by Evelyn Glass
His eyes went serious. “Even though I couldn’t keep you safe?”
“I’m alive. You did the best you could.”
His expression was still tortured, and his hands were moving faster again, regaining that frantic motion that was so far from what she wanted right now.
She cupped his face. “Will you let me take care of you for a minute?”
“I—what?”
She slid down his legs until her mouth was level with his navel. His eyes were wide as she lowered her head, mouthing him through the thick denim. “Jesus,” he moaned. “Is that what you want?”
“Very much.”
“Okay. Yeah. Please.”
She shucked off her own jeans as he undid his and slid them, as well as his boxers, down and off his legs. She’d never had a chance to really luxuriate in seeing his cock before; she’d only gotten her mouth on it when he’d tied her down and fucked her mouth, and now, she took the opportunity to take it in her hand, stroking softly down the thick length, playing with her tongue as the loose skin shifted and moved around his rock-hard core.
The light of want played over his face as she took him in her mouth, just the tip, teasing and sucking with her tongue, dragging her hand down from the head to the base as he sighed up into her.
He tasted salty, masculine and heavy on her tongue. “Caro, oh, Caroline,” he whispered as she took him just a little bit deeper into her mouth. “You’re incredibly good at that.”
“Why thank you,” she murmured, and then plunged her mouth down, taking as much of him in as she could without gagging. She’d almost forgotten how much she loved going down on a man who was enjoying the experience for itself.
Mason certainly seemed to fit that category; with each motion of her mouth and hand, he moved with her, arching into her mouth, making small sounds of pleasure and arousal. Too many of the guys she’d blown in college had enjoyed a blowjob only as lesser form of sex, but he was completely engaged and it was a good thing she still had her panties on, or her thighs would be slick with her own arousal.
Her clit was sensitive, hardening and swollen. She was whimpering on her own now, desperate for more contact than she could get just by squeezing her thighs together.
“Baby,” he whispered. ‘Turn around. Let me have you in my mouth.”
“I—what?” That only worked in porn movies, she was sure of it.
“I want my tongue on you while you’re blowing me. Take your panties off and turn around.”
The look in his eyes was so sincere, so intense, that she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She skimmed her panties down off her hips, and they joined her bra in the corner. She let him guide her into place, straddling his shoulders, and then bent over to take his cock in her mouth again. She was spread so wide over his face, and she’d never felt so naked. His hands massaged her thighs, his thumbs stroking the sensitive inner areas, so close to her cleft, but so far away. “New for you?” he asked.
“Tried it a couple times. Never worked out.”
“Just play,” he said. “If we’re not comfortable, we try something else. It’s okay.”
It was exactly what she needed to hear. She bent down over him. The change in position meant that she needed both her hands to lean on, and she compensated by suckling his cock harder, since she couldn’t use her hand to increase the pressure.
The angle was better than when she was between his thighs, his cock more naturally sliding over her tongue and into her mouth. And then his tongue found her clit, and she groaned hard, completely unable to keep her mouth on him, overwhelmed by the sensations coursing out from her swollen clit.
He teased her sensitive nub for a moment, letting her enjoy it, and then backed off again. She gasped, harsh and loud, and then took his cock in her mouth again, stroking over him, teasing the head with her tongue and teeth.
He enjoyed it, moaning and thrusting into her mouth, and then his tongue came to her body again, entering her and fucking her as his thumbs teased over her clit again. She forced herself to focus, taking him into her mouth as she whimpered and groaned, letting her hips match his rhythm as they thrust back into his mouth, letting him fuck her deeper and harder as the sensations in her body started to swirl and narrow down into the center of her.
She held on as long as she could, loving the sensation of him filling her mouth as his tongue filled her slit, but as the waves of pleasure overtook her, she was too scared of hurting him, and she pulled back, resting her head on his naval as she came with a body shuddering groan.
“Yes,” he whispered as she came, again and again. “Yes, give me all of it, give me all of you. I will keep you safe.”
When she could think, she turned to face him again, snagged the condom from where it had fallen among the sheets. If they were doing pornstar tricks today, she could get on board with that. She held his eyes as she put the condom in her mouth and bent over his erection.
When the latex was smoothly in place, she looked up at his eyes, which were huge and wide. “Holy shit,” he said. “I thought that only happened in porn flicks.”
“I’m full of sassy tricks,” she said, and then straddled him again.
He sat up before she could slide him into her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “You’re amazing,” he said. “Completely incredible.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
He lifted her, guiding her hips up, and then settled them over him with a silence that filled the room. As he slid home inside of her, his eyes were tight and solid on hers. “I think you know,” he said, thrusting into her as he drove her hips down onto his. “You’re the first person who’s gotten me to think, to breathe, since I came back. You’re amazing.”
He was so close that she could see him fighting for focus with each movement. His fingers dug into her hips hard enough that she thought he’d leave bruises, and she didn’t care. She moved with him, letting him set the rhythm, and then on a moment of instinct, leaned back, balancing on her hands, curving her torso away from him. He groaned harshly, and his speed redoubled, slapping into her with ugly motions, slamming her down so hard that it hurt, driving on the edge of pain that she could handle.
