Chapter 6
Chapter Six
CASEY
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, staring at the ceiling. Mason was on my mind, just as he’d been when I finally drifted off the night before. That man had become a craving I couldn’t quit, no matter how hard I tried. Rolling over, I peeked at my watch. It was late, and I cursed myself, knowing Mason had probably left for the day.
I stretched and made my way to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth, I wandered from the room, heading down the hall to check on Riley. I still had my nightgown on, but since I figured Mason had left and his men rarely came into the house, remaining on guard on the perimeters, I didn’t care that it was silky and barely covered my ass, the thin straps always slipping. The only reason it stayed up when they did was because my breasts held it up. I’d debated getting a new one, but I liked the way the material laid against my skin, so light that it was barely noticeable.
Knocking on Riley’s door, I peeked in to see her still sleeping. It wasn’t surprising. She’d always been a late sleeper. I debated waking her, but knowing what she’d been through, I let her sleep, making my way down the hall. I padded into the kitchen, my bare feet cold on the wood floors. Yawning, I stretched my arms before running my hands through my curls. The sound of glass cracking pulled my eyes from the window, and I turned to see Mason at the counter, his eyes wide and hungry.
Shit, I hadn’t expected him to be there, or I would have dressed. He took me in, his gaze ravenous as it drifted down my body. The handle of his coffee cup had fractured before he’d dropped it on the counter, coffee dripping from the edge. He gave it no notice, still devouring me with his intense stare.
“What are you wearing?” His voice was so hoarse it almost hurt to hear it.
“I…I didn’t think you’d be here. It’s late and…I…” I let the excuses go, my heart racing as he stepped closer, then reached out and slammed my body into his.
“You need to take this off.” This time his voice was commanding, weaving its way deep into my body and owning every part.
“Now?” I asked, bringing my hand to my strap and letting it fall. Why did I keep tormenting him like this? I knew better, but, for some reason, I couldn’t stop myself. Like I needed to see how far I could take this before I broke him. And that wasn’t something I should have wanted, to force his hand and encourage him to go against my brother. But I wanted him to take the chance, to risk Tyson’s ire. It was selfish, but in the moment, my concern over it always fled.
“Fuck,” he grumbled, his hold on my waist tightening. “No, not here.”
“Where?”
He hardened his eyes, his jaw tense. “In your room, Casey. Where the fuck else would you change?”
I leaned into him, and his fingers spread over my lower back. The heartbeat below his shirt grew rapid. The pressure of his hand raised further up my waist, and I inhaled, the anticipation of his touch making my knees weak.
“Casey,” he mumbled, his head dropping close to mine. His thumb caressed below my breast, the feel of it flooding me with heat.
“Mason,” I returned, my mind too rattled to think, my body too in flames.
His other hand wrapped around my waist, sliding to my ass, and he pulled me into his hardness. My mouth parted to release a small cry. I was afraid to move, remaining in his arms and waiting for his next move, but as his thumb brushed across my nipple, I raised my hands to his chest, running them up his firm muscles before tugging him closer. I wanted to feel his lips against mine, just as I had the night before. The memory of it remained burned in my mind.
But he stopped touching me, grabbing my wrists and turning me, sending my back smashing into his chest. The air fled my lungs with the impact and as his firmness thrust against me, I tipped my head back to his chest. He squeezed my wrists together, moving them both to one hand, and dropped his mouth to my ear. His other hand ran the length of my body, lifting my nightie and encasing my breast.
“Take me, Mason,” I moaned, the torment of that touch setting my body ablaze.
“I can’t, Casey.” But his thumb brushed over my nipple, this time with no material to block his touch. I whined, knowing what was coming. Knowing this was just a taste of what he could bring me.
“But you are,” I argued. “You’re touching me and if you don’t stop, I’m going to come right here.” He already had me so wet, I doubted I could walk without leaving a trail.
“Will you come for me, Casey?”
The sensation those words caused in me was one that fluttered from my head to my toes, then back up and into my clit. I released a whimper, his dick twitching at the sound of it.
“Every time,” I said, pushing back into it. I wanted it so badly there was an ache that had settled between my legs, one that hadn’t left since the first day I’d seen him.
