The Lesson (18 page)

Looking at her, he dropped his hands and
picked her up, spinning her around, both of them exploding with
laughter.

He hugged her tight. “Bianca, I’m so glad
you came with me tonight.”

She couldn’t stop herself from hugging him
back. “I’m glad I was here too.”

He set her down and threw his arm over her
shoulders, pulling her close against him. “Let’s get you home.”

They walked back to his car, chatting easily
about the evening.

“I can’t believe how many women offered to
sit for you,” giggled Bianca as he unlocked the car and helped her
in.

“What can I say,” he answered, puffing his
chest up exaggeratedly. “Ladies go gaga over artists.”

She giggled as he came around the car and
climbed in the driver’s seat. He turned to arch an eyebrow at her.
“Besides, what about you?”

She batted her eyelashes in feigned
innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He flashed her a comic leer. “I’m talking
about all those men who hit on you once they realized you were the
model for my ‘Redemption’ series.”

“Oh, god,” she rolled her eyes. “Thank you,
by the way, for never leaving my side. I can’t imagine how forward
they would have been if you hadn’t been there.”

“I wouldn’t have let anything happen to
you,” he told her. “You’re mine.”

Bianca fell silent at his words, and all the
humor fled the car.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t
have said that.”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s okay. Old
habits.”

The both fell silent, and Bianca couldn’t
help thinking about her earlier conversation with Lali.

He’s been in limbo these last few years.

I’ve been in limbo
too,
Bianca thought.

What else had Lali said?
Building a dream in his head.

At least he’s been
dreaming,
the little voice inside her spoke up for the
first time in hours.
You’ve been too
closed off, too afraid to dream about anything.

What about Martin?

You used him,
the voice responded.
You tried to
distract yourself from Mason by sleeping with Martin, but that’s
all he was. A distraction.

Shame washed over her as she realized
the voice was right.
I’ve been a fool. A
scared little fool. What do I do now?

What do you want? Like way, way, deep down,
what is it you truly want?

Bianca didn’t respond, but she knew the
answer.

Mason pulled up to the curb in front of her
apartment building and shut the car off. They stared at each other
for a moment, but it was Bianca who finally broke the silence.

“Do you want to come up?”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Mason gulped. “Are you sure?”

She opened her car door and climbed out.
Leaning over, she looked him. “Well? Are you coming or not?”

He was out in a flash, coming around the car
to take her hand in his.

They didn’t talk as they rode the elevator
up to her apartment, or when she inserted her key in the door with
a trembling hand.

“Please, have a seat,” she indicated the
living room after she closed the door.

Mason sat on the tan suede sofa and looked
up at her.

“Would you like a drink?” she asked.

“Perhaps a glass of water?”

Bianca found herself grateful for the
distraction as she hurried to the kitchen to fetch the water.

Calm down,
she instructed herself as she pulled two glasses from a
cupboard.
You can handle this.

Maybe, but you still haven’t decided what it
is you want.

Haven’t I?
she asked herself as she filled the glasses with ice and
pulled a bottle of water from the fridge.
I invited him here, didn’t I?

Yes, but remember what Lali said. You can’t
play games with him. If you don’t want to be with him, you have to
let him go. The fact that you still love him is irrelevant if you
can’t let go of the past.

I know,
she
thought crossly as she walked back to the living room.

She handed Mason one of the glasses and sat
in an armchair, sipping her own water. Taking a moment to gather
her courage, she opened her mouth to speak. So did he.

“Mason, I-“

“Bianca-“

They both laughed, and Bianca felt as though
her whole body tingled with nerves. The tension in the room was as
thick as it had been all evening.

Mason took a sip of his water before putting
the glass down and standing up. “Bianca, as much as I want to stay
here with you, I think I should go. It’s obvious you need time to
think.”

She shot to her feet. “No!” she exclaimed.
“I mean … that is …”

She sighed and sat down again. “I know it
seems like I don’t know what I want. And maybe I don’t. All I know
for sure is I’m nervous. And scared.”

