Fallen Crest Alternative Version
Page 9
When I staggered back through the door, I nearly fell over, panting. I had sprinted the entire hour, but I had no idea how far I’d gone. It’d been worth every breath that ripped through me and every mile I raced across. I knew I had a smile from ear to ear, but I couldn’t shake it. I didn’t want to.
While I heard male voices from the kitchen, I ignored them and headed straight for my bedroom. After I had hopped in the shower and came out in a towel, I wasn’t surprised to see Mason on my bed. He propped himself up and gave me a lazy grin. “Let it drop.”
A rush of tingles raced through me, but I opened my closet and kept the towel on. “Garrett was drinking when I left. Is he drunk by now?”
“Nah.” His voice was husky as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He pulled me against him and nuzzled underneath my ear. His lips moved against my skin, causing goosebumps across my skin as I closed my eyes. “He’s having a good time. He wants to get to know me and Logan.”
My head fell back, and I let myself sag in his arms before I twisted to face him. He grinned and pulled me tight against him. My leg was lifted over his and he held me in place at the waist. One of his hands skimmed down my arm to the edge of the towel. Two fingers pushed inside, and he let it drop the next moment. I shivered in excited anticipation and was lifted off my feet the next second.
He swung me in his arms and carried me to the bed. As he laid me down, he held himself over me, his gaze hungrily roaming over my body. I slid a hand through his hair and pulled him down. My lips opened over his as I arched against him, but he still held himself over me. His lips explored mine and took their time in a slow kiss. I groaned. I wanted him against me. I wanted him between my legs as I curled them around his waist to drag him down. He resisted and chuckled into my mouth.
He moved to the side and caressed my body. He went slow as he felt every inch of me. His lips followed in his trail and I was trembling by the time he lifted his head to meet my lips again.
Bang! Bang!
Mason cursed as he flipped to his feet and hurried for the door. When it started to open, he slammed it shut again.
“Mason, dude! Come on.” Logan sounded angry on the other side.
Mason grinned at me as he panted. “Give us a minute.”
“It’s been thirty. Get your asses downstairs.” He waited a beat. “Hi, Sam. I’ve missed you.”
My voice was raspy as I called out, “Hi, Logan. Five minutes, okay?”
We heard grumbling before he left.
Mason bit out some more curses as he raked a hand through his hair. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one still panting and raised myself up. My limbs felt like they were in thigh-high mud. I groaned and weakly made it to the closet. When I tried to pull on some jeans, my leg kept missing the pants, and I heard Mason laughing as he picked me back up in his arms. He deposited me on the bed again but, this time, bent to help guide my legs into the jeans.
I grinned as my cheeks got warmer. “Thanks.”
His shoulders shook as he bent down and pressed a kiss to the apex between my legs before he skimmed my underwear up and pulled the pants after. Then he teased in a husky note, “You need help with your bra too?”
I slapped him on the shoulder before I crawled off the bed and pulled out a sporty tank. It had a built-in bra, I slipped a white tank over that before I shook my head, still grinning and still with warm cheeks. “I can’t believe you had to dress me.”
His eyes held a dark promise as he stretched. “I have that effect on women. What can I say?”
I was tempted to hit him again, but I pushed him ahead of me instead as we made our way down to the kitchen.
There was a knowing hint in Garrett’s eyes as he raised his glass towards us. “Come. Join. Drink. Don’t tell your mother, Mason.”
Mason chuckled as he took the offered drink. “Thanks, Mr. Brickshire—”
He scoffed. “You know to call me Garrett by now, Mason.”
“Garrett.” Mason nodded and leaned against the counter behind me. He didn’t touch me, but I still felt his body heat.
“Sam, do you want—” He started to say, but a body picked me up in the air the next instant and I was swung around the room. Logan held me tight and buried his head into my neck as he laughed.
I couldn’t hide my own smile when he lowered me back to the ground.
“Man, I’ve missed you, sis.” Logan stepped back but kept a hand on my arm when he saw I was a little shaky.
The room felt dizzy for a moment. My cheeks were bright red now, and I ducked my head down. “You too, Logan.” I shook my head to clear the swirling room. “I think I need some food in me.”
Mason chuckled in a low voice. “Too bad you didn’t come last night.”
“Yeah,” Logan laughed. “We had a six course meal.” He whistled underneath his breath. “Mom went all out. I’m sure it had nothing to do with dad’s upcoming nuptials.”
“Nah. Not at all.” The sarcasm was thick in Mason’s voice. “Or when she was buttering us up for information about your mom, Sam.”
Garrett gave out a hearty laugh. “That sounds like Helen.”
“Speaking of nuptials,” Logan started when we sat around the table. He was beside me as Mason and Garrett were across. “When are you and our mom getting hitched?”
Garrett had been lifting his glass for a sip, but paused at the question and his eyebrows arched high. “Hmmm?”
“You heard the question.” Logan threw an arm on the back of my seat and lounged back. Both brothers looked relaxed but waiting. That was when I knew they’d been ready for this meeting and there was an agenda behind their carefree attitudes. My gut told me they were anything except carefree.
I settled into my seat and got ready for the show. It was like old times.
CHAPTER FIVE
Logan seemed ready to pounce, but Mason beat him to it. “Are you still married?” His gaze was steady and there was no emotion on his face. He was stone cold.
Garrett seemed to hesitate as he swung his gaze around the group and then leaned his elbows on the table. “Uh. Okay. That’s a fair question.”