He dropped his head to my shoulder, his hand lowering in a slow, deliberate caress down my body until he released my wrists and stepped back from me. I teetered, catching my balance and exhaling with the heaviness that now sat in my heart.
“Get some clothes on, Casey.” His voice held such sadness that it wounded me to hear it. Turning to him, I could see the struggle there, the desire to go further but the loyalty to my brother forbidding him.
“Why are you doing this? Why touch me if you won’t?—”
“Because I can’t resist you. I want you so desperately it aches. I told you what I wanted to do to you and that craving won’t cease. But you’re forbidden. A forbidden craving I can’t indulge. Now get your fucking clothes on before I sling you over my shoulder and throw you in your room.”
He turned from me, walking out of the room and leaving me with a guilt that sat too heavy on my shoulders. I’d done nothing wrong. I hadn’t expected him to be there, hadn’t thought it was a possibility. Damn if I was going to take the blame for this.
I ran after him, grabbing his arm. He spun to me, his gaze penetrating with the darkness behind them. I stepped back, but he reached out and grasped me by the neck, yanking me close.
“What did I tell you?” he growled.
The anger in his tone left me flustered, but I shook it off. “You’re not blaming me for this, Mason. I did nothing wrong.”
His fingers caressed my neck while his other hand pulled at the strap of my nightie. “This is doing nothing? You’re teasing me again, torturing me.”
“The fuck I am. You’re torturing yourself. I told you I would back off and I have.”
He chuckled, his eyes lightening with the smirk he gave me. “You call those words you said to me last night backing off? You think putting thoughts of that sexy mouth around my cock, those tits bouncing as you drop to your knees, those moans rolling over it while I’m fucking your mouth backing off?”
My legs quivered, the images making me so wet I swore it dripped down my thighs.
“You’re playing just as much as I am Casey and it’s going to get us both in trouble. I can’t have you and you can’t have me. Now put some fucking clothes on before one of my men walks in here and I have to kill him for seeing this much of your flesh.”
I took a ragged breath, and his eyes perused my body once more, his hand leaving my neck to trace its way down to my shoulder, where he pushed my strap aside. It slid down, exposing the top of my breast, and I watched as his eyes darkened again before they returned to mine. His jaw was clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grinding.
Pulling my strap back up, I brushed past him, returning to my room and sitting on the bed, my legs too weak to hold me any longer. I’d never craved a man like I craved Mason, and I was wishing I had stayed in Armina and never seen him again. I needed to get out of this house and away from Mason’s world. My return to Armina was still two days away, but that didn’t mean I had to sit around this house.
I took my time showering. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a light sweater that emphasized my chest, I pulled my hair back in a cute ponytail and walked through the house, searching for Riley. I was hoping to drag her out with me and take her shopping in the city. The snow had stopped, and the roads should have been cleared by now. I searched the lower level of the house and didn’t find her. Shooting her a text, I looked out the window, seeing one of Mason’s men in the distance as he made rounds. A small guesthouse stood to the right, and I remembered Tyson telling me Mason had moved Riley into it after the Randall event. It seemed odd that she was in the main house now, but maybe he’d wanted to keep a closer eye on her. Or maybe he wasn’t ready to relinquish complete control of her again.
My phone buzzed, her message indicating she was in Mason’s office upstairs. I chewed my lip, not wanting to see Mason, unsure of what my body’s reaction to him would be. There was no way to avoid him for the rest of my stay, especially with Tyson away, so with a sigh, I found the stairs and made my way up to the top floor. Mason’s office spread the length of half the second floor. Surrounded by windows, it held a beautiful view of the property. I hadn’t realized just how much land he owned. The fact that his house held so many windows spoke volumes about how secure he was in his position and his men. He was a target no one could touch out here…although someone had tried and used Riley to break him.
Mason and Riley were deep in discussion when I found them. They were looking at a laptop, Riley studying whatever it was they were concentrating on. Mason’s eyes drifted to me, lingering slowly on each curve before meeting my gaze. The lust was there but shadowed behind the steely look.
