CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Once we reached my apartment, Mason held my hand as he walked me up to my door.

After stroking my hair in the most loving caress, he had me stand just inside the entrance as he checked the entire loft, making sure no psycho stalker ex-boyfriends were lingering about. I treasured the sweetness of his actions.

When he returned to me and took my hand again to lead me to my room, I followed in giddy exultation.

We undressed ourselves, facing each other as we stripped down to our underwear. His eyes heated as I pulled my dried tee over my head and my breasts pushed taut against the cups of my bra. I knew he was aroused; he revealed an impressive bulge in his boxer briefs when he pushed his jeans down his legs. But instead of reaching for me, he rotated away and turned down the sheets of my bed.

“After you.” His gaze was filled with care and devotion. “I swear I will refrain from hogging the mattress and blankets tonight.”

I paused before climbing in, as relieved as I was disappointed that he didn’t put the moves on me. We deserved a little physical connection. I needed to get close to him and share my body with him in the most intimate, bonding way possible.

But later. Not tonight.

Sex wasn’t the main thing he needed from me just now. It wasn’t the main thing I needed from him either. For the time being, we both could do with a little emotional comfort.

So instead of the horizontal tango, what followed were some of the sweetest, yet most platonic, hours of my life. Mason managed to turn the utter depression I’d begun in his neighbor’s backyard into unreserved bliss.

He wrapped me in his arms and snuggled with me, talking about trivial things like ~Harry Potter~, and lattes, and college, and spiders, and our futures. We drew on each other’s hands with our fingers and guessed what pictures we’d made. We tried to have a thumb war under the covers…with our toes. Then we lay in tranquil silence, holding hands and listening to our breaths slow until we both fell into a dreamless oblivion.

I had a lovely, solid rest. When I woke, I didn’t feel as if I’d spent any of last night bawling my eyes out until they’d nearly swollen shut. I felt refreshed and warm as I snuggled into my soul mate, who had kept his promise and hadn’t hogged the mattress or the sheets.

Rolling around to face him, I watched him slumber next to me. It was like witnessing a miracle. He was beautiful. Inside and out.

As if sensing my stare, he stirred, his breath catching before he turned his head my way and fluttered his thick, stubby lashes open. A tired smile lit his face, and I seriously can’t even describe how amazing it felt to be the recipient of it.

“Hey, Sweet Pea,” he rasped.

If I wasn’t turned on before, I certainly was now. His morning voice put his regular voice to shame, all sleep-clogged and sexy with the perfect amount of huskiness to it.

“Hey, Hotness,” I returned, my fingers itching to reach out and just…pet him. Giving in to temptation, I asked, “Can I touch you?”

His lashes closed, resting against the tops of his tanned, sculpted cheeks as his smile grew broad. “You don’t have to ask.”

I reached out immediately but paused within inches of contact. He must’ve sensed my hesitation because he reopened his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

I swallowed, utterly overwhelmed. “I don’t know where to start.”

Mason’s gaze warmed. He wrapped strong warm fingers around my wrist and drew my palm forward, leading me where he wanted my hand to follow. When he set it on the center of his chest, right over his heart and pressed my flesh flush to his as if fingerprinting my soul to his, I blinked back gratified tears.

“Start here. No one’s ever touched me here before.”

I rubbed a circle on his chest over his heart. It thumped strong and steady under my fingers, so I leaned in and set my lips to the precious spot, sealing the moment with a kiss.

Remembering a certain hickey from the night before, I glanced over without thinking, only to find all traces of Mrs. Garrison completely gone. His unmarked chest gleamed, sculpted and magnificent like a clean slate. And all mine to touch as I wished.

Unable to stop grinning, I glanced up and bit my lip before I took the plunge. “Word,” I said.

His sexy brows lowered with confusion. “What?”

I chuckled. “I thought you told me to just say the word when I was ready. So…word. Or should I say ~‘the word’~?”

