The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (94 page)

“Don’t, Courtney.” I sighed and then shot wide eyes to Ethan; I had completely forgotten he was still sat there.

He smiled softly and shook his head. “Hey, we all have relationship problems, Ava.”

Courtney snorted loudly. “Not like Ava’s fucking love life!”

Okayyy, she was a little pissed and I closed my eyes in dismay. “Courtney, for God’s sake. He was just apologising for Saturday night.”

“Bollocks!” she scoffed. Now I was getting embarrassed in front of Ethan. “He was all over you. That wasn’t just an apology. He won’t ever let you loose, Ava.”

I chose to ignore her and turned to Ethan, rolling my eyes. He seemed to find the whole thing amusing and his eyes twinkled as he smiled at me. “No worries. Well have a good Christmas you two and we’ll see you at the end of January.”

“And you Ethan, thank you.” I grabbed Courtney’s hand and pulled her from the room.

“Well that was embarrassing,” I grumbled at her and she sighed.

“Yeah I know, I’m sorry. How the hell did he know you were here anyway?” she asked as we entered the elevator to the ground floor.

“He was with me last time, when I made this appointment.” I was surprised he had remembered it because he hadn’t written it down.

* * *

The next morning I was sat in the back seat of Greg’s car as we headed up to the cabin for Christmas. Sam and Marcy were meeting us there and I was quite excited at spending Christmas with my friends in a picturesque little setting.

I had been surprised to find that Kade had left me a Christmas gift on my bed when I had returned from the hospital and I was glad I had secretly put mine in his bag before he left. It was just his favourite aftershave and long sleeved t-shirt from his favourite brand; I hadn’t wanted to get him anything personal as to not give him the wrong signals.

I had everyone’s gifts in the boot of Greg’s car and had had to sneak them past Courtney because she was a terrible snoop, as Greg had discovered much to his horror when she had rummaged through his bag to find her gift from him.

We approached the cabin in the early evening and I gasped at the sight of it. It was a pure log cabin and it was large, stunning and completely rustic.

“Wow, Greg,” I breathed, mesmerised by its beauty.

He grinned at me. “Great isn’t it.”

I nodded. “It’s even got a hot tub Ava,” Courtney squealed with delight and we rolled our eyes at her.

Greg carted my bags in, refusing to let me carry any. Courtney and I stood in shock, gaping around us as we stepped into the cabin. Sam and Marcy had already got a fire going, there was a huge Christmas tree in the corner of the room which the staff had decorated ready for our arrival according to Greg. The kitchen was full to brimming with food, luxuries and alcohol ready for the festivities and the whole cabin was simply stunning

“Hey Ava” Sam beamed with a twinkle in his eye.

I regarded him cautiously. “What?” He just grinned and shook his head innocently.

I frowned at him but Marcy pulled me into a hug. “Merry Christmas, Ava.” She smiled and handed me a hot chocolate with a jar of peanut butter and I beamed at her. “Don’t thank me, Hun. It was Greg that ordered you a huge supply of the stuff.”

My mouth dropped and I turned to Greg with a sloppy look on my face. “I love you even more now, Mr Chambers.”

He winked at me. “Merry Christmas, Ava. There’s also Gherkins and curry paste.”

A small sob erupted from my throat and everybody laughed. Curry paste was one of my new cravings and I had it with everything.

“There’s no soap anywhere though.” He smirked and my smile fell. I had been secretly hoping that the other guests had brought some and I could sneakily steal it.

“Hustled!” Courtney shouted pointing at me and I pouted.

‘Bitch’ I mouthed to her but she just stuck her tongue out and Greg pulled her into an embrace. “I can’t wait to get you up those stairs” he growled at her. She giggled like a school girl. I turned to Sam and Marcy to roll my eyes but they were already in a passionate clinch. I was already starting to regret this holiday. I was gonna be ‘piggy in the middle’ all the time and ‘The spare part.’ I sighed softly to myself, standing looking lost in the middle of the gigantic room.

Sam broke free and winked at me. “Better show you to your room, Ava,” he grinned. What was with him?

“How many rooms are there?” I asked.

“Three,” mumbled Greg from Courtney’s neck.

“Well where are the other couple sleeping?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t gonna be plonked on the couch, my belly and back would not put up with that.

Greg shot me a questioning look, “What other couple?”

