Laura shrank back a little. “It started again a month ago.”
“A fucking month? You kept a critical detail like this from me for an entire month? I can’t – I just–” Mason opened and closed his mouth a few more times, but he couldn’t find the right words.
It didn’t matter what words were said. Laura plopped down on the mattress and bawled. “I am so sorry, Mason,” she cried, covering her face with her hands. “I’ve been so freaked out about this whole thing I didn’t know what to do. I wanted all of this to go away, and it wouldn’t. It’s been getting worse.”
Softening, Mason sat down next to Laura and pulled her onto his lap. “I should be the one apologizing. Hey, look at me.” Laura turned her gaze towards him. “I shouldn’t have made this about me, and for that, I’m sorry. Let’s just go and get out of town. With any luck this thing will have petered out by the time we get back.” Mason stroked her damp hair as she cried. Laura needed to get all of the stress and worry out and Mason was willing to just sit quietly and be there for her.
Laura’s body language had made it clear that she didn’t want his advice or meddling. He wanted to just jump in and take control of her situation, to just end it, but he wouldn’t be okay with himself if he disrespected her wishes.
Laura’s sobs had slowed to sniffles and hiccups. She had exhausted all of the emotion and pent up anxiety in her body, and despite the fatigue, could think a little more clearly. “I don’t care what happens from here on out. As long as I have you, I feel safe. You’re home for me, Mason.”
“Aw, hell, woman. You’re going to make me cry.” Mason kissed her with all the emotion he had felt. He wanted to carry some of her burden. She didn’t have to fight the invisible man on her own; it was just up to her to let him.
Mason lay Laura down on the bed underneath him. Laura kissed Mason back with an urgency bordering on desperation. She needed him. She wasn’t sure yet as to what that meant, but for now she needed that physical and emotional anchor to something real.
Mason positioned himself between her legs as Laura rose up to meet him.
Chapter Twenty Three
“Is there anything at all you need to pick up before we leave? We have to be at the airport in an hour if we even stand a chance of making it through the airport on time.” Mason had been a little stressed all morning. International travel was always a nightmare for him. He loved the destination, just not the getting there part.
“Nope. I have everything. Packed and ready to go.” Laura had to sit on her suitcase to secure the buckles. “I’m pretty impressed with myself. I managed to stuff a month’s worth of clothing and toiletries into two suitcases.” It was no easy feat. The process required Laura to play an elaborate game of Tetris with all of her winter clothes, including shoes.
“Me too. Remember that trip we took to Mexico for spring break, junior year? Three suitcases and a carry on for the smallest pieces of clothing I’d ever seen.” Mason shook his head at the memory. He had to play pack mule for a week.
“I needed room for souvenirs then. Now I’m not a broke ass college student and can afford to just ship things to myself if I want to.” Being steadily employed beat couponing for ramen noodles and textbooks any day.
“I’m just going to text my assistant to make sure my mail is being held. I put the paperwork in almost two weeks ago, but the guy behind the counter wasn’t terribly competent.” Mason pulled his phone out of his pocket and paced around the kitchen.
Laura gingerly sat on the edge of her bed. The welts on her bum were still tender from the night before, but the scratch of fabric against them made the muscles in her belly knot up with pleasure. She couldn’t wait to break in the plane.
“Done. Smith will be here in a few minutes. Let’s get your things down to the sidewalk.” Mason squatted down and lifted the first bag. “Hell, Laura. What did you pack?” He pulled a clean and jerk maneuver to hoist the bag onto his back. “And why don’t you have luggage on wheels like a normal person?’ Mason teased.
“Because then I wouldn’t get to hear you whine all afternoon.” Laura stuck her tongue out at Mason’s back as he left. She liked her old bags. The scuffed old suitcases were another vintage store find. The inside had a pretty pink satin lining, and the outside was a hard case wrapped in brown leather. They had been dropped, tossed, and chucked down a flight of stairs during her last move, without so much as a tear. As long as they survived, she was happy.
