Chapter Thirteen

“What?” she managed, as she stared at his wedding band. “I thought… you have on…”

“Yes, I still wear it,” Mason told her. “But I lost Laura and our daughter Abagail in a car crash six years ago.”

The revelation buckled Maddie’s knees and she sank down on the couch beside him.

“Oh, Mason, I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “What happened?”

“Cement truck driver that was too busy texting to pay attention to traffic, and he hit them so hard our car wound up completely underneath his truck.”

Maddie paled as tears began to trace down her cheeks.

“They’d only been gone from the house about twenty minutes or so,” he murmured, his blue eyes bright with pain from the memory.

“Laura was headed to her sister’s house for a birthday party. I couldn’t go, I was on call for work. Sure enough, my phone rang, and I headed into the office. When I got to the main intersection at the end of our subdivision, I noticed emergency crews everywhere, and then I noticed our car…” his voice, thick with emotion, trailed off.

He drained his own glass before putting it on the coffee table and resting his head in his hands.

“And you’ve been alone ever since,” she stated softly.

His head bobbed slightly in answer.

Maddie set her glass down, scooted closer to him, and moved one hand under his chin to lift his head. When he looked at her, she leaned in and gently pressed her mouth to his.

***

Once he got past being totally surprised, Mason’s response was instant.

He snaked his arms around her, lifting her easily and pulling her into his lap facing him. He buried one hand in her hair to pull her even closer as he deepened the kiss. She parted her lips on a sigh, and he led the assault on her senses with his tongue.

He broke the kiss to murmur, “I’ve always wanted this,” as his strong hands roamed her body.

“Be with me, Mason,” she said huskily, her entire being alive with want. “Now. Tonight.” And she leaned in to kiss him again.

“Wait…what…” he groaned as he reluctantly broke away from her mouth. “Maddie. Are you sure you want to do this right now?”

“I need this,” she said simply. “I need you.”

“Um…” his mind whirled. “I don’t have any…protection with me...”

“Mason,” she whispered. “I’ve basically been alone too. I haven’t done anything in over four years. I’m clean.”

He groaned against her mouth when she kissed him again.

“Maddie,” he murmured. “Let’s slow down just a minute here.”

She leaned back, saw the conflict on his face, and climbed off his lap.

“Is it me?” she said in a small voice.

“God, Maddie, no. That’s not it, at all, I swear to you,” he stressed, cupping her face in his hands. “It’s just… it’s been a really long time. I don’t want to be alone anymore. But you are dealing with very fresh trauma, and I don’t want to add to it – or take advantage of it.”

“I understand,” Maddie managed to say, even though she really didn’t.

“I should go.”

Crimson with embarrassment, she stood up and only barely kept herself from running out his door.

She managed to hold it together until she’d locked her cabin’s door behind her, then let the tears fall at will.

***

Mason sat on the couch, stunned, still trying to make sense of what had just happened.

What the hell? Why did you let her leave?

“I honestly have no idea,” he whispered out loud in response.

He launched himself off the couch and out the door.

***

I can’t believe I threw myself at him like that. I’m such an idiot. I mean, look at him. He’s gorgeous. Mason Gentries could have any woman he wants. What could have ever made me think he’d want me?

Maddie was still sniffling as she started to pour another glass of wine, then paused, considering.

“To hell with it,” she muttered, and tipped the bottle up to take a long swallow from it directly.

She’d just set the bottle down and wiped her mouth on her sleeve when a booming knock on the door made her yelp in surprise.

Trying her best to maintain her dignity, Maddie slowly opened the door.

“May I help you?” she said facetiously.

***

As soon as he saw her face, his willpower evaporated.

Mason barreled through the open door, slamming it shut behind him, and in three steps he’d picked her up and pinned her up against the wall as his mouth ravaged hers.

***

Holy crap, he’s got great arms, was all she could think at first as she ran her hands over them before wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

Mason broke the kiss to work his way down her jawline, then dipped to her throat, nuzzling tenderly.

She gasped as he bent his head down to nibble at her collarbone, and she interrupted him only long enough to pull up her t-shirt to give him better access.

“I’ve always wondered what you would sound like, how you would feel in my arms, what you would taste like,” he whispered on his way down to do just that.

As his lips reached her left breast, Maddie moaned, arching her back when she felt his arousal pressing against her.

She worked her hands between their bodies and was just about to unbutton his jeans when he raised his head to whisper in her left ear.

“You need to understand,” he growled softly. “I’m not interested in a one-night stand. Not with anyone, but especially not with you. If we do this, I want way more than that from you, Maddie. Are you ready for that?”

Her heart leapt into her throat as she processed what he was saying.

“You what?” she gasped.

“If we do this,” he rasped, his voice full of need, “there’s no turning back. This won’t be a one-time thing and then you disappear on me.”

“A relationship,” she managed.

“Yes,” he growled against her throat.

“I…I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” she admitted. “It’s so soon. I don’t even know exactly what I want to do with my life…”

He lifted his face far enough to gaze into her eyes.

“Well, I am ready for that. So, it sounds to me like you need more time to figure out what you want.”

With effort, he set her down gently and stepped back.

“And that’s what I was trying to tell you before. But you thought I didn’t want you, so you ran away from me. I followed you back over here to make it crystal clear to you - wanting you isn’t the issue, Maddie. Not at all.”

He turned and started to walk toward the door.

“Wait. Where are you going?” she asked.

He turned back to face her, a scorching inferno of want blazing in his eyes.

“Back to my cabin,” he said. “Where it’s safer for both of us.”

And he was gone.