Betting on You (16 page)

Chapter Fourteen

She was on fire, burning up from the inside out. There was no relief, only flames that built higher and higher as Mason tortured her with his mouth.

Torture. It was
torture
.

Terrible, wonderful, sweet, mind-blowing torture.

Lark’s head fell back and her body arched into Mason’s mouth against her will, forcing her breast into deeper connection with his lips, his tongue, his….teeth?

Oh, god, yes. Yes, those were his teeth, raking over her nipple, sending an electric shock coursing through her body and the need building inside her spiraling even higher.

“Mason, please,” she moaned, legs shifting on either side of his hips, wishing and aching and dying for him,
all
of him.

She was so near the edge, she could probably come from rubbing against him through what little remained of their clothes, but she didn’t want that. She wanted him inside her, wanted to feel that close, that connected, to the man she loved before she let go, surrendering to how crazy he made her.

Crazy. Completely out of her mind, and getting crazier by the second.

“God, Lark, I want you so much,” Mason murmured against her skin as his palm smoothed down her stomach, down, down until his hand dipped below the elastic of her panties, his fingers finding where she was so hot, so wet, and slowly pushing inside.

Lark dug her nails into Mason’s back and moaned as he withdrew with the same aching slowness while his mouth continued to tease back and forth between her breasts and his thumb circled her clit, building the tension coiling inside of her to the breaking point.

“Stop,” Lark panted, reaching down to grip Mason’s thick forearm, stilling the sinful rhythm of his fingers between her legs.

He looked up, meeting her eyes with a hungry look that was almost enough to tip her over the edge. “Now?” he asked, sounding as breathless as she felt.

“Now,” she begged, nodding her head too fast. “Now, please. Now.”

Mason claimed her lips in another mind-numbing kiss as he made quick work of his boxers and her panties. The satin was simply there one second and gone the next, and a moment later Mason was kneeling between her thighs, rolling on a condom.

Lark stared, mouth going dry, heart skipping a beat or two.

Or three.

She had never seen Mason completely undressed, never seen that thickness she’d touched hundreds of times free to stretch all the way up Mason’s flat stomach, nearly to his belly button.

He was…bigger than she remembered, or maybe just bigger than she had realized back when they were kids fumbling around in the back of his truck, too nervous to take all their clothes off for fear of taking things too far, too fast.

“You okay?” Mason asked, thick arms flexing as he finished with the condom and gave her thighs a gentle squeeze.

God, he was gorgeous. Perfect. Even more stunning than she’d imagined. She’d imagined them like this more times than she could count, and now it was finally going to happen. It was enough to make her shiver as she nodded and reached for him, pulling him down for another kiss.

“Are you sure?” Mason asked against her lips, kissing her with the words as his fingers returned to her breasts, rolling one nipple gently between his finger and thumb, sending a fresh wave of beautiful agony coursing through her.

“Yes,” Lark said, spreading her thighs and lifting her hips, issuing an invitation she hoped Mason couldn’t refuse. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Mason groaned low in his throat, whispering her name as he reached down to position himself. Lark felt the blunt head of him at her entrance and then, a second later, he pushed inside, filling every aching inch, stretching her, opening her in a way that almost hurt, but didn’t because it felt so good.

So. So. Good.

“God, Lark.” Mason’s hands cupped her bottom, shifting her hips, guiding her even closer, until he reached the end of her, until he was buried so deep it felt like they were the same person.

“You feel amazing,” he breathed into her neck. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too,” Lark said, running her hands down his back to dig her fingernails into his bare ass as he began to move, thrusting in and out with a smooth, liquid rhythm that quickly brought her back to the brink.

Lark lifted her hips, grinding into Mason as he thrust forward, squeezing her eyes shut as she got closer, closer, until her entire body hummed and lights danced behind her eyes and—

“Look at me,” Mason breathed above her. “I want to see you.”

Lark’s eyes flew open, meeting Mason’s, and that was enough. She cried out, her body locking down around where Mason still thrust inside her, sending waves of bliss shooting through every nerve ending, out over every inch of bare skin until pleasure burned and pulsed and vibrated inside her, shaking her soul loose from her flesh and bones.

“You’re so beautiful,” Mason panted, watching her come with a blissfully pained expression as his pace grew faster.

Faster, faster, until he was driving between her legs with a rhythm that made Lark moan and wrap her legs tighter around his waist, pulling him deeper and deeper as the exquisite tension in her core began to build all over again.

“Mason!” She called his name as she came the second time, thighs squeezing his hips.

Seconds later, he joined her, losing himself inside her with a guttural cry that was primal and male and so full of unrestrained joy it left no doubt in Lark’s mind that they were in the exact same place. It was a special place, a holy place, and one they could only reach with one another.

Afterward, they stayed locked together for several long moments, neither wanting to move, to venture a single inch apart. But finally, Mason pressed a light kiss to the tip of her nose and reached down between them.

“I should take care of this,” he whispered, pulling away and moving into the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

Lark lay spent on the bed, eyes glued to Mason as he left the room and came back barely a minute later.

He turned the corner and froze, smiling as his eyes met hers. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were ogling me.”

“Ogling is such a dirty word,” Lark drawled, feeling lazy and delicious and so satisfied that if she were a cat she knew she’d be purring. “Admiring is a better one.”

Mason stood with his hands on his hips, obviously not a bit troubled by his own nakedness. “Let me know when you’re done,” he said, executing an end-of-runway turn that should have been hysterical, but wasn’t because he was that perfect.