She slung her carry on across her chest and took one last inventory of the place. “All windows are locked. The balcony doors are locked. The thermostat is set. Talked to all the neighbors.” One by one she ticked off her leaving checklist, until the last thing was to lock the front door behind her.
That morning Mason ran down to the hardware store and picked her up a new knob and deadbolt set. He told her he didn’t want to chance her stalker having a key or a way in. He didn’t even want to give the maintenance guy or the landlord a copy until they returned home. He told her, “If the only copies of the key are thousands of miles away with us, I think we’ll sleep better, don’t you?”
Laura grudgingly agreed with him; she just didn’t want to hear her landlord’s mouth about changing the lock without telling him.
She gave the knob a few good shakes and shuffled down to the elevator. By the time the doors slid shut behind her, she was huffing and puffing and sweating like a pig. Maybe she did over pack.
***
“That trip through security was tons of fun!” Laura exclaimed as she flopped into a seat.
“Yeah. I love a good pat-down. The only thing missing was the cavity search. I’m a little disappointed I didn’t get fingered.”
Laura laughed as an image of the crusty TSA agent wearing a rubber glove crossed her mind. “You were awfully close, I think. The bald guy was definitely eyeballing you.”
Mason waved at her. “Oh, stop it,” he chuckled. “You know I only have eyes for you, baby.” He gave her a smooch that was quick, but by no means chaste. “Buckle in. I’m sure we’ll get the pre-flight drill soon.”
The flight attendant’s name was Stuart, and he was a hilarious twenty-something with stunning red hair and chiseled biceps. He ran through the preflight drill fairly quickly, since the plane wasn’t a giant 777 with a half dozen potential escape routes.
“Once we’re in the air and I get the okay from the pilot, I’ll be around to serve you guys drinks, okay?”
“Thanks,” Mason and Laura answered in unison.
“Ugh! You two are adorable.” Stuart closed the curtain to the front of the plane to take his seat.
Laura entwined her hand in Mason’s. She had flown a bunch as a kid, but never internationally. It was only ever to Orlando to go to Disney World or to the Grand Canyon on summer vacation. The flights were short and never over open water, so she was a little nervous.
Mason gave her hand a squeeze as the plane rolled down the runway. “This trip is going to be great. I’m so happy you decided to come.”
Laura forced a smile as the plane picked up speed. Takeoff was the worst, but Mason’s sentiment was most definitely appreciated.
“Me too. At least I will be when takeoff is done.” Laura squeezed her eyes shut.
The nose of the plane began to rise, and shortly after the rear wheels lost contact with the ground as the plane quickly ascended to 30,000 feet.
“You can open your eyes now, love. We’re in the air.”
Laura cautiously cracked one eye. She couldn’t feel the plane moving any more, but she did feel her hand aching from white-knuckling the armrest. One by one she peeled her fingers away from the strangled white leather.
“Thanks,” Laura said as she shook feeling back into her hand. “How long are we going to be in the air?”
“About eight hours. We should be landing between five and six in the morning, Swiss time. Don’t worry. We’ll figure out something to do to kill time.” Mason winked. Well, he tried to. He couldn’t seem to get th
e single eye motion down. He sort of looked like a drunken owl blinking first one eye and then the other.
Laura snorted. “I’m sure. When you make sexy eyes like that at me, how can I resist?”
Mason glared at her while pressing his lips to her knuckles. “You are so lucky you’re cute.”
Laura beamed a cheesy smile at him. The playful banter helped ease the tension she felt, but she couldn’t fully relax until… “Who wants to get liquored up?”
Stuart appeared through the curtain, pushing a small, cloth-covered cart. A bucket of ice and a couple of plastic glasses decorated the top.
“Oh, Stuart, you are my new favorite person.” Laura slouched back in her seat. “Can I have a chardonnay, please?”
“Scotch and water please?” Mason asked.
