He stood up and held his hand out to me. I took it and joined him on the blanket.
“You think of everything, don’t you?” I said.
“I thought this could be a little fun. You know, a change of scenery instead of my bedroom all the time. Since you’ve been on the Pill, the possibilities are endless.”
“True, but it’s not always your bedroom.”
“There was that time in my father’s library. Several times in the tack room. And of course the sunflower field that day.”
“I’ll never forget that day. Maybe we should make this another time to remember too,” I said as I unbuttoned his shirt.
Leaning forward, he kissed my lips and my entire body melted. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and shifted myself closer to him.
My hands slid down his muscular chest, to the hem of his fitted shirt, and started to lift it out of his jeans. He yanked it off his body in one swift motion, throwing it off the blanket as his lips found mine again.
I loved being so close to Mason. It wasn’t just the sex, it was how he looked at me and touched me. When he held me, I knew how he really felt and what I meant to him.
He unbuttoned my shirt and I lifted myself as it slid down my arms. He smiled at me, making his dimples appear, then moved onto his knees and unzipped my jeans.
The horses’ automatic waterer kicked in and startled me. It reminded me of how risky we were being. With the sun streaming in through the windows, my nerves about being naked and getting caught started to get the better of me. I shivered with excitement.
“Every time I undress you, I’m amazed by how beautiful you are,” he said, his voice husky and full of passion.
“Stop it,” I said, unable to stop myself from giggling as the blood rushed to my cheeks. “I’m already naked, you don’t have to kiss my ass.”
“Maybe I want to.”
He flipped me over onto my stomach and I shrieked with laughter.
“Shhh,” he said. “There’s people trying to work you know.”
He planted his lips on my rump and made a loud smooching sound. I pushed him off and flipped onto my back.
“You’re terrible,” I said.
He kissed my thigh and slowly his lips made their way up to my hip.
“I’d be more than happy to kiss every inch of you,” he said.
I could barely breathe as his lips traveled up my body. My heart raced wildly in my chest and thumped so loudly I couldn't think about anything except where his lips or hands might go next.
Mason dug his fingers into the fabric of my panties and tugged. I lifted my bottom as he slid them off. He kissed my hip again then bit it playfully, leaving me with a mixture of pain and pleasure.
“Stop that!” I said, giggling.
As he gave me his intense brown-eyed stare with a crooked smile, I knew he was thinking of naughty things. He lowered his lips to kiss my stomach, my side, then my breasts as he smiled.
“If I had to choose a favorite part of you, this would be it,” he said as he easily unhooked my bra and removed it. “You know, aside from your brain and all that.”
“Jerk,” I laughed.
His warm tongue passed over my nipples, drawing circles. The surrounding air now felt cold and made them even harder. My body trembled from his touch and as he slowly sucked, my core pulsed. I didn't want him to take his time. I didn’t want to get caught. But even more than that, I needed to have him now.
Swiftly unbuttoning his jeans, I slid them down his hips as he moved up and ran his tongue up my shoulder to that sensitive spot again, giving me goose bumps.
With him naked, I let my hands finally have free access to his body. He felt strong, but even though he was muscular, his skin was soft and smooth except for some hair on his chest. I loved the feel of his muscles rippling as our lips met again and we hungrily kissed.
As I shifted my body underneath him, his tongue still slowly moving with mine, his hand slid down the length of my body, then his fingers stroked my inner thigh before he lifted my leg and I felt his manhood pressed against my wetness.
He pulled away from our kiss as our eyes met. My heart raced and my mind spun as I lost myself to the moment. When he slowly entered me, the world seemed suddenly at peace. Everything was perfect. There was nothing more I could ever want and no other place I would rather be.
I wrapped my arms around his back, feeling the long cuts of his muscle and tracing them down his body. Mason’s touch intoxicated me, and feeling his cock entering me made the room spin as my body buzzed with approval.
Where we were no longer mattered. All that I cared about was that I was with him. I looked up and our eyes met. His were full of emotion and I knew mine were too.
My body quivered and shook as he shifted his thrusts and rubbed my stiff clit at the same time. Leaning down, he sucked on my shoulder, and that pushed me over. The room spun as waves overtook and shook my body. As I tightened my arms around him, he held me close.
Out of breath, we lay together, our bodies still entwined. I couldn't help but start laughing because everything felt so good, so right.
The sound of the gate on the exercise ring closing brought me back to where we were. Mason kissed my lips quickly then got up to grab our strewn clothing.
“I know,” he said. “She’s going to be back any minute.”
He handed me my clothes and we quickly got dressed.
“That’s one bonus for staying in my bedroom,” he said. “We can stay there for as long as we want.”
Present Day
I left everything in the hayloft just as I had found it. While it had been years since Mason and I had our own secret meetings, I remembered the thrill and excitement of sneaking up there at the ranch. It was our own private hideaway where nothing else mattered except each other. I missed that. Whoever’s secret it was that I stumbled upon today was safe with me.
As I pushed the stairs to fold up, I heard the familiar sound of Mason’s footsteps coming up behind me.
