I don’t know why my brain picked that moment to catch up to what we were doing, but as his mouth made its way back to mine, my hands slowly moved over his shoulders to his chest and pushed forcefully.
He jerked back gasping for air and I scrambled out from under him. My clothes were rumpled, and he was rubbing his palms down his face as he fought to get control of himself. I chanced a glance at his lap, and wished I hadn’t when I saw the obvious tent in his shorts. They were soft exercise shorts and left little to the imagination as to what they were covering. “I’m sorry,” he panted. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” he paused when I held up my hand, stopping him.
“It’s ok,” I smiled. “I didn’t stop you.”
“You’re right,” he grinned teasingly. “It’s your fault.”
“Shut up,” I growled as I grabbed the closest thing to me, a throw pillow, and heaved it at him.
“Hey,” his head snapped in my direction as a challenging smirk appeared. “Don’t start something you can’t finish,” he warned.
“Bring it on, Big Boy,” I taunted as one side of my lips curled up. I should’ve known better than to challenge him. I should’ve remembered that he didn’t ever go down without a fight, but I didn’t.
Mason’s body crashed down on me as he tackled me back down on the couch before his hands began tickling me everywhere. I thrashed trying to escape him, but he was too strong, and persistent. “Ok. I give,” I begged as I stopped fighting against him.
“That’s what I thought,” he grinned as he laid over me, still pinning me down. “Go out with me,” he smirked. “On a real date.”
“Ok,” I smiled. Why the hell not? I was fooling myself if I thought I was ever going to find someone that made me feel the way he did, or match up to my memories of him.
“Ok?” he grinned wider.
“Yeah,” I giggled.
“Tomorrow?” he started to get off of me, but paused when I didn’t answer.
“Don’t you have to work?” I wrinkled my forehead.
“Nope. No doorman on Mondays. It’s slow. They usually just rotate through the rest of the staff. They each take a shift. Come on, Dani. Tomorrow? We can do whatever you want,” he batted his eyes at me, causing me to laugh harder.
“Fine,” I groaned. “Tomorrow. You don’t give up, do you?”
“Nope,” he sat back, finally allowing me to move. “That’s what you like about me,” he gave me a conceited smile that told me he knew exactly how I saw him. He wasn’t going to admit it, but he could read me like a book, and he was proud of that fact.
At that moment Mason’s stomach let out a huge rumble, causing me to burst out laughing. “Wanna order a pizza?” I smiled at him.
“Sure,” he grinned. “As long as it’s pepperoni,” he winked as he smirked at me.
I couldn’t believe after all these years that he still remembered so much about me. I always wondered if he studied me back then like I did him. I knew things about him that he didn’t let most people see. Had he really loved me like he’s saying he did all those years ago? Did I love him? Yes. Could I love him again? Yes. The only problem now was how far I let him in, because Mason Stone could completely wreck me and I didn’t think I’d survive a heartbreak from him again.
Chapter 22
Danielle
“Are you outta your mind?” Amber’s shrill voice rang through the phone. I cringed as I pulled it slightly away from my ear.
“Based on your reaction, I guess I should’ve kept that piece of information to myself,” I grumbled.
“Dani, do you remember the last time you did this? Do you remember what happened? How I spent three days begging you to get out of bed and go to school? How you almost failed history class because you refused to go? Does any of that ring a bell?” Amber whined into the phone. “I’m just at a loss here.”
“Things are going to be different this time,” I smiled to myself as I thought about mine and Mason’s conversation the day before. How he stayed until it got dark, and how I’d almost begged him to spend the night.
“How do you know that?” she challenged.
“For starters, we’re older now,” I shrugged as if she could see me. “He’s different, we’re both different.”
“That may be, but a zebra doesn’t change its stripes,” she mumbled on a sigh.
“You just need to trust me. Things have happened to him since then. He’s different,” I sat down on my bed before flopping back to stare at the ceiling. I’d gotten ready for my date with Mason hours ago. I felt like that high school girl all over again. He wasn’t supposed to pick me up for another twenty minutes, so I’d called Amber. Now all I was doing was defending him.
