by Dani Wade
Her cheeks flushed pink. He would swear he heard her mumble as she turned away, “You’d think they’d never seen a woman get dirty before...”
Oh, Mason hadn’t...at least not in the way he wanted.
Funny how EvaMarie could do the simplest of things and it would crack his resistance like a sledgehammer—like laugh with Jeremy, blow across a cup of hot chocolate, bristle at Mason’s comments. Every move was way sexier than it should be—or maybe he just had a really dirty mind.
As she disappeared from his range of sight, Jim inched closer. “She told me about the argument with her father.”
“Yes?”
Jim didn’t look angry, so maybe Mason wasn’t in too much trouble.
“Well, there’s lots of time to talk while you’re waiting and watching for a birth to happen. Anyway, Mr. Hyatt has always been a difficult man. I almost quit more than once.”
“Been here long?” Mason didn’t remember the older man from his brief stint here as a teenager.
Jim nodded. “I was here for a while, then moved to Florida for several years to care for my wife’s parents. We moved back after they both passed away.”
Mason knew he shouldn’t ask, didn’t have the right to, but he heard himself asking anyway. “Were you here when Chris died?”
“Yes,” Jim said, his tone low as he glanced toward the stable entrance as if seeing something that wasn’t there. “I watched Mr. Hyatt carry that boy’s body out of the woods himself. It was a tough time for everyone, but especially for EvaMarie.”
“Losing a brother must have been hard, especially at that age.” Mason couldn’t imagine a tiny EvaMarie with no one to hold her, comfort her in her grief.
“It was.” Jim met his gaze. “Losing her parents right along with him was even harder.”
Mason zeroed his attention in on the other man. “What do you mean?”
“He wasn’t always like this, you know. Mr. Hyatt was tough, and had a quick temper, but he loved his kids. Spent loads of time with them...until the day they lost Chris.”
Mason instinctively glanced toward EvaMarie but couldn’t see her anymore. How confusing must the change in her father have been? On top of never being able to mention the brother she’d idolized...
“It rocked her entire world,” Jim murmured, seeming lost in his own memories of that time.
No doubt it had lasting repercussions for her... Mason’s own loss at a young age had hit him hard, left lasting scars, and he’d had his brother and father to lean on.
EvaMarie had been all alone.
Suddenly Mason was hit with the realization of how long they’d been standing there talking...and how quiet EvaMarie was. He glanced over Jim’s shoulder again but didn’t see her.
Taking his lead, Jim moved away to look behind the open part of the door, then he gestured Mason in with a smile.
Some internal instinct had Mason entering with quiet steps. As EvaMarie came into view, Mason’s heart melted. She sat curled against the barn wall in a thick pile of hay, fast asleep. He remembered how she could sleep anywhere, but this had to be a first.
As much as he didn’t want to, as much as he wanted to hang on to the distance and anger, Mason couldn’t look at her without seeing a gorgeous woman, grime and all. Not only that, he saw a woman who had endured a lot, who had stood on her own two feet without a hell of a lot of support, possibly none.
A woman he wanted the chance to know, even if it was complicated. But he doubted he’d ever be able to see her as the enemy anymore.
Mason glanced toward the stall, listening to the soft sounds of the horses as mama and baby got to know each other. “Everything good here?” he asked.
Jim nodded. “The mare’s a pro, and she handled the birth like one.” He eyed Mason a moment, then looked over at the sleeping beauty. “I think EvaMarie already has a buyer. The stables will be cleared soon enough. She’s gonna miss them though, and vice versa.”
Thinking back to what he’d seen when he entered the barn, Mason completely understood. “Once you get the mare settled, text me, then go home.”
Jim’s eyes widened. “But boss—”
“No.” Mason’s voice was firm, carrying through the aisle. “You’ve been here all night. I’m more than capable of watching her.” Both of them. “Go get some rest. There’s nothing here that can’t wait until tomorrow. I’ll get EvaMarie inside.”
“Poor thing is exhausted. When she’s devoted, she’s all in—and she wasn’t leaving until they were both okay.”
From what Mason had learned, that sounded about right.
Nine
Carrying a sleeping woman was a unique experience for Mason. He hadn’t expected it to be quite so emotional—and it wasn’t, not in a soft, mushy way. The feelings rushing through him were fierce, protective and full of demanding need. Add in yesterday’s ups and downs and a fitful night’s sleep dreaming of this woman’s lips, and he had a feeling he was about to be in a very tough spot.
He skirted by the dining room without being noticed by anyone inside. As he climbed the stairs, EvaMarie began to stir, but didn’t open her eyes until they reached the landing.
Even then, a sleepy haze covered her baby blues. They barely opened as he watched her fight her body’s normally heavy sleep mode to handle whatever trouble she’d landed herself in now.
If her habit had stayed the same all these years, EvaMarie slept like the dead once she got going.
He carried her to her room, smiling at the feminine touches and soothing green color on the way through to her bath. Once inside, he eased her down onto a little padded bench and kneeled before her, slightly uncomfortable when the comparison to a prince before a princess came to mind.
“EvaMarie, honey, you need to wake up.”
