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My silence must’ve made him nervous, because he ran a hand over his head and groaned. “Gah, I didn’t mean to freak you out. That was too much. This is why I usually keep my mouth shut.” He squeezed his eyes closed and then peeked at me with a grimace. “Have I totally made you hate me?”
It was kind of endearing watching him sweat. Mason couldn’t make me hate him, even if he tried. He was sweet and giving. His brooding nature was good at hiding the tenderhearted man beneath the scowl. In just a short time, I’d come to realize that there was more to Mason than the sarcasm and the frown. There was so much to like about him.
“I’d never hate you,” I said softly.
Before I knew what I was doing, I’d reached out and run my fingertips along his cheek. It was rough, his scruff like sandpaper against my skin. I liked it. It reminded me of the coarse bristle brushes I used for my oil paintings last year in Mixed Media Art class. He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch, and covered my hand with his own.
“Trina...” I loved the way he said my name. It was husky and low, the two syllables packed with longing. His eyes flicked open and he slid closer on the bench, until there was no room left between us. His chest rose and fell with a heavy breath. “You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to do this.”
He wetted his lips with his tongue, immediately drawing my gaze to his mouth. How long had I stared at those lips, wanting to kiss them? They were perfectly formed, like on a priceless painting. What would it hurt to give into those urges for once? To take what I wanted.
His hand found its way to my hip, gently pulling me toward him until I was practically in his lap. He worked his other hand into the baby-fine hair at the base of my neck, his gaze never leaving my face. The touch of his fingertips on my skin was like fire. They scorched wherever they touched.
My breath hitched when he leaned in closer, his lips only inches from mine. “Kiss me, Trina.”
It wasn’t a command, but more like a pleading request that hit me in my very core. My fingers curled tight around the edges of his jacket, my hands trembling. So many alarm bells were going off inside my brain that I couldn’t make heads or tails out of any of it. The only thing that I understood was a deep-seated and hungry sensation that propelled me forward, not stopping until my lips met his.
They were surprisingly soft
and gentle, although I could feel his fingers simultaneously tightening in the curls behind my neck. His mouth moved against mine in a rhythm that was almost hypnotic. Sweet and giving. Gentle, yet urgent. There was no hesitation. I matched his pace and found my hands pressed to his hard chest, the taste of peppermint filling my mouth.
Delicious waves of electricity ran up and down my spine as he moved both of his hands to cradle my head. I fell into his kiss, not caring about the cold or the party going on just a few feet away from us. I wanted more of him. And as I tugged gently on his lower lip, Mason pulled me closer with a low growl, his mouth conquering mine in a fervor that proved just how much he’d been holding back.
My hands were everywhere. Feeling along his muscular arms, weaving through his unbelievably soft hair, and caressing the hard lines of his jaw. The Mason kissing me wasn’t fragile or weak. There was nothing in the strength of his kiss or the steady touch of his hands as he held me close that suggested otherwise. He was wonderfully whole and confident. The way he stroked the pad of his thumb along my cheek and tenderly down my neck had the power to undo me. Every fiber of my being was reaching out for him. Wanting him.
Even if this moment wasn’t meant to last.
Mason was the first to pull away, his breathing labored. He rested his forehead against mine and sighed, his thumb still caressing my cheek.
“We should probably slow down,” he said, his voice hoarse.
I knew he was right. This was too much, too fast. But my heart thundered in my chest as every nerve in my body begged for more.
So instead, I contented myself with closing my eyes and feeling the warmth of his breath mingle with my own.
“This was...unexpected,” I said, pressing my fingers to my tingling lips.
My brain still hadn’t caught up with those last few minutes. Had that been the most perfect kiss or was I just too amped up to know for sure? No, there was no question. That had been utterly perfect in every way.
“Yeah,” he whispered with a chuckle. “I’m sorry. I’m guess I’m just not very good at following plans.”
I wanted to laugh with him — to just sit here and enjoy the feeling of Mason touching me, wanting me, but something inside me snapped like a rubber band at his words. What started as a strange twinge of nerves soon hit me like a kick to the gut.
Plans. The plan! We’d been following a plan and this wasn’t it. I pulled away and scrambled back, putting as much space between us as possible as realization hit me.
The plan had always been to get Mason back with Polly. He needed her, especially now. What was I doing? I’d gone way past off-roading. I’d lost the path, crashed the car, and stranded myself in the wilderness. And the only person who was going to pay for that was him.
Kissing Mason had been a huge mistake.
“What’s wrong?” Mason’s eyes widened in surprise as I had my mini panic attack on the other side of the swing. He reached for me, but I waved him away. “What did I say?”
“You’re right. This isn’t part of the plan.” I hated the slight tremble in my voice, the first hint of tears thickening my throat. “This was a mistake. We never should’ve done this.”
Mason grunted and white-knuckled the back of the bench. “Trina, I was just joking about the plan. Nothing has ever felt so right. That kiss—” He cleared his throat. “That kiss was incredible. Tell me if I’m wrong. Tell me if I’m crazy, but that was the best kiss of my life.”
No matter how hard I tried to make my tongue work, to tell Mason he was totally off base, I just couldn’t. There was no way I could lie to him. That had been an amazing kiss. The fact that he agreed only made this harder. So I sat there silently, with pain coursing through my body.
Frustration flickered in his eyes. He inched forward, just close enough to keep from touching me. “Trina, forget the plan. Do what you want, for once.”
