Trust Me (Sanctuary Lake Book 1)

by Lori Whyte

  "No, don't go." She grabbed his hand where it lay across her stomach and held it there.

  The heavy weight of his warm palm on her skin triggered a wave of heat and expectation to ripple over her, and reminded her of her lack of clothing. Had she really stripped down and climbed into his bed? She never slept naked. Except now she could see the possible merits, but only if Mason was with her.

  Which after today was unlikely to ever happen again.

  "Ryan asked me to go back to Sanctuary. He's worried about Jonesy."

  "Who is that?" Mason asked as he settled beside her. She took that as a sign he was no longer planning on leaving. She loosened her grip so she could trace the shallow ridges and hollows on the back of his hand.

  "His dog. She's a beautiful golden lab."

  "One of the neighbors could do that, couldn't they?"

  "I think he doesn't want me fussing over him right now," she whispered.

  Mason's fingers started to draw small circles on her stomach, but he didn't say anything. He let the silence settle over them, giving her room to talk more if she wanted.

  "It'll take time," she said, "and everyone copes with change differently. If he's asking for space, then I need to give it to him. It's just that it's my fault, isn't it? And I want to help him. With Mom still down in Arizona, I'm all there is."

  "It isn't your fault. I'm not dismissing the way you feel; I'm messed up about what happened too. If my first aid skills weren't so rusty… If I hadn't told him to take the elevator…" He inhaled sharply. "But the truth is the only one who is at fault is Harry." Mason turned his hand and wrapped it around hers. "It took me a long time to think like that. To realize there were some things I couldn't control. That bad things weren't always my fault. Obviously I still have moments when those old familiar feelings come back, but I'm telling you the truth. This wasn't your fault."

  She remembered the futility she’d seen in him that night when he realized he couldn't save Jake from going to jail. And all the times he'd come to school with bruises on his arms… the broken noses… the black eyes… because George had decided he'd done something wrong. Tears welled in her eyes as more memories returned.

  "I'm so sorry, Mason…"

  "I'm not saying this to talk about me. I just…" He exhaled sharply. His gaze was fixed on her. She could feel it, even if she couldn't clearly see his features. "Just remember that you aren't alone, Anna, and neither is Ryan. Okay?"

  Between his promises and the presence of his body alongside hers, it made everything seem like it'd be okay. He was there. He'd protect her. He'd take care of her.

  At least right now… in this moment… it felt like everything could be possible again.

  But it wasn't.

  She would be going back to Sanctuary Lake and he would stay here. Tonight, though, she wanted to forget about the realities. One last night in his arms, that was what she wanted. She turned her head so she could see his face. He was propped up on one elbow, watching her. The pale glow from the city lights painted his face in soft hues.

  "Mason…" She said his name softly. On the tip of her tongue were the words she wished she could tell him. I love you.

  Then he leaned over until his lips were almost on hers. "I want to kiss you. I want to forget everything that's happened for a while. But if you are too sore or you don't want this…"

  She raised her head and brushed a soft kiss over his mouth. "I want you too," she whispered against his lips.

  "Just lie back and enjoy," he said. Even in the shadowy darkness, the glint in his eyes made her smile. She sank down to the pillow again as he dropped light kisses over her face.

  "What about you?"

  "Your pleasure is for me."

  At his words, her sex throbbed and her nipples tightened. She reached for him with her good arm, drawing her fingernails along his chest. Then she rubbed the pad of her thumb over his flat nipple. He groaned and pulled away.

  "What did I say?" He took her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. Then he drew her hand up, over her head and held it there. "Just close your eyes and let me…"

  He dropped a kiss along the side of her mouth, then licked her lips lightly. She opened, inviting him inside. She wanted him inside her. She wanted so much more… He obliged, dipping in. When she closed around him, he withdrew.

  "Patience," he murmured.

