by J J Harper
"Can you feel that Imogen." I place her hand on my jeans where my erection is straining against the zip. "That's how much I want you, I would happily tear your clothes from your body and devour you right here but I want us to base our new relationship on love and trust as well as passion.
The ball is in your court Imogen, I'm not going to take the lead in this so please put your stuff back down and have dinner with me, I’m not ready for you to be out of my sight again."
Her hand has been stroking me the whole time and her eyes have darkened but I take her hand and lead her back to the kitchen. "Okay Mason, as long as you do still want me we can take our time. So feed me now please."
Imogen
The rest of the night is perfect and after we'd eaten we just sat and talked. We didn't skirt around the horrors of the attack and after we had both explained how we felt, I think we can close the door on it for now at least, Lake has been keeping me informed of all the proceedings and so far I haven't had to deal with the police once they had my statement, they were happy to leave me alone.
"Is work going to be difficult for me tomorrow Mase? How have things been there, is Maddie still enjoying her work?" I knew I had to talk to her and try and see if there was still a chance of our friendship surviving.
"She seems to be working well, her team is happy with her. Lake says she is withdrawn at home and won't talk about you, and today when she found out you were coming back she stormed off in a mood. I think she is struggling to come to terms with what happened and her involvement in it.
If I were you I wouldn't go rushing up with open arms to her babe, I think she needs to reach out to you, to test the waters so to speak. She is sorry and if you want to be her friend you are going to have to let her back in and accept her apology. Do you want that from her? Do you want your friend back?"
"I do I miss her, she has been my friend for most of my life and that's too many good memories and happy times to throw away. I think I will offer her an opening and see how she takes it, but I'm not going to beg for our friendship."
"I think that's a good approach, babe. Look it's getting late, shall I walk you back to your place?"
"Is that what you want to do or what you think you should do?"
I look expectantly at him, I've been sat comfortably on his large sofa, tucked between his legs lying against his chest and I really don't want to go back to my empty room.
"You always know just which buttons to press with me, don't you?"
I just shrug at him. "This is up to you Mason, I can go home tonight or I can stay here with you. I have things with me after my massive shop today so I'm able to get ready for work here in the morning, but if you think we should take things slowly I'll go home."
"Okay, if you are leaving it up to me then I want you to stay. I don't like you calling the apartment downstairs your home but I don't think you are ready to move in here with me, so please Ginny will you stay here with me tonight?"
"I would love nothing more, Mason. I'm not expecting you to make love to me tonight but I would like to sleep with your arms wrapped around me. I didn't think I would ever get the chance to feel you around me again." I've twisted myself around and am facing him. "Can we go to bed now please?"
He looks down at me and swoops his arm under my legs and lifts me into his arms and carries me through to his room. "I'll let you use the bathroom first Ginny, I'll just go and lock up." His voice has deepened and his eyes are dark but I can see him trying to get himself back under control.
I decide to have a shower and quickly strip off and step under the hot water. I had stocked up on all my toiletries today so I have my own shampoo and body wash. But throughout my washing I was imagining Mason's hands on me as his eyes wandered over my body.
Shaking my head I snap out of it and hurry to finish but when I opened the shower door I see him standing in front of me his eyes looking down as his hands clench into fists at his sides as he tries to resist me.
"Mason, darling. Please look at me." I step towards him and start to wrap a towel around me hoping that by covering myself up he will take control. As I step closer to him he moves back away from me. "Don't move away Mason, let me pass and you can have some privacy." He steps away still unable to look at me.
I'm dressed in a new pair of sleep shorts and vest top and have blasted my wet hair with the dryer but as I’m about to climb into his bed he comes out of the bathroom and I see the torment on his face and it is hard for me to deal with. "Mason if this is going to be too difficult for you then I think I'd better go back to my place." I start to pick up my clothes to get dressed again.
"No Ginny, I don't want you to go, I just wasn't expecting you to be here with me ever again, and I am so happy that you are but I'm struggling to keep my desire for you under control." He has pulled on a pair of cut-off sweats to sleep in and has thrown his damp towel in the clothes hamper. "Come on, let's just get in and sleep, one day at a time please Ginny."
"Of course my love." I clamber in next to him and turn onto my side facing him, my hands are tucked under the pillow so that I don't reach out to touch him, but with his face so close to mine I can't resist leaning towards him and breathe in his unique scent sighing as I let it permeate my skin. His arms snake around my waist and tugs me closer to him, this time my hands escape from their prison and reach up to his face. As I stroke his face he chuckles at me.
"Mapping my face again Imogen, I don't think it has changed babe." His breath washes over me and brings goose bumps over the whole of my skin.
"Not really, just reacquainting myself with you. I wasn't expecting this either so I'm making the most of my time with you. Tomorrow I will be back at work and will have to focus hard on catching up with April and I think my days will be very long for quite a while now."
"I want you to step back into work slowly Imogen, you have been through an awful lot of trauma and have not been taking proper care of yourself." His words are genuine but I don't like them.
