Seven
Over the next week, the guilt I felt for allowing Mason to touch me continued to gnaw at my conscience. Lust was obviously getting in the way of my sanity. Luckily, Alex had gone away with work for a few days to an equestrian fair, which gave me a reprieve. My parents were now on holiday for the rest of the summer, leaving Mattie in charge, which meant at least there were fewer people to witness my shame
I had concluded that what had happened between Mason and me didn’t mean anything . Therefore, if it didn’t mean anything, I didn’t have to tell Alex about it. It's not the most honest approach, I know. But it helped me temporarily push away all the thoughts that circled the nightmare that was the McKenna boys.
I was looking forward to a rest at the weekend, having taken on more shifts at the stables. My limbs were tired, and I had blisters on my thumbs from the rake I had used to muck out Tiny’s stable. Tiny was a beautiful bay stallion that was just shy of seventeen hands. He was a big bugger, and word had it that Mr McKenna had his eye on him. Another addition to his current, impressive fleet of horses.
It had been particularly quiet at work with Alex and the owners of the stables away, but I’d enjoyed the peace. I had keys and was solely responsible for looking after the horses until Mr and Mrs Lonsdale returned.
I’d spent most of the day outside, tidying the yard in the sunshine. To be honest, I’d burned the back of my neck; the skin there feeling hot to the touch.
I pulled the wooden gate closed into the stables and locked up, looking forward to a nice deep bubble bath. Maybe a cold one to take that sting out of my skin. I felt annoyed at myself as I should have been wearing a sunhat.
Deciding to take a shortcut through the Proctor’s place, I upped my step, not wanting to get caught trespassing.
Mr and Mrs Proctor owned some farmland and hated all the larger landowners in the area. Their farm was what my dad used to call a 'Jack of All Trades' business where they pretty much tried everything to be profitable. The Proctors owned livestock, grew crops, and had more recently tried their hand at growing turf. It was a wishy-washy setup and had never been a threat to our business. They had two boys whom I’d always found a little on the creepy side. Jonathan and Tyler were identical twins and must have been somewhere in their late twenties by now. They were boys, but they still made me think of the movie The Shining.
We’d had them over for BBQs in the past, but it had been a pity invite. An attempt to build bridges with our neighbours. My father had always had his eye on the Proctor’s place as it backed onto one of our largest fields. Dad was always looking for opportunities to expand. What with the McKenna farm being on the other side and the meadow in the middle, it left our current acres landlocked.
It was Saturday and later that evening Mattie was having a BBQ. We always organised something when our parents were away, as Mum had a strict rule about having friends around. The BBQ wouldn’t be a messy event, just a chance for a catch-up with some nice food and a few drinks. Mattie had invited a couple of his gay friends from the village, Sam, and Riley. My brother had only been out a few months and not everyone knew about his true sexuality. We’d all been surprised when he dropped the bombshell, as he’d had girlfriends in the past. Mattie explained when we were on our own one night, that he’d always known he was gay, but had tried to hide it. It had made me feel sad that he’d lived in silence with such a huge secret and that he’d felt he couldn’t confide in his family. We were all so close.
Mattie said he’d also invited our cousin, Wynter. My aunt and uncle were in the throes of a nasty divorce due to Wynter’s mother having an affair. Wynter, who was the same age as me, was desperate for any excuse to leave the house. She was now living in the home of her mother’s lover and her new stepdad’s kids. They sounded like proper spoiled rich kids. So, we tried to offer support where we could. My cousin was the opposite of me though, quite shy and understated. She always had her nose stuck in a book.
When I arrived back at my house, I was surprised to see Alex’s car parked by one of the garages. It was positioned next to my brothers. He hadn’t texted me to say he was back, which I thought a little odd.
Being an adult and needing his space, Mattie’s room was above the garages and so separate from the main building .
I ran my hand down the greasy front of my dirty jeans. My hair was a mess and I didn’t look my best, but I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to see Alex. He was probably gaming in Mattie’s room.
Briefly checking my phone for messages, I walked past Alex’s Volvo and let myself into the stairwell that led up to Mattie’s living space. He had a studio room, so there was a living area, a kitchen, and a bedroom all on one floor. There was also a separate bathroom, and so you had everything you needed to live self-contained. Sometimes we didn’t see my brother for weeks.
As I mounted the stairs, thoughts of what to wear that evening swam into my head, maybe something floaty? It needed to be attractive and feminine as I had every intention of having sex with Alex sooner rather than later. Yes, Mason McKenna had awakened something inside me, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have the same with someone else.