  Then he dragged his mouth, hot and open, along the side of her neck. She twisted her head to the side, exposing more to him. His leisurely exploration of that small stretch of skin made her tremble and arch, but he held her hand in place, keeping her at his mercy and his pace.

  "I'm going to kiss you… Everywhere." His husky words whispered over her flushed skin. "And all you have to do is let me." He drew up on one elbow and peered into her eyes. "And I'm not stopping until you explode beneath my touch… my lips... my tongue… That's what I want… Can you do that?"

  "Yes," she said on a shaky breath. She was ready to detonate with his sensuous promises.

  "Good." His eyes glittered and a wicked grin lit his face. "Because I will tie you up, if you keep distracting me. Or is that what you want?"

  Her heart raced at the idea. Then she truly would be at his mercy. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Did she want to say yes or no? She didn't know.

  "Ah, so the lady does want that…"

  He rose from the bed in the next instant. She watched him cross the room. There was still time to say no. She didn't. He walked into the large closet, turned on a light and disappeared from her view. Her heart was racing wildly when he emerged with a silk tie in his hand. Her gaze dropped lower then, to the bulge in his underwear. And that made her pulse sprint even faster.

  "This is my favorite tie," he said as he approached the bed. "Whenever I wear it from now on, I'll remember this moment…"

  She swallowed. She didn't want to think about anything beyond tonight.

  He dangled the silk over one of her breasts, teasing the tight bud of her nipple with the smooth material. Then he did the same with the other. The fine fabric slipped along her skin. She didn't want to be teased. She wanted something with more pressure… More weight… More of everything.

  As if sensing her growing impatience, he climbed on the bed and kneeled beside her. He wrapped the tie around the wrist of her good arm. Then he drew her arm up over her head. She let him. Then he paused.

  "Tell me you are okay with this."

  "Yes," she whispered.

  Then he secured her hand to his headboard. He didn't touch her injured arm, making the situation more symbolic than anything else. But she could imagine it, being completely immobile on his bed. Legs. Arms. A fresh flood of heat rushed through her and her breath caught.

  "If you want me to undo the knot, just ask," he said.

  "Okay." She couldn't manage more than a single word.

  "Now, where was I? Ah, yes…"

  He leaned down and placed his mouth over the exact spot on her skin where he'd last kissed her. It was as if he'd memorized her body and knew exactly where he'd last been. He was braced over her, caging her in as if he hadn't just tied her to the bed. He spread kisses along her collarbone, then down the valley between her breasts. His whiskers rasped on the sensitive skin. When she arched against him, needing more than the teasing touches, he lifted the matching distance.

  "Mason…" she moaned his name, "please…"

  He ignored her pleas. His hot breath raced over her chest just as his wet tongue flicked her taut nub. She looked down and their gazes locked. He'd left the light on in the closet when he'd returned to the bedroom, so his face was cast in a contrast of shadows and light. The imperfection of it made the moment feel more secret, more illicit somehow.

  His tongue glistened as he traced her tight flesh. Then, still with his gaze on hers, he leisurely lowered his mouth and closed it around her nipple. He sucked on it until she was panting and twisting against her binding. Then he moved to her other breast and did the same t
hing.

  Her sex pulsed with need.

  He lifted his head with slow deliberation until her nipple popped from his mouth. He grinned at her, then he crawled lower. Anticipation vibrated through her as he nudged her legs apart and kneeled between them.

  His hot hands slipped to the backs of her thighs. Then he lifted them, bending her knees. He let his gaze meander down her, over every mound and bulge. She tugged at the knot holding her wrist to the bed, compelled by the impulse to shield her body.

  "Hush," he whispered, "I could spend every minute of every day looking at you and never get my fill…"

  His fingers danced along her inner thigh as he leaned forward. Then he laid his palms against that soft flesh and gently pushed her open wider. His face neared her sex and she inhaled sharply. The sensation of his breath against her heated sex coupled with the visual of his face disappearing between her legs made her dizzy with need.

