Fighting a wall of stinging tears, Sophie tried to pull herself together and give Mason an understanding smile. But try as she might, her lips refused to do little more than wobble into a half-hearted grin.
“I’m sorry, too, Mason,” she said hoarsely. “Maybe you should just drive me home.”
“Sophie, I—”
“You don’t have to explain, Mason,” she gently interrupted. “I understand completely. You’ve always thought of me as a friend. And that’s the way you want things to remain between us—just friends. I can accept that.”
An incredulous expression swept over his face and then he shook his head. “You don’t understand, Sophie! For ages—from the very beginning I met you—I’ve wanted us to be more than friends! But with all that’s been going on in your life—I’m trying to do the right thing and give you more time. To think about you and me. I don’t want to rush you and make a mess of everything.”
Relief and joy swirled inside her until she felt as though her bare feet weren’t even touching the hardwood floor.
“You’re not rushing, Mason. And sometimes a little mess is a good thing. A whole lot better than perfect.”
For one anxious second, she thought he was going to argue the point, but then his eyelids suddenly lowered and his lips found their way back to hers.
This time there was no restraint on his part, or hers. She felt no barriers standing between them or had thoughts of escape dashing through her whirling head. The only thing on her mind now was getting closer to the man she wanted.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sophie let every guard down, every vulnerable spot inside her show as she lost herself in the magic of his kiss. And almost instantly, she was transported to a place where nothing mattered but the masculine taste of his lips and the achingly wonderful warmth pouring through her.
Over and over he took her mouth in a succession of deep, scorching kisses that stole her breath and had her hands clinging to his shoulders to support her shaky legs.
Finally, he tore his mouth from hers and spoke between long, ragged breaths. “This—isn’t—enough, Sophie. I want you. All of you.”
Cradling his face between her palms, she whispered up to him, “Oh, yes, Mason. I want that, too. Very much.”
His hands pushed into her hair until his fingers were tilting her face up to his searching gaze. “Are you sure, Sophie? Just because it’s Valentine’s Day doesn’t mean—”
“I don’t care if it’s the Fourth of July or Friday the 13th,” she whispered with conviction. “I’d want you just as much.”
His gaze searched her face one last time and then he reached for her hand and led her out of the room. As Sophie followed him, her heart was pounding so hard the noise in her ears was drowning out the soft music playing on the stereo. This morning she’d been miserable and all day she’d told herself she wanted nothing more to do with any man. That all of them were nothing more than low, slithering snakes.
But that hadn’t included Mason. No, he was the only man on earth that made her feel safe and wanted. And yes, a teeny bit loved. Thinking like that perhaps made her an even bigger fool than she’d made of herself these past two weeks. But tonight Sophie wasn’t going to let herself dwell on all the things she’d rather forget. She was with Mason and for now the world felt right.
At the end of the hall they turned left and the next thing Sophie knew they were standing in his bedroom.
Mason clicked on a bedside lamp, shedding a pool of light across a bed with tumbled navy blue bedcovers and pillows stacked against a brass headboard.
“Sorry, Sophie,” he voiced the husky apology. “The bed isn’t made, but the sheets are clean.”
She laughed softly as she curled her arms around his waist and hugged him. “Who cares about bedcovers? We’re just going to mess them up anyway.”
His hands slid down her back until they were cupping her rounded bottom and drawing her hips toward his. “Sophie, why did it take so long for this to happen? Why didn’t we figure this out sooner? I think I’ve wanted you forever.”
Desire was already simmering deep within her. It was impossible to imagine how it was going to feel once their bodies were united. The mere thought of it was sending shivers of anticipation through her.
“I thought you only wanted me as your friend—someone to talk to. I didn’t know.” She stroked the pads of her fingers along the strong line of his jaw. He felt so strong and warm. And with each breath she drew in, the male scent of his skin and hair filled her head like a strong drink of wine.
His head dipped alongside hers until his nose was nuzzling her neck. “Yes, we’re friends. And we talk as friends. But tonight we’ve done enough talking. Don’t you think?”
Her fingers reached for the buttons on his shirt. “I think we can figure out plenty of other things to keep us occupied,” she whispered.
He planted another long, breathtaking kiss on her lips, but once the erotic contact ended they began shedding their clothing, each assisting the other with zippers and buttons, until finally Sophie was stripped down to a lacy pink bra and panties and Mason a pair of dark printed boxers.