“Absolutely. I also have food and some other, ahem, necessities for you should you need them. I’ll be back in a minute with your drinks.” Stuart hurried back to the galley.
“He’s obviously been working on private planes for some time, huh?” Laura commented.
“Yeah. I’m sure he’s participated in some of the shenanigans as well. There is some crazy stuff going down on these things.” Mason laughed as he recalled a memory. “I was on one flight with my partner in Japan that was quite, shall we say, lively, and more than a little eccentric.”
“Oh? Do tell!” Laura set her elbows on the armrest and cupped her chin in her hands, giving Mason her full attention.
Stuart came back out and interrupted. “Here you go, guys.” He rested the bottles on the tray so he could pour their drinks. “If you need anything else at all just poke your head through that doorway and let me know; otherwise I’ll stay out of your hair.” Stuart winked at them and walked away, leaving the tray behind.
“Now, see, that’s how you’re supposed to wink. Why can’t you do that?”
Mason made a face at her and took a sip of his drink. “So anyway, we get on the plane, and there were these three little women, all in their early twenties, that were going to be our flight attendants. Well, there were five of us on this flight, including my partner and me.”
He took another sip and rolled the scotch over his tongue as he recalled the rest. “About half an hour in, all three of the girls come out. They were super hot in their little uniforms. Turns out they were very interested in our comfort and in being our entertainment for the entire ride.”
Laura’s eyes widened. “Did you participate in the entertainment, then?”
“No. Nonono. I sat towards the back of the plane, horrified, as my Japanese traveling companions got busy with all three of those girls. Eventually, I ended up in the cockpit with the pilot for the rest of the trip.” Mason shuddered at the memory. “I’m into kink, but there is no way I’m passing partners around.”
Laura took a long draw from her glass. The wine was cool and crisp, erasing her dry mouth from earlier. “Now that was pretty funny.” She drew her fingertip over Mason’s forearm, causing him to shiver. “What do you say we erase that flight memory and replace it with one of our own?”
Mason smirked, his blue eyes lighting up at the notion. “I think that is a fantastic idea,” he agreed as he covered her mouth with his.
Chapter Twenty Four
“All right, you kinky kids.” Stuart came back out to the seating area. “The pilot says we are about a half an hour out from landing and you need to buckle up.” He collected all of the glasses and food wrappers and stored them back on his cart before wheeling it back to the attendants’ area.
Laura ran her hands through her disheveled hair, trying in vain to smooth the sex out of it. She gave up. She didn’t need a mirror to tell there was no saving her look without a shower and just tied the snarled waves into a messy topknot.
Mason buttoned the last button on his shirt and looked over at Laura. “Here, let me help you.” He reached out and with his thumb and swiped a smear of lipstick from the edge of her lip.
Laura blushed under the tender touch. She wasn’t sure why since she had spent the last eight hours tangled up with Mason on every square inch of the plane. She smiled shyly and grasped his hand.
The pilot came over the intercom. “We will now begin our descent into Zurich. Thank you so much for flying with Newport Jets. It’s been an absolute pleasure transporting you, and have a safe trip.” His voice had a slight accent Laura couldn’t place.
Mason squeezed her hand in support before Laura had a chance to freak.
She gazed at him with the smile of a relaxed and well-sated woman. “I love you.” She squeezed his hand back three times to let him know she was okay. As the plane descended, the pair kept eye contact. Something had shifted in their relationship just then; Laura could feel it in the air around them, and for the first time since they had reunited, she was comfortable with that.
Chapter Twenty Five
One week. A whole week had gone by, and no sign of his love. He would show up where she normally would be and there’d be no trace of her. He waited at the Starbucks near her office for nearly an hour that morning for her for nothing.
At 6:15pm he sat across the street from her apartment building just waiting for her to arrive. He stared as his watch ticked to 6:16. She should have been home from work by then.
The man stomped across the street and fell in behind a resident. He waited, feigning patience, as she punched in her code to get into the building. She politely held the door for him. “Thanks,” he grumbled and made for the stairs. He didn’t dare take the elevator.