Mason sucked in a sharp breath, looking suddenly uncertain. “Reese—”

He began to sit up, but I nudged him back down. Since my hand was still covering his heart, it didn’t take much effort to apply a little pressure and topple him back onto the mattress.

“It’s okay, Mason,” I assured him. “I love you, and I want to show you how much. I want you to have that recreational fun you’ve never had. I want to pamper and spoil you as no one ever has before.” Or ever will. “And I want to wash away all their rules and restrictions until you feel free to do whatever you like with me.”

His eyes darkened with feeling. Lifting his hand, he cupped my face gently. “God, I don’t deserve you.”

“And yet you have me anyway.” I grinned and moved my touch over him, exploring to my heart’s content, starting at his face with his rough, unshaven jaw and working my way down.

“So, you’re about to give your first freebie, Mr. Lowe, the amazing gigolo.” Teasing, I slid the tip of my nose along the side of his neck. “Would you like to pause and say a little something to mark the occasion?”

His expression crackled with heat as he lay passively under me, watching my every move. “Oh, but this isn’t going to be my first freebie.”

“What?” My stomach dropped into my toes. “But you said—”

“Shh.” He cut me off by setting his finger over my lips before I could sit upright. With a light, reassuring kiss on my forehead, he kissed my cheek next. Then my jaw…Mmm. My neck. “It’s not going to be a freebie at all. I plan to make you pay. Big time.”

“Oh, I’m going to pay, am I?” I pulled back as much as he would allow to arch my eyebrows. But the press of his lips against my collarbone made my entire body shudder with hunger. Sensing I might actually like where this was headed, I licked my lips. “I’m getting the girlfriend discount, right?”

Mason merely shook his head, amusement lacing his chuckle. “Nope. You’re going to owe me more than anyone ever has before.”

“Really? Hmm. What do you plan to charge?”

Stealing my bad habit, he wrinkled his nose. “Just your body. Your heart. And all of your soul.”

I let out a happy sigh and threaded my fingers through his hair. “But I’ve already given you those.”

His grin was slow and devastating. “Well, there’s my first then. A woman who pre-pays.”

I giggled. “In that case, sonny, lie back. I’m not done investigating my purchase.”

He gave me a toothy grin. “Need to check my teeth?”

I lifted one eyebrow. “Not quite the spot I had in mind.”

“My armpit?” When he lifted his arm, I threw my head back and laughed.

“Put your arm down, you dork.” I manually put it down for him, hiding his hairy pits. “Maybe I was talking about your tattoo, huh.”

I traced my fingers over the words ~Make Me~, stunned I was actually touching it, that he was letting me anywhere near it. Goose bumps sprouted on his abdomen as I ran my fingertip along each letter.

His smile faded as he glanced at his ink. “I was pissed and feeling defiant after the first time I stopped accepting clients.”

“I thought as much.” Leaning forward, I kissed the words. His stomach muscles tensed under my lips and his hand petting my hair told me how much he liked the attention.

After obsessing over his navel, I skipped down his body, moving directly to his feet.

He sat up, resting his weight on his elbows so he could watch me. An amused crinkle lit up his eyes. “Hey, you missed a spot.”

I waved him silent. “Don’t worry. I’ll get to your ears, I swear.”

He shook his head. “That’s not what I was talking about.”

Glancing at the bulge in his underwear and seeing a wet mark spreading on the cloth, I blanked out for a second, overcome by this urge to climb into his lap and ride him that very second. I could almost feel the thick glide of him entering me already.

But I didn’t want to do something that would remind him of anything…nasty. Unsure, I met his gaze. “I just…I thought maybe your…I was worried a couple of overeager clients might’ve touched it more than you wanted, so I didn’t want to…intrude.” I mean, if ~I~ had been paying him boocoos of money for it, I’d demand a little playtime with that specific body part too. “I didn’t want to—”

He tossed his head back and laughed. “Reese. Jesus, you are too cute. I don’t care about them. I just know I want ~you~ to touch it. I want ~your~ hands on me. Right here.”

