Delivering His Gifts: A Mountain Man's Baby Christmas Romance (Mountain Men of Liberty)

by K. C. Crowne

  He cleared his throat and ran his hand over his beard, smoothing the already smooth hair down as if distracting himself.

  “So it’s clear you’ve had a shitty day,” he said, then cringed. “Pardon my language.”

  I held up a hand to stop him. “No, you’re right. Today has been absolutely shitty, and the weekend without my daughter is only going to be shittier.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he sympathized. “I’d be happy to take you out for a drink, if you’re interested.”

  I started to answer, but he held up the hand, stopping me.

  He continued, “Not as a date. Nothing like that. Just because you’ve had a rough day, and I think you could use the distraction. I could tell you more about Calvin too, and our conversation can be strictly to business.”

  I opened my mouth to tell him no, there was no way I would meet with a client at a bar over a cocktail or a beer, but something stopped me.

  His eyes held the darkness from before, but there was a sadness etched into his face. He wasn’t asking just because he thought I needed it - it was clear Mason needed the distraction as well.

  “Not a date?” I asked, raising my brows in suspicion. “As in, I pay for myself and we only talk about the client?”

  “Scout’s honor,” he said, placing a hand over his heart.

  “You were a Boy Scout?” I asked with a soft chuckle. It was hard to imagine Mason as a little boy, much less wearing one of those cute little suits.

  “I was, believe it or not, once upon a time.”

  Ooo000ooo

  “So why did you go into the military and decide to be a medic?” I asked, sipping my watered-down cocktail. I had let the ice melt into the drink, nursing it so it would last the entire evening, if possible. I didn’t want to get wasted, nor did I want to spend the money on drinks.

  Mason chuckled. “Hey, what about only talking about business? I thought we had an agreement.”

  I shrugged. “I think I have a pretty good idea about what we’re doing. I want Calvin to meet Oscar, and we can gauge if they’d be a good match. Then I can start training. Not sure there’s anything else to talk about.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I made an oath to you.”

  Yeah, he had. But that was before seeing him relaxed and looking so sexy at the bar. Something about the lights in the place, or maybe it was the mood, made me chill the hell out as well. And once I was relaxed, my walls crumbled.

  That and it had been a very long time since I’d been out for a drink with a man.

  My eyes moved around the bar, checking for any familiar faces. Any of Greg’s friends. He wasn’t friends with the type to show up at honky tonk bars in the middle of nowhere, but there was always the chance he could be following me.

  But the bar was mostly filled with guys in jeans and flannel shirts. Not the outfit anyone connected to Greg would ever wear.

  “Are you going to answer my question or not?” I asked, playfully poking him in the arm.

  “How much alcohol did the bartender put in that thing?” he asked with a laugh.

  “Not much. Why?”

  “You seem like a totally different person, that’s why.”

  “You mean I seem nicer,” I commented.

  “Listen, I didn’t say that,” he defended playfully. “Just that you’re more relaxed, and not all business. I wasn’t expecting that after the exchanges we’ve had.”

  “I know I can be a bit…” I stopped to think of the right word. “Frigid, I guess?’

  “Well ain’t that an interesting word choice,” Mason said with a soft laugh as he took a long pull from his beer.

  My cheeks flushed at the unintended hint toward my sex life.

  I stammered. “Just, well, I know I can come off as cold sometimes, especially toward men.”

  “Well, I can’t say that I blame you. Many men are assholes,” he said.

  “Exactly. Sure, I know not all men intend to do women harm, but I’ve not been the best at picking them, that’s for damned sure.”

  I took another sip of my cocktail. It had tasted of cranberry juice and some tropical fruit flavors, but it was nothing but melted ice now, with barely a hint of flavor. I contemplated ordering a second one but decided I shouldn’t let my guard down. Mason seemed like a great guy, and I’d heard nothing but good things about him around town. But he was still a man, and if I was interested in him, it made me think there had to be something wrong with him – red flags I was ignoring in favor of staring at that chiseled jawline and broad shoulders.

  As if the bartender could read my mind, she walked over and asked, “Would you like another?”

  “I think one is enough,” I murmured, handing her my cup of melted ice. “But thank you.”

  “No problem, sweetie,” the woman said. “Let me know if you need anything else. A water, a Coke, maybe?”

  I didn’t really want my time with Mason to come to an end. “A Coke would be nice, thank you.”

  “Sure thing. One Coke coming right up.”

  The waitress was a pretty young thing with a thin waist and large breasts. Her red hair fell to the middle of her back in long ringlets. She was gorgeous and likely just old enough to be working in the bar. Most of the men in the place were staring at her body, but not Mason. His eyes were on me. Attention like that could do wonders for the self-esteem - not that mine was low or anything. I knew I was pretty. But I also wasn't a twenty-one-year-old redhead with a tiny waist either. I’d had a kid and at least ten years on the waitress.

  “So you never answered my original question.”

  “What question was that?” he asked, taking another pull from his beer.

  “Why did you go into the service and decide to become a medic?”