“Caro,” he called out, as he drove into her, “Caro, Caroline, I love you, I love you, I love you.” As he came, he clutched her to him, cradling her to his chest as he sagged backwards, holding her tightly, and all she could think to do would be to stroke his face softly, tracing those same secret patterns on his skin that he’d used to unlock her, until they both slept.
Chapter 4
Mason watched her drift off to sleep, the kind of utter collapse into complete limpness that suggested that she hadn’t been sleeping well up to now. That she hadn’t slept well didn’t surprise him; that she was allowing herself to sleep now, when he was the only thing between her and danger, was shocking. And wonderful.
He slid his arm out from under her; she didn’t even stir. He got up, dressed, packed her meager belongings and dropped them into the trunk of his borrowed car. He left the back door open, then picked her up off the bed, keeping the blanket draped over her body. She snuggled into his chest, a small, secretive smile on her lips. “You’re going to kill me when you wake up,” he said, transferring her gently into the car. “And I’m so going to deserve it.”
SHE DREAMED WONDERFUL dreams, dreams of being cuddled and held, kept safe and sound, and then being gently rocked to sleep, an easy motion that soothed her. So it was both a shock and a sensible thing to wake up in the back of a car. She rocketed up, and then realized that she was still completely naked. She was wrapped up in the nasty blanket from the motel, and Mason was in the front seat, driving north on a highway she knew way too well. He was taking her home.
“What the fuck?” she screamed, right in his ear. “What the actual fuck!” She would have hit him, but they were driving fast, and she wasn’t buckled in—seriously? What kind of brain-donor dick stuck someone in the back of a car, naked, and then took off down the interstate at
90 mph? And she didn’t want to die. Not until she killed him dead.
“I told you.” His hands were white knuckled on the steering wheel again. “I need to deal with Declan, and to do that, I need you safe. Really safe this time, not pretend safe.”
“So what’s the plan, you ass? Lock me up in a cell and shove food through a slot? Make me your little sex slave until you decide life is safe enough?” His silence was telling, and he gripped the steering wheel even harder. “You son of a bitch.”
There was nothing she could do until he stopped the car, though. She flopped back against the seat and resisted the urge to dissolve into tears. It wouldn’t help, it wouldn’t change anything. She’d still be trapped in a moving vehicle with some jackass who thought he knew better than her with everything in the world.
“Your clothes are there next to you, on the seat,” he said. His tone was trying to be conciliatory, kind, but that just made her want to hit him again. “It’ll only be for a few days. And then Declan will be gone, and we’ll figure out what happens next.”
She contemplated refusing to get dressed, but that seemed foolish. It wouldn’t really gain her anything. She did tuck the blanket around her body, however, not allowing him to see even the slightest flash of skin as she maneuvered back into her clothes.
“How the hell did you get me in here? Did you drug me?” Her head didn’t feel fogged, and besides, if he’d drugged her, she would have been out for a while, and they’d most likely be in Canada by now.
“You sleep really soundly,” he said. “Or at least, you were then. I carried you out to the car. You barely even blinked.”
“I don’t sleep soundly,” Caroline said, and she knew she sounded completely petulant, and didn’t care at all. “I’m a very light sleeper.”
He finally glanced up and made eye contact in the rear view mirror. “You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I wake up at the littlest things.”
“Okay.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean okay. Like I said.”
“If you don’t believe me, then put up an argument, say something.”
“You’re delusional.”
“Am not.”
“I’ve never yet met anyone in my life who slept more soundly than you. Granted, I know a hell of a lot of soldiers, people who pass out the second someone says at ease, and are back on their feet before the word attention is finished, but still. I carried you out to a car. You sleep just fine.”
The only sane response was to stick her tongue out at him. He caught the expression in the rearview and snickered. She slumped against the seat again, then reached over and buckled herself in. “You could have at least given me a book to read.”
“I’d hoped you’d sleep longer. You looked like you needed it.”
“I’m fine,” she lied. “So what’s your plan?”
“Same as it was before. Confront Declan. Force him to admit what he did. Identify those who were helping him, toss them out by their ears as well. And then deal with the fall out.”
“That’s more of a plotline, and less of a plan. How are you going to even do any of that?”
“That’s my problem, not yours,” he said. “Now, what are you doing with Gloria?”
“The vet has her.” She was on the edge of tears again. “I told her to find Gloria a new home. With someone who can keep her safe.”
“You can keep her safe,” he said. “Call her back, tell her that you need to be scarce for a few days, but that you’re really okay, and you’ll be back.”
“It’s a lie, though. I can’t keep her safe. I couldn’t keep myself safe, and she doesn’t even understand why that dirtbag hurt her.”
“We’ll take care of him, Caroline. I promise you. This isn’t forever. We’re going to take care of this.” Mason reached over to the passenger’s seat, then handed it back to her. Her phone. “Do me a favor—don’t call 911 and tell them I kidnapped you or anything? That would get awkward quickly.”
