* * *
The next evening, outdoor lights lined the driveway leading to Jack’s home as we pulled up. Even though the coast was beautiful, it was great to be home. Well, my home for the time being. That thought pained me in an unexpected way. It was true; I loved it here. Having Mason here with me made it even better.
“Want to have a cocktail on the patio?”
Mason set down our bags and nodded. “That sounds great. The stars are gorgeous tonight.”
Once we’d settled in, we grabbed a couple of beers and made ourselves comfortable on the chaise lounges.
“Thank you for helping me fulfill some of my dream-list items.”
“I had a lot of fun. But as far as singing in public again, you’re on your own.” He took a swig of his beer and winked.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, I know. But in all fairness, I thought you were good. We made a great duet.”
With his head resting on the yellow cushion, he turned toward me. “That was the only thing about it I liked. Being with you, seeing you happy. It was as if we were a couple.”
A couple. The last time I was part of a couple, I ended up a single.
“I wouldn’t have wanted to be up there with anyone else. You’re a special man, and don’t think I didn’t notice the women eyeing you up there.”
Mason’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t notice. You were my sole focus. You and the teleprompter.”
Thoughts of us being a couple played in my mind. I still couldn’t shake the memory of Mason in the shower, and the way his skin felt on mine. Not to mention his tongue.
I shook my head in an attempt to clear it, but it didn’t work. Nope, I was turning myself on. I shifted and my thighs rubbed together, trying to create the friction I craved, but it didn’t work.
“Want to go for a swim?” I asked.
Yes, that was exactly what I needed. Before he could respond, I stood and started to remove my clothes.
“Gretch? What are you doing?” Mason watched my every move.
Rather than answering with, “Seducing you,” I simply said, “Going for a swim.”
“Yes, I understood that part. What I meant was, why are you taking off your clothes?” Mason’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he continued to watch me.
“Because my suit is still packed, and I don’t feel like going inside. Plus, you’ve seen me naked. Come to think of it, I’ve seen you naked too. Don’t be shy on me now.”
“In my defense, I was in the shower and thought I was alone.”
The image of him through that steamy glass appeared in my head, and I licked my lips. “True, but nonetheless . . .”
I stood before him in just my bra and panties. Granted, skinny dipping wasn’t on my list, but I made a mental note to add it and then put a big red check by it after tonight. As seductively as I could, I unclasped my bra, slid the straps down my arms, and let it fall to the patio floor.
Mason gasped.
Yes, this was perfect. Next to come off were my panties.
His gaze remained focused on me, trailing up and down my now naked body. My nipples pebbled, and although I’d love to blame the warm nighttime breeze, I knew that wasn’t the reason. No, it was his insistent stare.
I took two steps toward him before veering to the pool and diving in.
The water was warmer than the air, but my skin still prickled with the sensation. When I spun around in the water, Mason was standing on the edge of the pool, wearing nothing but a pair of red boxer shorts.
Holy hell, his body was perfection. Muscles were everywhere. I’d never noticed his thighs before, but what I couldn’t stop staring at was his firm manhood, perfectly outlined. The tip of it stretched up all the way to the waistband of his shorts, making them curve out a bit.
Without taking them off, he cannonballed in the pool, creating ripples in the clear water. He popped up beside me. Now that I was naked and he was semi-naked, my nerves spiked. I pushed them aside and reached out my hands to plant them firmly on his chest.
His breathing hitched, but I felt the beating of his heart, strong and steady, and beginning to pick up its pace.
“Why are you still wearing your boxers?”
“Gretchen, what has come over you? Not that I’m complaining, but you can’t blame me for asking.”
Blood rose in my cheeks, but I didn’t let that deter my plan. “I’ve just been thinking.”
“About?” His eyes smoldered like warm coals getting primed to become flames.
“You. Us. Having fun, living life and letting go.” Our eyes connected, and I was sure he could see into my soul. “You told me you wanted me, right?”
“More than anything.” Drops of water dripped off the ends of his hair and down his perfect form.
“Well then, take me, because I want you too.”
Any and all nerves I might have had instantly turned into lust. There was never a time I wasn’t attracted to Mason; I just wasn’t available to act on my feelings. I was the good girl, a rule follower, and would never be a cheater—or worse, a heartbreaker. In retrospect, the lyrics to the song we sang last night were perfect for us.
“Are you sure?” His chest rose and fell with each breath he took.
“On one condition.” When I paused, he arched his brows, waiting to hear what that was. “Lose the shorts, surfer boy.”
Mason didn’t flinch. Instead, he reached below the water, placing his thumbs inside the waistband. Then he stopped. “Just remember, this water is a bit on the cool side.”
I tried to stifle a laugh. “Don’t worry about shrinkage; just do it.”
“You’re awfully brazen tonight, princess.”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Nope.”
The boxers were now in his hand, so I extended mine.
“Hand them over.” Once I had a grip on them, I dangled them from my finger. “Red just became my favorite color.”
He grabbed them and tossed them past the edge of the pool, then covered my cheeks with his palms. “I personally like the color nude.”