Mason sat down next to her. “I’m scared too.
Terrified you’ll ask me to leave you alone and all this will really
be over. It was easier to imagine what would happen, to fantasize
about having you in my life again. I almost didn’t contact you just
so I could keep the dream alive.”

Lali’s words echoed through her
head.
He’s been in limbo these last few
years, building a dream in his head.

It’s now or never,
piped up the voice.
What are your
dreams?

I’m afraid.

I know. But this is that moment, the one
everyone has in their life. This is your fork in the road. If you
go one way, you have a chance at the brass ring. The full meal
deal.

And if I go the other way?

You’ll always wonder ‘what if.’

You’re right.
Bianca sank back into the cushions. “I don’t want to wonder
‘what if,’” she murmured.

“What?” Mason’s brow wrinkled with
confusion.

She sat up and looked him straight in the
eye. “I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering ‘what
if,’” she declared.

“And that means what exactly?” he asked.

“It means I’ve been so afraid of being hurt
all these years, I haven’t really lived.” She kicked off her shoes
and put her feet up on the glass coffee table in front of her. “I’m
so damn tense all the time. I don’t think I’ve relaxed in over six
years. I’m tired. And I’m tired of wanting something I can’t
have.”

“What do you want?” Mason’s eyes were intent
on hers, a slight tic in his jaw the only outward sign of his own
nerves.

She met his gaze straight on. “I want the
same thing I wanted six years ago: you. I want you by my side. I
want to share all the wonderful things life has to offer with you.
I want to know I can count on you in the tough times. I want to be
the number one person in your life. Your family and best
friend.”

Bianca couldn’t stop the grin that spread
across her face as she took in his stunned expression. “And I want
to be all those things for you too. But,” she held up a hand to
stop him before he spoke. “Before you say anything, you need to
know something. There’s been someone else. Recently.”

Mason swallowed, sitting up so he could take
her hands in his own. “If you’re saying what I think you’re saying,
I don’t care about that. It’s in the past.”

“The past?” she echoed. “Not really. And you
might care when you realize it was my supervisor.” She twisted her
hands in her lap. “While we were at our convention this week, the
last night we … well, all I can say is I was trying to fight the
feelings you were stirring up in me. We’d had a few cocktails. It
was a mistake, and we both knew it afterward. I’m sorry it
happened, but I can’t change it.”

Mason looked down at their entwined hands.
“Is this the same supervisor you’ll be working with in your new
position?”

“Yes.” She bit her lip as she responded.
“He’s a good man, Mason. And a friend. I trust him.”

He brushed his thumb over her hand. “And
you’re sure you don’t want to be with him?”

“I’m sure,” she reached up to caress his
cheek until his eyes met hers. “I’ve only ever loved one man, and I
can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.”

A shudder ran through him and in the next
moment his strong hands were on her shoulders, pulling her tight
against him. “Bianca,” he sighed. “I don’t care about the past,
only that you’re here, now, and in my arms. I’ve waited so long,
worked so hard. None of that matters now.”

“I’m so glad you came back to me,” she
whispered, wrapping her arms around him.

Mason’s lips brushed against her forehead as
he planted a trail of fervent kisses down her cheek, and then her
mouth. Capturing her lips, his tongue plunged deep as he tasted
her. Her hands went up to cup his face as she responded with the
same passion.

Mason ran a hand down the gentle curve of
her body, pausing to run a thumb over one breast. Her nipple
tightened, jumping to attention at his touch. He groaned, tearing
his mouth from hers. “The way you react to me always did drive me
crazy.” He gathered her into his arms, picking her up as he stood.
“Last chance to change your mind,” he informed her as he carried
her through the apartment to her bedroom.

“Why would I do that?” She trailed her lips
down his neck, nibbling at the juncture of his shoulder.

He groaned again. “Tease.”

Kicking open her bedroom door, he set her
down on the edge of the bed, towering over her. “I have to see
what’s under this dress.”

