“I can’t give you everything you want, you know. I’m telling you this up-front because I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
He tilted his face toward her. “You know what I want?”
She shook her head, continuing to scrape her fingers through his hair. “Maybe not everything but I’m pretty sure people don’t fill a barn full of poinsettias for a fling.”
“Are you telling me you’re not a barn-full-of-poinsettias type of woman?”
Her gaze darted away as she bit the corner of her bottom lip. “No, I’m not.”
“Why?” His heart froze. He’d been hoping for something more substantial than crumbs, something more real than he got from Dakota.
“Does it matter?”
“Your reasons always matter. Is it because…” He wasn’t sure how to ask this without being vulnerable himself. “Is it because I’m not enough for you?”
Her eyes widened. “No. It’s not that. I’m just not sure I can give more to anyone.”
“Okay,” he said, not knowing what else he could say without pushing. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. “But I just want you to know, regardless, I’ve got you, okay? If you want it, I’ve got you.”
He didn’t feel hate very often, not even toward Dakota, but he hated, with every fiber of his being, whoever made Natalie feel this way. He would do whatever he could to wipe that stain of memory from her mind by filling it with something else, even if it took all the effort he had.
Natalie didn’t say anything. She studied him while her fingers traced his bearded jawline before kissing his lips again, so sweet it almost hurt. If this is the only place the evening took him, he couldn’t be mad about it, even if he wanted a lot more. She was, at least, being honest, and he appreciated that.
She began to impatiently pull on his shirt, trying to tug the garment off him. He helped her even though he had no six-pack abs or other impressive muscles to show off. It was clear Natalie didn’t care and soon neither did he.
As soon as his shirt was discarded, her hands went straight for the tops of his pants, undoing the fasteners. She was clearly a woman on a mission and his heart was about to beat right out of his chest. He really shouldn’t have eaten so many waffles beforehand and should have drunk a lot more water. Mason could tell this thing with Natalie was something he should have prepared for.
“Wait. Fuck. I don’t have any protection or anything,” he said while his dick cursed him out.
To his great surprise and luck, she plucked a condom from her back pocket. “Ta-da,” she said as though she had performed magic.
“Do you always carry that in your pocket, or did you somehow know that you were going to need one?”
“It was in my purse, and I slipped it into my pocket before we walked over here.”
“Even though you were expecting nothing but a horse blanket on the ground?”
“Yeah. I like you.”
While the sentiment made him feel good, he said, “You deserve more than just a horse blanket. You’re allowed to hold out for something better.”
A lovely smile slid across her face. “Then it’s a good thing I got something better.” She placed the condom in his hand. “Put this on.”
She didn’t have to tell him twice. He pushed his pants and boxers down his legs, ripping the condom package before sliding it on. Mason glanced over to find her watching him, she’d already removed her boots and was slipping from the rest of her clothes and—Holy Shit. His gaze swept across every curve and dip. How in the world did he get this lucky?
He blushed, and noticed he was still gripping himself, his hold tightening. “You’re making me self-conscious.”
“You’re makingmeself-conscious. I feel like your gaze is so intense you can see right through to my bones.”
“Sorry. You just look…good.”Dammit. That was the best descriptive phrase he could come up with? He couldn’t sayamazingorloveliness itselfor something equally poetic. His brain had settled ongood. At least it was better thangreanks, a word he continued having nightmares about.
Natalie returned, straddling him again. “You look good too.”
“Can you take down your hair?”
She pulled out the hair tie, dark locks tumbling across her bare shoulders. It was slightly wavy and just as beautiful as he’d hoped. He took a moment to touch it, running his fingers through the soft strands that had a light scent of jasmine, until she rose up, adjusting him and sank down, leaving him engulfed in her heat and unable to focus on anything else.
“Oh, God, yes.” His hands found purchase on her hips as he breathed through this in order not to lose control too quickly. “Are you okay?”
