13. Mason
13
MASON
MASON: How was your day, Dream Girl?
S ilently, I pray for her to respond and not ignore me like she has most of the day. She might have been busy, but I think it’s more like she’s throwing up walls already, trying to stuff me into a box I’ll never fit in because I’m not a douchebag.
And I’m not her ex.
I told her about this trip, was open and honest and she was understanding. But apparently not that understanding.
LANA: Fine
I stare at the single word and try like hell not to let it tank the rest of my mood. Today had been a long-ass day, between the drive, tryin’ to find a place open late enough to grab something to eat, and dealing with this bullshit Bodhi and I now have between us.
“I don’t know if that’ll ever be me, Mase, and I don’t want you to think we gotta be two old men sitting on a porch, still a couple of bachelors…”
But where the hell else did he think we’d end up?
As if I’d find some happily ever after and let him fade into the background to be only a memory. He’s out of his fucking mind.
MASON: Am I allowed to miss you?
MASON: Because I really fucking miss you
Sighing, I toss my phone on the hotel bed and scrub my hands over my face. It figures I’d have to go out of town so soon after meeting Lana. She’d been cagey all day—short—and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why.
“What?” Bodhi asks from where he’s sitting on the other side of the room. Even though we’ve stayed in lots of hotels through the years, my first thought had been wow, this is fancy. There’s two beds and a coffee maker and no hourly rate.
Life has certainly changed in the last few years.
Thank fuck.
“Lana’s upset.”
“Why?”
“My guess? She thinks I’m lying about being here with you. Her husband cheated on her, so she’s still learning to trust me.”
“Need me to leave?” he asks and I smirk, watching as he rolls his eyes as he stands. “Make sure whatever you’re doin’ is finished before I get back,” he says, pointing a finger at me. “You’ve got thirty minutes.”
“I appreciate you.” I grin and this time he flips me the bird before heading for the door.
“Thirty minutes or I’m eating the snack I get you from the vending machine.”
“Something chocolate.”
“Better mind the clock then.”
Chuckling as the door closes, I wait until his footsteps disappear before hitting the video button on the screen next to her name. It rings and rings, and just when I think it’s about to disconnect, she answers.
Annoyed.
“You’re pretty even when you’re pissed, Dream Girl.”
“I’m not mad.”
I raise my eyebrows slowly, making sure she knows I find that statement to be suspect.
“You’re not happy,” I point out as she flops back against her pillows. I can almost smell the light scent of jasmine and wish I would’ve bottled it up for this trip.
“I’m being crazy,” she says, pinching the bridge of her nose, her face pointed toward the ceiling. “We’re not even dating, and I still can’t help myself. I’m being irrational and I can’t stop it.”
“We’re not dating? Says who?” I all but snap, and her head whips back to look at the screen. “I can’t fuck you until you’re too tired to move and take you to dinner? I’m not out banging other girls, Lana. I have no interest in any of that.” Dragging my hand down my face, I curse under my breath. This is not how this conversation was supposed to go.
“I’m just saying I don’t know what we’re doing. I don’t know what I want to be doing.”
“I know it was unfair to put all that on you.” I sigh, letting her see. “I just really like you.”
“I…like you too,” she admits with a shy smile, and even though it’s not everything, right now it’s enough.
“I’d rather you just talk to me when you’re feeling like this though. I’m not asking for you to just believe everything I do and say, but I am asking you to give me the benefit of the doubt on what you can and to talk to me about the things you can’t.”
“I told you my ex cheated on me, and you’re young and sexy. Why wouldn’t you be out there living your best life?”
“Because I’m living my best life hopefully dating a woman I’m absolutely crazy about. I mean seriously, she’s a cougar and hot as hell. I’d be an idiot to mess that up.”
She grins and I do too before flipping the camera around and showing her the room.
“Where’s Bodhi?” she asks, and I chuckle before righting the camera and propping my hand behind my head.
“I told him you were mad at me so we have thirty,”—I look at the time—“more like twenty-five minutes until he’s back.”
She opens her mouth and then closes it again. “Why would he do that?”