Her brow furrowed, but those sleepy blues cracked open once more. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, “I’m just so tired.”
“Not sleeping will do that to you. But you’re also dirty.”
Her eyes widened, and she looked down at her dusty clothes. Then he heard a soft sigh. “I almost don’t care,” she said.
Mason wasn’t falling for that. “But you’ll blame me when you wake up in dirty sheets, so let’s go.”
“Go where?” Her lids slid closed, and she slumped toward the wall.
“Oh, no, you don’t.” Mason pulled her forward with a tiny shake. “EvaMarie, you have to shower.”
“With you?”
Mason’s world stopped. “What, Evie?”
He saw her eyelids flicker, but it took a minute for her to brave opening them.
“Will you stay with me?” she finally whispered.
His hands tightened, his need to tear through their boundaries seriously compromising his resolve. “That’s not a good idea,” he managed to say. “For a lot of reasons.”
The barest sheen of tears made her eyes look like damp blue flowers, catching him off guard before she closed them once more. “You’re right. I’ll be fine.”
But he wouldn’t be.
He hadn’t been fine since Evie had come back into his life—and for just a little while, he wanted a taste of what they could be together once more.
Slow but sure, he reached out and started working on the buttons down the front of her flannel shirt.
“What are you doing?”
The simplest answer was the best, because he wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. Going out of his mind, maybe? “Undressing you.”
Her breath caught, then she said, “You don’t have to do this.”
Just as he had yesterday, he reached out and lifted her chin with his knuckles until there was nowhere else for her to look but at him. “No, I don’t have to. I want to.”
I want you.
Layer by layer he peeled a
way her clothes; she’d bundled up to keep herself warm. Pulling that last T-shirt over her head to reveal skin and lingerie had him sucking in his breath. Blood and heat pooled low. EvaMarie had filled out into some serious feminine curves. The combination of creamy skin, pink lace and the scent that was uniquely hers sent his heartbeat into overdrive.
This was really happening.
And it looked like he’d found the perfect thing to wake EvaMarie. Though her lashes were lowered, she still watched him. The throb of her pulse at the base of her neck served as a barometer for her response. As did the quiver of her bottom lip.
He eased her to her feet, eager for more. One thing about Mason, once he committed to a cause, he was all in. This time, his entire body agreed.
Before he could get carried away, he turned on the shower to let the hot water work its way up to the second floor. Then he stripped off his own sweatshirt and thermal undershirt. Her eyes drank in every inch of flesh, giving Mason an unaccustomed feeling of pride. He worked hard. His body showed it.
And he was more than happy for EvaMarie to enjoy the results.
Stepping closer, he reached for one of her hands, lifted it for a light kiss, then rested it right over his heart. Suddenly she curled her fingers, scraping her blunt nails against his skin. Just as he’d ached for in the stables.
His body flooded with desire, hardening with need. Soon. Soon.
Without preamble, he unzipped EvaMarie’s jeans and shoved every layer beneath down to her upper thighs. He didn’t give her time to object, but guided her back down onto the bench and made short work baring her legs and feet. She had shapely muscles—obviously he wasn’t the only one who worked out. And painted toenails—just like always. He grinned at the burgundy polish with gold flecks. A sexy mature choice compared to the neon pinks she’d been into when she was young.
As he lifted her to her feet again, he kissed each of her flushed cheeks. “There’s no need to be embarrassed, Evie,” he murmured against the smooth slope of her jaw. “This is just you and me.”
She curved her fingers over the front of his waistband as if holding on for dear life. “It’s been a long time, Mason...you might not like—”
He cut her off with a kiss, tasting her with lips, tongue and purpose. Just as he had last night. Only this time he let the rest of his body join in the game. He tilted slightly, rubbing his chest against lace and skin. The friction drove him crazy. So did the clutch of her hands around his biceps, urging him closer.
He made quick work of his own jeans, but he couldn’t bring naked skin to naked skin soon enough. Evie’s gasps and groans filled the air. Reaching around her, he placed a hot and heavy palm on each of her butt cheeks to pull her flush against him. The breath seemed to stop in her chest. She held herself perfectly still. His body throbbed hard, demanding more.
“I’m scared, Mason,” she murmured.
He knew she spoke the truth, and was probably asking for reassurance at the same time. But this was something she needed to choose willingly.
Stepping back, he retreated out of her reach. Her expression shattered, but he refused to be swayed. Sliding back the glass door, he stepped into the shower, fighting a shiver when the hot water hit his back, adding to the overload of sensations.
“Join me, Evie,” he said, and held out his hand.
Her choice. His chance. His only thought as she took his hand was hell, yes.
* * *
The last vestige of sleepiness fled as EvaMarie stepped beneath the onslaught of hot water. She’d thought taking off her bra had been hard. But in the steamy space her skin went tight, her nipples even tighter.
How could she want him this much and be so afraid at the same time?
Her desire was dampened by her fear, her self-conscious awareness of the changes in her body and her life. She wasn’t a teenager anymore, but she barely had more experience than all those years ago. Would she disappoint him? Would he find her boring?