“I just…” she paused. “Never mind. Have fun, but Dani you tell him if he screws with you again, I’m going to remove his dick with a dull knife.”
“I’ll help,” I giggled before she disconnected the call.
Amber must have ESP or something because as soon as I tossed the phone on the bed, there was a knock at the door. “Coming!” I yelled as I checked my makeup one final time before skipping to the door.
I paused for a minute to collect myself before looking through the peephole to make sure it was Mason. He was staring at the ground, but I knew it was him. I unlocked the deadbolt, and stepped back as I opened the door. “Hey,” I waved as I chewed on my lip. “Wanna come in?”
His forehead wrinkled as he studied me, “I thought we were going out?”
“We are,” I blushed. “I just need to get my purse,” I motioned behind me. “Give me just a sec.” I turned to grab my purse off the counter before turning back to face him. He smiled as he offered his hand, and a gentle tug.
After locking my door, I let Mason lead me down to his car. A sense of déjà vu settled over me, but I pushed it away. This time was going to be different.
ooooooooo
Mason
As we sat through dinner, I couldn’t help but wanna touch her all evening. She picked pizza of all choices she had. I was expecting a nice restaurant, but when she directed me into the local Pie in the Sky’s parking lot, I couldn’t help but laugh. We sat in a corner booth near the back and shared a large pepperoni pizza. She smiled at me, and if I didn’t know any better I’d think she was keeping a secret from me.
“So I gotta ask, why here?” I sipped my Diet Coke as I a watched her.
“Do you remember the first time you talked to me outside of school?” she picked at a thread on her sweater. “I was sitting with Amber, and you and your friends were making fun of me. You came over to try and smooth things over, and I refused to talk to you.”
“I remember,” I sighed.
“It happened at the one near my parents’ house,” she shrugged as she picked at a piece of cheese on her slice.
“So what? You wanna go back down memory lane?” I teased as I watched her.
“No,” she whispered. “I don’t want to live in the past, but I thought it might be nice to have a redo. You know? Make better memories?” she smiled softly as she shifted in her seat.
I nodded thoughtfully, “I can do that.” We’d pretty much finished our pizza by this point, so I got up from where I was sitting and offered her my hand. “Wanna get out of here?”
“Ok,” she grabbed my hand, and after I tossed some bills on the table, we headed out to my car. “Thanks,” she smiled when I opened the car door to let her in.
“Don’t mention it,” I closed the door, and stood there for a minute trying to gain my balance. This woman was throwing me off. I’ve been trying to move out of our past since I ran into her again, but she seems to keep bringing me back.
After climbing in and cranking the car, I turned to face her, “Where to now?”
“I was thinking maybe drinks? I don’t wanna go to The Rusty Nail though. I’d like to go somewhere we haven’t been to yet. I just don’t wanna run into anyone I know tonight,” she shifted in her seat.
“I’ve got an idea.
Do you trust me?” I turned to face her as I pulled the car out into traffic.
“Um, I guess so. Do I really have a choice?” her voice was tentative, but when I chanced a glance at her she was smiling.
“It’ll be good, promise,” I grinned.
ooooooooo
“What do you think?” I waved my arms out in front of us. “Pretty cool, huh?”
“This is beautiful,” she stared in awe as I reached for her hand and led her over to one of the lounge chairs. It may have been stupid, but I brought Dani back to my place. We had a rooftop deck that very few tenants used, and I knew it was pretty in the evening with all the city lights lighting up the sky.
“I don’t come up here very often. I use it for thinking, but I knew the last time I was here that I wanted to share it with you,” I whispered as I sat down on the cushion and gave her hand a gentle tug.
“Thinking, huh?” she turned to face me.
We were sitting on a lounger that was covered in soft pillows. There were several chairs set up, and a pergola that towered over us. A few of the flowers left over from summer were still growing, but it was the lights that really made it magical. White twinkle lights were twisted through the pergola and over in a darker corner was a treasure I was still waiting for her to discover.
