by Mandy Harbin
“I’ll think about it,” she finally said. He nodded and leaned in. Her heart leapt when his face got closer to hers. When he kissed her forehead instead of her lips, another ache formed at how tender the gesture had been.
Mason stood, pulled out his wallet, and gave her a card with the address and details how to get there. “Just in case.”
She watched him leave, the words she’d tried saying earlier whispering into the lonely air. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Mason sipped his scotch as he took in the beauty of the turquoise ocean surrounding him, wondering why he hadn’t taken the plunge to buy a property like this before now. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have the money. No, time had always been his inhibitor. He’d joked to Parker that he’d wanted the feds to send him on a nice vacation after his duty taking down William Baxter was over. Not that he’d honestly expected an all-expense paid trip, or the time to go on one, but deep down he knew he needed the serenity of palm trees and saltwater.
The events over the last several weeks spurred him into fulfilling that need.
Because of Viola’s guilt over the money Mason had given Dave for information on Shelby, Jedrek had talked Jerome into getting the government to reimburse him. The excuse for the expense had officially been identified as necessary for the take down of William Baxter. Pretty vague, but they’d needed validation to get past the red tape for the reimbursement to be approved. Mason didn’t need the money. He’d invested wisely over the years and had stashed millions in several legal accounts. But Viola had felt obligated to pay him back even though she didn’t have that kind of money. It was her guilt that had propelled Jedrek into action. If the government paid Mason back, then he wasn’t out the money, and Viola wouldn’t have to feel bad about her soon-to-be ex using Mason the way he had.
Jedrek didn’t do it for Mason. He did it for Viola. He knew what Jedrek’s motivation had been. The man acted out of character when it came to that woman. Mason still didn’t see anything coming of it. Viola wasn’t into the lifestyle, and his business partner hadn’t overcome his demons. She was a distraction for him. One he’d tire of like everything else in his life.
But what did Mason know about women?
He did thank Jedrek for helping him out with Viola. If Jerome hadn’t sworn him to secrecy for now, Mason would’ve told Viola about it when he’d seen her at Shelby’s apartment. The SEC agent wanted to wait until the media storm surrounding the firm died down before mentioning it to anyone.
And what a political nightmare the past month had been! If Fieldstein and Baxter survived without imploding in on itself, it’d be a fucking miracle. Accusations had been thrown around, lots of finger pointing commenced. William hadn’t acted alone, and Mason was sure more indictments would follow. The frenzy wouldn’t end anytime soon, so Mason would keep his side of the secrecy bargain. Besides, he figured Jedrek wanted to be the one to announce it to Viola. He wouldn’t take away his friend’s chance at being a hero in the eyes of a woman he was so obviously attracted to—no matter how doomed that attraction was.
Since Mason had been forty thousand dollars richer—he would eat the other ten grand since Dave hadn’t asked for it—he’d decided to do something constructive with it rather than moving it back into an account and letting it sit there. His first thought had been to take a nice vacation, but an online search had pulled up an island property that was for sale, not for rent, and he’d fallen in love with the idea of owning a piece of paradise. He got in contact with a local real estate agent to gather some listings. The next week, he’d flown out to look at some and had made an offer on this place. It wasn’t overly large, but it was private with a wall of glass that pushed open, extending the living area out into the open. The money he’d gotten from the government was obviously nowhere near enough to cover a fraction of the costs, but that didn’t matter. It had been what pushed him into taking the plunge.
After visiting Shelby, he was positive he wanted to give their relationship a chance. He’d had to work hard to expel the bitter feelings of betrayal because, in the end, if it hadn’t been for her assignment, he would have never met her. His heart had conceded it had been worth it. It had taken his ego longer to accept that fact. But he did, completely. When he’d been ready, he’d gone to her, and she’d been so beautiful. Hell, he couldn’t remember if he’d told her that. Injured, without makeup, comfy clothes—she’d been a goddess to him. He had missed her terribly and hated the last image he had of her was that of her weakened body, sleeping in that damn hospital bed.
He was pretty sure he hadn’t told her how pretty she was, but he did tell her that he loved her. Because he did, more than anything. He’d realized that before Dave divulged his info, and the knowledge hadn’t quelled his feelings at all. If he hadn’t loved her, he wouldn’t have hurt as much when he had learned the truth.
Once he saw her, it was hard leaving things unresolved. He’d tried enticing her to join him on his vacation, but after three weeks without any word from her, he wasn’t holding out hope. That was okay. He didn’t get where he was today by being impatient. In a week, he’d be back stateside, and he would decide how to proceed with her then. He wasn’t ready to give her up, but he also knew she’d been through a lot, so much so that she’d contemplated changing her career. If she needed time, he’d give it to her. Three weeks ago, he’d been prepared to walk away if what had developed between them had been one-sided. Now he knew that wasn’t the case, and he wasn’t willing to walk anymore. Time, he could give her.
His glass of scotch almost empty, he hoisted himself up from the chaise lounge on the patio and turned.
The doorknob on the front door jiggled, and he froze in the opening, a fucking knot in his throat. There was only one person who knew about this place other than his agent.
