Always Darkest (16 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Tori sat on her couch while the television played some reality show in the background.
 
She fought the urge to call Justin on his cell phone and invite him back over.
 
She wanted Mason, but the hard truth was that she couldn’t have him.
 
Justin was here and he wasn’t.

The phone rang jarring Tori from her thoughts.
 
The ring tone announced that it was her sister.

“Hello,” Tori answered.

“Hey, I was just checking on you.”

“I’m in my apartment.
 
Justin just dropped me off.”

“Did you have a good time?” Kathy questioned.

“Yeah, I really did,” Tori said as she thought about the dancing and the kiss.

“You know, that Justin has been really nice to you.
 
And if I remember correctly he was pretty cute.”

“All true sis, but, I just don’t know. He’s not really my type.”

“Are you still hung up on Mason?”

“Maybe, but Justin kissed me tonight.”

“I need details.” Kathy said excitedly.

“There’s not much to tell.
 
We had a really good time and then when he dropped me off, we kissed.
 
It was nice, really nice, but it was nothing like it was with Mason.”

“Sis, that was some fairytale world or part of your imagination, “Kathy quickly corrected herself.
 
“I mean Justin is here and Mason is not.
 
That should tell you something.” Tori knew what Kathy wanted to say.
 
The whole thing was her imagination and nothing in real life could compare to something she obviously conjured up in her own head.

“Listen Kathy, I’m tired.
 
I tired, I think I am going to just go take a nice long bath and go to bed.
 
I’ll see you on Monday, okay?”

“Okay,” Kathy said and Tori could hear the disappointment in her voice.
 
“Goodnight then.”

“Goodnight,” Tori said happy to be off the phone.

Tori put down her phone and decided she really would go take that bubble bath.
 
She turned off the television and was getting up when there was a knock at the door.
 
She walked over to the door and opened it thinking it was probably Justin.

She opened the door and there stood Mason.
 
Her heart dropped and she stood there speechless.

“May I come in?” Mason asked.

Tori threw her arms around him and he dropped the bags he was holding.
 
She kissed him like she was drowning and he was the only source of air.
 
The passion returned, the same passion she felt the first time he had kissed her.
 
This was right.
 
Mason was here.
 

When the kiss ended, Tori invited him into her apartment.
 
“Mason, how did you get here?”

“I came the same way you did,” he explained.

“But what about your tavern, your home, Willa?”

“It is all taken care of and you don’t need to worry about it.
 
All that matters is that I am here with you now.
 
I had to be with you.
 
I need you Tori.”

“I need you too, Mason,” Tori said as she led him over to her couch.
 
She sat him down and climbed up on top of him, straddling him as her dress rode up high on her thighs.
 
She kissed him, gently at first and then harder.
 
She was hungry for him.
 
He sacrificed his entire life for her. “Oh Mason, I need you,” she whispered between fevered kisses.

She got up from him and held out her hand.
 
He took it and she began to lead him toward her bedroom.

“
Tori,
wait.
 
There is something I need to do first.”

“What?” she asked as she looked at him questioningly.

Mason got down on one knee, still holding her hand.
 
He reached into the pocket of the black suit he was wearing pulled out a small box.

“Victoria Clover, I am in love with you.
 
I need you in my life forever.
 
Will you marry me?”

“Yes,” she said completely in shock.

Mason slid the rather large diamond ring on her finger, and then he stood.
 
Before Tori could say anything more, Mason stood and scooped her up in his arms. He carried her to the bedroom and gently placed her on the bed. He climbed on top of her, kissing her, making everything else go fuzzy.
 
Her senses heightened and she enjoyed each time their lips met. She was turned on beyond all sense and reason.

Tori awoke the next morning but she didn’t open her eyes.
 
Maybe last night was some crazy dream and if it was she didn’t want to wake up and see that her bed was empty.
 
She had experienced true bliss last night.
 
What she had felt with Mason was so much more than she could have ever imagined.
 
If that was a crazy hallucination, to hell with sanity she thought.
 
Slowly she opened her eyes and there he was lying beside her in her bed.

Mason was lying on his side. His head propped up on his hand with those amazing blue eyes watching her intently. The sheets were well below his waist and she saw that curve that started at his hip and led below.
 
Her thoughts immediately turned to where that curve led and the night they had just shared and she felt her checks redden and her pulse quicken.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said.

“Good morning, how long have you been up?”
 

“A little while,” Mason said as he brushed a piece of hair out of her face.
 
He smiled at her like he was the happiest man in the world and she felt the same.
 
Tori wished she could wake up every day next to this man.

Eventually Tori had to get out of bed to freshen up a bit.
 
She was never a morning person and she didn’t really want to scare Mason off with a serious case of morning breath.
 
She went and brushed her teeth, used mouthwash, did all the things that made her feel human.
 
When she returned Mason went to the living room and got his bag to do the same.
 
She put on her short robe and went to make coffee.

Mason came into the living room and she offered him a cup which he took smiling.
 
