The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (295 page)

Liv nudged me with her knee under the water, stifling a giggle when a growl echoed around us. “I’ll give it roughly four minutes and twenty four seconds before Mason’s palm finds the top of Danny’s head and he’s under the water.”

I coughed to camouflage my chuckle when Mason snapped his heated eyes to me. “What the fuck does he think he’s doing?”

I shook my head, biting my bottom lip as I struggled to hold on. “I . . . I’m sure he’s just scratching his balls, Mason,” I whispered.

He was going to blow any second. He turned back to watch Danny’s hand moving beneath the surface of the water as Katie sat beside him with a huge smile on her face. “Get your hands up where I can see them!”

Danny blinked, gawping at Mason like he’d gone crazy. Greg and Sam snorted then held their hands up in surrender when Mason rounded on them with a glare. Steam rose from the hot tub and out of Mason’s ears. We were all only just holding on to the hilarity of the situation.

Danny slowly raised his hands up in the air. I’m sure he thought Mason had a gun pointed at him under the water, loaded and aimed ready to blow his bollocks off.

Nate coughed and covered his mouth when all the blood drained from Danny’s face. “By the way,” he said trying to diffuse the situation. “I’ve decided to retire. I’m handing NSC over to Jay. Liv and me are gonna buy a house in Cornwall.”

“Don’t fucking touch her!” Mason hissed, completely ignoring Nate. Danny’s eyes widened further as he stared at Mason then glanced to Katie. She rolled her eyes and sighed, pursing her lips at Mason.

“Dad, simmer down, I can take care of myself.”

He gave her a stiff nod, refusing to release Danny from his glower. “I know baby, but when I’m around it’s my job to take care of you.”

She huffed out a long tired breath and looked at me. Shaking my head I waved her off with my hand. “Not worth my life, Katie.”

She grumbled something then took hold of Danny’s hand and dragged him out of the water. “Come on, we’ll go upstairs where you’re safe to breathe.”

Mason narrowed his eyes on her. “I’m sorry that I care about you Katie.”

Oh—dear—God. They were as sulky as each other.

“Care?” she huffed. “I bet you don’t
‘care’
like this with George. I bet whenever he gets laid you’re bloody cheering and buying him a pint.”

She shot backwards when Mason launched out of the water and made a dive for her. Danny gasped and tugged at her, both of them running into the house to escape Mason’s wrath.

I rubbed at my face, my eyes heavy and tired. Mason turned to me, regarding me and waiting for my argument but I sighed heavily. “I have nothing!”

He peered at me, regarding me suspiciously. “But?”

Shaking my head, I climbed out of the water and wrapped a towel round me. “But nothing, you want to act all caveman, then go ahead. But just so you know, your daughter will have sex whether you like it or not.”

Wrong words apparently.

Courtney and Liv stared at me like I’d gone mad, their eyes wide and full of shock. Nate tutted and shook his head slowly. Greg sucked his lips behind his teeth and picked at some loose grout along the tile work. Sam started whistling quietly and Marcy looked around the patio, her eyes anywhere but on me or Mason. And me, I winked at my husband and bombed it up the stairs.

Chapter Five

Santa Baby

Mason

SOMETHING TICKLED MY nose and when I tried to lift my hand to scratch it, I couldn’t. My eyes snapped open. The view that greeted me on Christmas morning was pure fucking heaven.

Ava’s sweet, trimmed pussy danced in my vision, her swollen clit flicking across the tip of my nose. She inclined and smiled down at me. “Good morning, Mr Fox.”

“Good morning, baby. Merry Christmas.”

“Oh it is,” she grinned as she clamped her fingers over my wrists that were tethered to the headboard and lowered her wet flesh to my mouth. She ground on my face as I sank my tongue inside her and lapped at her already gathering juices. A small hiss and a groan broadcast from her when I took her hard little nub between my teeth and grazed over the sensitive muscle.

“Oh God Mason, I’m so horny. Make me come.”

I didn’t make her wait. It was Christmas after all. Flicking her rapidly as I sucked on her she was soon jerking over me, covering my face with her climax as she cried out, her hands gripping mine firmly as she rode the pleasure.

She maneuvered round, kissing me and tasting herself on my lips before her mouth moved down, making her way slowly down my chest and across my stomach until she gently nibbled her way up my erect cock, her tongue flicking the end when she reached it to collect the spill of pre-cum.

She smiled up at me when I groaned and lifted my hips towards her, encouraging her to take me all. But she scrunched up her nose and twirled her tongue around the head of my cock. Then she took the flat of her tongue and dragged it straight over, catching more cum for her greedy little mouth and making me hiss with need.

“Don’t torment me, Ava.”

She quirked a brow at me, smirking as she nibbled her way back down my shaft and started to suck on my balls, pulling the mass into her mouth then releasing them with a pop after making them wet with her spit so she could blow on them, which we both liked her to do.

“Ava!”

She drew her finger between my legs, pressing hard into the skin as she made her way to my arse. But still she played with me, tormenting me. “I wonder what you would do if I managed to get out of these restraints?”

She laughed. “Afraid not, baby. You’re my prisoner, my slave to do with as I please.”

I nodded then yanked my hands forcefully, the spindles on the headboard splintering easily with my strength. She gawped at me then gulped when a slow, sly smirk broke across my face.

“What were you saying, baby?”

“Fuck!” She giggled as she scrambled off the bed. I followed her, grabbing her ankles and pulling her back onto the bed. She squealed in delight when I flipped her onto her stomach easily and pinned her beneath my body, my teeth tormenting her earlobe as she squirmed under me.

“You should know by now that where you are concerned, nothing can hold me back.”

She cried out when I thrust inside her, unable to stop myself. Her back arched, a fierce erotic growl making my dick twitch. “Fuck, yes.”