As I got to the door to my brother’s room, I rubbed the back of my neck. It was still smarting, and I knew I needed some after-sun lotion. My stomach started to churn which was strange as I hadn’t missed lunch.
Pulling the door open and stepping into the room was the easy part, but the image I was faced with was anything but.
My mouth dropped open and my heart crashed against my ribs like a beast attempting to free itself from a cage. It felt like the room was spinning in front of me.
A cocktail of feelings fluttered through my brain; confusion, guilt, betrayal.
My brother and Alex twisted apart from their position in Mattie’s bed. An intertwined position. I had just caught my brother and my boyfriend having sex. They were both sweaty, their breathing laboured. Alex’s bare chest was covered from the waist down by the sheet.
“ Shit , Amy?” Mattie choked out as he leapt from the bed and started to pull his discarded joggers on, I spun away, not welcoming that sight for many reasons.
“Amy, I can explain,” Alex said weakly, looking from Mattie to me.
That sick feeling lurched in my stomach, and I twisted away and raced down the corridor, almost throwing myself down the stairs .
I swallowed several times. My head couldn’t compute what I had just witnessed and so I ran. It was all I could think of to do. I needed to be alone, and piece together the horrible truth that not only had my boyfriend cheated on me, but that he had done so with my brother . The fact that Alex also appeared to be gay wasn’t what hurt the most. It was that ultimate betrayal by two people I really cared about.
How long had it been going on? Alex’s fascination with his phone and the cold treatment now made so much more sense.
They’d lied to me, made a fool out of me and yet I had hated myself so much after what had happened with Mason.
My trainers pounded the ground as I kept on running. I made my way over two of our fields which had recently been fertilised, the smell was odourless to me as I’d lived with it my entire life.
The sun was angry, reflecting my mood.
I had been lied to, taken for an idiot and I felt used. Again, twice in the space of a week.
Slowing my pace, I weaved in and out of a cluster of trees and rounded the corner toward the meadow, the sound of the river in the distance was suddenly calming.
As I approached the space, I could see what appeared to be fencing which had been recently erected on our side of the river. Once it was fully built, it would stop us accessing the pool area. Annoyance poured into me like acid, stinging my insides.
So, the McKenna family had started to build a fence, to section the area as theirs. Therefore, underhandedly trying to claim the meadow and the pool. There were only around a dozen posts in the ground so far, and the wood looked fresh, so it must have been a recent thing. Thieves!
The thought increased my fury. How dared they! And whilst my parents were away. They had no right.
I needed something to take the edge off my anger and hurt and I stormed over and started to wiggle one of the posts. The cement which had been used to hold the last piece of wood hadn’t gone off yet, and I managed to bend the post but wasn’t strong enough to lift it out of the ground .
“What do you think you’re doing?” the voice from my nightmares said from right behind me. His location suggested that he was on our side of the property.
Giving the post another push, it fell to the group and I turned and glared at Mason. He was alone.
His dark eyes narrowed as he looked behind me at the fallen post. He was wearing jeans and a tee and he had been sweating. The material clung to his chest. He was wearing a tool belt. Caught you red-handed motherfucker!
“Damaging other people’s property from the looks of it. Why am I not surprised,” he drawled, answering his own bloody question.
“The lumber is on our side Mason, which means we now own it,” I rasped before adding, “And you by the looks of it. Did you forget which side you’re on? You need to build your silly fence at the other side of the brook.”
He ignored the latter part of my question, “So, you think you own me now, do you, Amy?”
“Not personally. That would be way too much like hard work.”
Mason moved further toward me, his body tense like a coiled spring. This was a stand-off situation again and neither of us would give an inch.
A muscle flexed in his jaw, “Like you’d know what that looks like,” he shot down at me.
I rolled my eyes so hard; I was surprised they didn’t fall out of the back of my head, “I’ve been working all day for your information.” I delivered this in a ‘so there’ tone which was a bit childish, but I was past caring.
His dark eyes glittered, “Ah yes, Jenna said you worked at Kipling’s. I must admit, I was surprised.”
I planted my hands on my hips and shot him a contemptuous look, “Why would you be surprised?”
“Just can’t imagine you shovelling horse shit,” Mason replied.
My sneer was one hundred percent pure, “Well, you’d know exactly what that looks like, since you speak so much of it.”
Mason released a long, drawn-out sigh before dashing a hand down his face. He looked tired .