Still she couldn’t walk away from this chance to have Mason one more time. Tears flooded her eyes, forcing her to blink. She needed this. Needed him. He waited patiently, quietly. Though tentative, she reached out her hand to his chest, her eyes closing as she savored the textures of skin and water together.
This was new, exciting. Her heart pounded in her chest; her blood pounded lower. No matter what happened later, she simply couldn’t stop.
A step closer, and she couldn’t resist glancing up. Mason watched her with a hooded gaze. His body told her he was more than interested. And that look—it conveyed the primal need of an adult male. She was more than happy for him to take what he wanted...so why didn’t he?
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “Mason?”
“Come to me, sweetheart. Show me what you want.”
But that wasn’t what she wanted. She needed him to direct, to take...to overpower her so she could stop thinking for once and just feel.
Again he tilted her chin up with his knuckles. She should hate that, resent being manhandled. Instead the gesture made her feel cherished, seen.
“We’re gonna do this together, okay, Evie?”
Mesmerized by the intensity in his blue eyes, she nodded.
“Then touch me however you want. Learn whatever you like.”
Somehow, his permission loosened her inhibitions. She pressed close, gasping as every inch of her met every inch of him. Slick, steamy, sexy. She explored his body with her own until the friction had her parting her thighs.
Mason took full advantage to thrust his leg between hers. She rose against him, entranced by the feel of hard masculine muscle against her most sensitive skin. Again and again she lifted against him, dragging out the sensations, aided by the guidance of Mason’s hands pulling and pushing her hips. His touch added just enough force, and a ton of excitement.
Her whimpers echoed around them. Her body flushed hot as she rode him. With each glide, the friction of his body against her core made her insides tighten with delicious anticipation. Little mini-explosions prepared her for the fireworks to come. Somehow her nails were digging into Mason’s shoulders. She should stop, but she couldn’t. He wouldn’t let her.
Then his hot, open mouth covered the side of her neck, sucking, drawing her orgasm to the surface until she exploded with a cry she couldn’t hold inside. His hands pinned her hard against his thigh. His masculine growl vibrated against her sensitive skin, prolonging the ecstasy.
And Mason wasn’t about to let that be the end.
He switched places so that her back slammed flush against the tile wall. He rubbed against her, his movements rough, urgent. “Oh, Evie, yes.”
Every nerve ending seemed to answer his call. She arched against him, needing, demanding. Lost in sensation, she somehow managed to open her eyes to find his damp drenched blue eyes cataloging her every expression.
“Mason, please,” she begged.
His trademark grin made an appearance. “With pleasure.” He ripped open the condom packet he’d pulled from his jeans earlier and made quick work of covering himself. His groan as he pulled away for mere seconds made her body soften that much more. He didn’t ask, didn’t wait for her to comply.
He simply did what he wanted with her. All of her.
Lifting one of her legs at the knee, he hooked his arm beneath it. Opened her wide. Left her vulnerable to whatever he needed of her. The wall and her hands on his shoulders gave her leverage, but Mason wasn’t about to let her fall.
Bending his knees, he made a place for himself right where she wanted him. He eased himself barely inside her. She gasped, tilting her hips in an attempt to accommodate his size. It had been too long. She was embarrassed at how long.
“Easy, baby,” he murmured. “Let me make it good.”
Just like that, she relaxed. Mason worked his hips, opening
her little by little, filling her. The sounds he made lit sparks inside her. His groans, grunts and masculine cries carried the wordless emotions straight to her heart. She pushed her hips toward him, her body now more than eager for his full possession.
As he slid in to the hilt, he moaned through gritted teeth. With a shudder, his whole body strained, his head falling back in a kind of ecstasy that mesmerized her. The pressure between her thighs anchored her to him, to this experience. She thought he would make quick work of it now, driving himself to oblivion.
Instead he paused. Those big hands left her hips to cup her face, and she felt her soul crack a little as his mouth covered hers in a soft, sensual taste that belied the strain of his lower body. His eyes remained open, creating a connection that EvaMarie vaguely thought she might regret later but couldn’t turn away from in this moment.
Then he trailed his hands back down, tweaking every sensitive spot along the journey. When he regained his hold, she braced herself for the ride. Sure enough, his body took over, demanding its due.
Every thrust forced her up on her toes, but she didn’t notice as sparks flew through her body. She strained with him. Eager. Tense. They both moved on instinct alone until Mason pinned her hip to hip. As their cries mingled in the steam, EvaMarie knew she’d never be the same.
Ten
Horse—check. Workers—check. Food—check.
Mason balanced the tray with care as he made his way back upstairs. The house was not only quiet, it was empty. He’d sent everyone home a couple of hours early tonight, eager to have the place to himself.
What awaited him in EvaMarie’s bedroom would be a challenge. He had no doubt.
She’d been asleep before he could get her head on the pillow. So Mason left her to rest while he took care of the work crew and checked a couple of times to make sure Lucy and her foal were getting along well. He knew EvaMarie would want an update when she woke. And hopefully she’d want other things, as well.
But he had a feeling his little filly would be having second thoughts the minute her eyes opened.
