Mason (Remington Ranch Book 1) (Contemporary Western Romance) (8 page)

“Are you having a good time, Gina?” He smiled, seemingly unaware of anything amiss about the evening. He held his hand out to her. “Come dance with me? I think I'm getting the hang of it. All this country stuff is quite fun, isn’t it?”

She took his hand and followed him back out onto the dance floor, even though she was struggling to believe that he was as oblivious as he seemed to be.

“Are you okay, Gina?” he asked after they'd danced in silence for a while. “You're being a bit of a stick-in-the-mud this weekend. Do you have your period or something? It'd be nice if you could make an effort to make it fun for Ian and Kaitlyn after they came all this way to see you.”

Seriously? Gina couldn't believe her ears. Was he
that
clueless? And were Ian and Kaitlyn more of a concern to him than she was?

She stared at him. “Do you have any idea what's going on here, Liam?”

“No, Gina, sweetie. I don't. I got the idea there was some undercurrent with the big broody cowboy. I figured you probably used to date him, but you know I'm not the jealous type. I thought you may need to talk with him, so I left you to it.”

“And you had Kaitlyn to keep you busy anyway, right?”

Liam frowned. “I'd rather not ignore our friends the whole weekend! You're being rather rude to them, the least I can do is try to make sure they have fun.”

Wow! “I'm not being rude to them, Liam...”

“Oh, Gina, don't be ridiculous. You're hardly being the gracious hostess, are you?”

She couldn't believe this! “Well, considering I didn't even invite them, I'm not sure why you would expect me to be. I asked
you
to come, not them.”

“For God's sake, Gina. Do you have to be so utterly self-absorbed? I told you. We still have work to do on the Avery show. We were trying to kill two birds with one stone. Why won't you appreciate that?”

“Because I thought I meant more to you than that. I thought you might make me a priority. But apparently I’m being ridiculous! Pardon me for thinking that the guy who wants to marry me might want to put me first!”

“Grow up, Gina!”

She shook her head. “If growing up means settling for a life where I'm never a priority, then I don't want to! If you'd ever made the time to get me an engagement ring, I'd give it back to you right now.”

Liam shook his head. “Do you have your period? Is that what this is all about? You're always more unreasonable when you're hormonal.”

Gina closed her eyes, determined not to drag this out any longer. She took a deep breath before she spoke again. “No, Liam. I don't have my period. I am not hormonal. I don't think I'm being unreasonable. I'm just being myself and whenever I'm myself you don't seem to like me too much.” She shook her head sadly and met his gaze. “And you know, it's a two-way street. Kaitlyn was right, I always want you to act differently than you do. When you are yourself, I don't like you too much either. So I think it's time we call it a day.”

He looked thoroughly shocked for a moment. Then he smiled reassuringly. “You don't mean that, Gina. It's a stressful time, what with your dad and everything. I'm sorry I haven't been more understanding, but there's no need to overreact. Let's just forget this. When we get home and everything is back to normal, you'll see.”

He wasn't even taking her seriously now! Gina suddenly understood how right Kaitlyn had been. She'd told Gina that she loved the man she wanted to Liam to be. Now she realized that Liam loved the woman he wanted her to be. Whatever the practical realities of breaking up with him might be, she'd rather face them than face a marriage and a life with him that would only make them both miserable. She touched his cheek with a sad smile. “I am home, Liam. And when everything is back to normal,
you'll
see and probably be grateful to me, or at least relieved. I'm going back to my dad's. I'll drive you all to the airport tomorrow. But we're through.”

As she pushed her way off the dance floor and out through the crowded bar, she could feel the relief flooding through her. She may not know what she was going to do about her career or her life, but she knew that she couldn't marry Liam. The fact that she'd done them both a big favor was enough to make her smile as climbed into the truck and headed back down the valley. She might not be sure of too much of anything right now, but she did know one thing. She'd told Liam that she was home and as she headed south under the big starry sky, the moonlight reflecting off the river to her right, snow-capped peaks shining to her left, she knew that much was true.

Mason smiled at the girl sitting in the passenger seat of his truck. He was glad she and her friends were leaving. The guests staying at Shane's dude ranch didn't normally bother him too much. He didn't like having strangers on the property, but he mostly managed to stay out of their way. He admired the business his littlest brother was building and was glad that he'd chosen to come home. After his stint in the Navy, Shane had been determined to make a go of some kind of business on his own. For a while, it had seemed that he would head out in the world in order to make it. Then he'd had the idea of the dude ranch and he'd gone to work. He worked hard and was making it a big success. If a few city types wandering around the place was the price Mason had to pay to have Shane back, then it was worth it.

The girl handed him her business card. “We won't be able to make it back out here until the fall, but if you're ever in San Diego, call me. I'd love to show you how we do it in the city.” Her smiled clarified the innuendo in her words.

Mason tipped his hat. “Thanks, but I'm not into city living.”

She wasn't going to give up so easily. “It's not the living I want to show you.”

He shook his head and opened the truck door. He wanted to get her, her friends, and their luggage out of his truck, out of town and be on his way.