“Yeah. Think,” I nodded. “I spent a lot of time up here when Jen first moved in. I didn’t know how to help her, and I needed time to figure it out. I haven’t been up here much after that, that is until you came back into my life,” I lifted a shoulder. “It’s quiet up here, and I can count the stars on a clear night.”
“Mason?” I felt her fingers brush across my forearm, and I turned my eyes in her direction. She closed hers and took a deep breath before opening her mouth. “I love you.”
“Dani,” I sighed. “That’s not what this is. I didn’t bring you here to get you to say that.”
“You didn’t. I’ve loved you for a long time. I think that’s why I was so hurt by what you did. I felt like I was the only one losing anything. It took me a long time to get over you. I can’t do that again,” her lips pursed as she tried to get them to stop quivering.
“Shhh,” I soothed. “Come here,” I tugged her closer to me and tenderly cupped her jaw. “I love you too,” I whispered as I brushed my lips over hers. She sighed and leaned in to deepen the kiss.
ooooooooo
Danielle
I don’t know how long we sat there kissing. It seemed liked forever, and with the twinkling lights above us and the city as our backdrop, it was like the perfect setting. It was busy on the street below us, but we were high enough that you couldn’t really hear it. There was a light breeze, and the sun had completely disappeared. At first I thought maybe I was dreaming. This kinda thing didn’t happen to me. Don’t get me wrong, over the years I’ve dated, but the feelings that Mason brought out were never present.
“Feel like being adventurous,” he murmured as he trailed kisses along my jaw stopping right by my ear. His breath was warm, and all I wanted to do was sink into him and stay there forever. What was wrong with me? Slow down Dani.
“What do you mean?” I sort of mumbled and moaned at the same time. God, I sounded desperate.
“I want to show you something else up here,” he pulled back and stood up, offering his hand. “It’s right over there,” his head tipped in the direction of the pool.
“Nice try, but I’m not swimming. It’s too cold,” I shivered against the breeze as the words left my lips.
“I’m not talking about swimming,” he grinned as he started moving, tugging me along behind him. “I’m talking about this.” When we rounded the end of the pool, there in the corner slightly hidden from view was a steaming hot tub. The water was bubbling, and the heat from it was creating a cloud in the air. “Wanna try it out?” he grinned and his brows bobbed.
“I don’t know. I don’t have anything to wear,” I nibbled my lip nervously.
“Wear your underwear. It covers the same thing,” he shrugged.
“What if someone sees,” I murmured as I glanced around. We were the only ones on the roof, and it had been that way since we got there.
“You have to live here to get access, and very few people in this building use this. I’ve only run into a handful of tenants up here and it’s been in the summer at the pool. I’ll protect you. Promise,” he placed his hand over his heart. “Listen,” he clutched my shoulders and turned me to face him, “we don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. I just thought it would be nice.”
“It does sound nice,” I stared at the water as he backed away from me slightly. It looked so inviting, and it was fairly dark. I could only imagine what it would feel like to sink into the warm liquid and be wrapped in Mason’s arms with only a few scraps of fabric separating us.
“It’ll be really nice,” he hummed as he stepped behind me, his palms gliding down my arms, and his fingers linking with mine. “Please say yes,” he pressed a kiss to the side of my head.
“Ok,” my lips curled up on one side as I reached for the hem of my sweater. Mason stepped back, and I heard rustling before I saw clothing being tossed on a chair near us from the corner of my eye. The warmth from his body being pressed to my back disappeared, but when he stepped around me to move toward the hot tub, I felt my entire body begin to heat up.
I’d seen him without a shirt when he’d stayed over, but his boxer briefs did little to hide what was under them. They sat low on his hips, and those indents that pointed to what was hidden seemed to be calling to me. I couldn’t help but stare, and Mason chuckled when he caught me.