She came. She fucking came to him.
He should go to her, but he was too stunned to move just yet. He stood there, watching as Shelby struggled with the door and her bags.
Once she was inside, he forced himself to move into the house from the outside. She dropped her things by the door and turned, gasping when she saw him.
“You scared me,” she said, hand over her heart…his heart—or it would be one day.
He smiled at her when he leaned over and put his empty glass on the coffee table, not taking his eyes off her. When he stood at full height again, he cocked his head to the side. “This is a private residence, ma’am. If anyone should be surprised at the presence of another, I think that should be me.”
She blinked, hesitating before propping a hand on her hip. “Well, a friend of mine suggested I come.” She smiled. “And a blonde demon of a friend threatened to adopt twelve kittens and stuff my pillows with catnip if I didn’t partake in the offer.”
“I think I like this blonde demon friend of yours.”
“She has her moments.” She winked and stepped closer to him, extending her hand. “Hi. We haven’t met. My name is Shelby Landry. I work sixty hours a week as a linguistics expert for the FBI. I speak five languages and two dialects of Chinese, but not all fluently. I’ve been studying Middle Eastern languages for about three years now since there’s a shortage in that area, and it would mean more money.”
Hmmm…he liked this little playful side of her. “Wow, I know a little Japanese since we have an office in Japan, but that’s it.” He shook her hand and continued to hold it. “Any other specialties up your sleeve?”
Smiled. “I can lube your chassis better than anybody you know.”
He barked out a laugh.
“And you are?” she asked with a sexy as hell inquisitive look.
“Oh, my apologies. My name is Mason Showalter. I’m an investment banker, hedge fund manager, finance geek, and part-time accountant. Though, I don’t like adding that last title to my list of professional responsibilities.”
“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mason.” She slid her hand away from his, but that coy little smile
had his dick twitching…and his name on her lips? Damn, he fucking loved that.
“Pleasure’s my specialty.” He winked at her before walking away and snatching his glass from the table. “I’m not sure where your friend’s at Shelby—can I call you Shelby?” She moved toward the couch.
“Please.” She nodded and sat.
“Good. As I was saying, I’m not sure where your friend is, but you’re more than welcome to stay here at my place. It came furnished, but I’ll be replacing a lot of it.”
Her playful facade fell briefly. “This is yours?” She glanced around, almost nervously.
“Mmm-hmm.”
He was fairly certain she knew his net worth. That information had to have been in one of the government files she studied, but reading it on paper and seeing it in real life were two different things.
She seemed to compose herself and shrugged. “My family owned a garage, so it’s sorta the same thing.”
“Ah yes, I met Axle. Nice fellow.” He took a sip of his drink, which was mainly water from the melted ice. “Told me how skilled he was at torture and hiding bodies.”
“Oh, I’m sure he did.” She rolled her eyes. “Although, he failed to tell me about that.”
“He seems the type to have lots of secrets.”
“He’s a SEAL. Comes with the territory. Although, maybe that’s just something that runs in the family,” she said, trailing off as she glanced around the room again.
He knew what she was getting at, but old secrets needed to stay where they were. In the past.
Mason walked away, letting her look her fill and giving her a moment to take it all in. “Would you like a glass of Scotch? I’m sorry, I don’t have any wine or beer,” he asked over his shoulder before heading into the kitchen.
“I’ve never had Scotch, but I’ll have one if you’re having one. You can experience my first time.”
He chuckled at her innuendo as he grabbed another glass, put ice in both, and poured two fingers in each. “I’m honored to be your first,” he said as he walked back into the living room, stopping dead in his tracks.
Shelby stood by the couch minus her clothes. Completely naked.
“What if I want you to be my only?” she asked softly, humor gone. He swallowed passed the tightness in his throat and made his way back to her. He placed the glasses on the table and cupped her face with both of his hands.
“You have me, Shelby. You already have me.” He kissed her then because her lips were too tempting not to.
She squirmed closer to him, rubbing her deliciously nude body against his, making him regret the barrier of clothing he still wore.
He’d soon fix that.
Mason bent and lifted her into his arms. They needed a bed, and he was grateful he hadn’t purchased a mansion with a lot of stairs. The master bedroom was just down the hall, facing the ocean. His lips never left hers as he made his way to the bedroom while still holding her to his chest. He gently placed her on the bed and stood back, quickly shucking his clothes. When he’d finished, he crawled up beside her and rested his head in his hand while his free one explored her body. She trembled at his touch, and he loved that she was so responsive to him. It made him want to wring out other responses from her, too.
“Hands above your head,” he softly ordered.
Her gaze darted to him before she complied.
He trailed the tip of a finger along the curve of her breast. She sucked in a breath, arching into the touch.
“I want to play with you, Shelby. Will you let me?”
He watched her swallow. “Yes, Maso—Master.”
His hand stilled, and he looked at her. “No, Shelby,” he gently corrected. “You were right the first time. I like hearing my name on your lips. I want you to say it freely in and out of the bedroom.”
She frowned, and he resisted smoothing the wrinkle between her brows—just barely.
