by Ally Prince
“Penny…” I surged deep and stopped still, her hips tried to rock, she tried to take control and get what she wanted but I held strong. “Why did you come?”
“Because I needed you. I thought about you, and then here I was.” With that I eased out, cock pulsing so close to climax.
“You need me?” I slid back in.
“Yes, I need you to take it away.” She ground down hard on my cock, but I held back a little.
“Take what away, Pen?” My hips pumped a few times, she relaxed but as soon as I stopped she began tensing around me again trying to make me come with just her milking my cock and it was close to working.
“Take him away, Mason. I only want to think of you.” I heard the words, but I wouldn’t let them ruin the moment.
We were so having a chat soon because Penny needed to come clean and tell me what the hell had her running scared.
“Anything for you, baby.” I pounded forward and found my rhythm slipping in and out faster and faster. Reaching around, I stroked her soaking clit a few times, loving the stalling in her breath and the tenseness in her body. I loved that I brought her so alive. “Come on my cock, baby. I want you full of my cum.”
The words barely off my lips and Penny’s vise grip tightened and pulsed like nothing I’d ever felt before, and it threw me over the edge with her. I held myself as deep as I could with short, sharp jerks making sure every drop of cum was as close as possible to where I needed it to be. Sooner or later she’d be tied to me in every way, but for now, I’d let her think she still garnered some control over the situation. She’d soon learn she didn’t.
Chapter 6
Penny
My paranoia unsettled me. The note put me on edge, every muscle in my body felt tense. I wouldn’t be able to hold Mason off much longer, and if I thought about self-preservation and all that I should share these details with someone. I opted to go to yoga tonight. Stretching and breathing would help me de-stress. Thinking about Mason wound me tight for many reasons, and I had a feeling my yoga would come in handy in the bedroom.
I pushed through the door to both my place and the yoga studio and bounded up the stairs. I stayed a little later at the school trying to get a few things done, procrastinating, and possibly avoiding just in case he came over. But I had a plan tonight, and it involved getting sweaty and gross and clearing my mind of all things stalker-ish and Mason.
I ground to a halt as I cleared the top step. Glancing behind me down the stairs, I made sure no one followed me. The uneasy feeling that settled deep in the pit of my stomach—I hoped I’d left that feeling back at college, I thought I had let it all go—but there it was.
The overwhelming feeling of loss of control on my life burrowed deep inside me. Bile rose and I clamped a hand over my mouth. My blood pressure spiked, and I wanted to be anywhere but here, looking at those flowers. The same flowers given to me a few years ago and I had loved them then. But now? Now, I wanted to burn this building down purely because they existed.
Loud footsteps coming up the stairs launched me into action, I rushed to my door, struggling to get my key out and in the hole as my heart hammered and my eyes clouded as they filled with tears. I felt the panic take hold and as much as I tried to fight it took over.
“You should really answer your cell, baby.” That deep warm timbre had me losing complete control. My knees buckled, and the tears fell from my eyes. My face scrunched, and I heaved in breaths so I wouldn’t pass out. “Jesus, babe.” Mason’s warm arms wrapped around me and hugged me close. His scent filling my lungs, his warmth filling my heart. We sank to the floor, and he pulled me onto his lap, I buried my head in his neck as he tried to pry my face out so he could no doubt look at it. But I didn’t want him to, not yet.
He rubbed my back in large sweeping circles and rocked back and forth. “I got you, Pen. I’ve always got you, baby,” he whispered over and over as I tried to slow the torrent of tears which were making their way to his shoulder. He hummed and kissed my hair, reassured me and held me tight.
“Oh, ah… yoga’s about to start.” A voice I knew broke through the haze and I stiffened in Mason’s lap.
“We’re fucking busy, dipshit,” he growled at Liam before going back to humming and trying to help me to relax.
“She said she’d go.”
“Clearly, she isn’t up to it,” Mason retorted a low growl landing in my ears.
“What did you do to her?”
