MASON "Sleep, princess. I'll wake you up when we're about to land."I watch with a strange ache in my chest as Mira burrows further into the pillows. Long lashes form a crescent over her high cheekbones. Beautiful black hair splays over the pillows, giving her the appearance of some exotic Disney princess…or a forbidden female Angel.She blinks up at me twice, trying to fight sleep, but apparently, she's more tired than she thinks. Before long, her lashes finally flutter closed and she burrows further into the duvet. I stand there like a creep with both my hands tucked in the pockets of my slacks, staring at her.She's so beautiful, so delicate, so fucking fragile. Touching her sometimes feels like a horrible taboo. No matter how hard I've tried to make up for the mistakes of my past, I feel like I might taint her with my darkness whenever I get my hands on her.To any normal, right thinking human, that should be a reason to stay away from her, fucking let her go. But I'm not any of
MIRAI have no idea where I'm going, but as far as it's away from Mason Lachlan, I am perfectly okay with it. I am furious…no, scratch that. I am fucking seething. How dare he? How dare he stand there and reprimand me when he's just been with some other woman, some whore. He has no right!My subconscious tells me that I have no right to be furious. Mason Lachlan was never mine to keep. I've always known that, but my brain is too fogged out to listen to any rational voices at the moment. I look around frantically. Yes. I'll go up to the room and lock him out.I do not make it to the top step. Strong arms wrap around my waist, lifting me off my feet. An angry gasp escapes me, and I instantly begin to struggle against him. Mason tips me closer, and my back collides against the heat of his chest. I go instantly still.I feel his lips against my ear and despite my anger, a slow heat unfurls in my belly. "Do not fucking walk away from me, Mira."I freeze. In that little moment of respite,
MIRA"So what's the prognosis, doctor?" Mason hovers over me, his deep baritone slowly causing havoc to my insides. At this rate, he might be more dangerous to my sanity that this freaking heart issue. "She's doing great. Better than I expected, considering the circumstances surrounding her previous relapse. If she doesn't stress herself out too much, she should be okay."" What do you recommend, then?" Mason asks in a tone that brooks no arguments,The doctor takes off his glasses, an uneasy look playing out on his face,"Frequent bed rest is very important. She shouldn't carry out any tedious tasks, or be exposed to any startling activities that may trigger her… condition."Mason nods thoughtfully. " Okay, then. Thank you very much, doctor."" Pleasure's all mine." Ah, I doubt. The poor man has been shivering like a leaf since the beginning of this meeting. Let's just say Mason can be a bit intimidating. Okay, a lot intimidating. "Please, make sure she takes the prescribed medica
MASONI look up from speaking to the head waiter, my eyes instinctively searching the room for a sign of shiny, black hair. Mira. Fuck! Weird how I cannot seem to go two minutes without looking at her or knowing where she is, but she can survive a whole year without me. The thought causes an odd pang in my chest. And my chest doesn't do odd pangs. There. Found her. I watch as she comes towards me, her beauty never failing to twist me a thousand different ways. Mira Fernandez has a rare, exotic kind of beauty, and the fact that she isn't aware of it only ramps up the allure.My eyes follow her steadfastly as she gazes around the restaurant in child-like awe, completely oblivious of the mesmerized stares the male patrons throw her way. One guy stares at her until he overfills his glass of wine as she passes by, and I feel the stirrings of anger in my veins.I want to carry her out of here and take her far, far away, where no one would get the pleasure of ogling her, where she would exi
MASON A knock on my window startles me from my murderous thoughts. I depress the button that automatically opens the car doors and Darth climbs in.I dial Damon's number and put him on speaker phone. He answers on the first ring."Mason.""There's someone I want you both to investigate." I say without preamble." I got your text." Damon replies, his tone serious. " What's up?" Darth nods in agreement." Who is this person, boss?"I grip the steering wheel tight," I do not know at the moment. I didn't get enough time to find out anything about him, but I know he's a new employee at La Camonerra."That serious nod again," If I may ask, sir. Why do you want this person investigated?"I think about it for a while, white hot anger slowly crawling through my veins."I think he has something to do with Mira's past. I'm not sure exactly how yet, but I know something's not right about him. Mira had a strange reaction to him earlier today. She was horrified."" Do you think it's them?" Damo
MIRAI sit huddled on the sofa, a cup of steaming tea in hand. My nerves are stretched to the point of breaking, and I'm still finding it difficult to calm my raging heartbeat.Being there, seeing him…it brought it all back. All the pain, the shame…the humiliation. God. I drop my cup on the table and cover my face with my hands, willing my tears not to fall. I thought I had moved past it. I keep all the memories of those years locked up in a part of my mind that I never visit. I believed I had moved on.I guess I was wrong. And Mason…Images of the icy anger in his eyes invade my vision, and I shut my eyes tight. He was so angry, yet so gentle. My heart clenches at the memories of the softness in his gaze when he looked down at me, and promised me things that are probably too good to be true. I feel something soften inside of me at the way he got me out of the restaurant when I asked him to, without asking any questions. Mason Lachlan might just be one of the worst things that ever