Bianca stretched her arms up and arched
toward him. “Be my guest,” she purred.

Mason let out a sound resembling a growl and
pulled the dress over her head, revealing the silky red slip
underneath.

“You look good enough to eat,” he muttered,
and Bianca let out a delighted squeal as he grasped the slip in
both hands and ripped it down the front in one powerful motion.

She stared up at him with wide eyes, clad
only in red lacy panties and a matching bra.

Mason’s eyes darkened as he stared down at
her. “You look amazing.”

Bianca fluttered her eyes at him and reached
up to start unbuttoning his shirt. “Quid pro quo, Mason,” she
teased, leaning over to take the button of his jeans in her teeth.
A moment later, she pushed the denim down his lean hips, pressing
her face against his hard, flat belly.

She could feel the heat of his arousal
through his briefs, and she inched down so she could press her
mouth against him, breathing on his manhood through the fabric.

“Fuck!” he gritted, letting his head fall
back.

Bianca pulled his briefs down, releasing his
manhood. She reached up with one hand to stroke him gently. Her
lips teased the tip of his staff, her tongue tracing circles around
the head until she took him fully in her mouth.

“Sweet girl,” he moaned as she moved up and
down his length, sucking gently and letting her tongue dance over
his smooth flesh.

Mason’s hands dove into her hair, pulling
the pins out until it tumbled down over her shoulders. He grasped
her hair, gently pushing in and out of her mouth. Bianca took as
much of him in as she could, reveling in the sounds of pleasure he
emitted.

Moments later, he stilled her. “If you keep
that up, I’m going to lose control,” he told her hoarsely.
“Besides, it’s my turn.”

He reached around her, unhooking her bra.
Taking it off, her breasts sprang free. His hands molded her
generous orbs, fingers plucking at her nipples. She whimpered as
his touch turned her insides to liquid.

“I missed you so much,” he murmured as he
nuzzled her bosom. His tongue flicked over a nipple, sending
shockwaves through her.

“Oh, Mason,” she gasped. “I missed you too.
I’ve been so lonely without you.”

He pulled her into his arms burying his face
in her chest. “Never again,” he growled. “I’ll never let you go
again.”

“Never again,” she agreed.

Mason lay a feathery trail of kisses down
her stomach until he reached her panties. “These need to come
off.”

He pulled the lacy garment over her hips and
down her legs, following its path with his mouth. His tongue blazed
a trail down her thigh and he hesitated only for a moment as he
settled between her legs, kneeling on the floor.

“I can’t wait to taste you,” he whispered,
and she squirmed with anticipation.

Slowly, he nibbled and licked a path back up
her thighs until he reached her core. Nuzzling her folds he let his
tongue dip in for a slow, sensual taste.

Bianca cried out, her hips gyrating of their
own accord.

“Mmmmm,” Mason rumbled, the sound vibrating
against her tender flesh. His tongue found her sensitive little nub
and he began an almost savage assault on it, laving the tender
button until Bianca was dizzy with desire.

His fingers found her deep well, and he
pushed inside her as he continued his ministrations with his mouth.
His fingers plunged in and out, taking her higher and higher.

“Let go, baby,” he whispered fiercely.

Bianca exploded around his fingers, calling
his name as she gyrated helplessly. “Mason. Oh, Mason!”

Mason sat up, positioning himself between
her legs. His manhood probed her entrance as he looked down at her.
“I’ve waited six years to feel you again,” he uttered, his dark
gaze capturing her own. “You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. I
promise I’ll never leave you again.”

A happy tear slipped down Bianca’s cheek as
she smiled up at him, and then he thrust inside her, driving all
thought from her mind.

Mason lifted her legs and wrapped them
around his shoulders, setting a brutal pace as he plunged in and
out of her warm depths. Bianca watched him, her hands grazing the
taut lines of his muscular arms and lifted her hips to meet every
thrust. He was majestic, and Bianca reveled in the wantonness he
created in her.