  He dipped his tongue down. At the first contact of his mouth against her, she moaned his name and begged for more. His stubble scraped the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. He shifted, pulling her legs over his shoulders as he settled closer to her sex. At the first push of his fingers inside her, she wrenched against the tie. This time it loosened. She grabbed at the headboard, needing to hang onto something as he lapped at her wet core. Her gasps of pleasure mingled with the sounds of his sucking and licking.

  "That's it. Show me how much you like it," he encouraged as he stroked her, his words like a hum against her.

  He pushed deeper inside her, curling his fingers until he brushed the spot that made her cry out uncontrollably. Her body shivered. She writhed and squirmed, the building pressure making it impossible to stay still. A weightlessness fluttered through her as she spiraled to the pinnacle of her release. He grabbed her rocking hips with his free hand, as he tortured her flesh with his mouth. Then, with one final thrust of his fingers, white hot joy burst through her.

  She fell, shuddering, to the mattress as waves of bliss coursed through her. Mason slipped his hand from her and placed a soft kiss on her throbbing sex. Then he crawled up her body and settled beside her.

  A wicked grin lifted the corner of his mouth, glistening with her wetness. With one hand, he removed the loosened tie from her wrist.

  "I want to do that again," he said on a husky chuckle, "but I think you need to get some sleep tonight."

  A heady sense of contentment flowed through her. She wiggled closer to him, ignoring the twinge of pain in her arm. "What about you?"

  "You asked that earlier. The answer hasn't changed." He wrapped his hand around her waist and held her tenderly in his embrace. "That is what I wanted."

  After he brushed his lips against the side of her temple, he settled his head next to hers on the pillow and closed his eyes. As if he'd spun a languorous spell over her, her eyelids slipped down. Love filled her and she let herself drift into a peaceful slumber.

  The next time she opened her eyes, bright sunrays sliced through the breaks in the dark curtains. When had he shut those? The light in the closet was off now too. God. How long had she slept? She glanced around for a clock, but there wasn't one. Who slept without an alarm clock beside their bed?

  And where was Mason?

  Every time she'd woken in the night, he'd been there. Holding her. Hugging her close. It felt almost perfect. Almost like she could imagine a life with him. But now that the magic of the night was dispelled, reality was settling over her. A long term relationship wasn't in the cards for them. She'd known it from the time that they'd first kissed back at the inn. She and Mason weren't a forever kind of situation. She never should have agreed to come back to his place after the hospital, but she'd been selfish. All she'd wanted was for him to hold her close one last time before she returned to her life.

  And he had.

  He'd also revealed, perhaps unknowingly, exactly why it could never work.

  Mason belonged here and she didn't.

  Everything about this place, from its million dollar—or more—view to its posh furniture and the exquisite nude portraits that graced his rooms, was a lifestyle that suited him. But she needed the lake air, not pollution, the sound of birds, not traffic… the list in her head was endless.

  Besides, what would she do here? Her life was about the inn. She wasn't cut out to be an employee at a big hotel chain, she had way too many opinions for that and she couldn't handle having to work her way up the ranks again. But that's what would happen if she even managed to land a job in one of those places. Her training had all been of a practical nature and she didn't have a reference. She'd only worked with Viv. Besides, most of those companies wanted senior employees to have degrees in hospitality services and stuff like that.

  She pushed herself up with her good hand.

  Her injured arm ached, but she'd live. She couldn't complain, not when Ryan had lost his foot.

  God, poor Ryan…

  She couldn't leave Sanctuary Lake when her brother needed her. The counsellor who'd come to talk to them when she'd been sitting with Ryan had been encouraging. He’d suggested his fitness level would help, that he would expect Ryan to adapt to a prosthesis fairly quickly. But that it would still take time. And it wouldn't be easy.

  Ryan had lost his foot because of her. The very least she could do was be there for him through his recovery. And there were so many things she needed to do to prepare for his coming home. Staying in bed wasn't going to help anything.

