Bastian: A Secret Baby Romance (31 page)

“You don’t have to be such a spoilsport,” Mason said. “I would’ve let you win if would’ve known you’d get so bent out of shape about it.”

Bullshit.

I straightened, my sides aching, but determined to put up a strong front. “See you at the house,” I declared, failing to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

Hands on my sides, I started walking back home. I’d be lucky to make it a few steps before collapsing.

“Wait,” Mason commanded. “I’m coming.”

Before I could respond, he scaled the large tree that overlooked the pound. Balancing himself, he walked out on the tree’s thick limb that stretched out over the middle of the pond.

He made it look so
easy
.

Mason crossed his muscular arms and looked down at me.
Show off.
“All you have to do is climb the tree and reach me and I’m all yours.”

“You must be out of your mind.” I hissed. “I’m not doing that.”

“Why not? It will be like old times. Don’t you remember when we were used to hang out in this tree all the time?”

“Yeah that was when I was too stupid to know that you were nothing but trouble.”

“Aw c’mon, you know you love me.”

I don’t know why Mason’s challenge was so damn tempting. After just losing so badly to him, I should have been returning home to lick my wounds.

But climbing the tree, something I’d done many times before, seemed easy compared to trying to beat him in a race.

“Just reach me and you win.”

Ugh.
I hated giving into his little games.

“Alright,” I said. By now, I’d nearly recovered from my sprint and only my right side had a dull ache. “I’m coming up, but no funny business,” I warned.

“Of course.”

I should’ve known better.

I walked over to the tree and grabbed on to the bark. Suddenly, I was filled with nostalgic excitement from a time when everything in my life was more carefree.

I carefully began scaling the tree, and I eventually made it to the large branch with little issue.

Mason grinned at me as I slowly stood up and balanced myself on the limb.

“I must say, Carly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Shut up,” I growled, carefully eyeing my footing. The limb was thick enough to walk on, but I had to be cautious.

Mason chuckled. “You really thought you were going to win that race, didn’t you?”

“Shut up!” I inched closer to him, thrusting my hands out to each side like I was an airplane to maintain my balance.

“Wanna know something? I even waited to forty seconds because I knew thirty wasn’t enough.”

Only a few more feet and I’d wipe that smirk off of his face.

“What? No comeback? You can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time?”

One more step. “You know what Mason?”

He grinned at me goofily, seemingly unaware of my treachery. “What?”

This would be oh so satisfying. “Maybe you should go for a little swim—”

I reached forward to shove him, but I clumsily slipped and lost my footing on the bark.

The world spun around me as a shocked scream tore from my throat and I plunged into the pond’s icy depths.

Cold, muddy darkness.

I couldn’t see anything and panic gripped me as I tried to blindly paddle myself to the surface.

Why wasn’t I surfacing? The pond wasn’t that deep. I started to panic when strong arms suddenly wrapped around me and began pulling me up.

“You little fool!” Mason gasped as we broke the surface. His hair was matted down to his forehead and an angry scowl plastered his face. “Why would you do something like that?”

Was he kidding? If I weren’t already gasping for air, I’d slap him.

Mason’s angry scowl morphed into a soft expression as he studied me. “Are you alright?” The genuine concern in his voice touched me and I found my anger quickly evaporating.

I coughed weakly and shook my head. “I think so.”

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” he said, surprising me. “I should’ve never made you climb that tree. I just wanted to have a little fun.”

An apology? From Mason? I was shocked.

I stared into his eyes and only saw earnestness. He really did care. Suddenly, warmth spread throughout my chest and then my whole body.

I could feel his hard stomach pressed up against me. And down below I could feel . . .

Blood rushed to my cheeks.

Luckily, Mason didn’t notice my embarrassment.

He hugged me close and started moving us toward the shore. “You scared the shit out of me. Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again or I’ll give you a spanking you won’t forget.”

“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, though I was secretly delighted.

“You better be.”

As he swam us toward the shore, the events of the day faded into the background. The only thing that mattered in that moment was that I was safe in his arms.