Sophie’s hungry gaze barely had time to scan his hard, muscled chest and arms and slip to his corded abs, before he picked her up and laid her on the bed.
With a breathless laugh, she reached for his hand and tugged him beside her. They turned toward each other, until the front of her body was pressed against his.
To feel his bare skin rubbing against hers was as erotic as the touch of his fingers sliding down her breastbone until they reached one plump little breast. His fingers teased the nipple, until the offending barrier of her bra became a frustration.
He quickly removed the scrap of fabric and tossed it to the floor with the rest of their clothing, then turned his attention back to her breasts and the budded nipples just waiting for his touch. He didn’t disappoint as he bent his head and suckled first one and then the other.
White hot fire shot straight to the core of her, causing her lower body to involuntarily arch toward his.
Moaning, she thrust her fingers into his hair and held his head fast against her. Too soon the exquisite pleasure turned into needy pain and she tugged on his hair to signal her need for relief.
He lifted his head and in that split second when their eyes met, Sophie felt a connection so deep and real that tears stung the backs of her eyes. This was the special thing she’d been searching for. And now that she’d found it, she had to hold tight and cherish every second of passion that Mason was giving her.
“Oh, Mason, I want you,” she whispered. “So much that it’s scary.”
Groaning, he brought his lips back to hers. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Wild and scary and special.”
As the last word was spoken against her lips, Sophie circled her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to his. In a matter of seconds he was kissing her with a need so deep it rocked her senses. And when his tongue slipped inside, she eagerly responded, reveling in the taste of him, while wanting more and more.
Somewhere in the back of her spinning mind, she recognized his hands were tracing her heated skin, exploring the hills and valleys, pausing at her breasts and belly, before finally moving downward to the juncture between her thighs.
He quickly stripped away her panties and when his fingers found her most intimate spot, she moaned with need, her hips arching toward the pleasure he was bestowing.
Incredible. No one had ever touched her like this, she thought wildly. No one had ever turned her whole being into one aching flame. It was carrying her away and the helpless feeling had her frantically grabbing his shoulders and crying out.
“It’s okay, Sophie,” he whispered in a voice rough with passion. “Just ride it out. Let yourself feel everything.”
The sound of his masculine voice urging her onward was all it took for Sophie to surrender to everything he was giving. And all at once she was spinning out of control, her body writhing against his hand, her cries of pleasure like music to his ears.
Before the quaking aftermaths subsided, his mouth was back on hers, his tongue thrusting deep as it searched the ribbed roof and the sharp edges of her teeth. After the explosion that had just gone off inside her, she’d not expected to feel more. But she’d been wrong. Hot passion was throbbing inside her once again, driving her hands to move over the hard muscles of his torso, her legs to wrap invitingly around his.
Eventually, he tore his mouth away from hers and by then they were both gulping for air and Sophie wondered if he was just as dazed as she was by the urgent need that had suddenly and completely combusted between them.
“Sophie, I think you want this as much as I do, but what’s going on with us—it’s happened so fast. If you’re uncertain, tell me. Because when this is over I don’t want you to look at me with hate or regret.”
Her throat was so tight with raw emotions she could barely force her words out. “Yes, Mason! Yes, I want this. I want you. There will be no regret. Not now. Not ever.”
He pressed his lips gently to hers, then eased away to open a drawer on the nightstand. “I’ll get some protection.”
Even though Sophie could count on one hand the times she’d had intimate relations with a man in the past five years, she did take the Pill. But she didn’t bother explaining this to Mason. She wanted him to feel safe and protected.
Moments later, he returned to her and as he positioned himself over her, Sophie shivered with a need that went far beyond the physical. She wasn’t just giving her body to this man. She was trusting her heart to him.
As he hovered over her, his hands gently cradled her face and the tender touch overwhelmed her with sweet emotions, the sort she’d dreamed about.
“You’re my Valentine, Sophie. My sweetest Valentine.” His head shook back and forth as though he was trying to wake himself from a dream. “I didn’t know we were going to be making love. I never thought this would happen. But now that we are—Oh, Sophie, I’m shaking.”
Linking her hands at the back of his neck, she drew him down to her and whispered against his lips. “I’m shaking, too. But it will be special. So special.”
“Yes. Oh, yes.”
She opened her legs to him and then slowly, gently, he entered her warm, welcoming body.