“I thought Courtney had said someone else was coming,” I stretched my back; it was aching from sitting in the car all the way up the motorway.

Greg shook his head. “No other couples, Ava.” He smiled cheekily.

“Come on, Ava.” Sam lifted my case for me.

“Wow, you are all gentlemen,” I said happily and Sam laughed.

“Well, there is one of us here that’s definitely not going to be gentlemanly with you,” Sam smirked.

I frowned at him. “What?” I mumbled as my phone trilled a text message and I scooted about in the bottom of my bag for it whilst following Sam.

It was George telling me to have a good holiday; he had felt awful not to be spending Christmas with me but his new girlfriend had wanted him to spend it with her family but I had told George it was fine as I was spending it up here with my friends.

“So what are you hoping Santa brings you, Ava?” Sam asked with a twinkle in his eye. He was starting to worry me now and I wondered if he’d been on the whisky.

I sighed. “I don’t think I’ll be getting what I asked for this year, Sam.” I sighed sadly.

As if he could read my face, he nodded sombrely outside a door I presumed was mine then he smiled. “You sure about that, Ava?” he grinned widely and opened the door.

A sob choked in my throat at the sight of Mason sprawled out on my bed, a huge smile on his face and completely utterly stark naked. “Merry Christmas, my little warrior,” he beamed.

CHAPTER 12

MY LEGS GAVE way and Sam’s arms shot out to catch me as Mason jumped off the bed and rushed over to me, completely unabashed at his nakedness. He took me out of Sam’s arms and carried me in the room, kicking the door shut behind him.

“Mason,” I rasped, “What’s going on?”

He looked down at me and brushed my cheek with the back of his fingers. “Shush, we’ll talk later. First I want to make love to my beautiful woman,” he breathed. I whimpered. I must be dreaming, or someone had put something into my hot chocolate.

I put my hand on his cheek just to check he wasn’t a vision and a tear slipped free when I felt his beautiful face under my skin.

“Oh Ava,” he snuggled into my hair. “I love you, I love you. I love you.”

I choked out a sob. “Oh god Mason, are you real?” He laughed, a huge rattling laugh that stole another piece of my heart.

“Yes Ava, just for Christmas though but we’ll see what happens after. We’ll talk later,” he repeated as he laid me gently on the bed and sprawled over me, careful of my round tummy.

We gazed at each other for eternity, saying everything in the silence. I stroked his cheek. “I love you so much, Mason. I can’t live without you.” I wept as he held me.

“Oh, Baby. I am so sorry for everything Ava” he said into my hair as he rocked me. I controlled my tears and cupped his face, bringing his mouth down to mine and I kissed him; kissed him with love, devotion, rawness, softness and with the very essence of my soul.

His mouth trailed across my jaw and down my neck as he gave me the usual love bite, marking his ownership and his possession. I grabbed his hair and pulled him further into my skin, wanting his signature all over every part of me. He moaned against me, understanding what I needed. His fingers skated across my shirt, over my heavy breast and against my hard nipple. “Mine” he growled into me and I moaned loudly, intensively aroused at his dominance.

“Yours,” I breathed.

He unbuttoned my shirt and pulled it from me. He gazed at my pale pink lace bra then buried his head between my breasts and bit each of them. “Mine” he repeated.

I groaned again and pushed further into him. “Yours.”

He gently lapped at the bites and then took my nipple lightly in-between his teeth as he gazed up at me, under his long eyelashes. I knew what he wanted. “Bite me!” I demanded with a harsh whisper.

He closed his eyes in ecstasy as he gently but firmly clamped down. I bucked off the bed, my whole body over stimulated. “Mine.”

“Yours! All of me!” I shouted at him. I was in paradise with my man beside me. “I need you inside me, now” I begged. He started fumbling with the button on my trousers. “Hurry,” I pleaded desperately as he yanked them down my legs with my knickers and was soon positioning himself.

He was inside me in one swift thrust and we both cried out at the bliss of been joined again. He held still, stretching me wide around him as he held my face and stared at me. “You are so fucking beautiful, Ava. So fucking amazing. So fucking hot. So fucking delicate and so fucking mine,” he growled out the last words and ground his hips in a circular motion, rubbing his pelvis against my clitoris.

“Oh fuck” I cried, my body bowing in an intense near painful climax.