  She dressed, then went on the hunt for Mason. As soon as she opened the bedroom door, she heard him talking. She followed his voice. It led her to a door she hadn't noted earlier. It was ajar and she peeked in, not wanting to disturb him if he was busy. She'd just duck her head in, wave, and go in search of the kitchen.

  Her stomach rumbled in agreement with her plan.

  "Have you found a realtor?" Mason nodded as he listened to whatever the other person on the phone was saying.

  A realtor?

  "Right. And Jake? Has he signed?"

  Jake? What was Jake signing?

  But of course she knew what. The only thing Jake would be signing would be his agreement that they should sell Sanctuary Inn. Defeat rained down on her like acid. How could she gather the funds she needed so quickly?

  Did she even want it anymore? After everything that had happened there, maybe the inn was bad luck. Maybe they should all leave there and never come back.

  Except Sanctuary was her home.

  And she did want the inn. More than anything.

  The conversation continued for another minute or two. They were talking about the Calgary Flames and the likelihood that they'd make the playoffs, when she moved.

  Mason saw her. A look of disappointment shot over his face, but it was gone almost as quickly as it had arrived. The message was clear. He was uncomfortable about having been caught.

  "Jay," he said. "I've got to go." Then he disconnected the call without waiting for an answer.

  "You better pay that man well," she said, forcing a smile to her face. "You are constantly hanging up on him. That must be irritating as hell."

  "Jay's patience is admirable." He grinned and shrugged. "But, yes, I do pay him well too."

  "What do you have to eat in this joint? I'm starving."

  He led her to the kitchen and motioned for her to have a seat. He looked in the fridge. "How about an omelette?"

  "Sounds great."

  Between preparing the eggs, grating the cheese and chopping the other ingredients, he kept looking at her. It wasn't until he had placed the steaming hot egg creation in front of her that he leaned forward with a serious look on his face.

  "How much did you hear?"

  "About what?" Her voice betrayed her but she pushed a smile to her face. "It sounds like you are still holding out hope that the Flames will squeak into the playoffs."

  He narrowed her eyes and studied her. God, she hated when he did that.

  "I have a surprise for you," he said. "I was goi
ng to wait but… Do you want to know about it now?"

  She took a bite to avoid having to respond. What the hell could she say? Please sell the inn to me. In exchange for that decrepit place, I can offer free stays anytime you're in Sanctuary. How does that sound? It's a good deal, right?

  She chewed slowly, prolonging the moment.

  "I'll wait," she said. "I can't think about too much right now. I'm drained from the last couple of days."

  "Okay..."

  The doorbell rang. Mason frowned as he rose to answer it. "It isn't a bad surprise. You know that, right?"

  "Right."

  She watched him move to the door. He was beautiful. The way he moved. The way he… was.

  Why couldn't it have been different between them?

  He opened the door and Aiden stepped inside.

  "I was wondering who Glen would let up without ringing me first," Mason said.

  "I just wanted to check in before I head back to Sanctuary," Aiden said. He looked at Anna. "Do you need me to send anything back? Clothes? Anything for Ryan?"

  "Actually…" she said, "I want to go back with you."

  Mason's eyebrows rose. "Now?"

  Anna nodded, and avoided looking him in the eye. "I should start making changes at Ryan's. The doctor said he could be released as soon as a couple of days from now, if everything goes well. And I have to look after Jonesy, remember?"

  "What changes?" Mason prodded.

  "That pamphlet that the counsellor gave me. It talked about it."

  "Do you want me to come with you? I can—"

  And as if on cue, his phone rang. She recognized the ring tone as the one associated with his PA. He ignored it.

  "You have things to do," she said quickly. "A life you had to put on hold until we sorted things out. Besides, I'll be fine. If I need anything, I'm sure I can call on Aiden." She skewered Aiden with a look and he just nodded. "Right, so I'll just get my purse…"

  She grabbed her bag from the living room where she'd dropped it, then she was back at the door.