The intimate connection was even more incredible than she expected and for long moments, she could scarcely breathe. But then he began to move and suddenly hot vibrations were radiating through her body, filling her with a need so reckless and wild she couldn’t contain it.
Before long, she was matching the rhythm of his movements, straining to give him everything he was giving her. Over and over their bodies crashed together in mindless ecstasy.
Sophie lost all awareness of time and place. All she knew was Mason’s hot body pushing her, driving her to a place she’d never been before. Her heart was racing, pounding in her ears like a frantic drumbeat, while her breaths had turned into little more than raspy gulps.
This white hot passion was everything and more than she’d been searching for, but never found until tonight. Until she’d stepped into Mason’s arms. This couldn’t be a one-time thing. No, this fire between them had to be the kind that never died. Never turned cold.
Just as the desperate thoughts rolled through her mind, she could feel his strokes growing faster and faster. The speed tugged her along and before she realized just how far she’d climbed, she was standing on the edge of a star, where moon dust was showering over her, and her heart was overflowing with warm, precious love.
“Sophie, Sophie.”
As she floated through the starlight, she heard him call her name, but she couldn’t utter a word. All she could do was cling to him and wait for her whirling senses to return to her body.
Long moments passed before she slowly became aware of Mason’s torso draped over hers, his damp cheek resting upon her shoulder. She could feel his heart thudding rapidly against her breast, his warm breath fanning her arm.
She threaded her fingers through his damp hair, loving the way the waves felt against her skin.
“I’m heavy. I need to move.” He rolled to one side and reached for a pillow. After he’d stuffed it beneath her head, he lay beside her and she shifted so that her face was aligned with his.
“I never expected my Valentine’s evening to be like this.” She reached over and slid her hand down his muscled arm. “Thank you, Mason, for not wanting me to be alone.”
He smiled. “I’m the selfish one, Sophie. I wanted you to be with me tonight. So I’m thanking you for being here—next to me.” He cupped her face with his hand. “You’re so beautiful, Sophie. Inside and out. Have I ever told you that?”
Her heart swelling with emotions, she caught his hand and drew it to her lips. “Not exactly,” she murmured. “But the lighting is bad in here. You might change your mind tomorrow.”
Chuckling, he drew her tight against him and buried his face in the damp curve of her neck. “Are you trying to be as funny as me?”
“I’m trying to be real.”
He eased his head back and Sophie could see the humor in his eyes had disappeared.
“Sophie, please, don’t ever doubt me. Maybe it sounds like I’m just mouthing words that I think you want to hear. But I’m not. Eventually, you’re going to see that I’m being honest with you.”
Curling an arm around his waist, she pressed her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes. “You’re a good man, Mason. And if it seems like I’m being mistrustful, well, I—I’m having trouble hanging on to my trust in anyone. I’m having trouble keeping my faith about anything—especially love and marriage.”
“Sophie,” he gently scolded. “That’s not like you. Has Thom done something unforgivable? I know you said you’d rather not talk about it. But maybe talking about it now would help.”
His fingers were making gentle, soothing circles upon her back and the sound of his steady heartbeat beneath her ears was lulling her into a safe cocoon. One that she never wanted to leave.
“It’s not Thom. Yes, he was a big disappointment. That’s not exactly right, either. I’m very disappointed in myself for being so stupid about him. No, this is something else. It’s—” She tilted her head back so that she could see his face. “It’s about my family, Mason. Things are so—I’m so mixed up. I don’t know what to think anymore. Yesterday we had a family meeting—just us siblings. And Ben has discovered that we have a half sister we never knew existed. An offspring of one of my father’s numerous affairs. This young woman lives right here in Austin. Actually, her mother was our neighbor! Oh, Mason, can you imagine your father having an affair with your neighbor? And having a child from it? I don’t know what to believe anymore. Who to trust.”
His hand smoothed the tangled hair from her brow. “Honestly, Sophie, I can’t imagine any of it. My dad has always been rock solid for his family. To learn otherwise would really shake me. You’ve already had to deal with his fake identity. That should be enough. And then the half brother from London. I thought surely that would be the end of things.”
