What about you? - 4

Chapter 4

Kate stopped dead as she stepped into the hotel. It was like being in some time warp. Everything was as it was five minutes earlier, yet her heart was still racing, her lips still bruised, and her world turned on its head. Her mother waved and she crossed to her, aware that she probably had mud, if not grass stains across her backside...she half laughed at the thought that it would only improve the look of the dress. Her worry was that everyone would jump to the wrong conclusions. Strolling across the room, she was glad of the dim light to hide her indiscretion.

                “You having fun?” her mother asked, Kate felt herself blush at the innocent question. “You missed your brother leaving! They look so happy!”

Kate squeezed her mother’s hand, there was always so much unsaid between them. “Have you had a great day? There’s been so much planning for you!”

Her mother nodded, “it was worth it. I just wish...” She let the comment fall away instead adding, “I wish I had more children to marry off if it means I get time to spend with you.”

Kate sighed, “I’ll try to get home more often...it’s just hard.”

As usual their conversations ended with pain and awkwardness, but Kate maintained the contact between their hands as they both talked to Aunt Hilda.

                “I’m going to bed now Elaine, Kate. I’ve had a wonderful day, but too much of what the barman called mimosa...I thought it was fruit juice...but I feel too wonky for that!”

The mother and daughter laughed at the eccentric aunty, she was a real law unto herself.

                “Mimosa is buck’s fizz Aunty, you’ve been drinking fizz all day!”

She blushed, “will you see me to my room Kate? I think I probably drank a whole bottle of the stuff!”

Kate was still chuckling as she closed the door behind the tipsy elderly relative, then made for the party. She was ready for bed herself, but she needed to speak to her mother, kiss her goodnight, arrange to see her in the morning.  Her mother was returning to the farm as she hated to leave it without Stuart being there, plus the workers would be in as usual at five am.

Descending the stairs, she was never more aware of her muddy shoes as the reception was well lit, but cutting across to the ballroom she held her head high. People were starting to leave thick and fast, so Kate who’d managed to avoid conversations all day was pinned down by relatives who wanted more from her. She took it in her stride until she spotted the dark figure leaning against the wall opposite, features occluded by the dim lights, but it could only be one person...Mason.

Dropping her head she listened to the ruminations of her Uncle and Aunt who were just about to leave. But it was like standing in the headlights of a racing car, speeding towards her at a ridiculous speed, and she couldn’t switch off to the threat. And he watched her every move.

Whilst her head screamed ‘run away’, she found is attention flattering, more than flattering, it was arousing, and she knew that she was playing up to his attention. From the way she swiped the hair behind her ears, to the coquettish way she tilted her head as she listened to stories of her childhood, and each time she swept her tongue over her bottom lips invitingly, she knew she was trying to tease him, and the look in his eyes told her it was working. She had no idea what game she was playing, after all she’d just run away from him when the image of Peter and her betrayal flashed into her mind. Now she was trying to push his buttons, to turn him on, but she wasn’t sure how she’d deal with the consequences.

Mason had had enough of this teasing, this unrelenting flirting. Any other woman and he’d have marched across the room, tossed her over his shoulder, then carried her cavemen style to his bedroom. But the little he knew about her, he knew that would be the worst thing to do. So he plotted a more amicable conclusion.

He was loitering at the first floor lobby when he heard footsteps on the stairs. He’d been false-alarmed by several other residents climbing the stairs, but this time he was rewarded with Kate. She cut a lonely figure, sat and dejected. He suddenly realised how much front she’d put on through the day. Now she was exhausted.

Kate looked up and saw Mason, he was so sexy, so handsome, but it was the worst moment for her, if one more person had landed misplaced sympathy and pity on her she was likely to explode. She’d escaped to collapse into a ball of self pity and grief, and as she looked at Mason’s face she realised she was too far gone to drag herself back from it.

                “I can’t do this Mason...”

He reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, “do what? I’m just trying to see what there is between us Kate, and to be honest you’ve been flirting with me most of the day.”

She shrugged, “flirting is just that. I’m tired...”

His restraint to her shoulder was gentle but insistent, “what are you scared of? We’re two consenting adults out for some fun. What’s wrong with that?”

                “It’s not what I want!” She exclaimed close to tears, so please leave me alone.

Mason didn’t believe her, but he was a gentleman if nothing else, so he lowered his mouth to hers just for a brief kiss, a goodbye. But she latched onto his lips with her own in an outpouring of emotion and desire, and, he was only human. Wrapping his arms around her, he reciprocated, devouring her eagerly.

                “Where’s your room?” he breathed against her neck between nibbles at her earlobe.

                “Fourth floor,” she offered, suddenly realising they could so easily be discovered kissing so brazenly in the corridor.

Mason groaned a response, “too far, mine is along the hall.” Taking her hands he led her there never letting his lips leave hers, other than to open the door.  And if she regretted her choice, it was only for a second. Inside the closed room, he backed her against the door and continued where he’d left off, devouring her neck, nudging the fabric of the dress away from her shoulder.