MIRA"What on earth are you talking about?" I ask, my voice shaking. "Exactly what I said, Mira."I lift my chin,"My life is non of your business. Whatever happened or happens to me shouldn't concern you."His voice takes on a dangerous edge." It shouldn't concern me? You practically had a panic attack and almost fell to pieces in my arms, and you stand there and say that what happens to you shouldn't concern me. Don't you dare, Mira."I lean back on the sofa, momentarily stunned at his harsh response."Everything is already set up. Your sister will be staying with Vanessa until we return."I swallow, deciding to choose my battles."When will this be?""Whenever I please. Now I suggest you go upstairs and get yourself ready. The jet leaves in twenty minutes."My eyes fly to his once more, widening in shock," Twenty minutes? That barely gives me enough time to pack."He leans back on the bar, looking every inch the dangerous billionaire."You do not have to pack anything. Anything
MIRAI let go of the debate in my head long enough to quickly swipe lip gloss over my lips and give Anna and Vanessa a quick call before I go down to join Mason. I do not find him anywhere . Instead, I find Darth at the bottom of the stairs.“Where’s Mason?”“The boss is already waiting by the car, miss. This way.”He steps into the elevator and I step in behind him. The journey downwards is silent and awkward. I mean, darth doesn’t say a word. He just looks straight ahead, his face stone cold and completely stoic. Finally uncomfortable with the silence, I clear my throat to start a conversation but the elevator finally dings, signaling that we’ve arrived at our destination. I breath a sigh of relief.“This way, ma’m.” Darth says and I follow him gladly to the waiting Porsche. He opens the door and I slide in with a murmured “thanks.” I feel him even before I turn. He’s still dressed in the custom made, well pressed, all black three piece suit from earlier, only now, his tie is miss
MIRA “Wake up, princess. It’s getting late.” I blink sleepily, smiling to myself when I catch a whiff of heavenly smelling cologne. With my eyes still firmly shut, I reach out to the source of the delicious scent and my arms instantly come in contact with broad, cloth covered shoulders. With a determined tug, I pull the shoulders closer to myself and it lands against me with a soft thud, then I proceed to sink my face into the neck of the owner of the shoulder and get a better whiff of that addictive scent. “Mmm… you smell so good.” I feel soft, warm lips against my cheek. “Thank you, baby.” That jolts me out of my sleepy state. I open my eyes and I’m immediately assailed by piercing gray eyes. I blink up at him for a second. “Good morning, baby girl.” He whispers. I swallow. “Good morning.” I feel every part of my body tense up, mostly because I believe I have an early morning arousal and the world’s most handsome man is lying almost fully against me. I try to move awa
MASONI should be holding Mira right now. I should be reassuring her of my unlimited devotion. But her confessions earlier struck a chord deep in my heart."Fuck!" I curse into the empty office.Unable to keep sitting still, I walk to the mini wet bar and pour myself a glass of my favourite Cognac. I tip the shot glass and down the contents in one gulp. The sharp burn does nothing to lessen the pain inside of me. It does nothing to quench the fire that burns so desperately for one green eyed, stubborn-as-fuck female.I slam the shot glass on the counter to stop myself from throwing it against the wall.Mira wouldn't want to stay with me unless I admit that I'm in love with her. Am I in love with Mira?The sudden realization has me freezing in my tracks. It hits me out of nowhere, numbing my senses.I walk back to my chair and sink into it. It is either that or fall flat on my face. I've always seen myself as incapable of love or anything related to the term. Turns out, the little
MIRAMason and I fall into each other in a tangled heat of fused mouths and moving hands. He picks me from the bathtub and I hold on to him, enjoying the delicious slide of his wet body against mine.“Wrap your legs around me, baby.” He whispers urgently against my lips, and I comply. He grabs my arse, his fingers digging into the soft skin. The combination of pain and pleasure almost leaves me reeling.My core is already slick and dripping from arousal. My entire body feels like I’ve been set alight with a flaming torch.Mason pins me atop one of the counters in the bathroom. He spreads my legs and steps between them. His hot, hard, throbbing erection brushes against the swollen nub of my clit and I throw my head back, a slight whimper escaping my lips.“Mason. Mason please…”He runs his hot lips over the skin of my neck.“Please what, baby? What do you want?” He whispers against me. “Whatever you want is yours. Whatever you want, baby girl.”“Touch me. Touch me, please.” My voice is