"Don't baby me please Mason, I have wasted enough of my year here with you already, please let me get back to work as I see fit. I know my body has recovered and now it's time to get my brain working again.
That is why I'm here and why you employed me, let me learn from you all and let me earn my salary." My hands reach his face again. "Please." I implore him
"Jesus, Imogen. I can't resist you when you plead. Okay, I'm going to leave you to get back into work your own way. Now please turn over so I can get some sleep." He kisses my forehead and turns me away from him.
I can feel his arousal against my back as I curl into him and can't resist just a small wriggle against him.
"Stop it Imogen, you are not helping my quickly diminishing self-control."
I giggle but keep my body still. "Goodnight Mason."
"Goodnight Imogen my love. Welcome home." He sighs and settles down to sleep and within a few minutes his breathing slows and deepens as sleep possesses him. It takes me a while longer as my mind turns everything that has happened today but I eventually relax enough to let sleep claim me.
Mason has woken up before me and I can hear the shower running in the bathroom, this gives me time to lie back an stretch out in the bed reveling in the warm space that Mason had left, and as I rest my head on his pillow and breathe in his unique scent. A smile spreads across my face and I laugh softly to myself feeling happier than I have for a long time, even the time spent with Mason before was tainted by my past, but now I feel free and ready to embrace every part of my new life.
"You look very comfortable stretched out there babe, what's going through your mind that's putting such a beautiful smile on your face.
I open my eyes and see him stood in front of me, there's water still dripping over his chest and before I can stop myself I'm kneeling up on the end of the bed and my tongue is following a trail of water from his neck and down over his tattoo.
"Shit Ginny, you've gotta stop. I won't be able to control myself with you doing that."
>
This makes me smile against his hard muscled chest, I move my mouth further down and circle his nipple letting my teeth scrape over the hard nub before pulling away from him. A moan escapes from him.
"Whoops! Sorry Mason I couldn't help myself." I grin and look down to his now hard cock and lick my lips.
"Don't you fucking dare Imogen I mean it! You need to get ready for work and you're killing me here."
He turns away from me muttering under his breath I can only catch a few words mainly concerning his hand against my backside. So I jump up and rush in to the bathroom and quickly wash up, he's left the room by the time I come out so I can take my time choosing what to wear out of my new selection.
I settle on a deep red sleeveless fitted linen dress with nude silk stockings and a short black silk cardigan, my new black shoes with killer heels and red soles complete it.
I only apply a small amount of make-up just some mascara and a pale gloss across my lips.
After twisting my hair into a French pleat I'm good to go.
I hope Mason approves, but really this is all about a new me and it's only a bonus if he likes it not a deal-breaker.
Wow I've changed and I like this new me.
CHAPTER THREE
Mason
I'm sat at my desk and my door is open and I can look across and see Ginny at her desk, her head is down and I can see the concentration on her face as she reads through pages and pages of new documents. Every now and then she highlights something and makes a note on her computer.
A knock on my door brings me back and Austin is stood in the open door. "What's up bro? Why aren't you busy working? You never seem to be at your desk."
"Well Mason, you seem to be staring at the lovely Ms. Banks' legs rather than doing your own work. But I've got a favor to ask you?"
"Okay shoot. What do you want now?" Although I was happy that Austin wanted to work for us he doesn't seem to be taking it very seriously yet.
"I'm going crazy living at home, Mom keeps nagging at me and wanting to know where I'm going and what time I'll be home. So do you know if there's any spare apartments in your building, I've gotta get out soon and your place is brilliant, close enough to walk to work and has loads of bars and shit like that around. I really like that sports bar, the girls there are hot!"
"I don't know, we only have our own and the apartment that Ginny and Maddie are in, you'll need to speak to the agency and find out."
"Yeah but if you get Ginny to move back in with you I could have her room or if Maddie stays at Lake's all the time she could give up her room."
"You seem to have put a lot of thought into how to kick out one or both of our new employees, I don't think Maddie and Lake are serious enough for her to move in with him and don't you even think about asking Imogen to move out. I only got her back yesterday. Talk to the agents Austin, and please for fucks sake get back to your desk and do some work, this is not a holiday camp."
"Don't get your panties in a twist Mase, I'm on my lunch break. Do you want me to shut the door behind me or are you going back to staring at those gorgeous legs across the hall?"
"Fuck off Austin before I fire your ass!" I growl but I do go back to staring at her legs. My heart nearly stopped when I saw her walk out of the bedroom this morning, she looked fucking hot and I could tell there was a new level of confidence around her and I loved that.
She looked at me not asking for my approval but for my appreciation of her new look and boy, did I love it, again there was a faint outline of her garter straps holding up her stockings but her dress wasn't tight enough for it to be inappropriate. I just handed over her coffee and smiled at her sending a blush up and over her neck and face.
Just then I see Lake walk up to her and take her down to his office. I go to get up but he shakes his head at me and holds out his hand telling me to give him five minutes.