Times like these I want to shake some sense into her—seems to be a trend today—but I know her ex tore her down and made her question even the best intentions.
So, I’ll do what she needs, be what she needs, until she believes me.
“So we could talk,” I start and then let my lips curl up into a wolfish smirk, “or I could watch you get off, telling you exactly what to do, what I want to see, as you make yourself come.”
Her eyes widen in surprise and she blushes, her cheeks an adorable shade of pink.
Come on, Dream Girl, you know you want to.
“I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Sitting up, I grab the back of my shirt and pull it over my head and watch as her eyes lock on my abs and chest.
Grinning, I undo my belt and pull it from the loops, dropping it on the floor as she gulps.
“Like what you see?” I tease, popping the button on my jeans and dragging down the zipper before stepping out of them and settling back on the bed.
“This isn’t weird?” she hisses as I palm myself through my boxers.
“No.”
“No?”
“No, because I’m already imagining you naked with your hair fanned out against the pillow.”
“I… I don’t know if I can do that.”
“You can watch.” I grin. “Or we can hang up and each go about our night.”
“I can’t believe I’m doing this. Hold on,” she grumbles, and I can’t tell if she’s put out by it or just so off-balance. Either way, it’s adorable.
She gets up off the bed, tossing her phone screen up on the mattress so I have a killer view of her ceiling. It’s the same ceiling I had the pleasure of viewing while she rode my cock. Although to be fair, it was nearly impossible to take my eyes off her.
I groan at the memory of her flushed cheeks and her bouncing tits as she impaled herself on my cock. She’d owned me, unapologetically chasing her release until she was begging me to fuck up into her.
She’d come like a freight train barreling down the tracks with no brakes, her pussy squeezing me so hard I’d followed her blindly over the edge.
The phone jostles and it takes me a couple of seconds to realize what I’m looking at.
Holy fuck, yes.
“If I’m doing this, I want to see your cock,” she says matter-of-factly, but I’m so mesmerized by the purple lace lingerie she’s wearing it takes me a solid thirty seconds to work through her demand.
Wrestling my boxers off, I watch as she takes me in, any and all blood headed south as she licks her lips. I squeeze my cock and her mouth falls open, and God how am I gonna last with her looking at me like that?
“I like the purple,” I say, my brain working on the most basic level as she looks down at the silky fabric trimmed with lace.
“I’ve never worn it—bought it for myself after I moved here.”
“You look stunning.”
“What else?” she purrs, sitting back, her tits practically spilling out of her camisole as she inches the hem up her stomach, revealing matching lacy panties.
“Sexy,” I pant, stroking up and down my length. “Are you wet for me? Fuck, I want to feel you.”
Her cheeks are pink but she doesn’t look away, not even close. She teases me, slipping her fingers down her stomach and under all that lace, gasping as she touches herself.
“Slow down,” she says, propping the phone on the nightstand and tugging the top up and exposing one full, needy breast.
I curse and jostle my phone, leaning it against the lamp, my dick aching as I watch her palm her tit, kneading it and pinching her nipple as her other hand dances between her legs.
“I’m not gonna last, baby; you got me so worked up. Fuck, look at you. God damn, Lana, I know it’s juvenile but I want to fuck your tits, mark you when I come all over them.”
“I’d let you.”
I fist myself harder, not bothering to hide how absolutely manic I am right now watching her fondle and fuck her pussy.
“Dream Girl, tell me you want me to come. It feels too damn good.”
“You’ll wait until I come first,” she commands, the words more breathy than fierce as she rocks against her own touch.
I whimper and I don’t even care, my body screaming as I hold off my orgasm and I watch her fall apart, her hips bucking up off the bed, giving me the sexiest view of her bare ass cheek.
“Please, baby,” I beg, my body shaking as the last of my restraint snaps.
Her lips curve up into a devilish smile as she rolls onto her knees and pulls the top over her head, leaving her in nothing but her soaking wet panties.
“Now, ” she murmurs as she palms her tits, pushing them together and toward the screen, “you can come.”