As he climbed the four floors he imagined he had just missed her. Maybe she’d skipped coffee. He shook his head; she hadn’t been at work either. He didn’t dare ask around, didn’t want to draw attention to himself.
He poked his head into the hallway and, finding no one, exited the stairwell. With cautious optimism he strolled to her door and pressed his ear to the cold metal.
Nothing. For the seventh day in a row her apartment was silent. That was impossible! Even when spending nights with that skunk, she still came home occasionally. Something was wrong.
He slipped his key in the lock, and the tumbler wouldn’t turn. Heat crept up the man’s neck as his blood pressure climbed. He jiggled the knob and shook the key in the lock, and still he was kept out. That bastard changed the fucking lock! With a roar he punched the door and skulked off back down the hall to the stairwell.
He was determined to get in. An obsession had grown inside of him, refusing to be denied; being locked out only served to ramp up his need. He could not and would not let her shut him out. He was more determined than ever to show her how much he loved her and that they belonged together.
He hurried to the nearest hardware store; there had to be a way to get in.
“Hello, sir. How may I help you?”
“Yeah, hi. I broke my key in my front door. Is there anything I can do to fix it?” he replied coolly.
“Well, sure. Do you have a spare?”
The man nodded. ‘I do, but my wife has it and she’s out of town until Monday.”
“Ah, that’s a problem. Give me a moment, will you? I need to ask. I’m not sure what to do offhand.”
“Of course.”
The grizzled clerk shuffled to the back room to find some help. In the meantime the man wandered around trying to find something he may be able to pick the lock with. He only found one option, a rather cheap-looking lock pick for about ten dollars. Since that would be better than screwing with it and risking getting caught, he grabbed it and some putty and approached the counter.
“Excuse me, sir?”
The old man reemerged from the back room with another salesperson. “I think I may have a solution. Oh. You found it.”
“Yeah. I’ll give this a shot before I have to pay someone a hundred bucks to do it. I can bring the blade in to have a new key made later.”
He paid up and politely waved goodbye to the two men behind the counter. This was his only shot to get in. Instead of going back to La
ura’s apartment, he turned left and headed in the direction of the nearest bar. He would come back when there wasn’t so much activity in the building.
Chapter Twenty Six
“My ass is killing me. I’m heading back to the cabin for some hot chocolate.” Laura slipped off her skis and tossed the poles in annoyance. Her instructor could pick them up later. She was so done.
Mason had been adamant that he and Laura go skiing, despite her protests. She didn’t have an athletic bone in her entire body, and it was only by the grace of God that she’d managed to stay upright most of the time.
“Come on, Laura. Just one more go with me?” Mason plastered his most beguiling smile on to try and coerce Laura to stay out with him.
“You go ahead. I’ll be lucky if I can walk tomorrow as it is. I’d like to avoid losing complete use of my body.” She pecked him on the cheek and trudged back to the lodge.
The last two weeks had been the most fun Laura had had in ages. It took her two days to settle in and adjust to the time change, but when she did she was off and running.
The third night there she had begged Mason to do the ghost walk tour through Zurich. It took some convincing, and the most spectacular blowjob she had ever performed, but he finally gave in and went with her. It may have been the best part of her trip so far. Definitely better than the train wreck she had just experienced skiing.
After spending their first week exploring Zurich, they’d hopped a train to Zermatt to get some outdoor time in the Alps. Laura managed to talk him out of breaking his neck on the Matterhorn, but the small mountain ranges were still on the agenda.
Laura staked out a space near the fire, plunked down in an overstuffed chair, and kicked her boots off. It felt so good to sit down after the beating her body had taken on the stupid bunny slope. She was convinced even her instructor had lost hope she wouldn’t kill herself eventually. She contemplated leaving Mason to ski on his own while she went to visit the Matterhorn Museum and do some touristy activities.
KILLIAN: A Mafia Romance (The Callahans Book 2) Page 101