“I want to go out. Shopping, maybe lunch. I was hoping Riley would come with me.”
“No,” Mason said, before dropping his attention back to the screen.
That terse answer fired me up, and I snapped at him. “No?”
Riley gave me a questioning look.
“No,” he repeated, not looking back at me.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Ri, wanna come with me?”
“She’s in training and she’s not going anywhere. Neither are you.”
He still hadn’t bothered to look at me.
“Finally letting her in?” I layered my words with sarcasm and his jaw ticked. “Fine, I’m going out. I’ll be back in a?—”
“Is there something you don’t understand about the word no?” This time he did glance at me.
Riley was looking between the two of us, her confusion clear.
I put my hands on my hips and snapped, “I understand clearly. You’re trying to control me like you did Riley, but that’s not the way I work. I’m not on a leash.” I saw Riley cringe and threw in a quick, “Sorry, Ri. Now, I’m leaving. Assign whoever you want to go with me, but I’m heading to the city for some shopping.”
I turned on my heels, hearing him grumble. Walking through the hallway out toward the main rooms, I heard him mutter to Riley to stay as he hastened after me. He grabbed my arm and threw me against the wall, my exhale escaping with the force, but not like the last time he’d been rough with me.
“What is your problem, Mason?” I hissed. “You push me away, then bring me back, only to push me away. I know you’re struggling, and I’ll respect that, but I’m not yours to control.”
He stepped into my space, a dark look in his eyes that reminded me why he was a feared boss. “You’re mine to keep safe while your brother’s out of town.” I saw right through the excuse and felt the stake he was trying to claim on me.
Laughing, I replied, “You can’t have it both ways, Mason. I’m not yours if you won’t let yourself have me.” I yanked my arm from his grip and pushed past him. “Now assign me protection so I can treat myself since I can’t treat myself with you.”
This time it was his fingers in the strands of my hair, yanking me back to him. The move drenched me, and I melted into his chest. “You’re a brat, Casey.”
“Well, you did call me a little girl,” I played. He tugged harder. “You keep doing that, and you’re going to need to finish what you started.”
He released me, and I turned to him. His eyes were hooded, but the strain was clear in the clench of his jaw. He had his phone in his hand, and I sighed as he said to whoever was on the other end, “Casey’s going out. I want two men on her at all times. Take her where she wants to go, but stay within the city.”
The call ended, his gaze intense before he stormed back upstairs. I stood there for a few minutes, trying to calm my body. He was killing me every time he touched me, every time he even looked at me. By the time I got my coat and trudged outside, my mood had shifted to a melancholy I couldn’t shake, and a car was waiting for me.
“Wanna tell me what’s up with you and Mason?”
I jumped, dropping the dress I was pulling from the bag. Riley stood at the door of the closet, her arms crossed.
Stooping to pick the dress back up, I fumbled for words. “Nothing.”
“Uh, huh.” She waited for more, but I really didn’t have more to give her. I didn’t know what was up with us, nothing but extreme flirting that was soaking my panties every time I was in his presence.
“Nothing, Ri.” I hung the dress and went back to unpacking the few things I’d bought during my uneventful trip to the city.
“Case, Mason is the calmest man I know, and I’ve never seen him so flustered. You two were talking a long time this morning and there’s a weird tension between the two of you when you’re in the same room. That whole fight for control about going out today was intense.”
“There’s nothing going on, Riley. Just some playful flirting.”
She snorted, and I threw her a glance before I flopped on the bed, defeated by the day and by Mason. Sitting next to me, she brushed my curls back and took my hand.
“Whatever it is, I’m okay with it. I want my brother to be happy. He’s been so worried about me, he deserves to be happy for a change.”
“Why don’t you tell him that,” I muttered.
“Mason’s stubborn, and you know he and Tyson are as close as brothers, Case.”
“Yeah, Tyson would kill him.” I let out a deep sigh, knowing it was the truth, and that’s why he wouldn’t give in to his desires. Chewing my bottom lip, I decided I didn’t like being down. I wasn’t a sad person. I was bubbly. “Aren’t I supposed to be comforting you?” I asked.
