Mason completed a powerful roundhouse kick — probably to show off — into the air and then turned to grin at me, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Because I’m not going to let a little cold get in the way of my training. You should try it sometime. It feels good.” He grabbed his shirt — the one that he should’ve been wearing in the first place off of the ground and dabbed at the sweat pouring down the sides of his face.
Is he doing this shit with no underwear on?
Mason had on gray sweats, but I could see a large imprint in his crotch area . . .
I snorted, warding off guilt and trying to keep my eyes away from his abs and his bulge. “Please. I’m not dumb enough to do something so stupid. You really should put a shirt on. You could catch pneumonia out here!”
Mason chuckled away my concern. “I’m fine, Carly, really. The energy I’m expending is keeping me warm.” He flexed his well-defined arms out in front of him. “The laws of thermodynamics, you know?”
“Whatever,” I muttered. Mason loved to tease me with his intelligence, not that I was stupid, mind you. It was just that he was the smartest person I knew. The ironic thing was his brains conflicted with how much of an athlete he was. Usually jocks were as dumb as hell, but Mason certainly defied the stereotype.
Whenever home, he spent a lot of his time on the computer, frequenting online forums and user groups. He called himself a hacker, but I wasn’t sure if that was talk or what.
With both hands, he wiped at his abs in one smooth motion. “It might be cold out here, but I’m hot as fuck.”
You can say that again, I thought, though it was something I’d never in a million years let him know. My eyes roved down his chest and abs to his happy trail and then to that bulge before I quickly averted them, heat rising from within my stomach.
Mason was really fricken’ hot. There was no denying it.
But I was ashamed to harbor a crush on him — almost from the very moment our parents met some years back. He was my stepbrother and there was no way we could be anything more.
I cleared my throat, hoping he hadn’t seen me checking him out. “Mom wants you to help her take down the Christmas tree,” I informed him. “She’s been waiting for your help for a while, you know.”
Every Christmas, my mother would buy the biggest tree there was and decorate it to the nines, it was a tradition she’d do every year.
Mason, when he could finally be bothered to, was usually the one tasked with helping her put it up and take it down. Not that she couldn’t do it herself, but my mother always made him do it for some reason.
Mason seemed unconcerned with it, though, as usual. “I’ll do it later. She’s waited this long — she can wait a little while longer.”
“But she wants help now,” I insisted stubbornly.
“And?” Mason demanded, irritation creeping into his voice. “I’m busy, can’t you see? I’ll do it when I’m done . . . if I have time.”
I crossed my arms across my chest and scowled. He was really pissing me off. “If you have time? What on earth can you possibly be doing after this?”
Screwing some chick.
The thought made me sick to my stomach, but not because it grossed me out. I hated when Mason was with girls — mainly because I harbored a secret crush on him.
Mason scratched at his lower abs. “I’ve got an Anonymous online meeting in a little bit. I can’t miss it.”
“Oh give me a break!” I growled. I saw Anonymous as cyber terrorists. I had no idea why Mason would spend his time cavorting with the likes of them. He was so much better than that. “What is it with you and these stupid online groups?”
“And what is with you, always being your mom’s little lap dog and pestering me about shit she wants done around the house? Why don’t you two do it? You don’t need me.”
Anger flared through me. I so just wanted to slap him across that handsome smug face of his. “Why do you always have to be so defiant?” I demanded. “A little respect would go a long way into making our parents’ lives a whole lot easier.”
Mason’s insolence usually caused arguments. Mom would complain, as if Mason’s behavior was my fault, and then she’d run to Brian, who’d then yell at Mason, who would then take his anger out on me. “Come to think of it, it’d make my life a lot easier.”
“And you not bugging me every other fucking day about something your mom wants me to do would make my life even easier,” he growled. “So I guess we’re even.”
I hissed, shaking my head angrily, unable to come up with a scathing reply. He infuriated me so much — there was no talking to him. Why was I bothering?
Because if I don’t bring him back, I thought sourly, Mom is going nag me to death and blame me for him being an ass.
Looking at Mason’s insolent smirk, I knew I was wasting my time.
“Forget it,” I snarled. “I’m leaving. Enjoy your kung-fu fighting all by yourself and in the cold.” I turned to leave, but stopped when he called out.
“Wait.”
I turned around and regarded him with the bitchiest expression I could muster. “What?
He cracked a playful grin. “I’ll come help . . . under one condition.”
Placing my hands on my hips, I knew some smartass comment was coming but I couldn’t resist. I never could. “What’s that?” Mason’s little games never ended well, but he always had a way of intriguing me and getting me involved every single time.
Mason nodded his head at the trees to the north. “Beat me to the old pond tree and I’ll be your slave.”
“Seriously?” I demanded incredulously. “You know there’s no possible way I can outrun you.”
“You can if I give you a head start.”
I paused, thinking. With a decent head start, I might have a chance.
“How much of a head start?” I asked finally, taking the bait. I’d love to beat him just to shut him up.