“Fuck,” I growl, the intensity making my vision blacken around the edges, but I don’t dare look away, my hand fisting my cock until I’m biting the knuckles on my other hand to keep from waking the whole damn place.
Lana sits back on her heels, her hands falling to her thighs as she watches me.
“That was seriously fucking hot,” she says casually like I’m not actively struggling to get my breathing under control.
“You surprised the hell out of me, Dream Girl.”
She frowns. “What’s that mean?” she asks as her hand reaches for the sheet.
“Don’t do that,” I pant. “I meant the way you took control—owned your release and mine. It was seriously fucking hot. ” She smirks as I parrot her words back to her but what can I do?
Nothing has ever been hotter.
And it wasn’t because of the lingerie, although that didn’t hurt.
Her confidence had me downright feral.
“I’ve never done that before,” she says quietly, the pink of her cheeks darkening.
“Did you like it?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You were incredible, and my dick is already trying to get to round two just thinking about it.”
“Go clean up.” She laughs but I’m serious. “Wouldn’t want Bodhi to walk in on you postorgasm.”
“You’re severely overestimating my ability to move right now.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.” She laughs as she reaches toward the end of the bed and pulls on a plain white T-shirt.
I grin. “Is that mine?” I hadn’t argued when it had mysteriously gone missing the morning after the photoshoot.
She shrugs one shoulder and lets it drop. “It’s soft.”
“I love seeing you in it. I love seeing you in anything.”
“Well, if you’re good, I’ll think about wearing the purple again when you can enjoy it in person.”
“I’ll be whatever you want, Dream Girl.”
“Figure out when I can see you, and I’ll let you know.”
“You can count on it.”
She smiles softly and yawns, the anxiety of the day leaving her body as she basks in the postorgasmic glow of what we’d just done.
“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” She yawns and stretches her arms over her head, my shirt riding up to reveal a delicious sliver of her stomach.
“Sweet dreams, beautiful.” I’m falling for you.
“Good night, handsome. Thanks for not giving up on me already.”
I chuckle as she settles in, resting her head on her pillow and smiling. “You won’t scare me off that easily.”
“Challenge accepted.” I chuckle as her eyelids flutter closed and then open. “Come kiss me tomorrow.”
“I promise.”
“Good. Now go clean up before I’m known as the woman who leaves you covered in cum after phone sex.”
“Ma’am, yes ma’am.”
She blows me a kiss and ends the call as my heart threatens to burst right out of my chest. It’s crazy to be feeling so much for a woman I just met but it’s different.
She’s different.
But I can’t ponder that any longer because according to the time, I only have three minutes until my brother gets back.
Grabbing my clothes, I hustle into the bathroom, cleaning up and smiling at my own postorgasm glow. It feels good.
And I’m happy.
I like that Lana and I can have some firsts together and that she’s already owning me as she figures out what she likes—what makes her wild.
There’s a knock on the door before Bodhi pushes inside, and I grin as I flop down onto the unmade bed. He rolls his eyes and tosses me the chocolate bar.
“Cut it close, I see.”
“Worth it,” I mumble around a mouthful of candy, my eyelids closing as I savor this and so much more.
“I don’t wanna know.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, but you’re making a face and I’m all set with whatever that means.”
I snort and toss the wrapper onto the nightstand. “Suffice it to say that she’s in a much better mood.”
“Great,” he deadpans, tossing a pillow at my head. “I can’t wait to recount this truly heartfelt moment at your wedding.”
“Pretty sure Mama Thayer will wash your mouth out with soap.”
He frowns and shakes his head, kicking off his shoes before dropping onto the other bed.
“You’re right.” He shudders, and I laugh. “Well, you made your girl not hate you and got your chocolate bar. Can we go to sleep now? We have to pick up god damn cows in the morning.”
“Yeah, and Bodhi?”
“Hmm?” he says, reaching for the light, his jeans still on as he lies on top of the covers like he always does, his shirt hanging over the chair.
“Thanks.”
The light clicks off, plunging the room into darkness, and just when I think he’s not going to answer, I hear the words that will forever be a balm to my soul.
“Be easy.
“Easy and free.”