Shaking his head slowly from side to side he said, “Amy, Amy, Amy. You just don’t get it, do you?”
A twinge of regret stirred inside me, remembering what had happened the last time I prodded the beast.
Shoving that feeling to one side, I welcomed the second wind as I snapped, “Get what. That you’re a giant arsehole and I hate you.”
It was so fast I almost missed it, but I saw a flicker of unease pass across his features. Almost like the thought of my hatred, didn’t sit well with him. His next words confirmed that.
“You don’t hate me. You’d be bored to tears without our little chats. They bring you to life,” he said arrogantly. Like he knew me or something. It felt like a punch to the stomach.
Snorting, I barked, “More like choke the life out of me.”
I grinned at his scowl and darkness crept over his features, “Oh, I’ve had thoughts of that nature before, believe me.”
He stood looming over me, all imposing and yet I still didn’t back down. After what I’d just witnessed, I needed someone to take my pain out on, like a pin cushion and Mason was it.
“Well, if it remains just a thought, I won’t have to rat you out to PC Rathbone. You’re not to touch me again Mason, ever.”
His lips curled into a sexy smile and I wished I could drag the words right back.
He took a step forward and I dropped my hands from my hips, no longer feeling empowered, “You liked me touching you, Amy. That sweet little pussy of yours enjoyed being stroked.”
Dropping my gaze briefly, I whispered, “I don’t want to talk about it.” My voice was small.
“Why? You fucking loved it. The before, during and the after. It was a shame I then fucked things up with my big mouth.”
I grimaced, feeling confused. Was he apologising for those words he used afterwards, something about a McKenna claiming my first orgasm?
He carried on talking, and so I had no more time to dissect his throw-away comment .
Mason tilted his head to the side and I eyed him warily.
“I remember clearly how you came apart for me.” He flexed his fingers, drawing my attention to one of his large paws. The memory of what he had done to me, generated warmth in my belly again. But I wasn’t having it. No man made me feel cheap.
“I mean it, Mason,” I reiterated but my voice still lacked strength.
Giving him my back, I moved to the next post. Anger and embarrassment fuelled my limbs, and I started to attempt to remove another piece of his stupid fence.
Mason moved then and pulled me away by the waistband of my jeans and I turned on him like a virago, thumping him in his chest. He didn’t even flinch and he let me go holding his hands in the air as a sign of surrender.
“Easy little fury, calm the fuck down.”
We just stood there, me glaring up into his downturned face. His expression was now unreadable and the fight just drained from me.
“Look, I can’t do this with you today, Mason, I just can’t .” I was close to tears again. What the hell was going on with my moods, I wasn’t due on my period and so didn’t understand why I was so changeable.
“You started it by coming here and trying to destroy my fence. It’s taken me my whole morning to build that first section,” Mason pointed out with a flick of his head.
My body swayed before him like I was drunk suddenly.
“Well, you shouldn’t be…” My thought process was suddenly all over the place and that scrunched fist which remained against him flattened. I felt his pectoral muscles flex against my fingers.
Mason’s head dipped and concern entered his features, “I shouldn’t be what , Amy?”
My head fell back and I felt like I was going to faint.
“I… feel sick.”
Mason took me gently by the shoulders, his head lowered so we were almost nose to nose, “Are you OK? What’s wrong, Amy, speak to me…” He shook me, but he wasn’t rough.
My head rolled around my neck, “…feel dizzy. ”
Blinking, trying to clear my vision, I sighed as Mason lifted a hand to my head. He pushed his palm against my skin, “You’re burning up,” he declared with a worried expression.
“I think I’m…”
Mason’s arms swept around me and he lifted my crumbling body into his arms.
I could feel his massive frame moving through the meadow, “You’ve got heatstroke. Where’s your fucking hat? You, stupid little girl,” he barked down at me. He was cross.
My head was against his chest and it lolled around with each sure step he took, “You smell nice,” I breathed into his T-shirted chest.
He continued taking long strides, gripping me tightly against his body. “What?”
“Nice,” I cooed.
Mason negotiated his way via the stones over the shallowest part of the river before the bend, which made up the deeper pool section. He teetered a couple of times on the rocks, but didn’t fall in. At that point I didn’t care either way. I was slowly losing my grasp on reality.
Being carried by Mason made me feel safe, something I rarely felt in his company and it was refreshing. My arms were around his neck, I could feel the corded strength of the muscles in his throat.