“If I had known you were going to be up there, I would have come sooner,” he said, his voice husky.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “I have always been a lady.”
Mason sighed, and I knew his playful side was being tucked away. There was something on his mind.
“I’m tired of this cat and mouse game, Tara. We need to talk. Let’s go for a drive.”
Hearing those words brought me relief. There was so much that happened in our relationship that I still had questions about. So many things I held onto for so long, both good and bad, and it was time I got some answers. I needed to know why he never came back and no matter how much it might hurt me, I was going to find out.
“Alright, let’s go,” I said.
Chapter Eight
Tara
Mason and I rode in silence, but I knew it wouldn’t be long. As soon as he entered the canyon road, I knew where he was going.
With my hand in his, he kept his eyes on the road. The trip to the clearing on top of the hill felt quicker this time. As we got out of the car, the sun beamed down on us. I squinted and shielded my eyes as I took in the slopes of the hills and the ocean in the distance.
I shifted my gaze and looked at Mason. He was in a suit, minus the tie as I had seen him before. His hair was a little disheveled as if he had been running his fingers through his hair, something I remembered him doing whenever he was nervous. To someone who didn’t know him as well, he looked as calm as ever.
On the other hand, I hoped I looked even half as calm. My nerves had gotten the best of me and I found myself alternating between cracking my knuckles and biting my lip. My hands trembled and I shoved them deep into my jeans to hide them.
“Tara, I can’t begin to tell you what I felt when I saw you that first time at Xander and Ashley’s. After all these years, I never stopped thinking about you or wondering where you were.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he held his hand up. “Please,
” he said, “just let me get all of this out first. I know what you’re going to say. I know it’s been fifteen years, I know that I hurt you, just please let’s put that aside for a few minutes and hear me out.”
He cupped his hands around my face. As his eyes searched mine, I saw sadness in them. I needed closure. I had to find out what really happened, but his eyes made me realize I wasn’t the only one who felt pain from it.
“Okay, I’ll listen,” I said.
Mason took me by the hand and he led me away from the ocean view, back towards the tall trees that framed the other side of the hill.
“I’m going to build Abernathy Ranch here. Right here will be the stables and several other buildings. Everything will be state-of-the-art with the most advanced environmental materials. We’ll only take down what we need to to build and leave the rest of nature intact. The top of the hill where we had our picnic will be the house.”
“What about your home in North Carolina?” I asked.
“That was my childhood home. I never lived there as an adult. The longest I did was when we were together. And I want that again. There’s nothing I want more than for us to be together again.”
“What are you saying?”
“I want to build this for us. I want you to move in, Tara. I want our lives to be what they should have been fifteen years ago. I’m building a house, but with you it can be a home.”
Fifteen Years Ago
Whenever the ranch was busier than usual, Mason and I would meet in his room. Mason’s room was a small building that stood on its own on the other side of the main house. Mason insisted it was the maid’s quarters when the house was first built decades ago, but the room was so plain and drafty, I was convinced it was a shed.
Lying in bed with Mason gave me a chance to forget about my responsibilities at home and anything else that was normally on my mind. As I lay in the crook of Mason’s arm, he gently rubbed my shoulder.
“I missed you this morning,” I said.
He kissed my forehead and held me closer.
“I’ve been wanting to talk to you about that,” he said. “I got a phone call this morning from Deutschland Industries. They’re giving me one more chance to come out, otherwise they’re selling their shares to another investor.”
My heart sank, but I knew the time would come. From the day we met, I knew he wasn’t staying at the ranch for long. I took a deep breath and braced myself.
“When do you have to go?”
“They want me there in October.”
“October?” My voice rose unexpectedly. I wanted to scream, but that wouldn’t help anything. “That’s next month. I know you’ve pushed them off since May, but couldn’t they give you more time?”
“I don’t think I’m going to go.”
“What do you mean? You have to go,” I said. “You’ve been talking about this since we first met. This is a huge deal for you.”
“Then you have to come with me, Tara. These past five months have been amazing. We’ve spent every day together, and I need you there with me. I’ve never felt the way I feel about you for anyone. I don’t want to lose that.”
“You want me to go with you to Germany? Are you crazy?”
“No, this is the least crazy idea I’ve ever had. We’ve talked about it before, but now you need to make a decision. I want you to come with me.”
I was torn. I imagined being in Germany with him, just the two of us together, and it was what I wanted and dreamed about. But I couldn’t ignore reality.
“I…I…can’t. I want to, but I can’t. My parents depend on me. You know I support them.”
“I’ll take care of them. I’ll make sure Brooke has whatever she needs to be there for them. If she needs help, I’ll make arrangements for it. I can bring someone in to cook them meals, keep the house clean, whatever they need. You won’t have to worry about anything. Just say you’ll come with me.”
“I…this is just too much. I can’t let you do that. I…I just don’t know,” I said.
“If you don’t go, then I’ll tell them to go ahead with another investor. I’m not going without you.”