He grinned. “Thirty seconds.”
He walked over to a tree where his shoes were resting and put them on, quickly tying them. “You ready?”
I took off my heavy sweater and tied it around my waist. “Now I’m ready,” I announced, turning to him and warding off a shiver.
His eyes fell to my chest before quickly averting. “Ok.”
My cheeks warmed with blood. Did he just check me out or had I imagined it?
“Get ready,” he ordered. “Look, I’ll make it easier for you. I’ll start way back here.” He walked to the clearings edge and drew a line with his feet.
He got into position. “Ready?”
Why the hell am I doing this? I know I can’t win.
Even knowing my odds were slim, I wanted to compete against Mason. I wanted to beat him. I wanted to wipe that cocky grin off of his face. And most of all . . . as childish as it was, I wanted his respect.
His deep voice split the cold air like a whip. “On your mark, get set—”
I took off like a jackrabbit before he could finish, pumping my short legs as fast as I could go.
“Thirty seconds you little cheater!” I heard Mason yell behind me.
I hurtled forward, doing my best to navigate the trees, treacherous branches, and twigs on the ground — the cold bitter air whipping my face.
10 seconds….
By this time I could almost see the area of the pond through the trees and I began to think I’d beat him by a large margin.
25 seconds…
My lungs felt like they were on fire! My calves and thighs were burning, and my sides were cramped so hard even a Midol wouldn’t fix it.
35 seconds…
Victory was in sight. I could see the pond and the large tree that towered over it. Just a few seconds longer and it would be . . .
I was nearly bowled over by a gust of wind as a blurry form whisked past me.
“I win!” Mason announced triumphantly, coming to a stop at the tree and turning about to face me, his powerful chest heaving.
Damn it!
I skidded to a halt and bent over, clutching at my sides and gasping for air.
“Damn, you’re a slowpoke. You cheated and you still lost,” Mason laughed.
I had no energy to give a response. Asshole.
“Need some help back to the house?
I slapped his hand away. “I don’t need your help!” I rasped.
My pride was wounded. I’d put everything I had into beating the cocky asshole, though I knew it futile from the beginning.
“You don’t have to be such a spoilsport,” Mason said. “I would’ve let you win if would’ve known you’d get so bent out of shape about it.”
Bullshit.
I straightened, my sides aching, but determined to put up a strong front. “See you at the house,” I declared, failing to keep the bitterness out of my voice.
Hands on my sides, I started walking back home. I’d be lucky to make it a few steps before collapsing.
“Wait,” Mason commanded. “I’m coming.”
Before I could respond, he scaled the large tree that overlooked the pound. Balancing himself, he walked out on the tree’s thick limb that stretched out over the middle of the pond.
He made it look so easy.
Mason crossed his muscular arms and looked down at me. Show off. “All you have to do is climb the tree and reach me and I’m all yours.”
“You must be out of your mind.” I hissed. “I’m not doing that.”
“Why not? It will be like old times. Don’t you remember when we were used to hang out in this tree all the time?”
“Yeah that was when I was too stupid to know that you were nothing but trouble.”
“Aw c’mon, you know you love me.”
I don’t know why Mason’s challenge was so damn tempting. After just losing so badly to him, I should have been returning home to lick my wounds.
But climbing the tree, something I’d done many times before, seemed easy compared to trying to beat him in a race.
“Just reach me and you win.”
Ugh. I hated giving into his little games.
“Alright,” I said. By now, I’d nearly recovered from my sprint and only my right side had a dull ache. “I’m coming up, but no funny business,” I warned.
“Of course.”
I should’ve known better.
I walked over to the tree and grabbed on to the bark. Suddenly, I was filled with nostalgic excitement from a time when everything in my life was more carefree.
I carefully began scaling the tree, and I eventually made it to the large branch with little issue.
Mason grinned at me as I slowly stood up and balanced myself on the limb.
“I must say, Carly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“Shut up,” I growled, carefully eyeing my footing. The limb was thick enough to walk on, but I had to be cautious.
Mason chuckled. “You really thought you were going to win that race, didn’t you?”
“Shut up!” I inched closer to him, thrusting my hands out to each side like I was an airplane to maintain my balance.
“Wanna know something? I even waited to forty seconds because I knew thirty wasn’t enough.”
Only a few more feet and I’d wipe that smirk off of his face.
“What? No comeback? You can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time?”
One more step. “You know what Mason?”
He grinned at me goofily, seemingly unaware of my treachery. “What?”
This would be oh so satisfying. “Maybe you should go for a little swim—”
I reached forward to shove him, but I clumsily slipped and lost my footing on the bark.
The world spun around me as a shocked scream tore from my throat and I plunged into the pond’s icy depths.
Cold, muddy darkness.
I couldn’t see anything and panic gripped me as I tried to blindly paddle myself to the surface.
Why wasn’t I surfacing? The pond wasn’t that deep. I started to panic when strong arms suddenly wrapped around me and began pulling me up.
