Mason (Remington Ranch Book 1) (Contemporary Western Romance) (20 page)

Mason nodded. “He's not right lately, and I think that new friend of yours has a lot to do with it.”

“It looks that way, doesn't it? I wasn't sure whether it was just an ego thing. You know what he's like. He wants what he wants and he expects to be able to make it happen with a snap of his fingers.”

Mason smiled. “Especially when it comes to women. I don't know. This seems different. It's not like him to get snappy. Especially at Carter. Those two are close.”

Gina nodded. “Well, he looks okay now.” He did, too. He and Chance were perched on top of the five bar looking out at the crowd. They each had a beer in hand and were chatting and laughing as though neither had a care in the world.

Chance saw them coming first and waved his bottle at them. “How's it going, guys?”

“It's going,” said Mason. “Guy was out here trying to mess things up for us again.” His smile, as he hugged Gina to his side, made her so happy. It also filled her with relief that she'd gone straight to ask him about what Guy had said. He was right, she should be grateful to Guy for presenting them with a test that had only made them stronger.

Shane rolled his eyes. “I hate that asshole.”

Chance nodded his agreement, then smiled at Gina. “He's not going to come between the two of you this time though, is he?”

She shook her head. “No matter how hard he tries.” She smiled up at Mason. “I'm back for good and we're back together. Nothing is going to get in the way of that.”

“Have you figured out what you're going to do with the ranch then?”

She squeezed Mason's hand. “We're not going to sell. Cassidy and I are going into business together. Hopefully, we'll be making good money soon and it won't be an issue anymore.”

“And I'm ready to help, in the meantime.” There was an edge to Mason's voice that she didn't like. She knew he was ready to help. Why wouldn't he see that she couldn't let him?

Shane picked up on the uneasiness between them and changed the subject. “I thought you and Cassidy wanted to talk to me about what marketing we could do through the dude ranch?”

Gina nodded. “We did. She got a little overwhelmed though. You know what it's like when you're the subject of an inquisition by the local ladies. It's exhausting. She headed home. We'll have to get together and talk about it during the week.”

Shane brightened a little at that.

Chance grinned at him. “I thought you'd have given up on her by now.”

“I would if I had any sense, but it seems I don't when it comes to her. I'm starting to understand how moths feel.”

Mason gave him a puzzled look. “What have moths got to do with anything?”

Shane rolled his eyes. “Dumb little creatures are attracted to the light, aren't they? They must know they're going to crash and burn, but they keep flying back to the light. They just can't stay away. That's how I feel about Cassidy. Every time I get around her, I know nothing good's going to come of it, but I have to fly back in for another try.” He hung his head and swung his legs. “Just a dumb moth! I should learn from experience and go fly somewhere else.”

Mason and Chance exchanged a grin. Gina laughed. “You're not a quitter, Shane. You never have been, and I don't think you should start now.”

He lifted his head. “You think there's a chance?” he asked hopefully.

She nodded. “But you may have to wait a while.”

“I can do that.” He was grinning again. 

Mason shook his head. “Since when have you known how to be patient?”

Shane hopped down from the fence and pointed to a group of girls sitting at one of the tables. One of them looked up and waved at him. “I don't,” he said with a grin. “But I do know how to distract myself to make the time pass quicker while I wait.”

They watched him make his way over to the girls and slide onto the bench to sit in between them. Soon he had an arm around the girl on either side of him and the whole group was laughing.

Watching Shane's hand slide down one girl's back to rest on her backside, Chance shook his head. “I don't think we need to worry about him and Cassidy too much.”

“Me neither,” agreed Mason.

Gina wasn't so sure.

The party had been a huge success. Mason was pleased to see his mom so happy. The fireworks had been the perfect end to a wonderful day. He was ready to get some time alone with Gina. It seemed they spent too much of their time dealing with other people's issues. Whether it was Guy or Shane or Gina's business with Cassidy, there was always something preventing them from just being alone together and enjoying each other. They'd dropped Gina's dad back home and now Mason pointed the truck up toward Six Mile.

Gina smiled over at him. “Where are we going?”

He put his hand on her knee and smiled. “I thought we could go watch the stars for a while like we used to. The fireworks were pretty, but they've got nothing on the shooting stars. Do you want to?”

She covered his hand with her own. “I'd love to.”

They drove on in silence for a while, the headlights illuminating the road ahead. Mason had to bring up something that was bothering him. “It's not like we a have a place of our own we could go to anyway.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even if we just wanted to go home.” He slid his hand a little higher and squeezed her thigh. “To bed. Where would we go? I wouldn't feel right going to your dad's place or to the cabin with Chance and Shane on the other side of the bedroom walls.”

He waited while she thought it over, wondering what she might say. “What do you want to do about that?”

He shrugged. “I don't know. Do you have any ideas?”

“Honestly, I hadn't even thought about it yet, I've been so busy with everything else.”