She considered it, and then decided he was right. Because really, where was he taking her? Most likely back to his place, or hers, or a hotel closer to home, or somewhere Declan couldn’t find her. Which was her goal. And he’d expect her to run, so being in town might actually be safer.
She turned her phone back on, saw the six missed calls from the vet’s office, then sighed and called her back.
Chapter 5
“Caroline?” Emily answered before the second ring was complete. This thing where everyone answered the phone with her name was fancy, but she’d have to tell everyone to knock it off. She’d get a complex.
“Emily? I’m—yes, it’s me.”
“Thank god,” the vet said. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I really am. I was—a little out of sorts before. I’m sorry.”
“Well, you scared the shit out of me, and I didn’t know that was still possible.”
“How’s Gloria?”
“Holding her own. I gave her some fluids, and that’s definitely helped her perk up a bit; other than that, she seems to miss you.”
The tears rolled down her cheeks, but her voice stayed steady and soft. “I need to go out of town for a couple days. Would you keep her for me? I’ll be back, I promise, but I need to... take care of something.”
“I understand,” Emily said. “I’ll take care of her for you. But make sure you’re back soon. I don’t think she’ll understand if you’re not.” A long pause, and Caroline didn’t know how to fill it. “Take care of the bastard. Make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else.”
“That’s the plan,” she said.
“Good girl,” Emily replied, and the line went dead. She offered the phone back to Mason, who waved it away.
“You wanted something to read, there you go. Hell, you can even sit up in the front seat, if you want to. I just thought you looked like you needed rest.”
“Did you screw me just to get me in the car?”
His face crumpled, like she’d punched him in the groin, and then he recovered fast, that neutral mask right back in place. “No. I needed you in the car, but—” he paused, then continued, “—making love to you was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t think you’d ever be interested in touching me again after what I did.”
She didn’t want to answer. It was too much to think about right now, anyway. She unbuckled and crawled carefully into the front seat, then buckled in again. “So where are we going? I’m not going back to my house.”
Mason snorted. “Obviously not.”
“Your place?”
“Too close to the garage. I live just across the street. Getting you in without anyone seeing you would be impossible, and I seriously doubt that Declan’s going to go peacefully. I don’t want you caught in the crossfire.”
“So where, then?”
“Jack and his wife say you can stay at their place.”
“No,” she said.
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No,” She insisted.
“We can keep doing this, or you can accept that I can pick you up and carry you inside if I need to. I know I don’t look like a weightlifter, but I’m no lightweight.”
“Reason one: he’s a rat bastard. Reason two: I don’t want to risk bringing that kind of hell down on Jack’s family. Declan could have killed Gloria. I can barely stand that. What do you think he’d do if he found out I was staying with friends?”
“Hopefully? Think that it had nothing to do with me, so that he still thinks I’m on his side, and I can get close enough to stab him in the back. It makes sense that you’d be scared after he broke into the house, and you’d run to a friend. It makes more sense than you picking up and heading south, actually. So you’ll be safe there, and I can take care of things.”
“And your big plan is that you ride into the garage like a cowboy, and somehow convince everyone that Declan is a big bad monster, and then they all fall in line behind you, and Declan w
anders off like a kicked puppy with his tail between his legs, and there’s no consequences for anyone?”
His jaw was working hard, and he didn’t say anything at all.
“Because I’m sure I’ve heard of worse plans than that. Somewhere. It's a terrible plan and it's not going to turn out the way you think it will.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Same damn thing I’ve been suggesting from the beginning. Take this to the cops.”
“Dammit, Caroline, we’ve been over this. The cops are dirty. The fact that Declan knew we were asking questions proves it. We turn this over to them, it all goes to hell. And one of the few things that’s keeping him from doing even more disgusting things than he’s already doing goes away.”
“And what if he ends up dead? Do you think dirty cops won’t know who to pin that on, too?”
His eyes flicked from the road to her for just a moment, then back again, as he adjusted his grip on the steering wheel.
“Didn’t think of that, did you? It’s not going to be easy, Mason. I don’t know how you’re going to pull this off.”
“Yeah. I don’t know either.” His eyes locked on the road, then, and he turned the radio up loud enough that conversation was impractical. She thought about calling 911 and telling them that she’d been kidnapped, but what was really the point? This was annoying, and she would have preferred doing things her way, but Mason—so far, he was a “his way” kind of guy. And if she was really thinking that she wanted him in her life in any capacity at all, she was going to have to accept that. At least, to some degree.
She smiled as she rested her head on the window and closed her eyes. He’d get a surprise or two, eventually. She wasn’t always this easy to push around.
Chapter 6
When Caroline gave in, resting her head against the window and relaxing back into sleep, Mason breathed a sigh of relief. She was a spitfire, and he loved that about her, but the possibility of her calling the cops on him was not nonexistent. He was pretty sure, once she’d calmed down and stopped shouting, that it wasn’t going to happen, but it wasn’t until she went to sleep that he believed he was safe. From her, at least.