She bit her bottom lip as tears threatened to slip from her eyes. “I shouldn’t be telling you any of this. My father’s your boss. But I—oh, Mason, you’re the only one I can really talk to about this. My sisters—well, Olivia, is just plain indifferent. I can’t understand where she’s coming from. And Zoe, she’s always been in Dad’s camp. Then there’s Rachel. She’s the one who sort of unearthed all of this about Dad in the first place. I think she’s been pretty shaken by it all, too. But she’s married and lives in Horseback Hollow now. She’s not always around for me to commiserate with.”
He continued to stroke her hair and the strong rhythmic feel of his fingers helped to ease her troubled mind.
“As far as I’m concerned, you don’t have to worry, Sophie. What you tell me in private will stay private. But I’m curious about one thing. What does your mother say about all this? Do you think your parents might get a divorce? Is that what’s troubling you?”
His questions pulled a long groan from Sophie’s throat. “I’m clueless about my parents, Mason. When Mother found out about Keaton it was like she just turned the other cheek. Not long ago I tried to talk with her about it, but she doesn’t want to discuss it. Maybe she doesn’t want to go through a messy divorce and split up millions of dollars of assets. Or maybe she still loves Dad in spite of everything. I just don’t know. But if more illegitimate children start to appear, I can’t fathom her just turning a blind eye to the awful truth. Oh, Mason, don’t you see? My family isn’t real to me anymore. Everything is fake and cloaked in secrecy.”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. “Sophie, there’s nothing fake about you. You’re one of the most real people I’ve ever known. You can’t let any of this drag you down or make you doubt yourself.”
All of a sudden she wanted to tell him how very much she adored him. She wanted him to understand how making love to him had been so perfect and right. But this was the first time they’d been together as a real couple. She didn’t want to spoil things by going too fast.
“Being here with you is the most real thing that’s ever happened to me, Mason,” she murmured. “Is it too late to say Happy Valentine’s Day?”
“It’s not a bit too late. The night is just starting.”
* * *
It was the wee hours of the morning when Mason drove Sophie back to the parking garage to pick up her car. Although he’d wanted her to stay overnight at his place, she’d reasoned that it wouldn’t be smart for the other Robinson Tech employees to see them arriving at work together. At least, not yet. Not until everyone could see that Sophie was no longer dating Thom. She hardly needed to add more gossip about her family to what was already going around the office.
Mason had been none too happy about Sophie’s desire to keep their relationship a secret. But he’d understood her reasons and had finally promised to go along with her wishes. The fact that he was willing to do that for her made her love him even more.
Love. Had she already fallen in love with Mason? One session of hot, mind-blowing sex shouldn’t make her heart fall in love.
No, it was more than sex that was making her heart want to sing with joy, she thought. Making love to Mason had been perfect. More perfect than she could’ve ever imagined. But the truth was, she’d been falling in love with him for some time now. She’d just been too blind to see it.
She was walking through the house on the way to her bedroom, thinking about Mason and how her life had taken an abrupt change, when she spotted a dim light filtering from the partially opened doorway of her father’s study.
Even though Gerald Robinson was a workaholic, she’d never seen him in his study at nearly four in the morning. Or was that her father burning the midnight oil? As far as she knew, he was still out of town.
With the red bear Mason had given her clutched beneath one arm, Sophie silently tiptoed to the door. She peered in and stared in complete confusion. Her mother was sitting at the desk, carefully studying papers scattered in front of her. Her mother never involved herself in Robinson Tech business. Nor in the household accounts; a private secretary took care of them. So what was she doing? Digging into her husband’s secret transactions? Or perhaps it was love letters?
A part of Sophie wanted to barge into the room and demand answers. She wanted to scream at her mother that she was sick of the lies and secrets. But that wouldn’t be a particularly smart move. Knowing Charlotte, she would simply dismiss Sophie’s confrontation as childish and order her out of the study. No, if Sophie wanted to discover the truth, she’d have to be far more patient and subtle about going after it.
Sophie, there’s nothing fake about you. You’re one of the most real people I’ve ever known.
Mason’s words suddenly returned to her and Sophie glanced down at the bear she was clutching tightly to her breast. For Mason’s sake, for her own sake, she couldn’t hide from the truth about her family. Nor could she hide from these newborn feelings in her heart.
Her faith in her family had been shattered, but she had to trust Mason. She had to believe that their relationship would grow into something strong and unbreakable. She had to keep telling herself that her life, her marriage was going to be real and filled with love. She was not going to be a cold woman sitting alone at her husband’s desk at four in the morning.