He had put on his pants but left the shirt off and she still couldn’t take her eyes off him.
 
They sat on the couch facing each other and Tori still couldn’t believe Mason was here.

“You are really here to stay?” she asked looking at him.

“Yes, as far as I know it is a one way trip.”

“What about your granny?”

Mason laughed, “
She
and Earl hit it off.
 
So they are spending some time together getting to know each other better.
 
Grandpa had been dead a long time and I’m thrilled to see her so happy.
 
She said after a while she might even make the trip.
 
Granny is always up for an adventure, so I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“She is an amazing woman.”

“That she is, and so are you.”
 
He kissed her again.
 
Tori felt like she would never tire of his kisses.
 
Each time felt like the first time.

She offered to make him some breakfast and he insisted that help.
 
They had fun, teasing each other as they cooked.
 
“So my future wife can cook,” he teased as he chopped some green peppers.

“Well it’s good to know my future husband is handy in the kitchen too.
 
I just want to make sure you keep up your strength.”

“After last night I am quite famished.” He said smiling at her.

“You should be.”

Between the teasing and the kissing, breakfast got cooked and they sat down and ate their omelets, biscuits, and hash browns.
 
They spent the rest of the day and night in bed and on the couch.
 
They took a shower together and went back to bed.
 
Tori had never been so happy in all her life.

The next morning while Mason was in the shower, there was a knock at the door and Tori knew it must be her sister.
 
She threw on jeans and a t-shirt and opened the door.

“Are you ready to go for a walk?” Kathy asked.

“Not this morning.
 
I have company.”

“Is it Justin?”
 
Kathy asked excitedly.

“Shhh, no it’s Mason.”

“Mason?
 
The one you were so hung up on?
 
How?”

“He came over for me.
 
Listen if you would leave before he gets out of the shower I’d appreciate it.”

“I want to meet him.
 
Any man that could get you so hung up is a sight to be seen.”

“Not today,” Tori said.

Then Mason walked into the living room with a towel around his waist.
 
His dark hair was still wet with little droplets of water hanging off the ends.
 
He was a sight to behold.

Kathy pushed her way past Tori and held out her hand to Mason.
 
“Hi, I’m Kathy Tori’s sister.”

Mason took her hand and shook it.
 
“I’m Mason, nice to meet you. Tori
has
told me so much about you.”

“Likewise,” Kathy said.
 
Tori could see her sister blushing.

“Okay, now that you have met, I’m sure you have some things to do Kathy,” Tori said trying to get her sister to leave.

“Not really,” Kathy replied.
 
She took a seat at the kitchen table.

“I’m going to go get dressed,” Mason said.
 
“I look forward to speaking with you, Kathy.”
 
Mason walked into the bedroom and Kathy watched him go.

“Tori, he is gorgeous,” Kathy said fanning herself for effect.

“I know.”

“When did he show up?”

“After the wedding, right after I got off the phone with you,” Tori replied.

“And you….”

“Yes.”

Kathy punched her sister in the arm. “And he is from that world you say you went to?”

“Yes.”

Mason came back into the room with his black pants on and a white button down shirt.
 
He had combed his hair and pulled it back at the nape of his neck.
 
He took a seat at the table beside Tori.

“Hey ladies,” he said.

“Mason I want you to come with Tori for Christmas Eve at my house.”

“I’d be delighted,” Mason replied.

“Good.
 
Well, I better
be
going.
 
I look forward to seeing you again, Mason,” Kathy got up and walked out the door.
 
Tori could tell Kathy was still blushing and uncomfortable.
 
Kathy was almost never uncomfortable and Tori couldn’t help but giggle a little to herself.

“So that was your sister?” Mason asked.

“Yep,” Tori replied.

“She seems very nice.”

“She is.
 
Are you sure you don’t mind doing Christmas Eve with my family?”

“Mind?
 
I look forward to it.
 
We are getting married after all and soon they will be my family too.”

They had spent the last few days in bed, stopping only to eat and shower and Tori thought it might be time to leave the apartment.
 
She could spend forever in this apartment with Mason, but if he was going to stay here he needed some more modern clothes and things.
 
She also needed to get gifts for her sister, brother-in-law and nephews.

“Do you want to go shopping?”

“With you I want to do everything and anything,” Mason said pulling her to him and kissing her gently.
 
“While we are out, I wonder if you know a place I can exchange some gold for your currency.
 
I need to buy a few things.”

“Sure let me just hop on the internet and find out.” Tori said as she got her lap top and started searching.
 

Mason looked at the machine in awe as Tori deftly typed in the search terms and came back with the results.
 
“And you told me there was no magic here,” Mason said with a tone of pure amusement.
 
Tori hadn’t thought about how amazing technology would seem to someone who had never seen it but only read about it.
 
She guessed it would kind of seem like magic.

“Maybe we’ll catch a movie later.
 
I think you might love that or we could just watch television.
 
I’ll show you how to use the internet too, if you like.”