MIRA“Bathe with me.” He says confidently like he hasn’t just made a declaration that has my heart spilt all over his thousand dollar shirt.All traces of sleep departs from me and I stare at him, transfixed. He looks serious. Dead serious.“Is…is this still part of the challenge? Getting me to fall in love with you, I mean.” Because if it is, unfortunately for me, that ship has long sailed. I need to know where all this is coming from.For a moment, Mason says nothing. He simply stares at me, those stormy grays causing havoc to my raging nerves.“Do I look like I’m joking, little flower? Challenge aside, I’ve decided that I want you. I need you with me every single fucking moment.” My breath hitches. “You’re not there for five seconds and I suddenly can’t breathe properly. I remember that whatever is going on here is temporary and I want to smash something against the wall.” He pauses, his chest heaving rapidly. I have never seen him so…worked up. “ I think I’m obsessed with you, Mi
MIRAIt’s eight o’clock and Mason still isn’t back. I left Vanessa’s a while ago after spending enough quality time with my sister and promising to come back. Actually, Darth came up and declared in his usual quiet, lethal manner that the boss wanted me back home. I would have defied him and stayed back, but I want to get this tuition issue out of the way once and for all.That was seven o’clock, almost an hour ago. Now, I sit in the main room and stare unseeingly at the beautiful mini aquarium, worrying myself to death. I started calling him thirty minutes ago. So far, he hasn’t answered any of my calls. Neither has he returned them. He said he was going after those who hurt me. What if they hurt him? My heart squeezes at the thought of him probably lying broken and hurt somewhere with no means of getting help, and I call his phone over and over again. It keeps going to voice mail. I throw the stupid thing against the wall, watching it crack open and fall to the ground with a sick
MASONMira and I have been back to civilization for all of three days and I already want to load her up and take her back. I admit that our little vacation time together was…positively enlightening, but I never wanted it to end. Sadly, the real world was calling. I had to come back and make plans, put things in place.Mira trusts me to take revenge on everyone who hurt her in the past, and that is exactly what I’m going to do. I haven’t told her about our little encounter when she was fucking nineteen years old. The very thought of telling her makes my insides turn to ice.She might run. She might want to leave me. I won’t let her. Losing Mira would destroy me. I never counted on wanting a woman so much, not seeing or hearing from her for up to an hour would make me itch, but Mira changed…everything. So if keeping this little secret from her for the meantime would guarantee that she stays with me a little longer, that is exactly what I’m going to do.“What’s the plan?” I turn my
MASON Mira might seem a little dazed, a little confused even, but I meant what I said. I protect her now. Her care is my responsibility. I know everything might go to shit later when she finds out that my uncle is in fact Escobar Scuderi and I’m the nephew she was “given to,” but when that time comes, I will be ready. She may have an anger fit, she might cry, she might even throw things at me. But even then, I’m not letting her go anywhere. She’s stuck with me for life now, even if I have to force a ring on that finger to prove it. I freeze as that thought flits through my mind, but the thought of Mira in my house, legally mine with my ring on her finger to prove it leaves me hot…and hard. I want to bind her to me in every possible way. I don’t really care if she accepts it as first. In the long run, she will come to understand that there won’t ever be another man in her life except me. As it should be. When I saw Mira for the first time at Le Delegharo, it felt like I was being p
MIRAYou know that point in your life when it feels like you have absolutely no idea which path you're headed?That part where you feel like you had everything all figured out and suddenly, the way you chose doesn't feel like the right way anymore and you're all toggled up with confusion? That is exactly how I feel right now.Mason's eyes spark with conviction and something else, an emotion I have seen one two many times in those gray depths…determination. "I'm the one who owes you not the other way round, Mason."One of his perfectly shaped brows shoot up."And what exactly do you feel you owe me, Miss Fernandez? Sex? Mistress duties?"Okay, now I'm confused. I lift my chin, my gaze equally tinged with determination."I'm sorry, did I perhaps miss the memo? Isn't that exactly why I'm here?"Mason stares down at me for a while. An emotion that feels too dangerously close to indecision flits in his gaze."I don't want you to just be my mistress anymore."I freeze." What?"He rolls off
MASONAfter two, or was it three more rounds of hard sex, Mason and I finally find ourselves back in the bathroom where he gives me soothing, refreshing bath. He literally scrubs me clean.When we’re both squeaky clean, Mason pins me beneath him on the bed. My legs are completely entangled with his. There’s absolutely no escaping him.”I like you like this.” He murmurs, running a thumb over my cheeks.”Oh? Like what?””Naked in my bed. Completely mine.”My pulse spikes and my heart begins to burn with a warm glow. Calm down, stupid heart.”I’m not utterly yours, Mason.” I challenge.His eyes equally spark with a dangerous, gray gleam.”Want me to show you all over again?” He asks, running his fingers over my thighs suggestively.”Are you joking?”His face is a perfect mask of seriousness,”Do you think I’m joking?”My mouth falls open and for a few seconds, I’m not able to utter a single word.”We just had…sex a couple minutes ago. I’m incredibly sore.” I point out incredulously.His