S
he’s so fucking beautiful
.

“Really, Carly?” I asked from my seat on her little couch. I had a hard time keeping my eyes off of her. In the years that I’d been gone, she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Her face had matured, but she still had an air of innocence stamped on her delicate features and that beautiful strawberry-blonde hair. And her body?
Damn.
She was what I called a full-figured petite. Though short, she had large breasts, a slim waist, wide hips and a nice round ass. “A gun?” It was hard to imagine Carly handling cold hard steel, though I could think of something warm and hard I’d love to see her handle.

Fuck me.

Carly stopped her pacing to scowl at me with that bitchiness I so fondly
remembered, and placed her hands on her hips.

“I live by myself, Mason, what do you expect?” she demanded. “I may need to protect myself.”

A twinge of guilt went through my chest. Carly would’ve never had the need for a gun if she had me around.

But I had to get away
, I thought.
I couldn’t stay around her with the feelings that I was holding inside.

“What are you doing living out here anyway?” I asked. I never thought in a million years Carly would wind up in a place like this. She was more of a city girl.

“It was a good deal,” Carly replied. “And you know how expensive everything is in the Bay Area.”

I nodded. “No doubt. It’s ridiculous. But you didn’t have to do something this drastic just to afford rent. Dad’s wealthy, he would have helped you out . . . he always was fond of you.” My Dad and I weren’t on speaking terms, but I knew he held a soft place in his heart for Carly, and if she needed help, I’m sure he would’ve lent a hand.

Carly shook her head. “You know I don’t like asking for help. Besides, he already practically paid my way through college.”

While I dropped out . . .

Silence filled the room and Carly bit her lower lip as she stared at me. I knew what she was thinking. She was thinking that I’d walked out on all of the money my Father invested in me, walked out on the future he wanted for me, and walked out on
her
.

If she only knew why.

“But I thought for sure you’d be some big shot reporter by now,” I said, quick to deflect the accusations that I knew was coming.

A shadow darkened Carly’s visage. She glared at me as if pissed off I brought up such a sore subject, and resumed pacing back and forth in front of me.

My eyes followed her like the Mona Lisa. Damn. It was almost like she was teasing me, though I knew she wasn’t.

She was wearing pink shorts, which showcased her tight, round ass and a white, short-sleeved, V-neck top that showed off her cleavage.

I felt guilt-ridden, but I was more than a little turned on at half-mast. In fact, I wanted to bend her over the couch and . . .

Shit. Stop.

She stopped pacing, fixing her angry eyes on my face. “Well?”

I tore my eyes away from her lush figure, pushing my sinful thoughts away. “Well, what?” I asked stupidly, hoping she hadn’t seen me checking her out.

Carly hissed with exasperation. “How the hell did you find me?”

“I have my ways,” I replied coyly. It hadn’t been easy, especially with Carly practically living off the grid, but eventually, I managed to track her down.

“Ugh,” Carly growled. “You’re impossible.” Then she proceeded to let me have it. “Where the fuck have you been anyway? Our parents and I have been worried sick about you. You drop out of college and disappear off of the face of the earth.”

It was hard to formulate an answer. There were so many reasons I’d chosen to take off — Carly being one of them. No matter what I said, I could never make her understand.

“No one knew where you were. You didn’t call, never even sent so much as an e-mail. Jesus, Mason! Mom and Brian even started saying that you fell in with the wrong people, started being all anti-government and crap. They said you started doing hardcore drugs.”

“Well, I can tell you right now that is a bunch of a bullshit,” I assured her. “At least the drug part.”

“Oh really?” Carly snapped. “Because from where I’m standing, it sure makes a lot of sense to me.”

“Look, you don’t have to believe me—”

“How could you?” Carly hissed furiously. “How could you just leave like that and walk away from . . .” Carly bit her lower lip and then stomped her foot against the hardwood floor like a petulant child. “How could you do it!”

It was hard to face the pain in her eyes, and actually, it surprised me that she was hurt.