When he skimmed his fingers over the exact spot we were discussing, I caught my breath, forgetting all about who had come before me. But holy tattooed gigolos, seeing Mason touch himself there was freaking ~hawt~.

“My goodness, Mr. Lowe,” I breathed, trying to control my racing pulse by keeping very, very still. “I think that was just about the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Then you haven’t seen nothing yet.” With a wink, he wrapped his fingers around himself through the cloth of his underwear. As he pumped slowly, my jaws throbbed from the way my mouth watered. “I ache so bad for you right now, Reese, just thinking about sliding into you has me...” He closed his eyes and gave a full-body shiver as he groaned.

I think I might’ve had a mini orgasm. Seriously. A shockwave of awareness lit through me so hard and fast, I caught my breath in surprise.

“Well, we can’t have that.” Before he realized what I was about to do, I grasped his underwear and slid them down his legs, dislodging his hand from his junk, which was a damn shame. But what sprang free, all naked and exposed, left me with a whole new eye-party of astonishment. “Holy Mary, mother of God. That’s definitely the biggest I’ve ever seen.”

Mason’s eyes narrowed even as his cheeks flushed from the compliment. “Just how many have you seen?”

“Including you? Two.” Ignoring the suspicious question in his gaze, I returned my attention to his penis. Crouching hesitantly close, I cooed, “Hey there, big fellow. You don’t bite, do you?”

Mason laughed and groaned at the same time. “Damn it, Reese. Your sense of humor is going to drive me crazy before this day is over.”

“What?” I asked innocently, honestly confused.

“Just touch it already,” he pleaded from between clenched teeth.

Jeez, okay. He didn’t have to be an impatient crabby pants about it. I reached out and petted the length of it with two fingers as if timidly greeting a live, rabid animal.

Sweat beaded on Mason’s brow. He looked tortured, but he appeared to love every second of his suffering. “You are such a comedian. You know that’s not what I meant by touch it. It’s not a freaking dog.”

“Um, no. I’d say this thing is more the size of a bull.”

He gave a choked laugh. As much as he wanted me to get with the program, he was still having fun. I loved it. I’d never had fun while that other guy who-shall-not-be-named had been naked in front of me. I liked having fun with Mason.

“Now, why am I doing all the touching here?” Faking a pout, I sat back on my haunches and slapped my hands to my hips. “You haven’t inspected one inch of me yet. Don’t you like what you see?”

“I love ~everything~ I see.” His eyes glazed with instability as he frantically clutched the sheets under him. I was worried I might’ve pushed him a little too far. A little dirty teasing was fine; driving a man to hormonal homicide was not.

His brow glistened as if he had a fever. “But if I touch you right now, that’s it. I won’t be able to stop. I wanted to make sure you have all your playtime in before I get started.”

“Aww.” I patted his belly, a bare three inches from the head of his oozing penis. “Thinking of me first. That’s so sweet. Thank you.”

“Yeah, I’m a frigging saint. Now will you ~please~ touch my dick like you mean it before the damn thing explodes?”

“Oh, all right.” I let out a resigned sigh as if giving in to his demands was such a bother. Then I leaned over and touched his dick—with my tongue—stroking it all the way from base to tip with a hot, wet stroke.

He shouted out my name and bucked us both a couple of inches off the bed.

“What did I do wrong this time?” I demanded, sitting up again to pierce him with a pointed look.

Panting, he stared up at me through a wild glaze. “N…nothing. That was…that was…perfect.”

The dazed expression on his face made me pause. “Haven’t you ever been licked there before?”

“No,” he said in a strained voice.

“Really?” I arched an eyebrow. “What is wrong with the women of Waterford?”

He shook his head, still looking completely bowled over. “F…fellatio is more about my pleasure, and none of them really cared about my pleasure so…~oh~!…God.”