“Mom said you guys were engaged. She hasn’t said anything since. That’s not like her.” He never blinked. “That makes me think you’re still married and she was bluffing in that hotel room to piss off our dad and Analise.”
While I heard male voices from the kitchen, I ignored them and headed straight for my bedroom. After I had hopped in the shower and came out in a towel, I wasn’t surprised to see Mason on my bed. He propped himself up and gave me a lazy grin. “Let it drop.”
A rush of tingles raced through me, but I opened my closet and kept the towel on. “Garrett was drinking when I left. Is he drunk by now?”
“Nah.” His voice was husky as he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He pulled me against him and nuzzled underneath my ear. His lips moved against my skin, causing goosebumps across my skin as I closed my eyes. “He’s having a good time. He wants to get to know me and Logan.”
My head fell back, and I let myself sag in his arms before I twisted to face him. He grinned and pulled me tight against him. My leg was lifted over his and he held me in place at the waist. One of his hands skimmed down my arm to the edge of the towel. Two fingers pushed inside, and he let it drop the next moment. I shivered in excited anticipation and was lifted off my feet the next second.
He swung me in his arms and carried me to the bed. As he laid me down, he held himself over me, his gaze hungrily roaming over my body. I slid a hand through his hair and pulled him down. My lips opened over his as I arched against him, but he still held himself over me. His lips explored mine and took their time in a slow kiss. I groaned. I wanted him against me. I wanted him between my legs as I curled them around his waist to drag him down. He resisted and chuckled into my mouth.
He moved to the side and caressed my body. He went slow as he felt every inch of me. His lips followed in his trail and I was trembling by the time he lifted his head to meet my lips again.
Bang! Bang!
Mason cursed as he flipped to his feet and hurried for the door. When it started to open, he slammed it shut again.
“Mason, dude! Come on.” Logan sounded angry on the other side.
Mason grinned at me as he panted. “Give us a minute.”
“It’s been thirty. Get your asses downstairs.” He waited a beat. “Hi, Sam. I’ve missed you.”
My voice was raspy as I called out, “Hi, Logan. Five minutes, okay?”
We heard grumbling before he left.
Mason bit out some more curses as he raked a hand through his hair. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one still panting and raised myself up. My limbs felt like they were in thigh-high mud. I groaned and weakly made it to the closet. When I tried to pull on some jeans, my leg kept missing the pants, and I heard Mason laughing as he picked me back up in his arms. He deposited me on the bed again but, this time, bent to help guide my legs into the jeans.
I grinned as my cheeks got warmer. “Thanks.”
His shoulders shook as he bent down and pressed a kiss to the apex between my legs before he skimmed my underwear up and pulled the pants after. Then he teased in a husky note, “You need help with your bra too?”
I slapped him on the shoulder before I crawled off the bed and pulled out a sporty tank. It had a built-in bra, I slipped a white tank over that before I shook my head, still grinning and still with warm cheeks. “I can’t believe you had to dress me.”
His eyes held a dark promise as he stretched. “I have that effect on women. What can I say?”
I was tempted to hit him again, but I pushed him ahead of me instead as we made our way down to the kitchen.
There was a knowing hint in Garrett’s eyes as he raised his glass towards us. “Come. Join. Drink. Don’t tell your mother, Mason.”
Mason chuckled as he took the offered drink. “Thanks, Mr. Brickshire—”
He scoffed. “You know to call me Garrett by now, Mason.”
“Garrett.” Mason nodded and leaned against the counter behind me. He didn’t touch me, but I still felt his body heat.
“Sam, do you want—” He started to say, but a body picked me up in the air the next instant and I was swung around the room. Logan held me tight and buried his head into my neck as he laughed.
I couldn’t hide my own smile when he lowered me back to the ground.
“Man, I’ve missed you, sis.” Logan stepped back but kept a hand on my arm when he saw I was a little shaky.
The room felt dizzy for a moment. My cheeks were bright red now, and I ducked my head down. “You too, Logan.” I shook my head to clear the swirling room. “I think I need some food in me.”
Mason chuckled in a low voice. “Too bad you didn’t come last night.”
“Yeah,” Logan laughed. “We had a six course meal.” He whistled underneath his breath. “Mom went all out. I’m sure it had nothing to do with dad’s upcoming nuptials.”
“Nah. Not at all.” The sarcasm was thick in Mason’s voice. “Or when she was buttering us up for information about your mom, Sam.”
Garrett gave out a hearty laugh. “That sounds like Helen.”
“Speaking of nuptials,” Logan started when we sat around the table. He was beside me as Mason and Garrett were across. “When are you and our mom getting hitched?”
Garrett had been lifting his glass for a sip, but paused at the question and his eyebrows arched high. “Hmmm?”
“You heard the question.” Logan threw an arm on the back of my seat and lounged back. Both brothers looked relaxed but waiting. That was when I knew they’d been ready for this meeting and there was an agenda behind their carefree attitudes. My gut told me they were anything except carefree.
I settled into my seat and got ready for the show. It was like old times.
CHAPTER FIVE
Logan seemed ready to pounce, but Mason beat him to it. “Are you still married?” His gaze was steady and there was no emotion on his face. He was stone cold.
Garrett seemed to hesitate as he swung his gaze around the group and then leaned his elbows on the table. “Uh. Okay. That’s a fair question.”
“Mom said you guys were engaged. She hasn’t said anything since. That’s not like her.” He never blinked. “That makes me think you’re still married and she was bluffing in that hotel room to piss off our dad and Analise.”
