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He rolled quickly from her, expertly removing the condom in the process and setting it aside. “Are you hurt? Is everything okay?”
“No, no. I’m fine,” she assured him, barely able to speak over the lump of hot tears that had risen in her throat. “I have no idea why I’m crying. I’m really happy,” she insisted, while choking on a sob. She turned away from him, hiding her face in her hands as her shoulders shook with the effort of holding back the floodgates of her tears.
Strong arms came around her from behind as Mason pulled her close against his chest. “It’s okay, baby. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
The floodgates broke. Loud, ugly sobs filled with loss, pain and raw emotion racked her frame. Andy was gone. He would never see his grandchildren. He would not grow old beside her. He was no longer her one and only.
At the same time, she cried with happiness, wonder and a new, burgeoning joy as fragile and determined as a new sapling. She was ready to live again, fully and with all her heart. As snot and tears poured down her face, Mason held her close all the while, rocking her gently in his arms.
Finally, completely spent, Hannah stilled, no more tears left. Mason pulled gently away from her and reached for the box of tissues on the night table. He plucked several and turned to her. His smile was tender, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he handed them to her.
She managed a wan smile in return and then noisily blew her nose.
He took the wet wad of tissues from her and handed her a freshtissue. His expression was a mix of curiosity and concern. She tensed, not yet ready to explain why she’d cried. She had no real answer, at least not with words that would make sense.
But instead of peppering her with questions, Mason only said, “Feeling better?”
Hannah sat up, pushing her hair away from her face as she turned to him.
“Yeah,” she replied, smiling. “Much better.”
The wonder of the last twelve hours washed over and through her. A curious lightness suffused her body and heart, as if a weight she’d been carrying for too long had suddenly lifted. A laugh bubbled through her, and she gave it voice.
Impulsively, she reached for Mason. Catching his face in her hands, she showered him with tiny kisses on his mouth, his cheeks rough with stubble, his nose and his eyelids, laughing all the while. He began to laugh too, until they were both roaring with mirth.
Finally, pleasantly exhausted and still smiling, Hannah collapsed beside Mason. He pulled her toward him, tucking her against his body, her head resting against his shoulder.
Her empty stomach chose that moment to rumble loudly.
“Blintzes, anyone?” Mason chuckled.
Chapter 33
Hannah closed her eyes, her face suffusing with pleasure as she ate her first bite of the blintz topped with blueberry compote and a dollop of sour cream.
“Good, huh?”
“Oh my god, Mason. Better than good.”
The small restaurant was crowded, a line of people waiting patiently outside. When they’d arrived at the place, Mason had gone directly to the back of the building. Predictably, one of the kitchen staff was leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette. Mason had asked if Bella, the chef, was in. She had worked briefly in one of Mason’s restaurants before spreading her wings to open her own place.
They were ushered into the kitchen where Mason introduced Bella and Hannah. Though they’d made incredible love that morning, Mason still wasn’t entirely sure what to call his relationship with Hannah yet—if he could even use that word. So he’d introduced her only as his friend. Bella had found a seat for them at a tiny table for two in the back of the restaurant. The table was so small that their knees were touching beneath it, which suited Mason just fine.
Now their waitress, Becky, reappeared, a carafe of the café’s excellent coffee in hand. “Can I get you anything else?” she asked as she topped their mugs.
Mason glanced at the chalkboard of handwritten specials. “Yeah, actually. Bring us one of those Charleston chicken biscuits to share. Oh, and a side of the country ham.”
“Where are we going to put that?” Hannah asked as the waitress left to fill the order. “I’m not sure I can even finish this.”
“I just want you to try it. The bacon gravy is topnotch, and Bella's biscuits are almost as good as yours.”
Hannah beamed, her adorable dimples melting his heart. “When you put it that way,” she replied.
The biscuits arrived in short order. They continued to eat and drink until both pushed their plates away. Mason glanced around for the waitress, suddenly eager to leave.
They’d taken a long, sexy shower together after their lovemaking. To his surprise, Hannah had dropped to her knees of her own accord, towel in hand, to dry Mason’s body before her own.
He had been startled by the gesture, given how she’d balked during her brief slave training. Though he’d never precisely thought of it this way before, being a Master was sometimes a lonely business. You were always in control, calling all the shots, managing both your slave’s reactions and your own.