  “Oh yeah, well, it’s not the most interesting story, let me tell ya,” he said with a shrug. “My dad and grandpa were both in the military, and my brothers and I always looked up to them. My oldest two brothers - Graham and Sam are twins and they went into the Navy like our father. The rest of us followed suit when we were old enough to join. For me, I wanted to follow our grandpa, who I was really close to. He was also a medic and his stories about serving in World War II always fascinated me, so when the time came to enlist, I figured why not follow in his footsteps?”

  “And was it a good decision?”

  Mason sighed and leaned back into the booth. He stared off into space for a second, not focusing on anything. I thought he might not answer me, but eventually, he said, “Yes and no. There are experiences that made me who I am today. Good experiences. I learned a lot. But there were other experiences I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. I’d prefer to leave it at that.”

  “And you’re certainly within your right to do that,” I said.

  He’d not asked me much about my life or Greg, and I appreciated that he didn’t dig into my personal life. I owed him the same respect, even if I did have a desire to know more about my handsome, strong client.

  “So you’ve always liked dogs?” he asked, obviously happy to change the subject.

  “Not just dogs, all animals,” I said. “My family ran a small farm, and I grew up with chickens, turkeys, goats, and a couple horses too. We had several acres of land, and my mom was a softie. She always took in stray dogs and cats. We had so many, most of them animals that were overlooked or abandoned. Dogs missing limbs, cats missing eyes, you name it.”

  “Sounds like you take after your mother then,” Mason said with a genuine, sweet smile.

  “I did. She was an amazing woman.”

  “Was?” Mason cocked an eyebrow.

  “She died of breast cancer five years ago, sadly,” I said softly.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. It’s never easy losing a parent.”

  “You’ve had that unpleasant experience as well?” I sipped my Coke, and because of the seriousness of the topic, I wished I had some rum to put in it.

  “Yeah, my dad died not that long ago,” he said. “Which is what brough
t me to Liberty, in fact.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yep. He was looking for my half-brother, Jack. He never found him, but my brothers and I did - it was my father’s dying wish.”

  Mason averted his eyes, staring at the beer bottle in front of him. There was a sadness there, one I wished I could wipe away.

  “Alright, let’s change the subject to something not so depressing,” I said.

  Mason looked up at me, and there was a curious look on his face. He studied me for a second before saying, “You made me promise I would only talk about work and I—”

  “We’ve already discussed this, Mason. It’s fine. I’ve changed my mind.”

  “I just want to respect your wishes, Danielle.”

  The way my name rolled from his tongue sent chills down my spine. His southern drawl was so damned sexy, he could recite the alphabet and I’d go weak in the knees. But something about hearing my own name… well, that was a whole other level of hot right there.

  “You’ve been a perfect gentleman, Mason. Thank you.”

  Mason turned the bottle around in his hands.

  “What?”

  “Well, I need to drive at some point, and since it’s getting late, I figure I better stop drinking.”

  Again, I didn’t want the night to end. Even though I knew, at some point, we’d have to part ways and I’d have to go back to my lonely house without my daughter and try to sleep. It had been so long since I’d been out with another adult, especially an adult man, and I hated to admit it, but I was having a good time.

  I bit my lower lip to stop myself from saying something I’d regret. I stared down at the table where someone had carved their initials - A.M and C.F, wherever you are, I hope you’re still together, I thought to myself, running my fingers over the heart that encircled the letters. At least let there be some hope for love.

  “What’s that face for?” Mason asked.

  I tried to look as casual and normal as possible when I met his gaze again. “What face? It’s just my usual one,” I said, forcing a laugh.

  “You just looked a bit sad, that’s all.”

  Sad because I don’t want the evening to end, yes, but I’m not going to tell you that.

  “I don’t get out of the house much. I mostly work and take care of Skyler and all the critters. Most of the time, the rescue is filled with animals, and while I have a few volunteers, I do most of the work myself.”

  “So you’re saying you’re having a good time?” He had a smug look on his handsome face.

  “Yeah. I am,” I admitted with a smile. “It’s rare that I get to socialize with adults, and it’s nice.”

  He continued staring at me with a crooked smile on his face. “This was nice, Danielle,” he said slowly. “Thanks for taking the time to come out with me.”

  Was nice. He was already talking in the past tense, meaning the night was coming to a close. Dammit.

  “No, thank you,” I said. “For pulling me out of the house and giving me much needed adult time.”

  Mason slapped some bills on the table - more than enough to cover my drinks and his. I reached for my wallet and paid for my own anyway. It would just mean the waitress would get one hell of a tip.

  Mason slipped out of the booth, and I followed him. We’d taken separate vehicles. I had parked my car beside his pickup truck, so we walked between the two of them to say our goodbyes.

  Except I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

  “Well, I guess…” Mason started to say something, but I placed my fingers against his lips to silence him.

  “I’m not ready for the night to end yet.” My voice came out breathy, and it didn’t sound like me.

  “What do you want to do?” Mason asked. His voice was deep and low. His eyes narrowed, as if he knew what I was about to say but didn’t want to make any assumptions.

  I bit my lip and stared up at him, unable to find the words myself. I licked my lower lip, imagining what his tongue would feel like in my mouth.

  I didn’t have to imagine for long.