When I left, I’d done it partly to protect myself from my emotions, not considering that I could possibly be hurting her.

“You wouldn’t understand,” I muttered.

“Make me understand,” Carly demanded. “I’ve spent this whole time feeling guilty over you leaving.”

I let out a sigh and shook my head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Carly, but I can’t. Some things are better left unsaid.”

She glared at me for several long seconds and then threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. “Fine! Can you at least tell me if you wound up knocking up some tramp?”

I laughed incredulously. “What?”

Carly cut her eyes at me. “You were with a new skank every weekend, remember? I thought it was only a matter of time before you wound up with a few baby mamas.”

I shook my head and continued to laugh. “No baby mamas here.” But there had been a close call, but I wasn’t going to go into that. I’d never hear the end of it if I did.

“Amazing,” Carly muttered nastily. “You stuck it in more holes than Tiger Woods and none wound up pregnant? Shit, you probably have ten children you don’t even know about.”

I sneered. “Come on, Carly. Jealousy isn’t sexy at all.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “As if.”

But I could tell she was. It was practically oozing from her. Why else would she care?

“I know it may be hard to believe,” I said, “but I chilled out a little on that front. A little,” I reiterated. “Besides, I was only doing it because . . .” my voice trailed off and I stopped myself before saying something that could start a fire.

Carly was staring at me intently. “Because . . .?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

Silence filled the air. “You are so infuriating.”

I winked because I knew it would irritate her further. “You know me.”

Carly scowled. “I should totally slap you.”

I turned my face to the side and patted my cheek. “Go for it. Right there, baby.”

Carly snorted. “Please. Don’t tempt me.” She fixed a disbelieving glare on me and resumed her interrogation. “So does this mean you’ve settled down?”

“My, my Carly, you sure are interested in my love life,” I remarked, trying to deflect. I really didn’t want to talk about relationships. The whole thing had been one big draining and traumatic experience.

I thought that Maddy might’ve been the girl, but I was wrong. Oh so wrong.

“I just wanted to see if you’ve matured, that’s all,” Carly said defensively.

I flexed my muscles. “Well I can tell you right now you’re looking at a grown man right here. A hundred and eighty-five pounds of pure steel and an eight-inch cock that, while it doesn’t quite get used as much as it used to, is still the bane of women everywhere.”

Carly rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. “Oh God.”

“What? You’re the one so interested in my love life. What about you? Are you still so hung up fantasizing about what I’m like in bed that you can’t go out and find a man?”

Carly shook her head. “Please, don’t flatter yourself. I’ve just been too busy — focused on my career, or pursuit of one. I can’t even remember the last time I’ve even had time for a date.”

“Anyway, is there a reason why you just suddenly showed up on my doorstep out of the blue?”

“Shouldn’t that have been your first question, and not about my love life? But yes, there is a reason,” I said succinctly.

That brought her up short.

I might as well lay it out all out there.
“I’m running from the police.”

Carly’s face went white with shock. “Uhh, what?”

“I hacked into their systems and stole something from some so-called secure servers,” I explained. “While inside their network, someone from their security team noticed the data breach and latched on to my location. Normally, I’d never be so clumsy, but I was a little pre-occupied . . .”

It still pissed me off that I fucked that up, even if my cock was getting sucked at the time.

“Jesus Christ! You’re running from the authorities and you come here?” Carly demanded hysterically, resuming her pacing and wringing her hands frantically. “Oh my God. What our parents were saying
is
true. You are a criminal!” She started babbling incoherently and I feared she was going to have a mental breakdown. “I knew you were going to wind up taking that rebel bullshit too far one day!”

I stood up quickly and grabbed her by the arms. “Calm down, Carly,” I commanded firmly. I was surprised at how soft her skin felt against my hands and it would have been so easy to begin caressing her, to rub my hands all over her luscious curves . . .

Fuuuuuck
, I thought.
I’ve got to get a reign on my hormones before I do something stupid
.