“I can take them off if you want,” he smirked as he crossed his arms over his chest in pride. Every muscle flexed, and I swallowed to try and get a grip on myself. He was beautiful, every inch of him. From his muscular arms to his trim waist, all the way down to his cock that was already growing under my scrutiny.
“N...no,” I shook my head and looked away. I couldn’t help looking at him. When we’d had sex back in high school I’d turned out the lights. It took total darkness for me to relax. It was close to dark now, but with the lights of the city and the moon overhead, we could see each other much more clearly.
“Your turn,” he motioned to where he’d tossed his clothes and smiled. I took a few deep breaths trying to get over my nerves as I bunched my sweater in my hands and peeled it up my body. When I tugged it over my head, I closed my eyes and took a minute before releasing it and chancing a glance in his direction.
Mason’s eyes flashed as my fingers reached to undo the button on my jeans. I shifted my hips back and forth as I pushed them down my thighs and stepped out, tossing them to join my shirt. I crossed my knees slightly as I shifted around under his stare. I knew I had a nice body. I worked hard for it, but I wasn’t used to men staring at it. I haven’t had many boyfriends, and only one other man has seen me naked.
“Come here,” he held out his hand, beckoning me. I grabbed it and let him guide over to the edge of the hot tub. He stepped in and turned to help me in. As soon as I found my footing, I slowly sunk down. The water felt heavenly as it splashed over my chilled skin. I moved to the far side and sat on one of the built in benches. My breasts were right at the top of the water level. Mason smirked as he eyed them.
I hadn’t thought about the fact that my pale pink bra and panties were going to be see through once they got wet. My eyes widened and I blushed as the thought settled in my head, but Mason just moved closer. I could feel his hands on my knees when he moved me into his lap, and his lips brushed over my shoulders.
“You’re beautiful, Dani. So fucking beautiful. Tell me to stop if I do something you don’t want. Do you understand?” he licked up my neck and sucked my lobe into his mouth gently biting down, causing me to moan. Every muscle in me tensed and a slow burning sensation began to grow within me.
One of Mason’s hands began to slide up my legs and toy with my panties while the other slid up my back. He stopped right
at the clasp of my bra and just rested his palm there. It was as if he were waiting on me. I turned in his arms so I was straddling him before lifting up on my knees slightly. His cock bobbed in the water with the bubbles of the hot tub as it bounced against my thighs.
I nodded, giving him permission before I leaned forward to press my mouth to his. He groaned as the bra popped loose, and my breasts sprang free. I trembled in anticipation as his hand worked between us, cupping them. He squeezed lightly before deepening our kiss. Our tongues dueled while his hands explored every inch of me above my waist.
I squirmed on his lap desperate for friction, but Mason didn’t push me. I thought it was odd that he was trying to be so honorable. It was sweet really, but I was so worked up at this point that I just wanted him to take control. I grunted in frustration before breaking the kiss. “Mason,” I murmured.
“We don’t have to do that,” he panted. I could tell he was barely hanging on to his control. “That’s not what tonight was supposed to be about. I didn’t bring you here for that,” his eyes closed and his head tipped back.
“Mason,” I tried again as I leaned into him. “Touch me,” I whispered as I trailed my nose up his neck. “Please,” one hand that had been resting on his shoulder began to slowly make its descent down his chest. When I reached his abs, they jumped, but as my fingers dipped below the waistband of his boxer briefs he groaned. He felt hard as steel and as my fingers danced along his length, he released a shuddering sigh.
“Dani,” he panted. “Dani… I can’t,” he swallowed as his fingers flexed at my waist. He’d moved them there before I touched him and now it was like he was afraid to touch me back.
“It’s ok,” I whispered as my fingers slid to the tip of him before gliding back to the base. The world around us seemed to melt away, and as I began placing kisses to his shoulders and neck, he slowly began to respond.
“I’m not gonna be able to stop if I touch you like that,” he grunted in restraint as I squeezed him.
Say You Remember: book 4 in The Witness Series Page 17