Before I could reply, his lips were on mine. Mason took over, causing me to sigh in his mouth.
I pulled back to catch my breath. “If I’m not mistaken, I owe you.”
My hand found his stiffness under the water. Groans filled the air as I caressed him up and down. Since I wasn’t equipped with scuba gear, tasting him wasn’t going to be an option in the pool, but I could at least get a lick in.
With my hands on his thighs, I pulled myself just below the water and ran my tongue around the crown of his dick. Firm hands gripped my biceps as I was hoisted out of the water. Cradling me in his arms, he walked naked into the house, dripping on the floor as he made his way upstairs.
Our slick bodies practically melded together. He leaned down and kissed me as he climbed the stairs.
Each ounce of me wanted him. The question Am I making a mistake? flew in and out of my brain like the wind.
“Gretchen.” He laid me on the bed in the room he was staying in. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Maybe he had the same fleeting thought I had, but how could this be wrong when it felt so right?
“This could change everything between us. I don’t want to lose you as my friend.” Mason hovered over me, his body supported by his strong arms.
“It should change everything, shouldn’t it? But losing me as a friend, that could never happen.” Before I could let him get another doubting word out, I pulled him down so we were chest to chest, hip to hip.
“Do you have a condom?” God, I hated to ask that question.
Mason stilled. “No, I don’t. I mean, I do, but it’s in my wallet, which is in my shorts. The shorts that are outside on the patio.”
I bit my lip, knowing it was my fault they were outside. “I bet Jack does. Go check in his nightstand. That’s where you guys keep them, right?”
He shifted off my body, which immediately missed his warmth. When he came back, he had two foi
l packets in his hand and frowned at me.
“I hope he doesn’t keep track of how many he has. Jack knowing he’s missing a few condoms doesn’t bode well for me.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry about it. We can replace the box.”
“Box? I just took two.”
“Yeah, two for tonight.”
His eyes widened in understanding. “I like the way you think, princess.”
Watching Mason’s muscles as he moved was mesmerizing. Even parts of him that shouldn’t have muscles seemed to flex. It took everything in my power not to drool.
This was it. Our relationship would be forever changed if we let it. Everything we knew as friends was going to transform into something different. Still, knowing this didn’t deter me from what I wanted, which was to make love to Mason.
Make love. Before he could sheath himself, I took the packet from his fingers and set it on the nightstand. Giving him pleasure, the same pleasure he’d given me, was first and foremost on my mind.
“Lay down.”
What had started out as frenzied lust in the pool suddenly calmed into thoughtful movements. Positioning myself between his legs, staring at his erection as if it were an arrow pointing to the ceiling, I licked my lips in anticipation of finally tasting him.
“Gretchen.”
He said my name in a determined whisper as my tongue savored him from base to tip, swirling around the rim before taking all of him.
A feral growl escaped him as I sensually began sucking. The hollows of my cheeks grazed him with each fluid motion. Up, down, lick, suck, repeat. His hands gently gripped my hair. The sensation of his fingertips massaging my head was intoxicating.
Mason repositioned us, turning us around so his hands were on my ass, my knees near his ears, without ever having me break my connection.
His tongue mimicking my motions as he kissed my most sensitive area created a brief stutter in my movements. The way he slid fingers inside caused him to fall out of my mouth with a pop.
Alternating between licking and finger play, he said, “You’re perfection. Do you feel how you’re tightening around me?”
Of course I did. My insides were on fire, and then he curved his finger, hitting that glorious spot that I just renamed the M-spot because it was his. He’d just taken ownership of it.
Bright white dots began to dance behind my eyelids. With my right hand, I grasped him, giving this gorgeous specimen the best hand job I could, considering I was losing all cognitive functions.
“Shit, Gretch. You need to stop.”
Right when he said that, his fingers pulled out of me. I’d normally be sad at the loss of his touch, but when we both moved so we were facing the same direction again, the telltale sign of the sound of foil ripping made me anything but sad.
CHAPTER 24
~ Mason ~
After rolling the condom on, I hovered over her. I’d be damned if the two times she saw me blow my load it was from a hand job, even if it was her hand doing all the work. No, not with Gretchen. This wasn’t going to be frenzied; it couldn’t be.
It had been about nine months since I first laid eyes on her. Which meant it had been nine months of wet dreams, cold showers, and the hope that one day I’d be in the position I was now—figuratively and literally.
Aside from our bodies rubbing against the crisp linens, silence filled the room. Her knees fell to each side as an invitation, which I definitely planned on responding to. Gretchen broke the quietness when she let out a faint mewl as my tip, then full length filled her. The ends of my hair grazed the back of my neck as I tilted my head back, savoring this feeling.
“You feel so good, Mason.”
If she only knew how she felt. It was a shame she didn’t get to experience what I was at this moment. With calculated slow thrusts, I moved. Every so often, I’d stop, and she’d open her eyes to look at me. Pools of desire would silently beg me for more.
Not wanting to disappoint her, I slid back and forth, then rolled my hips, my movements met with hers. Gretchen was a fabulous lover. The way she moved made me harder than I’d ever been. Wanting to claim every ounce of her possessed me to bring her to heights she’d never thought possible.