Mason went rigid beneath me. I kissed his neck and stroked the back of his hair.
“I would never hurt a hair on her head. Now, fuck off before I push you down the stairs,” Mason roared loudly, arms like a vise around me. I heard Liam’s retreating footsteps and Mason finally relaxed and sighed. “Talk to me, baby?”
I moved in his lap a little, so I could see past his shoulder and I found the flowers in my sight. I pointed.
“Who the fuck is sending you flowers because I know it ain’t me, babe.” He shuffled forward a little on his butt and plucked the card nestled in the middle.
I hadn’t read it yet, I was a coward.
Mason took a deep breath through his nose and then his hands were under my arms and he was pushing me away.
“No!” I reached for him, needing him to make it all better, needing him to make me feel safe.
My hands fisted in his shirt and I held on for dear life.
“Penny, stand up,” he growled out low in my ear as his strength outdid me and he pushed me away. My body sagged in defeat.
He hated me now.
He’d want nothing to do with me.
How could he ever look at me the same again?
Mason disappeared from under me and then I was being lifted to my feet. “I’m going to throw these outside then we are talking. No more excuses,” Mason thundered down the stairs and he literally threw the vase outside, I heard the glass shatter then his heavy footfalls again. He was then finding my keys and pushing me inside my small apartment—a place I now hated.
He ushered me to the sofa, and we both sat, I kept my eyes down not wanting to look at him.
“I’m two seconds away from calling Logan, so you better talk, Pen.” His voice was stern but still comforting and I shook my head.
Not Logan. Not yet.
“Did you read it?” I shook my head, and he growled again before tugging me back onto his lap, this time it was his face in my neck and he inhaled and exhaled. “I’m on the edge here, Pen. I want to know who sent this, but I want them to suffer. What the fuck happened?”
I knew I couldn’t help him without telling him the truth. I tugged the card from his hand and read it.
Look at you being the perfect little whore.
You said no, but I said yes.
You lose.
I swallowed. Breathing became harder.
“I’m not a whore,” I whispered out my voice scratchy.
“You really feel you need to tell me that?” Mason asked bringing his face into view. God, he looked distraught, angry, and a few other things I had yet to become accustomed to.
I shrugged a shoulder my eyes falling to the buttons on his shirt.
“How did this get here?”
I wished I knew. “I guess he did some research. Asked around, I really don’t know.”
“Is he why you came home early?” I nodded and he hummed, fingers digging into my waist. “Is he the reason you want me to fix you?” Tears fell, but I nodded in return. “Baby, tell me, what he did to you?”
I couldn’t because that was like admitting fault. I stayed when I should have left, I was fucking stupid. I lifted my eyes to Mason and just stared into his dark depths hoping the weight of my stare was enough for him to see the inner pain and shame I carried from this.
“Fuck,” he roared, dropping his head back on the sofa and staring up at the ceiling. I hated seeing him this way. The need to touch him was fierce, but he gripped my hand and pulled it away, before lifting me from his lap and putting me on the sofa.
Alone. He stood swiftly, hands going to his hair as he tugged. “Penny, when?”
“Christmas break,” I offered weakly. It felt like yesterday, yet over ten months passed. Not a day went by when I didn’t have him in my head, he haunted me, he tried to take things from me and I was sick of letting him win.
Mason glared down at me and shook his head. “I don’t know what to say, Pen. I’m going to go, I can’t look at you right now.” His words cut through me like a razor blade and tore open my heart. I heard my door slam shut, but the emptiness that settled inside overwhelmed me. I curled into a ball and waited for exhaustion to take over.
Mason rejected me.
I knew he would.
I was tainted.
Mason didn’t want me anymore.
I guess it was better to know now than in a few months’ time when I told him I was pregnant. The sob that escaped me shuddered my whole body, I had nothing left to look forward to. Without Mason my life looked grim, he’d always been my one, now he was gone because I was no longer his one.
