This level of desire was foreign and scary. She’d never felt anything remotely this powerful. As great as parts of this weekend had been with him, she would be thankful when they got back home, pretend they’d never crossed that line, and finally put an end to this charade.
He stirred behind her. She tensed a little, waiting to see what he’d do, but he only twitched once, still asleep. He probably needed it. They hadn’t gotten to bed until late, and he hadn’t slept well, waking a few times with violent jerks that she pretended to sleep through so she wouldn’t make him feel uncomfortable.
Had the scene at the cabin triggered his subconscious and given him nightmares? She was so curious about him. Wanted to know what had happened to him to make him leave his beloved JTF2 and the military. A man didn’t put that much dedication and sacrifice in and then walk away easily. Whatever demons Mason faced, they were horrific.
She lay still, not wanting to wake him, savoring these stolen moments of being held in his arms. Soon enough reality would intrude once more and they’d have to face the rest of the world. The cops would want to talk to them again, give them an update and see if they had anything else to add to the investigation. Her family would all want to see them too, make sure they were okay.
She would do her own digging into what had transpired at the cabin. Right now, she was still unsure as to who could have done it. After that, it was time to say their goodbyes and hit the road back to Rifle Creek, where she and Mason would go back to the newly awkward relationship of tenant and landlord.
Twenty minutes later, she was too restless to lie there any longer and gently eased away from him. He woke just as she was getting out of bed, going from sleep to total alertness in the blink of an eye. “Morning,” he mumbled, running a hand through his thick, dark hair, the shadow of a beard already showing on his face. “What time is it?”
“Seven. Go back to sleep if you want. I’m just gonna shower and get ready so I can talk to security.”
He shook his head. “I’ll come with you.”
She hurried into the bathroom to shower, brush her teeth and get ready with the things her sister had given her. When she came out Mason was stretched out against the headboard, still dressed, phone in hand as he texted someone.
“Just updating Tate, telling him we might be a while longer getting back today,” he said. “Apparently Ric’s been pouting through their entire trip, pining for me.”
“Aww, poor sweetheart. We’ll get back as soon as we can.”
Those blue, blue eyes swept over the length of her, taking in the snug navy sweater dress with frank male approval that made her pulse trip. Her sister wore a size smaller than her, so it was tighter than what Avery would normally wear. “Shower free?”
“Yeah, all yours.” She gave him plenty of room as he got up and passed her, unsure if she was relieved or disappointed that he didn’t touch her or try to push her boundaries.
This was their last chance at being alone together in a private room here. She’d expected him to try and press his advantage after last night, that he’d sense her wavering and unleash more of that innate carnality she didn’t have a hope in hell of resisting.
But he didn’t. And when he stepped out of the steamy bathroom minutes later, dressed and raising his eyebrows at her with nothing but a “Ready?”, she decided she was disappointed after all.
They went downstairs for a quick breakfast. Her parents and sister were there in the dining hall, all anxious about her and what had happened last night. “I’m okay, guys, really,” she told them, giving them all hugs. “We’re meeting with security this morning, and after I get home, I’ll still be in contact with the local cops to get to the bottom of it.”
She and Mason ate, then went to talk to security. Mason stood back near the door of the private room like a sentry, imposing with his muscular arms folded across his chest as he watched and listened. Avery asked the security and manager about the staff and went over the list of who had been working last night, then reviewed the video footage.
It showed someone in a dark hoodie angling up alongside the Ponderosa from the direction of the lake and coming up the porch. Whoever it was kept their face angled in a way that no features were visible in the shot, lost in shadow as they entered the cabin. Slender build, probably female. Height, maybe five-five to five-eight or so.
“Eleven-forty-nine p.m.,” the head of security noted. “Were you both at the reception then?” he asked Avery and Mason.
No, they’d been in the supply room with the top of Avery’s dress peeled down and Mason’s hand between her legs as he’d made her come harder than she had in maybe ever. “Yes.”
The vandal left the cabin eleven minutes later, walking down the porch and around the side of it back toward the lake. Avery and Mason showed up six minutes after that. The sight of them together made something hitch in her chest. They looked good together, and seeing Mason’s arm around her made her tummy flip.
“We’ve already sent this to the cops,” the head of security said.
“Can you send me a copy too?” Rifle Creek had limited resources but she had contacts in Missoula or Billings who would do her a favor and see if they could get an enhanced image of the vandal’s face. A long shot, but better than nothing to start.
“Of course. We’ll keep questioning the staff, see if they noticed anything. Again, we’re really sorry about this. Of course, there will be no charge for your stay, and we’d like to offer you some compensation for your belongings.”
“Thank you.” She looked at Mason. There was nothing more to be done here. “Shall we?”
He nodded and opened the door for her, curled a hand around her waist as they walked back to the breakfast room. Her family was still there. She filled them in on the investigation, then glanced around at the other guests. Would someone here have trashed her room and burned her stuff? Doug and Keely were notably absent. A tiny part of her wondered if they’d had something to do with this. If not first hand, then maybe paying someone to do it for them.
At any rate, it had been an eventful weekend, and now it was time to go. She said goodbye to her family, dishing out more hugs. Her mom and sister hugged Mason, too. “Mason, I hope we’ll be seeing a lot more of you from now on,” her mom told him, gazing up into his eyes. “We love you already.”
“Mom,” Avery groaned, but he was grinning down at her mother.
“I hope so too,” he said.
Her dad shook Mason’s hand. “Hit me up for fishing or hunting anytime. And you take care of my little girl, all right?”
“I will, sir.”
Sir? Avery’s eyebrows went up, a little pang hitting her. Her family was seriously in love with him after only two days. It wasn’t going to be any fun telling them later that she and Mason were no longer together.
He slung his duffel—now containing his clothes and her few unburned items too—over one muscled shoulder and caught her hand in his as they walked out to the parking lot. It was a bittersweet moment, with her anxious to get this fake relationship over with, while at the same time wishing it could have lasted a bit longer.
Which was nuts. Mason was way too complicated a man for her to get involved with in any kind of a relationship, no matter if he’d managed to slip under her skin this weekend.