“You little fool!” Mason gasped as we broke the surface. His hair was matted down to his forehead and an angry scowl plastered his face. “Why would you do something like that?”
Was he kidding? If I weren’t already gasping for air, I’d slap him.
Mason’s angry scowl morphed into a soft expression as he studied me. “Are you alright?” The genuine concern in his voice touched me and I found my anger quickly evaporating.
I coughed weakly and shook my head. “I think so.”
“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” he said, surprising me. “I should’ve never made you climb that tree. I just wanted to have a little fun.”
An apology? From Mason? I was shocked.
I stared into his eyes and only saw earnestness. He really did care. Suddenly, warmth spread throughout my chest and then my whole body.
I could feel his hard stomach pressed up against me. And down below I could feel . . .
Blood rushed to my cheeks.
Luckily, Mason didn’t notice my embarrassment.
He hugged me close and started moving us toward the shore. “You scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again or I’ll give you a spanking you won’t forget.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, though I was secretly delighted.
“You better be.”
As he swam us toward the shore, the events of the day faded into the background. The only thing that mattered in that moment was that I was safe in his arms.
Chapter 4
Mason
She’s so fucking beautiful.
“Really, Carly?” I asked from my seat on her little couch. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of her. In the years that I’d been gone, she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her face had matured, but she still had an air of innocence stamped on her delicate features and that beautiful strawberry-blonde hair. And her body? Damn. She was what I called a full-figured petite. Though short, she had large breasts, a slim waist, wide hips and a nice round ass. “A gun?” It was hard to imagine Carly handling cold hard steel, though I could think of something warm and hard I’d love to see her handle.
Fuck me.
Carly stopped her pacing to scowl at me with that bitchiness I so fondly remembered, and placed her hands on her hips.
“I live by myself, Mason, what do you expect?” she demanded. “I may need to protect myself.”
A twinge of guilt went through my chest. Carly would’ve never had the need for a gun if she had me around.
But I had to get away, I thought. I couldn’t stay around her with the feelings that I was holding inside.
“What are you doing living out here anyway?” I asked. I never thought in a million years Carly would wind up in a place like this. She was more of a city girl.
“It was a good deal,” Carly replied. “And you know how expensive everything is in the Bay Area.”
I nodded. “No doubt. It’s ridiculous. But you didn’t have to do something this drastic just to afford rent. Dad’s wealthy, he would have helped you out . . . he always was fond of you.” My Dad and I weren’t on speaking terms, but I knew he held a soft place in his heart for Carly, and if she needed help, I’m sure he would’ve lent a hand.
Carly shook her head. “You know I don’t like asking for help. Besides, he already practically paid my way through college.”
While I dropped out . . .
Silence filled the room and Carly bit her lower lip as she stared at me. I knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that I’d walked out on all of the money my Father invested in me, walked out on the future he wanted for me, and walked out on her.
If she only knew why.
“But I thought for sure you’d be some big shot reporter by now,” I said, quick to deflect the accusations that I knew was coming.
A shadow darkened Carly’s visage. She glared at me as if pissed off I brought up such a sore subject, and resumed pacing b
ack and forth in front of me.
My eyes followed her like the Mona Lisa. Damn. It was almost like she was teasing me, though I knew she wasn’t.
She was wearing pink shorts, which showcased her tight, round ass and a white, short-sleeved, V-neck top that showed off her cleavage.
I felt guilt-ridden, but I was more than a little turned on at half-mast. In fact, I wanted to bend her over the couch and . . .
Shit. Stop.
She stopped pacing, fixing her angry eyes on my face. “Well?”
I tore my eyes away from her lush figure, pushing my sinful thoughts away. “Well, what?” I asked stupidly, hoping she hadn’t seen me checking her out.
Carly hissed with exasperation. “How the hell did you find me?”
“I have my ways,” I replied coyly. It hadn’t been easy, especially with Carly practically living off the grid, but eventually, I managed to track her down.
“Ugh,” Carly growled. “You’re impossible.” Then she proceeded to let me have it. “Where the fuck have you been anyway? Our parents and I have been worried sick about you. You drop out of college and disappear off of the face of the earth.”
It was hard to formulate an answer. There were so many reasons I’d chosen to take off — Carly being one of them. No matter what I said, I could never make her understand.
“No one knew where you were. You didn’t call, never even sent so much as an e-mail. Jesus, Mason! Mom and Brian even started saying that you fell in with the wrong people, started being all anti-government and crap. They said you started doing hardcore drugs.”
“Well, I can tell you right now that is a bunch of a bullshit,” I assured her. “At least the drug part.”
“Oh really?” Carly snapped. “Because from where I’m standing, it sure makes a lot of sense to me.”
“Look, you don’t have to believe me—”
“How could you?” Carly hissed furiously. “How could you just leave like that and walk away from . . .” Carly bit her lower lip and then stomped her foot against the hardwood floor like a petulant child. “How could you do it!”
Bastian: A Secret Baby Romance Page 29