His back bowed off the bed again as I took as much of him into my mouth as I could fit. Wrapping my fingers around the rest of the base, I sucked hard, being careful not to bite. Then I let my tongue roam, investigating every bump and vein. Next came a little deep throating.

“~Reese~!” His voice was high and strangled. “Oh, my God. Oh…” I think I actually ~heard~ his eyes roll into the back of his head. “…~shit~.”

Yes, I give a damn fine B.J. if I do say so myself.

I knew he was right on the edge when he let go of the two handfuls of sheets he’d fisted his fingers around and sat upright. “I can’t wait any longer. I need…I need to touch you. ~Now~.”

He pulled me off him, flipped me onto my back, and was on top of me so fast it knocked the wind out of me.

The kiss that followed was so hot, it melted my panties away. Literally. Well, okay, I think ~he~ ripped my panties away. But either way, after we were done giving each other mouth to mouth, I was completely naked, he had a condom on, and things had gotten real hot up in this loft apartment. My entire body throbbed with heat and moist, aching need.

Mason grasped my hip and manually draped my leg around his waist. I followed his lead and wrapped the other around him, hooking my feet together at the base of his back.

Sliding his palm up my thighs, he cupped my ass and lifted me enough to align our bodies. My core pulsed in anticipation, tightening my nipples into hard sensitive buds and tugging on the nerves in my thighs.

When he dipped in a finger to find me wet, we both moaned. Another digit followed. He stroked me until I arched and panted under him. His mouth did sinful things to my breasts. I never wanted him to stop.

After he pulled his fingers free, he replaced them with something much larger that nudged my entrance and made my vision gray. Oh, God. We were doing this. We were doing it right now. I held my body taut in eager excitement as his blunt tip pressed a little deeper.

The only other person I’d ever had sex with had been Jeremy, and he’d been so controlling and domineering, I wasn’t absolutely positive what the normal procedure was. What if Mason wanted me to be more involved, or less involved, or…?

As if sensing my sudden insecurity, Mason looked up, his face flushed. “Reese? Are you sure?”

That was it. His concern for me broke through all my fears about proper procedure. I needed this man now, in every way possible.

I nodded like a bobble-headed doll. “Yes. Yes. Please.”

He set his forehead against mine and thrust forward, impaling me fully.

Oh.

God.

I sucked in a sharp, startled breath, not expecting so much, so soon. Oh, God. So very, very much. He hadn’t hesitated once. My body couldn’t adjust and I slapped his back in uncontrollable panic. “Stop! Wait, wait, wait.”

He immediately fell still and pulled his shoulders back to look into my eyes. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you? Are you okay? I thought you said—”

He began to pull out, but I locked my legs tighter around him to stop any movement whatsoever.

I shushed him, needing silence so I could clear my head. “I’m fine. I’m fine.” My mind was scrambled. I felt so stretched and full. He seemed everywhere. My thoughts were a scattered, disorganized mess.

It was too freaking overwhelming.

“I just…I need a moment. I wasn’t expecting it to be so…You’re so big. Bigger than…” I looked into the worried, frantic face above me, and once again, that was all I needed. I grew famished. “Mmm.”

My body warmed, adjusted, and accepted him. It actually relished the snug fit. In fact, it craved more and wanted to feel that delicious inner stretching again, wanted to feel him rubbing against the bundle of nerves inside me, and it wanted it right freaking ~now~.

I arched up under him, burning for more. “Move, move, move,” I panted.

Mason looked conflicted and a little panicked. “But you told just told me to stop.”

I grabbed two handfuls of thick, wavy hair and clutched them hard. “Well, now I need you to ~move~. Oh, God. Please, hurry. I feel so…I’m so…~Jesus~, what are you doing to me?”

Keeping a suspicious eye on me as his cheeks grew ruddy and his pupils dilated, he pulled out only to immediately rock back in. And oh my stars, the fit was just as snug and mind-blowing as his first plunge. I arched under him, moaning out my ecstasy in a low keen. “More.”

