Chapter 12 #2
She willed him to slide his palm farther down, willed him to dip his fingers under the waistband of her pajamas, to slip those long, powerful, confident fingers into her pussy and soothe that tormenting ache.
Gabriela pulled her lips into her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. She slipped an arm under her pillow, grasping it in her fist, while she clenched the blanket with her other hand.
She needed a distraction.
“Mason?”
“Hmm?”
Once more, his voice rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her back, making her nipples harden and throb.
That is so not helping.
“Could you tell me about yourself?” she asked.
Perfect! Safe subject, and she could learn more about the man who she was thinking about having a relationship with.
Who she was most definitely going to be in a relationship with.
Or was she already in one with him now?
They’d gone on a date, she was staying at his place—sleeping in his bed—and her daughter had her own room here. Things were certainly moving fast, and the circumstances were anything but typical, yet it all felt…right.
And Gabby really, really, really wanted to have sex with him.
She was absolutely with Mason.
“What do you want to know?” he murmured.
“Anything. I’d…like to get to know you. I’d like to know what your favorite food is, your favorite ice cream, if you prefer chocolate or vanilla Oreos—and just saying, vanilla is the best—what your favorite season is?
Your past, where you’re from, what you do for a living, and maybe what made you move here?
” Realizing she was possibly delving into things he might not have wanted to talk about, she hurried to say, “You don’t have to tell me.
And…and I won’t judge. Lord knows I’ve made some dumb choices in my life. ”
Mason grunted; the sound was oddly thoughtful. He drew her a little more firmly against him, curling his hand around her side to take a snugger hold. “That’s…a lot.”
“I know,” she said softly. “I don’t want you to feel pressured or anything.”
“No, it’s all right. Haven’t had anyone to talk to about…anything for a long time. Maybe feels like longer than it’s really been, but…” His chest swelled with a deep breath, which he released in a slow, heavy exhalation. “I want to talk to you. Want to share with you.”
Gabriela smiled. “I’m listening.”
“All right. Uh, well… Like I said, I left my parents. Guess I wasn’t too much older than Ana. Grew up in a rough neighborhood, so had to mature fast. For too many years, I did what I had to do to survive. Not proud of any of it, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“I’m sorry you had that kind of start in life,” she said.
“Yeah. But it brought me to you eventually, right?”
His words kindled a warmth in Gabriela’s chest that quickly spread up to her cheeks.
She didn’t even want to think about Ana having been forced to grow up like Mason had, and even though she still knew so little about him, her heart grieved for him. How terribly alone he must have felt.
But for him to brush aside all that pain he must’ve carried, to act like it was worth it because it had led him to her… Wasn’t that the kind of thing you only saw in movies?
“I was always big, and I was good at fighting. Wound up as a bodyguard eventually. And that was…my calling, I guess. Wasn’t always protecting the best of people, but the last one became a friend.
Only one I’d ever really had. We were different, more different than I can describe, but I…
What is that saying? I loved him like a brother.
He challenged me. Showed me there were other ways to do things.
Ways I never would’ve come up with on my own. ”
He was speaking slowly, his unplaceable accent thicker and more pronounced, and he seemed to be pausing often to consider his choice of words.
Gabriela knew that he hadn’t lied—he had no one to talk to, and he wasn’t used to speaking about these things.
But he was trying, and that only endeared him to her even more.
She knew also that he was purposely omitting the details. With the way he’d so effortlessly and without any hesitation grabbed Allen Jensen and lifted him into the air, she’d guessed there’d been violence or danger in his past, and his story was only confirming that.
Yet she couldn’t ignore the sorrow underlying his voice. It was subtle, and he didn’t betray much of it, but he didn’t have to.
“What happened?” she asked gently.
Mason’s fingers curled against her middle, and she once again felt the strange, sharp prick of his nails.
“He was from a very powerful family, and he wanted to change the way they conducted their business. When he took over, there were people who didn’t like it.
Didn’t like him. And I…I failed to do my job. ”
Mason didn’t have to say what had happened. Gabriela knew he’d lost the only person he’d called a friend, that he likely still carried guilt over it. Her heart hurt for him. How long? How long ago had this been?
She slipped her arm beneath the covers and rested her hand over his. “I’m sorry, Mason.”
He raised his thumb, brushing it along the side of her hand.
“Don’t be. I couldn’t do it anymore once everything was over.
Couldn’t continue that life. I was…well compensated from my work, had more money than I knew what to do with, so I just left, went as far away as I could.
Moved around a few times. Didn’t feel right anywhere.
And eventually I…I found myself here. Never lived anywhere like this, and I didn’t know if it’d work out, but I saw you and…
I knew that I’d find a way. That I had to. ”
Gabriela turned her head toward him, catching sight of a flicker of violet in the darkness, but that light vanished in an instant. “I’m glad you did. And that you finally got the courage to ask me out.”
“Me too.”
She laid her head down on the pillow but kept her eyes open. “There’s just one thing bothering me, Mason…”
“What’s that?”
God, she loved how his voice rumbled into her when they were lying together like this.
“You never told me. Chocolate or vanilla Oreos?”
He laughed. “Prefer the peanut butter ones.”
Gabriela chuckled. “Okay. That’s acceptable.”
“You asked about my favorite food, too?”
She closed her eyes, simply taking comfort in his embrace, in his voice, in the rhythmic beating of his heart against her back. “Mmhmm.”
“As of today, sudado de pollo.”
Gabriela couldn’t hold back a grin. “Guess some of your relationship advice books have helped, huh?”
Mason grunted. “You saw those?”
“Mmm… And the romance books.”
“Ah, female”—his hand finally slid down, and his finger brushed along the waistband of her pants—“now those have taught me some things that will make you very happy.”
Her breath hitched as that ache reignited within her core.
So much for the distraction.
“Sleep well, Gabriela,” he purred; she could hear the smirk in his voice. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.
Her one consolation was that he wasn’t unaffected. He’d be suffering right along with her if that giant rod throbbing against her backside was any indication. She gave her ass a little wiggle, making him groan.
“Good night, Mason.”