Sitting down again I start to think about what could have happened to call Ginny into his office, it can't be good news whatever it is. So refusing to wait any longer I get up and walk down to his office, the door is closed so I knock.
"Lake, let me in I need to know what's going on." I can hear his footsteps approaching the door, so I step back.
"Let him in please Lake, I need him with me." Imogen is sounding very strange so walking past Lake I kneel down in front of her and take hold of her hands.
"What's wrong babe, what has happened?" I look round to Lake who is leaning up against his desk and he answers for her.
"The police have just called me to say that Jake Williams was found dead in his cell this morning, he had hanged himself."
"Hey Imogen, this is good news isn't it?" I'm confused by her reaction.
"No Mason, it's not! He took the easy way out, he deserved to go to court and have all his dirty evil secrets displayed to the public, he deserved to go to prison and have every perk his privileged life has given him ripped away from him, and he most definitely deserved to be humiliated.
He took every bit of my self- respect away from me, he purposely abused and humiliated me for his own sick pleasure, and I think I deserved to see him suffer, but the useless, spineless piece of shit that he is has denied me that! I hate the fucking coward not just for what he did to me but to all the other poor girls he humiliated, abused, raped and eventually murdered."
I can't think of anything to say but I don't need to because Maddie stands at the door. "You're right Ginny, everything you just said is true, but you can take strength from his death and know that all his accomplices will know what he has done while they will still have to face up to their part in his sick life.
I know I still have to look at myself in the mirror every morning and accept my part in his game, and I promise you Imogen I don't like the person who looks back at me. I am truly sorry for what I did to you, I don't expect you to forgive me but I hope I can prove myself enough to you that you will believe me when I say that I won't ever let you down again."
Imogen stands up and walks over to her and both Lake and myself step up to stand next to her.
I see her raise her hand and I think she is going to slap Maddie's face but she doesn't she runs her hand down her cheek and tears start to flow from their eyes. "I like what I see looking back at me right now Maddie, stop torturing yourself and accept that he duped you too.
We need to move on from this, I'm not the same person I was before you opened the door to him." I see Maddie shudder as Ginny says this. "But I think you are probably different now too. I'm going to take my new life one day at a time and if you are able to wait for me I want to be your friend again."
"That's good enough for me Imogen, thank you." Maddie smiles and goes to walk out, Lake smiles at Ginny and follows her out.
Just then I see Ginny start to sag as her knees give way and quickly catch her before she faints and hits the floor. "Imogen are you okay, what can I get you? April, can you get in here please?" She walks quickly towards me with a bottle of water in her hand.
"Thank you. Ginny do you want me to call the doctor, this isn't the first time you've fainted. Please let me."
"I'll be okay in a moment, just give me a few minutes please."
"Did you eat lunch today babe?"
"Yes I did and April saw me, didn't you?" She turns to look for her agreement.
"She did Mason, I promise you."
"Okay, although you've eaten you've just had a massive shock and I will feel happier after you've been checked over. I have a duty of care over you." I can see the look of resignation on her face as she realizes that this Mason is the boss, not the boyfriend.
"Okay, you can call him."
I was lucky enough to get her fitted in at short notice today, so I packed up her desk and we made our way over to the surgery. We have a short wait and Imogen tries to persuade me that she really is fine and we are just wasting their time.
"Ms. Banks? Dr. Sorenson will see you now, you can go on through."
I stand up with her and take her hand.
"I'm coming with you sweetheart, I know you will play down everything that has gone on lately."
She pulls her hand out of mine and glowers at me. "Fine, but don't keep butting in." She storms off ahead of me.
So fifteen minutes later Ginny has had a thorough examination, her blood taken, her urine checked and been poked and prodded. The doctor walks back through with a sheet of paper in one hand and a bag with what looks like medication in the other. I grab hold of her hand again this time more for my benefit than hers.
"Ms. Banks, can I call you Imogen?" She nods but is just staring at the bag in his hand. "Everything is perfectly normal, most women find the start of the second trimester exhausting and as I understand the stress you have been under I'm not surprised you fainted today, but you need to start taking this pregnancy seriously and rest more often and you most certainly need to be eating more..."
His voice dries up as he takes in our stunned faces. "Ah... I see that this is news to you both. Imogen, you are aware that you are pregnant aren't you?
Have you had no indication? No missed periods or sickness? I'm sure the hospital would have told you after your surgery."
"No nothing like that. I don't remember the hospital ever mentioning it but I was deeply unhappy and in an awful amount of pain, I may not have heard what they said. They can't have said anything to you either Mason, did they?" Imogen’s hand is gripping mine so hard that I think I'm about to lose all circulation in it.
"Of course not Ginny, this is a shock to me too." I have no idea what the hell is going on.
"Okay, well I'm going to give you a number of a very good Ob/Gyn doctor that works closely with this practice and she will be able to perform an ultrasound scan to accurately date the gestation of your baby. She will also be able to offer any other information on how you would like to proceed from there."