Mason
“I’m cutting you off,” Harry said from the other side of the bar. I flipped him the bird, at least I hoped I did, that was what I had intended to do. His beer tasted crappy anyhow. My stool wobbled, and the room blurred for a moment. “I’ll call Logan.”
“Penny,” I stated, yet it sounded like Yenney to my ears. Harry raised a brow but nodded before he blurred away. I dropped my heavy head onto the wet surface of the bar top.
Tonight would go down in history as being one of the worst nights of my life, without a doubt. All my bad moments involved Penny. Maybe I was better off without her, but as soon as I thought about not seeing her I felt empty, panic rear its ugly head. Like when she left me in the hospital. She sat with me for days making sure I’d be okay, checked on me every chance she could. Held my hand, kissed my head, and then when she found out the extent of my burns she left. Just fucking left. That hurt like a motherfucker. The fire disfigured me, my arms looked like shit, my back like fucking sandpaper and she turned her back on me.
I tried not to think of her words because my current condition didn’t allow me to drive out of state and murder some punk ass. How dare he put his hands on my Penny, especially when she didn’t want it. What the hell was wrong with people these days?
“Penny’s on her way, dude.” Harry tapped my head, and I sat up but he launched across the bar and gripped my shirt. I tried to pull his hands away but then I felt my stool sit back on all four legs, I grinned. “You’re way too drunk. Maybe you should come home with me. Penny doesn’t need to put up with your drunk ass. And Logan will kill you for putting this on her.” Harry had a point, but I wanted Penny. I wanted to look into those deep blues and see me there. Know I still held her heart. She hadn’t said as much so far, but I knew I did and she’d admit it one day, soon.
“It’s fine,” I murmured.
Harry tilted his head and watched me. “Why do I get the feeling she’s the reason for this sorry state, hmm?” I shrugged a little because Harry didn’t need to know shit. No one did. Me and Penny, we’d get through this. We had to. There was no other option.
“We have sex,” I blurted out, slapping a hand over my mouth like a drunken schoolgirl.
Harry’s eyebrows rose real quick and then he shook his head. “Mase, dude, really. Of all the people.”
“Of all the women my soul chose hers.” That sounded poetic, but Harry just snorted at my new found talent.
“Lucky girl, speaking of…” His eyes flicked behind me. “Hey, Penny, if you want I can haul him out back and let him sleep it off?” He was talking over my shoulder, but my head hung too heavy to turn around and look at her.
“I’ll sort him out,” that gentle little voice said from nearby. A small hand landed on my shoulder and I swung my head enough to see her.
Every time I looked at her she stole another piece of my heart, I never stood a chance against her. Penny always shone brighter than any other woman and she always would. But fuck. She’d been in trouble and I hadn’t been there to protect her. I felt like such a fucking failure right now. Just knowing Penny suffered and I could have stopped it tore my fucking heart out.
Perhaps, I should have stopped a few beers ago, this would not be my finest moment. It was either my local bar, Walkers Arms, or I’d be in the state penitentiary for murder. I think for once I chose wisely.
“Come on, Cowboy. Let’s get you home.” She spoke softly, her breath washing over my neck sending shivers through my body. I was too drunk to enjoy the feeling. Any other day I would have a raging hard-on right about now, probably lucky that I don’t.
“Up you get, Mason.” Harry helped to haul me to my feet and then we were moving, everything felt heavy and my eyes struggled to focus.
“Your car, or his truck?” Harry asked, and I had to snort.
“Her car’s shit, man.”
Penny made a noise in her throat, and if I could see properly, I would notice that look on her face, the one which told me she’d had enough. I loved that look.
“Where are your keys?” Penny patted down my pockets, her hand gentle and I wanted them on me, but my body was too drunk.
“Careful what you grab, baby.”
Harry made a strange noise then he pushed me and the familiar scent of my truck hit my nose, the cool leather under my palm as I tried my hardest to hoist myself into the cab. The door slammed in my face. I could just make out Harry and Penny outside. They were talking, her arms were moving, and she looked tired.