She reached over and put a hand on his arm. “I'll have to wait until we come back in the fall then. You can show me how cowboys do it.”

Mason couldn't help but smirk at her as he climbed out. “You couldn't handle it, sweetheart.”

He started pulling bags and suitcases down, regretting that he'd allowed himself to be roped into dropping the guests off at the airport. The other girls were collecting their bags and thanking him for the ride.

The persistent one stood before him as he straightened up. “Thanks for the ride, cowboy. My flight doesn't leave until an hour after the others, do you want to give me another ride before I go?”

Mason looked her over. Would he have done it if Gina hadn't come back? He might have, she was hot, willing, hell she was begging! Her pouty little smile as she moistened her lips, the way she leaned back so her breasts stuck out at him, everything about her was begging him to ride her hard. Whatever he might have done before, he had no interest now. Every woman he'd had sex with over the last ten years had been a way to try to forget Gina. But Gina was back, and the only place he wanted to be was back in her arms—well, that and between her legs.

“Sorry, sweetheart. No can do. You travel safely.” He climbed back into his truck and turned the ignition, but he didn’t pull away. He was supposed to go in with them, make sure they were checked in for their flights and that there were no delays that would leave them stranded here in Bozeman. He couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to get away from her. Whatever he might have been in the past, the thought of cheap sex with a stranger repulsed him now. He wanted meaningful sex with the woman who had been his best friend for years, and the best lover he'd ever had.

He watched in the rearview mirror as the woman pulled her suitcase along to catch up with her friends. She turned to look back at him before she went through the doors and gave him a shrug that clearly said
your loss.
He hadn't lost anything at all. More than that, he felt as though he was getting something back. He was getting back the guy who didn't want easy sex, the guy who knew how to love and cherish a woman. He only hoped that he was getting back the only woman who had ever made him feel that way.

He watched the automatic doors close behind Miss San Diego then checked the drop-off lanes before pulling out. He hit the brakes in a hurry when he saw a very familiar truck pulling in a few spaces back. He watched as Gina climbed down from the driver's side and Liam and his friends got out onto the curb. If there had been tension in the air around this group when he'd first seen them at Chico, it was positively crackling now. Even from this distance, he could see that Gina was pale. Liam was stiff and formal. The guy, Ian, looked uncomfortable and busied himself collecting a baggage cart. Liam took a step toward Gina. Mason gritted his teeth. He couldn't stand to see the guy kiss her! He needn't have worried though. Kaitlyn
put her hand on Liam's shoulder and Gina turned away. Liam shrugged his
friend
off and started helping Ian load the bags onto the cart.

When Ian and Kaitlyn made their way inside, Mason wanted nothing more than to run over there, take Gina in his arms and send that asshole packing. He was talking to her, but Mason could tell that she was blocking him out. She was nodding and answering him, but Mason knew her too well. She was just going through the motions and waiting for him to be gone. It seemed that Liam understood that, too. He took hold of her arm and tried to draw her toward him. Gina pulled back and shook her head. There was none of her old fire to her. If anything, she looked tired and resigned. She smiled sadly and then leaned in to peck Liam's cheek. He put his arms around her to hug her and Mason couldn't hold in a little laugh when he saw the way she patted Liam's shoulder as she hugged him back. The pat was like the kiss of death on a guy's hopes with a girl. He knew that. He wondered if Liam did, too. Perhaps he did. He turned and followed the others inside without ever looking back.

Gina hurried around and climbed back into the cab of her dad’s truck.
Oh, shit!
Mason realized he had to make a quick decision. Was he going to let her pull away or was he going to go talk to her before she left? He was out of his truck before his mind had caught up. His instincts decided for him that he could never again let her leave any place without making her talk to him first. She had her arms propped on the steering wheel with her head resting on them. He couldn't see her face, was she crying?

He tapped on the window and her head snapped up. In the instant before she recognized him, she looked tired, defensive almost. A smile transformed her face when she registered who he was. That had to be a good thing, right?

She rolled the window down. “Are you stalking me now?”

He had to grin. “Sure am, babe. What you going to do about it?”

She smiled back and shook her head. “It doesn't seem like there's much I can do, does it?”

“You could admit defeat and let me in?”

She looked at him for a moment and then unlocked the passenger door.

Mason climbed in and smiled at her. “Are you all right?”

She shook her head slowly. “I don't know. I think so. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“What I said. I don't know what to do.”

She looked so small and pale, almost fragile. Fragile was not a word he would normally associate with Gina, and it worried him. He wanted her to be happy that Liam was gone. He was hoping that her words meant it was over between the two of them, and if that was the case, he knew exactly what
he
wanted her to do. He smiled. “So how about you start by spending the afternoon with me?”

She shook her head. “I can't.”

“Why not?”

“Because I need to be by myself. Think things through. Figure out what I'm going to do.”

“What's to think about, G? You're done with
him,
aren't you?” Mason felt his heart pounding as he asked. He assumed that Gina had broken up with the guy, but he wasn't entirely sure. He needed to hear her say it.

