in my heart what I felt—overwhelming love—like I never thought I’d experience.
The man was gifted in the bedroom, he cooked, and was even-tempered, sweet, romantic, and passionate about his work delivering babies. Plus he got my love for animals. Not only that, he accepted my crazy fear of commitment, giving me the space I needed to close the gap between us all on my own.
I was falling hard and fast, and I didn’t want to stop.
Heaving myself up off the bed moments later, I snatched my swimsuit from the open suitcase at the foot of the bed and headed for the bathroom.
When I got into the bathroom to change, my smile fell. Just perfect. I’d started my period. Of all the days for this to happen? On vacation…really, universe? I felt like giving my uterus the middle finger, but little good it would do me now. After changing, I grabbed my purse from the table and darted back inside the bathroom. I always kept an emergency stash of supplies in my purse, but that wouldn’t be enough to get me through. I’d need to find a store later.
As I took a moment to compose myself, the reality of the situation suddenly hit me. I was thirty years old, soon to be thirty-one, having irregular, spotty periods. My doctor had once mentioned that a women’s fertility past age thirty wasn’t something to trifle with.
I couldn’t help noticing that my hands shook as I washed them. Something I’d never given much thought to—the desire to have a baby, to give a baby to this perfect man who I was falling in love with—suddenly felt very important. Mason wanted kids one day. What if I couldn’t…? Would he still want me? I would never want to make him feel like he had to be with me if I couldn’t be a mother.
I had to make the best of our remaining days, and then I needed to get myself to the doctor and pray everything would be okay.
Forcing a deep breath into my lungs, I tied on my swimsuit and fastened my hair into a ponytail.
“Mace?” I called, stepping out into the hallway. “Change of plans.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mason
The convenience store was about the same size as a supply closet, though it offered even less selection than one. I walked inside and looked at the overpriced toiletries, then hastily grabbed what I needed and made my way to the counter in short order.
Behind the register, a young guy fiddled with his phone and he looked up as I approached.
“What’s up, bro?” he said with a smile.
“Just needed to grab something,” I told him, then set the box of tampons on the counter.
“Lady troubles, huh?” he asked, scanning the bright pink box.
I gritted a tight smile and the fool laughed.
“You must really love her if you’re coming out here to buy her these,” the kid joked. I just stared at him, waiting for him to hand me my bag. When he did, I forked over my cash, then headed back outside, suddenly all too aware of the guy’s voice still playing in my head.
“You must really love her.”
I, of course, was doing what any grown man should do in my situation, but the words still seemed to ring true. It wasn’t a pipe dream or bullshit based on my parents’ relationship. Not anymore.
I loved Bren.
I really did.
I loved the way she smiled and the way she laughed. I loved the way her face went blank when she was surprised. I even liked how she made me work to get beneath her hard outer-shell. The way she made a person feel like, if she was telling you something, it was because she’d decided you were one of the few people worthy of her trust. She was sensual and her body responded to my touch like no other. She was gorgeous, too. But then even that didn’t matter to me much.
Without the baby, without the rest of the world, still all I wanted was her.
I rushed to the villa, determined not to scare her away with my big announcement but just as determined to show her how I felt. When I got there, I found her lounging on the beach in nothing but her bikini. The smooth, flat plane of her white stomach practically shone in the sun, and I dropped off the bag on the patio before making my way toward her.
“Got your supplies,” I gestured toward the convenience store bag as I approached.
Bren chuckled. “I’m covered for now. But thank you.”
“You’re ridiculously beautiful, do you know that?” I asked, and she smiled up at me, her sunglasses covering the light in her eyes.<
br />
“What’s got you in such a good mood?” she asked, and I sank to my knees beside her.
“You.” I tucked a piece of her golden hair behind her ear. “Always you.”
Her smile softened and I leaned over to kiss her, hoping to show her all the feelings that had overwhelmed me on the way here. In every push and pull of our mouths, I wanted her to know that I needed her, that she was everything to me.
“I want you,” she murmured.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
She nodded.
“So have me.”
Her tongue swept out to coax mine, and I savored every stroke. Weaving my fingers in the silky strands of her hair, I moved to cup the back of her neck, losing myself in the feel of her lips as she kissed me.
Slowly I worked the buttons of my shirt until I shrugged it off and let it fall onto the sand. We were utterly alone in front of the villa—miles from any other people—and I intended to make the most of it. I palmed the weight of her gorgeous breasts in my hands, but before I had the chance to pull away her bikini, she shook her head.
“I haven’t forgotten last time. You wouldn’t let me. But now…” She reached for my fly and unzipped it, then tugged my pants and boxers down in one motion.
“What do you mean?” I asked, and she guided me back down against the chaise lounge chair, kissing the hard muscles of my chest as she sank to her knees beside me.
“I want to taste you,” she said. “You wouldn’t let me the last time, but today I’m not taking no for an answer. It’s been about me from the start. For once, let’s make things about you.”
I held my breath, trying to find the words to argue. I didn’t care if she was on her period—at this point I wouldn’t have cared if she had two heads. Before I found the words, though, her ass was in the air behind her and she was hovering over my thick, straining shaft.
Taking my length in one hand, she worked me slowly, gently, until finally her mouth closed over me and I let out a little groan of satisfaction.
“Bren.” I tried to stop her, but then she bobbed deeper, taking as much of me in her mouth as she could while working the rest with her hand.