“
Jesus, Ava
” he cried as he drove into me twice and was exploding brutally inside me, shouting my name loudly and vehemently.

I was laid on my back with Mason’s head on my chest while he stroked my baby bump. “I can’t wait to see them, Ava. To hold them!” I could feel his grin against my skin before he kissed my stomach twice and then sat up.

“We need to talk,” he said solemnly and I nodded. “I think it’s best if I tell the others what’s going on as well.”

I frowned at his grim face. “It’s serious isn’t it?” I knelt in front of him on the bed and cupped his face.

He nodded. “You’re not gonna like it, Ava but I want to talk to you privately later about something, okay?” He cocked his head and stroked my jaw with his thumb.

I smiled softly and leaned in to kiss him. “Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll deal with it together.”

His hands cupped my face as he kissed me back. “I love you so much Ava, I can’t seem to live without you. I miss you all the fucking time. I can’t stop thinking about you; what you’re doing, what you’re wearing, what you’re eating . . . which actually gives me some unique thoughts.” He winked and rubbed my tum. I grinned back.

We both got dressed and as I went to open the door he turned me swiftly, pushed me against it and kissed me tenderly and lovingly.

“I love you so much Ava, so damn much” His hands settled on my bum and he lifted me as I swung my legs around his hips.

“We’re not gonna be able to do this for much longer” I said as my stomach was stuck like a small boulder between us.

He grinned and kissed my nose, “I’ll just have to keep you here for a bit longer then. Hold on.” I wrapped my arms around his neck as he opened the door and carried me downstairs still clung to him.

“You haven’t eaten each other yet then?” Courtney grinned and winked at me as we walked into the cosy lounge. Sam and Marcy were sat on the rug in front of the fire and Greg was sat on a sofa with Courtney leaning in to him.

Mason sat on a huge, soft armchair and settled me on his lap as he took my hand and gripped it tight.

“We need to talk” he told them. They all swung their eyes to him.

“It’s about fucking time,” Greg huffed.

Mason narrowed his eyes at him. “Don’t start, Greg,” he warned.

Greg shook his head in dismay. “Do you actually know what you’ve put Ava through? It’s not been you sat listening to her fucking sob in her room when she thought we couldn’t hear her, Mason! The mornings me and Courtney would go into her house and she would be howling and calling your fucking name and we just had to turn around and leave her to it . . . Alone!! You broke Courtney’s fucking heart as well as Ava’s.”

I looked away as Greg ranted. I had no idea they knew all this. My eyes shot to Courtney’s but she just gave me a soft smile and shook her head marginally.

Mason lowered his eyes guiltily. “I know” he said softly and brought my hand to his lips. He sighed heavily then looked at me, his eyes deep and worrisome. “Rebecca’s father is blackmailing me!”

I frowned at him as his arm slid around my side and pulled me closer into him. “WHAT?”

Everybody was staring at Mason with dropped jaws and wide eyes. He took a deep breath and turned slightly so he could hold my eyes. “Mark recorded you on his phone the night you shot Dean,” he divulged gently as he closed his eyes waiting for my reaction.

He didn’t have to wait long; I shot off his knee and stared at him. “W . . . w.what?” I stuttered, shocked and stunned as he reached out to me.

“Ava, calm down” I shook my head rapidly not comprehending what he was telling me. “Baby, sit down and I’ll tell you the rest. I don’t want you getting upset, it’s not good for the babies.”

I just stood still, staring at him. He stood, picked me up and settled us back down in the chair, wrapping his arms around me tightly. “STAY!” he ordered gently.

I glanced over the rest of my friends, they were all sat gobsmacked . . . pretty much the same as me then. Another deep breath from Mason and he carried on.

“He also took the gun.” He glanced at me. My stomach coiled tightly as the nausea started to creep in.

“Oh fuck!” I puffed out. Mason nodded. Now everything was crystal clear!

I tipped my head at Mason. “So he’s making you marry his daughter in return for keeping me out of prison.” Mason closed his eyes in distress but nodded slowly.

Now I felt like a fucking fool. All this time screaming and shouting at Mason, blaming him for leaving me and he had done it to protect me.

I cupped his face and turned him to me. “Listen to me, right now!”

I was livid, my fury was bubbling up. “You. Are. Not. Marrying. Her” I said frankly and simply but he looked away. “Mason!” I warned, “I would rather rot in hell than watch her get her claws into you.”