Mason nodded. Maybe it just wasn't that important to her. He was starting to feel as though he wasn't such a priority for her as she was for him. “When do you think you might find time to think about it?”

She sighed. “I don't know. Cassidy and I are leaving in a couple of days for New York. I'm scrambling to get everything ready. Can we talk about it when I come back?”

Wow, it seemed he really
was
slipping down the priority list.

She squeezed his hand and slid it further up her thigh. “I'm kind of glad we have an excuse to come up here. I mean we're a bit old to be sneaking off in your truck, aren't we?”

“Are we?” Mason didn't think they were. Making love under the stars wasn't solely reserved for kids with nowhere else to go. At least not in his mind. In his mind, it was something special.

Gina's smile faded. “I guess we're not, no. I think I've gotten a little confused lately about the difference between being responsible and simply enjoying myself. Everything's changed for me in the last couple of weeks, and I'm playing catch up.” Her smile returned as she met his gaze. “Can we make the rest of tonight about enjoying ourselves and each other?” She reached across to put her hand on his thigh.

Mason wasn't going to argue. Even if he wanted to, his cock was firmly on Gina's side. She wanted to enjoy each other? Hell yeah, he was in. Talk of where they might live could wait—for a while.

~ ~ ~

Gina leaned against Mason and looked up at the stars. She felt at peace. Sitting here under the big, velvety-dark sky, with Mason's arm around her, she knew that everything would work out. She didn't know how or when, but, right now, that didn't matter. She just knew it would.

She turned to look up at his handsome face. She loved to look at him. She could still see the boy he'd been, but she loved the man he'd become. His face was weathered, the lines around his eyes made him even sexier. His full lips still had a ready smile, but when his face was resting he looked distant, lost in thought.

“I love you, Mason.”

“And I love you.”

She slid her arm around his waist. “Want to show me how much?”

His smile was all the reply she needed as he lowered his lips to hers. His kisses still stole her senses--that hadn't changed. She had wondered whether it was just because she was a girl back then how the way he kissed her made the rest of the world--every thought in her head--disappear. She knew it was just the effect he had on her. Even with everything that was going on, her head emptied as he claimed her mouth. She kissed him back hungrily, sliding her hand into his lap to cup his hard-on. It was chilly out here now. She could see her breath, but it was warm under the blankets. She was eager to shrug out of her clothes as he peeled them off her.

When they were both naked, he rolled her onto her back, sliding his hand between her legs to torment her. For all the ways she wanted them to be equals, this wasn't one of them. He was in charge, and she was happily at his mercy. She moved her hips in time with his fingers as he stroked her. She wanted him badly, wanted him to take her hard and fast. She was surprised when he lifted his head, his gaze intense.

“Ride me, Gina.”

She wasn't about to say no. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders as she went. Taking hold of him, she guided him towards her, her breath coming slow and shallow in anticipation of the moment he would thrust his hips and fill her. He filled his hands with her breasts as she positioned him. His eyes were soft as he looked into hers. This used to be her favorite position with him. He would pull her on top of him and then grasp her hips while he gave her the ride of her life. This time it was different.

His words confirmed it. “Take me.”

She'd never taken him. He had always taken her—and she'd loved it. But just like when he'd made her come to him at the barn, she felt the balance was shifting between them. It felt right. She held herself above him, stroking herself with the very tip of him. Seeing him sigh, watching him close his eyes, she felt powerful. Now he was at
her
mercy. She took her time, rubbing him against her clit, teasing herself until she was soaking for him. His hands rested on her hips, occasionally tightening when she stroked his head, but never grasping and pulling her down onto him. Never taking control or taking over.

He met her gaze, his eyes pleading, his breath coming hard. “Please?”

Wow! Mason didn't beg, he took. She
had
to take him. She thrust her hips hard, taking him deep inside her. They both moaned as she impaled herself on him. He felt so damned good. She leaned forward, taking her weight onto her hands so she could kiss him while she rode him desperately. There was nothing slow or tender about it.
She
was fucking
him
! And it felt wonderful. She could feel him tense up, so she slowed down, pushing herself back to sit upright. She rocked her hips back and forth, sliding herself up and down the length of his cock. Tormenting him felt so good, but she was close to the edge and ready to go over. She caught his hands and brought them up to cover her breasts. She gasped when he fingered her nipples and squeezed, sending her back into her desperate rhythm. He grew harder with each thrust and she could feel herself tightening around him.

“Gina!” his release triggered her own, making her moan as she rode the waves of pleasure that crashed through her. His hips bucked wildly underneath her and she hung on for the ride. When she finally collapsed back down onto his chest, he closed his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, just as he'd always done. It was so familiar and yet now completely new. He wasn't resting on her after doing what he'd wanted with her. He was nestling into her after giving himself up to her.

When their breathing had returned to normal, she propped herself up to look down at him.