She’d sleep with me and feel so much better in the morning. Hell, we both would.
Not sure how long it took for her to climb behind the wheel, but when she did I rolled my head in her direction and smiled at my princess. She stared straight ahead, her profile showed off the strong lines of her face, the gentle slope to her nose. Her hands clenched on the wheel and her shoulders drew tight with tension. Had I done that to her?
We drove home in silence, the drive not long enough to sober up any. She pulled up near my door not cutting the engine.
“I’ll drop your truck back in the morning.” Her voice sounded empty, and she stared straight ahead.
“What? No. You spend the night with me. I need you here.” This was where she belonged.
“I need to not be here, Mason. I need to think, cry, scream. Fuck! I really don’t know what I need, but what I do know is that I needed you today. So fucking much and you turned your back on me just like I knew you would. So, get out of the car, Mason, before I say something I will regret.” Penny turned to look at me, and for the first time, I wished she hadn’t. Her eyes were red, her face splotchy, and she looked done. Just done. Done with me. This place. Done with life. I wasn’t sure what level her done sat at but I knew I had contributed to it.
“I didn’t know what to do,” I offered honestly. Earlier, I’d struggled to think straight and the only thing I wanted to do, well, that would land my ass in the slammer. But I knew Penny needed me. I knew that, but what I couldn’t do was calm down enough to focus on her needs instead of what he took from me. Penny was my one, and I’d failed her. How would she forgive me for letting her go? Did she blame me? Did I push her away all those years ago after our night together?
“I’ll see you when your sober, Mason.”
“No.” I turned in my seat, aware my speech slurred but determined to make sense. “You’re not going home. He knows where you live, Pen. I’ll sleep on the sofa just, please, don’t go home.” I would beg if I had to and I would argue if she wanted to go to Logan’s, but I knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t like the explaining she’d have to do. When she cut the engine off, I sagged in relief.
Tomorrow I would fix this mess.
Penny was my one, and I was her cowboy.
There was nothing more to add.
Chapter 7
Penny
I edged out of bed early. It was a school day, I needed to head home and get changed so I could go to
work. I got the shock of my life when I found Mason’s mom, Cathy, in his kitchen. I’d be honest and say I didn’t even hear her come in, which was alarming in of itself. I had been on edge these past few days and not sleeping really well, not letting myself fully enjoy sleep, until last night. Even with a drunk Mason, I slept deeply until my cell alarm blared and I snuck out.
“Oh, hi,” I said as my face heated.
Cathy smiled and ushered me into the kitchen. Should she be on her leg?
“I thought I’d cook breakfast for you, I know you need to get into town.” She did? Somehow, she read the look on my face. “You’re both adults, Penny. I saw you two come in last night, I knew Mason would be feeling sore today and I figured you might need a little pep talk.” I swallowed thickly. What I needed was a cheer squad. “Come, sit, and have a coffee, the eggs are nearly done.”
I did as I was told taking a moment to look around Mason’s kitchen. The place felt homey, his mom might have used it more than him, but I wouldn’t hold that against him. The cupboards where distressed white and the bench tops a dark gray stone of some kind. Kind of manly but also practical too.
“I drove him home from Walkers.” I felt the need to justify why I was there. Like when I got caught at home doing something my parents would not approve of, I always felt the need to justify it, even if it meant I’d end up in more trouble than I was currently in. I just walked out of her son’s bedroom looking like I spent a wild night at it when it was far from the truth.
“Mason adores you, Penny. I know that. Always has. I want my boy happy, and if you make him happy then I’m truly delighted for both of you. I’m worried Mason might be a bit brash for you that’s all. He thinks about an hour after he has spoken.”
I smiled and sipped the coffee she slid over to me. Mason spoke the truth whenever and wherever, but it was something I loved about him.
I chocked on my saliva.
Did I just say, love?
Oh, crap. I loved Mason. How disastrous.