After a good ten minutes or so, I felt him mount the steps of the porch of his house. He was taking me to his place as it was the closest.
“You need water and a damn good hiding, but the water will do for now,” he scowled, his voice firm. Commanding. My tummy flipped.
He was taking me upstairs. He carried me easily as if I weighed nothing.
I wasn’t totally out of it, but I felt like I was dreaming. Mason lowered me onto something soft, a bed I imagined. His bed? He then left me and came back with a glass of water.
In a throaty, sexy-as-hell voice he said, “Drink this, all of it, I’m running you a cold bath. I need to get some ice. If you’re going to throw up, I’d appreciate it if you could make it to the toilet. The ensuite is there.”
I felt hypnotised by his eyes as they searched my face .
Everything was hazy, I was forced to drink at least three glasses of water whilst Mason ran the bath. I faintly recognised it was one of those free-standing ones.
It should have felt strange being in Mason’s bedroom, but I felt so horrendous that I didn’t care. It was like the world’s worst hangover.
Mason helped me from the bed and into the bathroom, the bath was full of ice. I could see it floating on the top. Was he nuts?
“Your neck is on fire,” Mason said, taking me by the chin and sliding his other hand around my throat.
I felt so helpless.
“Come on, take everything off and get in.” He was in full-on bossy mode and even though I was sick, it turned me on.
“What?” I said weakly.
He frowned moodily, “Your clothes.” Motioning with his hand.
I took a step back and looked from him to the bath and back again, “I can’t do that with you here.”
He wasn’t deterred, “Do it or I’ll do it for you and I won’t be gentle about it. Keep your bra and knickers on if it bothers you that much. You’re sick Amy, this isn’t about that . I’m not that much of a bastard that I’d come onto an ill female.”
“OK, but you’re going to have to help me,” I pouted.
Mason helped me pull my tee off over my head. I was probably wearing the most boring underwear ever, but I didn’t care. As he said, this wasn’t about that . It was about bringing the temperature of my body down. How I hadn’t thrown up was a miracle.
After a few minutes, as I discarded my clothes, I stood there in Mason McKenna’s bathroom in a white cotton bra and knickers. His face as he guided me to the water was passive. He wasn’t a guy with lustful intentions at that point, he was a man who was helping a woman in need. It made me feel nice inside. Special somehow.
I gasped as the icy water hit my limbs and tried to climb out, but Mason forced me down into the water.
I stared up at his tense profile in silent question. The water was freezing .
“You need to submerge your body,” he explained, dragging what appeared to be a laundry basket over and placing his backside down on it.
“You could have just put me in the pool,” I suggested weakly.
He shook his head, “It’s not cold enough this time of year.”
Eventually, I became used to it and I lay there for around ten minutes. I could hear Mason in his room and saw him texting on his phone at one point. Maybe he was telling Mattie where I was. That reminded me of what I’d witnessed and of that betrayal. My brother was the last person I wanted to see.
Mason kept checking in on me. To think that my heatstroke had forced us into a temporary truce.
That dizzy feeling started to reduce, but I felt so tired, like I was sleepwalking. Mason helped me from the bath and started to dry my body with a large fluffy towel. His kind behaviour made me feel worse somehow, and I felt the need to cry again.
To say it was the afternoon, the house was deathly silent.
“Where’s your dad?” I questioned, suddenly feeling nosy. Trying to distract myself from that sea-sick feeling which lingered.
“He’s at a retreat with my mother. They go for a few weeks each month,” he replied as he rubbed my arms dry in the towel.
“Why?” I hadn’t a clue what a retreat was.
“Dads in the middle stage of Alzheimer’s. They go to the retreat to rest.” He replied in a calm voice, but I could tell he struggled with his reply.
I felt shattered for him, I had no idea Mitchell’s illness was something like that.
“I’m sorry,” I said in a small voice.
“So am I.” His tone was much firmer that time.
Mason still loved his father; despite the harsh treatment he’d received as a child. But that’s the way it was with most people I imagined. You couldn’t change your family.
My legs started shaking again and I leaned against Mason’s strong body. He smelled of hard work and cut grass.
“Here, lay down for a bit,” he suggested, leading me over to his bed. It was a large bed, a four poster. Sweeping a gaze around the room, there was a definite masculine essence present .
“Take off your underwear and wrap yourself in this towel. I’ll give you some privacy,”
I did as he instructed and he came back holding out a large T-shirt.
“Put this on.” He was so bossy and I loved it. Especially as that is exactly what I needed at that point.