Mason set a hand on the pillow by my face, watching me as he steadily pumped my body. “You confuse the hell out of me, Teresa Nolan, Reese Randall, or whoever the hell you are.” His voice was raw and winded. “But I still can’t get enough of you.”

I was so happy he knew all my names and every part of me. There were no secrets between us. Just him and me, and this.

He plunged into me harder, shifting us just enough to slide deeper. Then he rearranged my legs, telling me it would make him feel bigger in me, and holy crap, he wasn’t lying. Next he flexed his penis just so, hitting a spot that almost had me crossing my eyes. Damn, he sure knew what to do.

I thrashed my head from side to side, fighting the tightening in my loins as much as I embraced it.

“You feel so good, so good,” I chanted from between chattering teeth. “So good.”

Why were my teeth chattering? Why the hell was my entire body chattering? It seemed like the firmer my muscles pulled around him, the more my organs low in my abdomen swelled. And the more they expanded, the harder I shook.

“Christ,” Mason bit out. His teeth clenched and neck tendons strained. “Don’t say shit like that to me when I’m already on the edge. You feel good too, Reese. So…goddamn…good. But I don’t want it to end yet.”

I didn’t either. Except the faster he moved, the better it felt. And the better it felt, the sooner it was going to end.

“Oh, screw it.” I dug my fingers into his firm ass and moved with him, urging him to quicken the pace. “We can have long, drawn-out slow sex later.”

He groaned again, though this was more like a whimper. “Promise?”

I nodded. “Yes. Yes. Right now, just light me up. ~Please~.”

“On it.” His hips slapped against mine. And…damn.

It was the first time I actually savored the carnal delight of this act. I cherished every wicked sensation vibrating through me. Hugging his hips tight between my thighs as he repeatedly entered and withdrew, I threw my head back and arched with him.

And yet, despite how hot and sweaty and primal it was, I felt a connection that ran so much deeper than the physical. The electrical current that had tethered us together the first moment I’d ever seen him across the college campus ignited inside me.

Mason’s gaze was awed and amazed as he watched us come together. But he must’ve sensed the bond too, because he looked up and caught my eye. With a dazed kind of grin, he sank his fingers into my hair and held my face as if bracing himself for the big plunge off the summit.

“I love this,” he said. “I love you. You are so beautiful.”

I gripped him tight. “I love you, too.”

And that was it. For a split second, he appeared overcome. Then he crushed our mouths together, buried himself deep, and sent me spiraling over the cliff. My entire system felt like a lightning rod, absorbing the shock of our union. Mason groaned and followed me into oblivion.

Until that moment, I hadn’t realized I’d never had an honest-to-God orgasm before, because what happened to my body possessed every nerve inside me and shocked me from the inside out. The intensity kind of scared me. I cried out and clutched him hard, gouging out half moons into his back with my fingernails.

“Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.”

“Jesus, Reese.” He arched and crushed us together as his cock pulsed.

I dug my heels into the base of his back until the earthquake, tornado, hurricane, and tsunami of sensations passed. And still, I felt rattled to the core. “Oh…my…God,” I said one last time, my voice faint and exhausted.

Slumped heavily on top of me—which I loved—Mason chuckled against my cheek and kissed my jaw, then my throat, my collarbone. “Thank you,” he said. “I’ve always wondered what it felt like to make love.”

I turned my face to the side and saw his heart reflecting through the stained-glass windows of his gorgeous gray eyes. Realizing this was the first time I’d made love too, my lashes grew a little damp. Cupping his cheek where his five o’clock shadow prickled my palm, I murmured, “It ~is~ a million times better than that icky ol’ straight sex with no feelings involved, isn’t it?”

He teased my ear with his nose. “Fifty million times better.”

Not one to be bested, I had to retort, “A trillion times.”

“Infinity,” he countered.

Wrapping my arms and legs around him, I burrowed my face into his neck. “Infinity times two.”

With that, I pretty much just passed out underneath him, falling into a deep, peaceful stupor.