Kate started to panic, how had she got here? And why couldn’t she seem to break this spell Mason had over her? He’d sensed her tension, she could tell, because the torment he was creating at the base of her neck eased as he brought his mouth back to find hers.  

He was an expert kisser, and it melted the ice at the core of her heart with heat and fire. Within seconds again she was more than pliant in his arms; she was alive, reciprocating every nuance, every step up in intensity. Whatever regrets or misgivings she had that weren’t washed away by the alcohol consumed earlier and the emotions of the day, dissolved in a wave of passion, desire and lust.

Mason finally found the zip underneath her right arm that would release that awful dress once and for all. He didn’t pause, merely tugged at it. Lifting his head from hers he slid the sleeves over her arms and was rewarded by the satin creation falling to her hips and then with a rather erotic wiggle to the floor. All that he’d imagined was there for him to see, delicious curves from a slim waist to rounded hips, breasts that were barely contained by the flesh coloured bra that remained, and as he looked he realised his hands wouldn’t do a better job.

Two hands at his throat distracted him from the appraisal of the woman stood in front of him. Mason let out a groan as his tie was loosened, his jacket pushed over his arms.

Kate didn’t feel self conscious virtually naked in front of this stranger, instead she was desperate to see him, to feel and taste him. He was solid muscle from his divine shoulders to his defined Pecs and the hint of a six pack, and as a rare treat he was taller than her, by a long way. 

She watched his long fingers trail from her neck down her arms to her waist, then they slid up to circle her ribs, just below her bra. When a thumb reached out and found the hard nipple protruding through the lace, she jolted her head up to stare at him wide eyed.

With a wicked smile he dropped his head to find the hard point with his mouth latching his lips on through the lace. Kate’s knees felt weak, and as her knees buckled he lowered her down to the bed with a chuckle.

She didn’t drop her eyes from him as he unbuckled his trousers and let them fall to the floor, in just his tight hugging boxer shorts; he climbed on to the bed next to her. Again she admired that beautiful body, a dark spattering of chest hair narrowed to a thin track heading down to those shorts, and suddenly she was impatient to see all of him, but as she reached out, he took both her hands in one of his and lifted them to the pillow above her head.

From that position he could unpin Kate’s hair, slowly and completely until the dark curls fanned out over the pillows.

                “Has anyone ever told you JUST how beautiful you are?”

She sighed, biting her lip with nervousness, a gesture that drove him absolutely wild. Kissing her again all conversation, all humour was suddenly gone, Mason released her hands, reaching behind her to release the catch on her bra, then lifted the lace away to finally view the beautiful breasts that had tormented him all day. He spent a moment just staring at them before once again capturing a peak in with his lips, this time nothing got in the way and it felt like heaven.

Within seconds they’d somehow managed to pull of their own or each other’s underwear...it all became a blur, then there was a desperate attempt to touch and taste every inch of each other, but their desire was too great, they were both too impatient. So Mason hovered over her his hard naked body pressed seductively against hers.  Wriggling her hips she accommodated his, throwing back her head, she gave him access to her neck. Within seconds he was in her and the battle that had started in the gardens earlier continued until they both reached the pinnacle of their lust, their desire and passion in a haze of exquisite pleasure.

Mason was slumped over Kate, still inside her, still engulfed in the four long limbs wrapped around him.  His head was down, eyes closed, and his rapid heart and laboured breathing were both thundering in his ears. He’d never felt so desperate for someone, and never had such an explosive, earth shattering consequence in his life before.  This was something, someone special and he had a sense of belonging that he’d lost after his University life. With a sigh, he pulled out of her and rolled to her side.

Groaning she tried to tease the life back into her cramped limbs, Kate started to feel the familiar pangs of guilt, fear, pain rise like a hot acid in her stomach. She didn’t and couldn’t deny that the last half an hour had been wonderful, better than, but there was the harsh cold reality waiting for her when she returned home. She had no idea how she’d front this out, get over it.

As half of her wanted to flit, in what she knew was typical Kate Michaels style, the heavy arm of Mason strewn across her stomach, and the warm lips teasing her earlobe even now were keeping her here. Her desire her need for him overtaking her need for self preservation. Something she knew she’d spend a long time ruing, but now the oppressed reckless part of her sighed ‘in for a penny in for a pound’.

She waited for him to fall asleep. The heavy breathing preceded his whole body relaxing and it too got heavier against her body. And with that she knew he was finally there. Sliding out of bed, she searched for her underwear, not finding more than her bra, she slid into the dress she never thought she’d wear again, reached for her small purse and shoes then made for the door.

From there she looked back at Mason, his dark hair covering his eyes, the sheet barely covering his beautiful body, a body she now knew more intimately than her own, and sighed with regret that she’d not get the chance to share it again. Then closing the door she ran up the stairs, ignoring the aches in so many parts of her body, to the sanctity of her own room.

In half an hour she was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, packed up, and checking out of her room. The receptionist looked stunned that she was leaving at five am, but she needed to run, and her mother lived far enough away to be a safe haven. And she knew she’d be welcome there at any time.