“I don’t understand,” she finally said.
He smiled ruefully at her. “Me either, pet. I’ve always expected the respect that title affords me, but you…you’re different. I’ve never allowed another sub to call me by my first name, but you’re not like anybody else.”
She nodded slowly, but he saw the wheels turning as she thought it over. “But you call other subs pet and the other Masters at the club sometime called me that. Shouldn’t I get a title from you that makes me stand out above the others?”
He leaned down and kissed her softly, thrilled with her train of thought. He’d love for her to be singled out among all the subs at the club. He just wasn’t sure how she felt about all of that. Yes, she’d come to him, and she’d implied she only wanted him, but they had yet to talk about everything. He would have engaged in that much-needed conversation in the living room if she hadn’t taken her clothes off first.
He’d just have to concentrate harder to get the details out now, he thought as he reluctantly ended their kiss.
“That depends on how much you want from me, Shelby,” he said, and kissed the top of her head, unable to keep his lips off her. “I know you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want me to a degree. I’m okay taking things as slow as necessary until you’re—”
She reached up and silenced him with the tips of her fingers. “I love you, Mason. I have for a while. I would’ve told you that day you came to my apartment, but you told me to take some time to think. I’ve done what you’ve asked, and it doesn’t change what’s inside my heart.”
“Shelby,” he breathed, taking her mouth with the force of his emotions. He knew she cared, but he’d had no idea how much. God, she loved him. She loved him! His kiss was hard, punishing and rewarding…regret for the past and acceptance of the future. He kissed her until he had to pull away to take in air because, with his mouth on hers, breathing had become less of a priority.
“To be clear,” she said breathlessly, rubbing his cheek. “I want you in my life as my lover and as my Dom. I might not want to try everything there is in the lifestyle, and I can’t make any promises that I’ll even like what we explore, but I want to experience that with you.”
He stroked her cheek, her bottom lip.
“We will learn our limits together, Shelby. But tonight will be about healing. I don’t want to erase what has happened because we wouldn’t be here today without it, but I want to start fresh. What’s done is done, and I have no desire to reenact the four scenes we did before just to replace those memories. In time, we may do some of that again, with me as your only Dom.” He arched an eyebrow at her, giving her a few seconds to absorb that. Mason didn’t like sharing subs he played with. No way was he sharing the other half of his soul. “Each touch from here on out will be out of love. Nothing else. Only the love we have for each other.”
“Mason,” she whispered, a tear leaking over.
He swiped it away before taking the hand on his cheek and placing it above her head with the other. “I said heads above your head. Don’t make me punish you on our night of healing, Shelby,” he said, catching himself from calling her pet. It would be hard to break that habit.
“I’m so sorry, Master,” she said playfully as she complied once again.
Memories of the night he met her, how she’d stirred his body into approaching her, solidifying her presence in his life, came to the forefront of his mind. He had told her to call him Master that night. He’d also informed her she’d be called pet. He no longer wanted her calling him that, and her request for a unique pet name mixed in with his thoughts. He licked his lips and gazed into her eyes, knowing right away how he’d address her from here on out.
It was after all, a night of new beginnings.
“Remember, call me Mason,” he said softly as he stroked her cheek. “And for the rest of our lives, I will call you love.”
Epilogue
Three months later
Caitlin Cooper sat nervously as she gazed over the crowd. There were more people here than she’d anticipated, though a Bronze Star Ceremony was sure to be t
he talk of the town and draw even those normally uninterested in current affairs out of the woodwork. An event such as this garnered national attention, so in addition to the community and local politicians, there were also members of congress and congressional committees in attendance. It was odd to see such a mixed crowd and recognize so many of the people—both personally and professionally—especially when she hadn’t been back in years. Not that she’d planned it that way, but as a news correspondent covering the War on Terror, her assignments rarely kept her on U.S. soil, much less in her old stomping grounds.
Of course, she had cut her journalism teeth covering local news in Arkansas when she’d been fresh out of college. She’d covered all kinds of stories from festivals to police beat stuff to, eventually, local politics. The turning point in her career had been when she’d interviewed the former governor regarding his stance on capital punishment when a bill to repeal the death penalty had failed to get the support it needed to pass. Though the story itself hadn’t been the defining moment. In fact, it had nothing to do with it. She shivered at the memory and chaffed her arms as she thought back to the night when she’d reported live from the governor’s mansion, and the cameraman had left to load some of his gear. She’d been alone with the governor’s then-aide— and the current lieutenant governor—when he made an unwelcome pass at her. He hadn’t crossed any official lines, but he hadn’t reacted pleasantly to her rejection. Relief had flooded her when her colleague returned for the last case, and she’d quickly fallen into step beside him as he exited the building. If she were ballsy, she would go over to the scumbag now and thank him for the encounter, which had given her a kick in the pants to leave the comfort of her home state and reach for her dreams. Of course, he wouldn’t be able to see it for the sarcasm it was. But she figured if she was going to get hit on in her own backyard by questionable politicians, there was no reason to fear the news outside of Arkansas.