Again, I did as he said. I could smell his heady scent as I pulled the tee on and dragged it down. It fell to my knees; it was way too big. I then pulled the damp towel out from under it and Mason took it from me.
The sheets were soft against my skin and I welcomed the plump pillow supporting my face, wondering fleetingly how many women had shared this space with Mason. The thought left a sour taste in my mouth which was odd, like I was jealous or something.
Mason was moving quietly around the room, he was such a large man, I was surprised he travelled with such grace.
I faintly remember the bed sinking as Mason’s weight hit the mattress. He must have laid down next to me at some point. I could sense him and knowing he was there was comforting.
And that was the first time I slept in Mason McKenna’s bed.
*****
I suddenly felt very aware of not being alone. I also wasn’t in my own bed. The realisation of this made me want to sit up, but there was something wrapped around my waist. Holding me tightly.
Mason was laid on the top of the duvet, fully dressed, but one strong arm was curled around my waist. I must have wiggled out from under the sheet. My bare legs were on show and the T-shirt I had been wearing had ridden up. I didn’t have any underwear on.
He looked so peaceful and content and being there on the bed with him didn’t feel as weird as it should have .
Panic flared in my chest. OMG, what the hell? I was certain he hadn’t touched me. He wasn’t that guy. Someone who came onto an unconscious woman. My head still throbbed, but it was much more manageable.
I needed to get out of there before he stirred. I didn’t want to be faced with having to have a conversation with him at that point. I needed some time away, so I could recharge my inner bitch. I eyed the arm that was curled possessively around my stomach, the darkness of his skin so different to my own.
Carefully, I lifted Mason’s arm off me and placed it beside him on the bed. He looked so peaceful with his dark head against the pillow. I then quietly uncurled my body and slid from under the rest of the sheet. I hadn’t a clue where my clothes were and so knew I’d have to make my escape in Mason’s top.
Searching through a couple of drawers, I found a pair of Tommy Hilfiger boxer briefs and pulled them on, I couldn’t bomb it from their house without any underwear on. The fact that I was wearing Mason’s pants, didn’t faze me for some reason.
He stirred in the bed suddenly, pushing onto his back and stretching his hands above his head.
“Amy, please ,” he whispered. My heart jolted as he said my name and I narrowed my eyes, remaining as quiet as a mouse. Was he awake?
After a beat or two, I realised he was still sleeping. Why had he said my name? Was he dreaming about me? The thought made me feel confused and giddy at the same time.
Dragging my eyes away from his body, which was a prime example of masculine perfection, I glanced around the room. My phone was on the side and I retrieved it. I had a quick search for the SD card Mason had confiscated the night of the fight, but couldn’t find anything.
After Mason grunted again, I left the room on tiptoes. I didn’t even have my shoes. I should probably have woken him, but the level of embarrassment I was reeling from was astronomical.
The décor of the house was traditional and farm-like, which was a surprise. I thought it would have been more contemporary due to it only being built a few years ago. The stairs were large and sweeping and I popped my head over the banister, praying for the coast to be clear. At least I knew I wouldn’t run into his parents, but it was his brothers that I was the most worried about. They’d probably thought I was there to steal stuff.
Each step seemed to screech under my weight, as if the house wanted me to be caught.
Spying the door, I sighed with relief. I was going to make it.
As my hand circled the knob, I pulled the heavy door back and almost made a clean escape; almost.
“What the fuck…” Boyd McKenna said and I turned and shot him a glare. He was standing by the door that must have led into their kitchen with a beer in his hand. I didn’t even know what time it was, but it was dark outside.
I shot from the house like a bullet from a gun. I didn’t stop running until I passed the meadow and splashed barefoot through the river, the stones biting into my feet. That half-erected fence looked sad now and I felt bad for damaging it.
I knew it had to be late but how long had I slept there, in Mason’s bed? As I rounded the corner, I could hear voices. The BBQ was still going on. Shit. A surge of adrenalin powered through me. I was surprised and annoyed that Mattie had gone ahead with the party, considering his betrayal!
Changing direction, I set off toward the back of the house. I needed to find my room without being seen half-naked, wearing what was obviously a man’s T-shirt.
I got to my room, locked the door, and slipped the tee over my head, throwing it into the corner at the far side of the room. The fact that I’d worn it was like some type of surrender.
And that so wasn’t the case. Mason may have been there when I needed him, but he was and would always be, my nemesis.
The attraction I felt for him could do one.