She nodded slowly. “I told him it's over, but he doesn't think I mean it. He thinks I'm having a little freak out, and will come around and come home fine.” She looked up and held Mason's gaze. “And you know, Mase. I'm not sure he's wrong. Maybe it's all the stress of being back here, of making dad sell up...” She took a deep breath. “...of seeing you again, that has me all out of whack. Maybe once I get back to the city and back to my life I'll see it differently again, just like he said.”

Mason pursed his lips. “Bullshit.”

Her eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, G. That's bullshit and you know it. All those things are only stressful because he's trying to make you go against what you know is right. You belong here. This is your home, this is your life. You shouldn't be making your dad sell up, and you know it. You should be finding a way to help him save the place.” He glared at her. “And seeing me again is only stressful because you know we belong together, and you've been trying to hide from that.”

She pulled herself up straight and glared back at him. “Get out, Mason. I don't know any such thing!”

He smiled, she was lying. He reached over and touched her cheek, sliding his fingers under her ear and into her hair. She closed her eyes as her cheeks flushed and she sighed. He had her. He leaned across and brushed his lips over hers. She didn't open her eyes, but her hands came up to his shoulders and pulled him closer. He smirked—no pat for him!

He slid his arm around her waist and drew her against him, then covered her mouth with his own. She tasted as good as he remembered. She kissed him as though she'd never forgotten how, as though the years in between them had never existed. He took possession of her mouth, crushing her to his chest as he explored with his tongue, nipped her lips, and then nibbled her neck. Damn, he wasn't going to be able to keep kissing her without getting her naked very soon. She seemed to feel the same way. She clung to his shoulders, her breath coming fast as she kissed him back hungrily.

~ ~ ~

Gina was drowning in his kiss. His arms closed around her, holding her to him, dragging her under. She'd spent so many years struggling, fighting against her feelings for him and now she was back in his arms. Part of her wanted to give up the fight, to surrender to the inevitable. She relaxed and kissed him back. Maybe she wasn't drowning, maybe what she was doing was flying? Flying high on the way he made her feel, letting him take her soaring away with him into the future that should have always been theirs.

The sound of her cell phone ringing brought her crashing back to reality. She tried to pull away from Mason, but he held her close.

“Let it ring.”

“But, I...” His lips came back down on hers, but the magic of the moment was gone. She couldn't lose herself in his kiss while her phone kept ringing and her mind kept racing. “I need to answer it.”

This time he let her pull away from him and she fished the phone from her purse. She was surprised to see the name flashing on the display.

“What is it, Kaitlyn?”

“I wanted to thank you. You've done the right thing, for all of us.”

Gina didn't know what to say.

“The guy you're with obviously loves you, and I love Liam. This is all for the best.”

“What do you mean, the guy I'm with?”

Kaitlyn laughed. “The guy in your truck. I'd be surprised if you make it out of the airport before he's the guy in your pants.”

Gina looked around wildly. She spotted Kaitlyn standing outside the doors next to the baggage cart return.

Kaitlyn met her gaze and waggled her fingers in a wave. “I guess you'll be coming back to New York, at least to collect your things. You’ll let me know if there's anything I can do, won't you? I have to go. Liam's waiting.” She hung up.

Gina stared at her phone.

“What did she want?” Mason had followed her gaze and seen Kaitlyn. He watched as she disappeared back through the automatic doors.

Gina shook her head. “To say thank you. And to say that I'd done the right thing for all of us. Oh and she'll be happy to help me pack up and leave once I get back to the city!” Her heart was racing. She'd been wondering if she was making the wrong decision. Wondering if Liam was right and she'd feel differently once she got back to New York. Now it seemed that she wouldn't get the chance to find out. Events were taking on a life of their own and the decision was being taken out of her hands.

Mason smiled. “I didn't think I liked her, but I have to agree with her. You
have
done the right thing, G. You said she's always loved Liam. And I've always loved you. If you
have
to go back to New York, I don't want you to be gone for long. If she'll help you pack you can come home to me faster.”

Gina was struggling to process this. “Mason...” She didn't know what to say, what to address first. He claimed he'd
always
loved her? He wanted her to come back home? To him? Both he and Kaitlyn were assuming that since she'd called it off with Liam she would leave New York—but how could she? That was her life, her livelihood. How could she just up and leave it all behind? And what would she do then?

Mason tucked his fingers under her chin and turned her to face him. “What, Gina?”

“I can't stay here.” Even as she spoke the words, she looked deep into the blue eyes she knew so well and wondered how she could ever leave them again.

He seemed to read her thoughts. He didn't push her, just smiled and said, “You take your time, babe. You'll figure it out.”

She let out an exasperated sigh. “Now we've come full circle back to when you climbed in here. I told you. I need to be by myself, take some time to do that—to figure it all out.”

He wrapped her in a hug and she sagged against him. In the warmth of his embrace, she was no longer sure what she needed to think about. She was back where she belonged—end of story. He rested his chin on top of her head. “Okay. I'll leave you to it. Remember what I told you last night. I'll be waiting whenever you're ready.”