“I’ve never seen anything like you,” Lark said. “I mean, I knew you were gorgeous, but I had no idea.” She motioned with one lazy hand up and down, including all of Mason’s delectable body. “I’m not sure I’m worthy.”

Mason smile faded. “You’re more than worthy. You’re amazing,” he said, crawling up on the bed to lie beside her, curling his arm around her waist and pulling her close. “You are everything I ever wanted, more than I deserve, and that was the best damned sex I’ve ever had.”

Lark curled into him with a sigh. “Me too.”

“Then I guess we should stick with each other from here on out,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It just makes sense, you know?”

Lark looked up at him, meeting his hopeful gaze. Suddenly, the jolt of fear she’d felt when he talked about buying her a rock for her ring finger seemed ridiculous. Newly rediscovered, unexpected, or not, what she and Mason had was the real thing, the realest thing she’d ever felt—in bed or out of it—and she wasn’t about to pretend she didn’t want this to be forever.

“It
is
the only thing that makes sense,” she said, shifting in his arms until they were face to face. “The only thing that will ever make sense.”

Mason’s expression softened, and Lark knew he understood what she meant when he said, “Maybe, by this time next year, we won’t need condoms anymore.”

“I don’t think we will,” Lark said with a smile. “Because I think I’m going to want to have your baby as soon as is reasonably possible.”

Mason let out a long, relieved breath. “I am so glad to hear you say that.” He hugged her closer, arms shaking just the slightest bit, letting Lark know that this moment meant as much to him as it did to her. “I can’t wait to start a family with you. Our family.”

“Me either,” Lark said, fighting the urge to cry, and losing. She sighed and the water filling her eyes spilled down her cheeks.

“Don’t cry,” Mason said, as he wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. “You’re going to make me cry, and I’ll lose all the manly points I gained by making you come twice during our first time together.”

Lark laughed and rolled her eyes. “Manly points.”

“Yes, manly points. One for each orgasm,” he said, squeezing her hip in a way that was both comforting and arousing at the same time. “I’m collecting them. I’m aiming for five by the end of the night.”

“Five?” Lark lifted one brow. “That’s a lofty goal.”

“What can I say, I’m a lofty guy,” he said, hand wandering up to cup her breast in his warm palm. “Who is really, really into your body.”

Lark sighed, but twisted away before Mason could take things any further. She rolled over and slipped off the bed, heading for her purse.

“Where are you going?” Mason asked, sounding so bereft Lark couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m just going to call Aria and let her know I won’t be home tonight,” Lark said, rummaging through her purse. “I don’t want her or Melody to worry.”

“I thought you told them you might be staying at your apartment tonight.”

Lark peeked over her shoulder, blushing when she saw Mason sprawled at the end of the bed, staring at her bare bottom with a rapt expression. “Were you eavesdropping?”

Mason grinned, but didn’t shift his gaze. “I couldn’t help overhearing while I was lingering close enough to the door to overhear.”

Lark laughed. “Quit looking at my butt, you’re distracting me.”

“No,” Mason said, eyes remaining exactly where they were. “I’ve never seen this view before. I’m memorizing it.”

Lark sighed and turned back to her purse, finally emptying it out onto the desk.

There was still no sign of her phone.

“I must have left it in the cup holder in the car,” she said.

“Do you want me to run down and get it?” Mason asked. “I could throw my clothes on and be down and back in a few.”

Lark turned back to him, arms crossed beneath her bare breasts, feeling much less self-conscious in front of Mason than she’d assumed she’d be. “Clothes back on,” she said, with a pout. “That doesn’t sound like very much fun.”

Mason grinned. “No, I didn’t think so either, but I was trying to be nice.”

“You are nice,” Lark said. “But you’re nicest when you’re naked and willing.”

Mason’s grin turned into a delighted smile. “When it comes to you, I’m always willing.” He lay back on the pillows with his arms crossed behind his head, the stirring between his legs supporting his claim.

“Good,” Lark said, padding toward him on tiptoe, eying his nude form with obvious appreciation. “Because this time I think I’d like to be on top.”

Mason’s eyes grew hooded. “I think that sounds like a wonderful idea.”

And it was. And later, as they lay exhausted in bed, still twined together, breathing in perfect sync, Lark let herself imagine waking up this way every morning for the rest of her life. She held the dream close as she drifted off to sleep in Mason’s arms, promising herself that if he didn’t pop the question in the next few weeks, then she would do it herself.

She’d waited long enough for this kind of happiness; she was ready to get started on ever after with the man she loved.

Chapter Fifteen

Date Six

Lark knew something was wrong as soon as she checked her text messages.

She knew something was
really
wrong when she called Aria on the way out of the city, and her sister refused to tell her what was happening over the phone.

“Just come home,” Aria said. “We can talk about it when you get here.”

“But I won’t be home for at least an hour. We spent the night in Atlanta,” Lark said, heart racing with worry. “I’m going to drive myself crazy by then. Are Mom and Dad okay?”

“Mom and Dad are fine.”

“What about the baby? And Melody? Are they—”

“Everyone’s okay. Or at least no one is hurt. It’s…something else.” She lowered her voice. “Something I think we’re better off discussing in person. Without Mason around.”

Lark paused, a foul feeling rising in her chest. “Why without Mason?” she asked, not caring if Mason heard. “Mason and I are together now, Aria. Anything you can say to me, you can say to him.”

Aria sighed, a long, sad sigh that did nothing to calm Lark’s nerves. “Just…come home, okay? I’ll be waiting when you get here. Melody took Felicity out to Brian’s place to feed the ducks and pet the horses, so we should have the house to ourselves.”