“I’m good. You did comfort me. You woke me up and pulled me out of my funk. Now I’m doing the same for you.”
“Let’s go out, Ri. Just you and me…and whatever broody henchmen Mason sticks us with. How about drinks and dancing?”
“Drinks and dancing? I think you’re mistaking me with your friends in Armina.”
Laughing, I pulled her from the bed and ran to my closet. I’d bought a few new dresses and although I was larger framed than Riley, I wore my party dresses tight, so I was sure she could make one work. Grabbing a black one with short sleeves, the most conservative one, I held it up to her.
“You can’t be serious,” she complained.
“I am. I need to get my mind off your brother, and you need to get yours off Tides.”
“I don’t need my mind off Greyson.”
“You know what I mean. And you need to get out of this house.” I gave her my biggest puppy dog eyes. “Please, Ri?”
Rolling her eyes, she took the dress, holding it up. “There is no way Mason is letting me out of the house in this. It makes me look desperate for a good fuck. Is this what you wear dancing?”
“Yes. And it’s a surefire way to pick up a few sexy guys.”
Her eyes narrowed, the green matching the intensity of Mason’s. “Is that what you want? To bring a guy back here and fuck him while it tortures Mason?”
His conflicted expression and words played through my mind, and I wondered what would happen if I did pick someone up. “No, I don’t want to torture your brother, but since he’s been torturing me, I need some release. Even if it’s just dancing drunk on a dancefloor with my childhood friend.”
She gave me a doubtful look. “I don’t want to pick a man up, Case. I have one.”
I almost fell over. Her words were confident and committed. “You’re going back to him,” I said.
“Yes, once I learn enough about the business. Don’t tell Mason yet, although I’m sure he suspects. I…I can’t not go back. I love him and being away from him has left this emptiness I can’t seem to fill, like a part of me is missing.”
I gave her a warm smile, my heart happy for her. Now I understood why she’d emerged the other night without the cloud of depression that had clung to her when I’d first seen her. Pulling her in, I gave her a hug. “I’m happy for you, Ri. I really am and you better make me your maid of honor.”
Her laugh was a hearty one, and she hugged me back.
“This is all the more reason to go out,” I said, releasing her. “Let’s celebrate. I promise I’ll be the only one flirting, and I’ll keep the guys from you.”
“You’re bad, and if you think Mason is letting either of us go out tonight, you don’t know my brother well enough.”
I knew him well enough to judge the size of his dick and to know the feel of his hands in my hair was enough to soak me, but I wasn’t about to tell his sister that. Shrugging, I replied, “He’ll have no choice. Now get dressed. We can grab some food and drinks first.”
She held the dress up, giving me a doubtful look.
“You’ll make it work,” I reassured her. “Get dressed and break some makeup out. Those circles under your eyes are a turnoff.”
Shaking her head, she left my room. I snagged a cute cocktail dress I’d picked up at the same boutique where I’d gotten the black dress. This one had thick straps and the front cut low to give me sexy cleavage. The material was a dark red and clingy. As I pulled it over the black thong I’d changed into, it highlighted my curves perfectly. The bottom hit mid-thigh and, paired with the new heels I’d bought, it made me look good.
Tussling my hair so my curls bounced, I applied a thin layer of makeup. I rarely wore more than a dab of powder and blush, but when I hit the clubs, I put more effort into it. Armina was a party town. When we weren’t at the beach, we were partying. I knew Treemont wasn’t the same by any degree, but Mason and my brother ran two clubs in the city. I wasn’t about to set foot in the one Tyson preferred and where I suspected he’d hooked up with the woman Mason had called him out on my first night there. But the other was a dance club, exclusive and high dollar, like the ones I frequented with Angie in Armina.
“Ready?” I said to Riley as I walked into the living room. Mason stood across from her, his arms crossed and an irritated scowl etched on his face. As his eyes took me in, I’d never felt so seen. They lingered on every part of me, sending a flaring heat through my body, one that matched the lust in his eyes. That lust morphed quickly into anger, and I knew this was going to be a fight. Everything about that look said no one was setting eyes on me tonight but him. It was laced with ownership and a claim that I was his, whether or not he admitted it.