  That look was enough of an answer as any, and Mason took my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine. His beard tickled against my face; his kiss was soft and sweet. Hesitant, even.

  He pulled away, and I audibly gasped, “Nooo, please…”

  “Are you sure?” His grey eyes were almost black.

  “I’m sure,” I said.

  “Sure sure? Because earlier you seemed to want to keep our meeting professional and—”

  I didn’t let him finish his sentence. I pressed my breasts against him and stood on my tip toes, kissing him and silencing him for good.

  There was no argument from Mason, no more asking to be sure I wanted this. My hand grazed his crotch, bringing a low groan from his lips. My eyes widened as I felt the size of him through his pants. My Lord, I thought, I want this man so much. I could feel the heat growing between my thighs, the need to have him inside me taking over, making me forget about anything and everything else in that moment.

  I had made it very clear that yes, I wanted this. It had been so long since I’d been with anyone. Five years of denying myself the touch of a man, and suddenly, there was this hot as hell mountain man looking my way and I threw myself at him.

  Before I knew what was happening, Mason had lifted me into the cab of his truck. His strong hands picked me up as if I weighed nothing at all. He joined me in the truck, sitting in the driver’s side, but I wasn’t in the passenger seat for long. I straddled him, my hands pawing at his jeans. He helped me remove them, sliding them down just enough for his cock to bounce free.

  I gasped, a tightness low in my belly screaming “Now. You need him inside you right this second.”

  I was thankful for the sundress I’d chosen, as it allowed easy access. His fingers pushed my panties aside, and I was on top of him, feeling his tip pressing against my opening.

  And then I slid down, my body stretching to take him inside. My nails dug into his back as I settled down on him, getting used to the new sensations inside my body. And damn, did it feel so good. My toes curled and it was like my body was on fire.

  Mason took my face in his hands, staring deep into my eyes as I began rocking back and forth, slowly at first. I’d never been with a man so big, and the way he felt against the walls of my pussy… It was almost too much for me. I could feel the pleasure building already.

  His mouth found my neck, dotting kisses as I rode him. He nibbled gently on the flesh, his hungry hands moving over every inch of my body, helping to guide me as I bounced on his cock.

  “Yes, yes,” I whimpered as pleasure ripped through my body. My head fell backward, and I screamed Mason’s name as I experienced the most intense orgasm of my life. I had forgotten where we were, the public nature of our exploits, and let myself go, coming harder than I had ever come before.

  His fingers teased my nipples, playing with them through the flimsy material of my dress. It was like a straight line from my nipples to my clit, causing me to shudder as I rode him harder and faster than before. After the first orgasm, I thought I might be tired or ready to stop, but I only wanted more.

  And I wanted to make him feel as good as he made me feel.

  He lifted his head and our mouth’s collided as I moved up and down on his shaft. Mason’s groans were deeper and louder, his hands gripping my ass and pulling me down harder against him, making sure every last inch of him was sheathed inside me.

  I knew he was close, and I knew what I should do. I should stop, pull out and tell him I could finish him with my mouth. But I couldn’t stop, and just as I thought about it - a second orgasm hit me hard and out of nowhere, like a wild wave at a beach. My pussy spasmed around his cock, and that was it - that was the final push he needed.

  “Fuck, yes,” he groaned, holding me against him.

  His cock throbbed inside me, and I knew he was filling me with his seed. We came together, our bodies a writhing mess of pleasure. And finally, once the waves
died, I collapsed against him, my head buried in his neck.

  I finally came back to reality, knowing I’d messed up. I shouldn’t have slept with a client; it would complicate everything.

  Yet, as I inhaled his scent, I found myself more relaxed than I’d been in a long time. He stroked my hair and held me, letting me savor his sweet musk.

  I barely turned my head, just enough so I could breathe and speak.

  “We can’t let this happen again,” I whispered softly into his ear.

  Mason didn’t answer me, but I didn’t need an answer. I knew we couldn’t go down this road again, nor would we ever be able to date. There was no future for Mason and me, and it wasn’t just because he was a client of mine. That I could deal with.

  No, Greg would never let me be with another man without making my life a living hell.

  Mason

  “I still have food you brought over the last time you were here,” Calvin mumbled as I carried in several bags of food. He frowned as he watched me put the stuff away.

  I didn’t tell him that the reason for my visit was to get my mind off the night before. Danielle’s body pressed against mine, her sweet, soft mouth inviting me in… I woke up bright and early with a boner and her in my head, and I knew I had to do something to stop thinking about her.

  We couldn’t go down that path.

  “Well, I come with good news too,” I announced, closing the fridge and turning to look at Calvin. “I think I’ve found a potential dog for you, and someone willing to train him for free.”

  Calvin’s eyes narrowed. “How much is this going to cost?”

  “Not a dime.”

  Calvin crossed his arms in front of his chest and frowned. “Sounds like a scam to me. Nothing in life is free.”

  “Well, the dog is a rescue, not from a breeder. He just happens to have the perfect temperament to be an emotional support dog. And the trainer is being paid by an organization that helps veterans.”

  If only such an organization existed, I thought. I was going to pay for Danielle’s services myself, but had I told Calvin, he wouldn’t go through with it.