“Keep looking at me, beautiful. Let me watch what you’re feeling.”
Her eyes were my guide, my road map to her passion. They’d slightly close when I pushed deep inside her, and widen when I didn’t. The brown in her irises deepened with desire.
Never breaking our connection, I shifted our bodies so we were both on our sides. She moved one leg over mine. My hand went to the back of her knee, where I pulled her leg even higher as I thrust into her, and her insides clenched around my cock.
“Holy shit, Gretch, you’re so damn tight around me.”
“Mason . . .”
When I moved my fingers to where we were joined and pressed on her sensitive spot, she cried out, “Yes,” and a fervent tremor rocked her body. Every part of me wanted to claim her. She needed to be mine. I needed her to be mine.
“Look at me,” I said, and when she complied, I brought my finger that had just been on her into my mouth and tasted her.
Strands of wet hair clung to her forehead as I continued to move. With shaky legs, Gretchen rolled until I was on my back, and then she took over. Looking up at the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on was almost enough for me to climax, but I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.
She stilled as she sat perched on me, my hands on her hips, hers on my shins. Leaning back, she began to give me the best fucking lap dance I’d ever dreamed of, and then she started humming. The sudden feeling of her fingers on the underside of my balls caused my knees to bend.
“Holy shit, Gretch.” I clenched my eyes closed, biting into my bottom lip as I did my best not to reach the crescendo of our lovemaking. Her pace picked up, but I slowed her down. Back on top of her now was the way I needed to be when I finally released. The need to be connected took precedence over anything else.
Gripping her waist, I urged her to switch places, and once my weight settled over her, our lips met in a slow, passionate kiss. Just feeling her tongue against mine, her taste, her scent, and knowing I was making love and not just fucking her, all of it sent me into the longest orgasm of my life.
My hands framed her face. It took everything in my power not to declare my love for Gretchen; just because I’d felt that way for months didn’t mean it was the fair thing to do. Especially after sex. There was only one thing I could say to her.
“You’re a dream come true.”
Her white teeth gleamed, as did the little twinkle in her eye after my declaration. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
We lay chest to chest, my arms tightened around her, before I loosened them to dispose of the condom. What had started as a playful night ended up being one of the best of my life. How could I let someone like her go?
“I’ll be right back.” Once in the bathroom, I tossed the condom in the trash and leaned my hands against the marble vanity to stare at the man in the mirror. “You’re screwed, McDermott.” After I splashed some cool water on my face, I made my way back to the bed.
She disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes, then climbed in next to me and laid her head on the soft spot between my shoulder and neck.
Tonight we’d crossed a line, one I’d always hoped for. But now that we had, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous. Would she feel differently about us? Or worse, would we just go back to being friends?
Being in mutual love was different from falling in love. Once you were in love with someone and they with you, your lives meshed to coexist and grow together. When you were falling in love, it could be compared to standing on the edge of a steep cliff. Would that other person share the same feeling, be your parachute for the jump? Or would you free fall and get your heart broken?
“What are you thinking about?” Gretchen propped her chin on her hand that was resting on my shoulder.
I could have easily lied and said nothing, but I hadn’t lied to her yet and I wasn’t going to start now. However, I wasn’t prepared to ask her if she’d be my parachute.
“Just thinking about how great it is having you here.” There, that was the truth.
“California is a cool place. I never realized how eclectic it is. You’re lucky to live here.”
“You could live here too.” Holy shit. Did I just say that out loud?
“Believe me, I’ve been thinking about it. Not in this house, of course, but a cute apartment on the beach would be great.”
She had thought about moving here? Suddenly, I was filled with energy. “It would be the perfect place for you to work.”
“Yeah.”
“You know what else would be great?”
“Hmm?” Her coyness wasn’t lost on me; she knew what I thought.
Rather than answer verbally, I let my body answer for me. After I settled in between her legs, I asked, “Ready for round two?”
She smiled wide. “You bet I am.”
* * *
Going back to work today sucked. There was no other way to explain it. Saying good-bye to Gretchen as she sat in the kitchen wearing nothing but a tank top and my red boxer shorts she loved so much was brutal.
What was worse was Gretchen told me she wanted to sit down and discuss her actually moving to Los Angeles.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement. Yes, she’d mentioned it in bed, but talking after sex was somewhat like being drunk. You’re on such a euphoric high that you say things you normally wouldn’t. Hence the reason why I’d never tell her I was falling in love with her before, during, or after sex. Endorphins are a dangerous fuel, and shouldn’t be used to give you courage to do something you wouldn’t normally do.
Nip Jankowski, one of the head scouts, met me in the office to discuss a few possible recruiting options. Which meant the better part of my day was spent watching video after video of high school soccer stars, some better than others, who wanted to play Division I ball.
To say my mind wandered several times would be right on point. All I could think of was Gretchen. In the middle of the afternoon, a text came in from her.
Charmed: A Prescott Novel (The Prescott Series Book 3) Page 18