“You can’t do that. Don’t put that on me, Mason. Just don’t.”
“Then promise me that you’ll think about it. That’s all I want right now. At least give me that.”
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll think about it.”
* * *
The next few days were a blur. I didn’t tell my parents about going with Mason. I didn’t tell anyone. No one would understand why I wasn’t jumping at the chance to go to Germany with him. I didn’t completely understand it either, but I felt a responsibility to stay and care for my parents.
I was freshening some of the hay in the stalls when the strong scent of perfume surrounded me. There was only one person who wore that scent, and I didn’t want to see her. I ducked down in the horse stall and hoped she didn’t see me.
“Oh, there you are, Tara,” Iris said. “I was hoping we could talk.”
“Sure,” I said as I dusted myself off. I couldn’t think of a time that Iris had been out here, but whatever she wanted, I knew it couldn’t be good. “Do you want to go into the office?”
“Um no. Here is fine. I just thought we’d have a little chat. You know, just us girls.”
She looked around and her nose wrinkled. As I opened the stall door wider, she backed into a dusty wooden post. I tried to not laugh as she looked with disgust at the dirty sleeve of the cardigan she wore over her dress.
“Okay then, let’s talk. Just us girls,” I said with the widest grin I could muster.
“My son tells me he’s leaving for Germany next month.”
I could hear Mason’s skin being branded with her words ‘my son.’ It made it harder to like her. Even with how she had always treated me, I wanted to like Mrs. Abernathy and I wanted her to like me too. Despite everything, she was my boyfriend’s mother.
“Yes, he is. I’m sure you’re going to miss him,” I said.
“And what about you? Has he asked you to go with him? Of course I’m grateful he’s been around as long as he has and I’m no fool, I know it’s because of you.”
She looked down her nose at me with more disdain than her dirty sleeve got. I kept on smiling despite how much my cheeks began hurting.
“He did ask me to go with him,” I said. “But I haven’t decided yet.”
“I would imagine it’s a lot to think about. But isn’t it what you wanted all along? Some rich man to take care of you?”
“No! It’s never been like that. I love my job.”
“Well then you have a decision to make, don’t you? Do you stay here and keep your pride? Or do you go and let everyone you meet think of you as a gold digger?”
“Why would anyone think that?”
“It’s what I would think,” she said. She pursed her lips as she gave me the once over. “Look at you. Do you really understand what it means to be an Abernathy? You would never fit in. You’re just a piece of meat to my son, and that’s all anyone will see if you go with him. Look at you.” She waved her hand in front of me. “Neither you or your family have anything to offer my son.”
The smile was gone from my face. My hands clenched into fists and my heart raced in my chest. I wanted to lunge at her and shove her head into a pile of horse manure. I wanted to scream at her that Mason and I loved each other and what she said wasn’t true. But her words cut me to the core and tickled every insecurity I had.
I stood there speechless as she walked into the sunshine. I heard Mason’s voice greet his mother as they passed on the path to the main house, but I still couldn’t move. I was standing in the same spot, with my mouth hung open in shock, as Mason came and put his arms around me.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“I...umm...I guess,” I said, unable to disguise the confusion in my voice.
“Did something happen? Did my mother say something? I just passed her.”
Do I tell h
im what happened? Or keep it to myself? It was his mother, I couldn’t tell him. I wasn’t sure myself what even happened, but I knew I felt like I did something wrong. Maybe she was right. Maybe the shame and guilt I felt was because I wasn’t right for him.
Going away with him would be too easy. He would support me and my parents while I was away. I couldn’t do that. Despite what Iris said, I wasn’t a gold digger. If Mason and I were meant to be, then a few months apart wouldn’t matter. It was like that song said, if you love someone set them free.
I looked up into Mason’s face, and his eyes were wide, waiting for me to say something. I forced myself to look calm and sure of myself, but even as I did that, I felt my eyes begin to fill with tears. Saying the words that had been swirling in my head were going to be the hardest ones I had ever spoken.
“I can’t go to Germany with you,” I said.
His brow wrinkled, and he looked down at the ground for a moment before meeting my gaze again. I had to force myself to not look away. I set my jaw and swallowed hard as I fought back the tears and tried to look like nothing was wrong.
As his eyes searched my face, I felt my knees begin to weaken. I wanted to collapse. I wanted to run and hide and just let my tears flow. I wanted to cry out with the agony that was filling my chest. Instead I stood strong and waited for him to speak.
“Why?” he asked, his voice full of emotion. “I told you I’d take care of your parents. If it’s your job, I can make sure it’s still here waiting for you when you get back. Just tell me what it is and I’ll take care of it.”
“I just can’t. I can’t.”
I shook my head as the tears filled my eyes more. There was no fighting them back anymore. My only hope was that he didn’t question anything else because I wasn’t sure I could answer.
“Do you love me?” he asked.
I nodded. Yes, more than anything in the world. But I couldn’t speak the words. Tears fell onto my cheeks and Mason, with a confused look, tenderly wiped them away.
Won’t Fall Again Page 9