“Ride 'em, cowgirl,” he said with a smile.

She smiled back. “I'll have to wait a while before the next round. I've got jelly legs right now.”

He closed his hands around her ass. “That's okay, you won't have to work so hard for it next time.”

“I'm surprised you let me this time.”

He shrugged. “You're different. We're different. It only makes sense that what we do will be different. His grin was back, letting her know the balance between them would never shift completely. “And besides I wanted to see what you had for me.”

“And you approve?”

He winked. “I dunno yet, we may need a few repeat performances before I can give you a final verdict.”

She laughed and rolled off him. “Why does that not surprise me?”

He curled an arm around her and hugged her to his chest. “Because you know me, babe. Better than anyone ever has or ever will.”

~ ~ ~

As they rode down the long driveway back to Gina's dad's, Mason shot a look over at her.

“I don't like this. I really have to drop you home in the middle of the night and go back to a cold bed in the bunkhouse?”

She laughed. “You hardly live in a bunkhouse, Mase.”

“I know, but it's the same principle. You're going home to your father's house and I'm going back to the place I share with a bunch of guys.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “You could come in, stay with me? I hardly think Dad would be surprised to see you in the morning.”

Mason thought about it. He didn't like the idea of staying in Al's house, in his daughter's bed. It just didn't seem right. But the alternative was going back to the cabin and sleeping another night without her. “I don't know, G. I want us to work something out. Have a place that's ours.”

Her smile felt as though she was trying to appease him. “I do, too. Let's both think about it while I'm gone and we'll figure out what to do when I get back.”

Mason scowled. He didn't like that idea. She was putting him and their future on the back burner while she focused on her career. Was that really more important to her?

“Don't look like that. I swear I just saw thunderclouds roll across your face.”

”Well,” he shrugged, “whatever you say, babe. I just don't want to wait too long. We've got ten years to make up for.”

She nodded as he pulled up in front of the house. “I know that. I feel the same way. But after waiting ten years to get here, I think it's worth taking a couple of weeks to make sure we get it right, don't you?”

He couldn't argue with that, no matter how much he wanted to. Instead, he leaned across and slid his fingers into her hair. “I suppose. But you know I'm not a patient man.” He pulled her head back and took advantage of her open mouth to kiss her thoroughly.

When they came up for air, she smiled at him. “Are you sure you don't want to stay?”

He nodded reluctantly. He did want to stay, but he wouldn't feel right doing what he wanted to do to her under her father's roof. No matter how old they were. “Call me in the morning? I'll be out at the barn early. You could come ride Annie if you like?”

“I wish I could. I'm going over to Cassidy's and then I'm hoping to get down to the park in the afternoon. I want to have some shots that I can show people in New York, to give them an idea of what we're planning.”

There she went again. Cassidy and New York were all she seemed to think about. “Okay. G'night then.” He pecked her lips and put the truck back in gear. She gave him a puzzled look, but opened the door and slid down. “Good night.”

He waited until she was inside the house and he saw her bedroom light go on before he pulled away. He wanted to speed things up, yet Gina seemed content to take it slowly. He didn't get that. Why wasn't she in as much of a hurry as he was? He shook his head, he knew he had a tendency to be impatient. What if he just took things into his own hands? He did understand that she felt the need to get busy with her career. Maybe he should take the pressure off her and get things in place for their future by himself. If she didn't want his help with her dad's place, then he was free to find them a place of their own. He didn't want to bring her to live on the ranch and he knew that the two of them living with her dad wouldn't work. He decided he would talk to Beau in the morning, see what property was available. He didn't want to move too far, he needed to be near the barn and his horses. Despite her having said she'd do it if she had to, Gina didn't want to move up to town either. Maybe there would be something for sale down here. He didn't exactly keep an eye on the property market, so maybe there was.

He pulled up outside the cabin and decided to go check on the horses before he went to bed. The sense of peace in the barn always calmed him. The smell of straw and the small sounds of the mares in their stalls was so familiar and comforting. Storm stuck his head out and nickered.

“Hey, old fella.” Mason rubbed his nose. “What do you think I should do, old boy?”

Storm butted him gently and nibbled on his collar making Mason chuckle.

“I wish you could tell me what you think. You’ve always been the smart one, huh?”

Storm nodded his head as if he understood and agreed. Mason scratched his forehead and then moved on down the line, checking on the mares. He made a special fuss over Annie and then went to check on his office. Sitting at his desk looking out of the window, he laughed out loud at the sight of the moonlight glinting off a metal roof in the distance. Why hadn't he thought of it before? A couple of years ago Beau had bought a strip of land down on the creek with the intention of building vacation homes down there. He'd only had one finished when the economy had dried up and he'd shelved the idea. The place had mostly stood empty since then. Shane used it to accommodate overflow ranch guests occasionally, but that was all. Most of the time, the cabins were enough to cater to as many guests as he could handle.