She pushed against me when I slid out. It was my turn to torment her. The further back she pushed, the further I pulled my dick back, refusing her. “Ah, ah. A certain teasing minx needs to learn what it’s like.”

Removing myself completely from her warm pussy, my stomach clenched with the loss. I flipped her onto her back. She stared up at me and the look of pure love in her eyes made my heart stutter.

“You’re so god damn perfect.”

Her eyes fluttered when I slid back in and licked up the center of her breastbone then along her scars. “So beautiful.” She groaned when I moved inside her, sliding all the way in and tickling the tip of her. “So strong.” Her fingers found my hair, twisting painfully in the thickness and making me hiss and push harder inside her. “So selfless.”

“Mason . . .” she breathed, her breathing erratic and heavy.

Shifting onto my knees, I lifted her with me so she was straddled over my lap. She didn’t wait, she started to bounce straightaway, taking what she needed from me. The slide off her slick walls over my cock made my blood hum.

“God you always feel so fucking amazing.”

She kissed me hungrily, her fucking becoming harsh and greedy as her fingers dug into my shoulders.

“That’s it, baby. Fuck me hard. Milk my cock.”

“Oh Christ!” she whimpered.

Her thighs started to tremble around me, telling me she was close, her soft pink lips parting to accommodate her need for oxygen. “Open your eyes and tell me, Ava.”

She raised both hands to frame my face, bringing her own face close so the tip of her nose was touching mine. “I love you.”

I quirked an eyebrow at her. She knew what I had meant but suddenly, without my bite, she rocked against me firmly and exploded over my cock, her whole body tensing as she cried out my name. Catching me by surprise, I followed her, the swift release of my sperm making me jerk hard inside her and prolonging her orgasm.

Her forehead fell to my shoulder as she panted. “Merry fucking Christmas to me.”

Enclosing her in my arms I fell back onto the bed, leaving her sweet little body under mine so I could nuzzle into her neck. “I have something for you.”

She looked up at me and grinned. “My gift?”

I nodded, my stomach clenching with nerves all of a sudden. It had seemed like a good idea at the time but now, looking at my little warrior and remembering all she had been through, I wasn’t so sure. Maybe she just wanted to sit on the cottage porch and stare at the beach all day. Maybe she wanted to lay in bed with her newspaper and coffee all day. Maybe . . . Fuck it!

Climbing off her, I reached under the bed and pulled out the large manilla envelope. She peered at me curiously when I handed it to her then settled to a sitting position and opened it.

My heart was in my mouth. Her eyes widened as she slid her fingers across the cover of the glossy brochure, her eyes moving over every inch of it.

I was tempted to close my eyes when she opened the cover and studied every page until she slowly closed the back cover and looked up at me.

“Well?”

“KTD benevolence aid agency?” she whispered. I nodded, unable to do much else.

I shifted nervously when she opened the book again and prowled over every word for a second time. “It’s . . .”

She nodded, taking my fidgeting hand in hers to stop my nervous action. “It’s a homeless charity.”

I nodded again. “Both Nate and I . . . well we have contacts, why not use them. So we both thought that you could . . . you know . . . set up homeless bases, houses, provide medical care and give them help to get back into the community . . . something to do when you’re bored,” I added with a nervous laugh.

She climbed slowly off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. I couldn’t move. I was glued to the mattress. My heart tore in half when I heard a choked sob come from behind the close door. Oh Christ. It was so the wrong thing to do.

The door reopened and she stood in the doorway, sobbing. Her nose was bright red, her wide wet eyes fixed on mine as she shook her head. Then she launched herself at me and clung to me, crying so hard I struggled to hold back my own tears.

She looked up at me, hiccupping and her chest heaving as she tried to control her breathing. “I don’t know what to say.” Shaking my head, I shrugged, but she leaned up and kissed me hard. “Thank you isn’t enough Mason, it will be never enough for what you have given me. From the moment I walked into your house so long ago, someone, somewhere that day finally gave me a chance at life. You gave my heart a reason to beat, my lungs a reason to function and my soul a playmate. I can never repay . . .”

“You always repay me tenfold, baby. Every time your heart beats, so does mine, every time you breathe air, I breathe it with you. And my soul would wither and die without yours. Don’t you see? You’re not just my warrior, you make me a warrior. You give me something to fight for every second of every day, Ava.”

She nodded, sucking on her lips. “Oh, I have your gift. It’s along the same lines,” she divulged as she pulled a gift wrapped box out of the wardrobe.

I wasn’t sure I was a charity person but I smiled and nodded as I tore off the paper. I pulled off the lid of the long blue box and lifted out a . . . ten inch strap-on.

Okay.

I blinked at her. “Although this has immediately got my dick hard, I’m not sure how it’s along the same lines as what I gave you.”

She shrugged. “I’m feeling charitable.”

I stared at her, then smiled, then grinned and then we were full on laughing, rolling around on the bed as I tried to make sense of her reasoning.

“Jesus fucking Christ, I love you.”

“And me, you.”

Chapter Six

Nativity

Mason

EVERYONE STARED AT Ava, me included as they all opened their gifts. Nate looked horrified. Greg was just laughing. Sam couldn’t take his eyes off it and both Liv and Courtney peered at Ava with open mouths.

“Uhh,” Marcy mumbled as she spun the wooden figure in her hand, studying every part of it as she scratched her head. “It’s . . . uhh . . . different.”

Ava nodded eagerly, “Do you like it?”

“Uhh, yes. YES!” Marcy suddenly grinned when she spotted the smooth carving of my backside.

“Ava,” Courtney looked over. “As much as I love this, can you tell me why you we think we would want a wooden sculpture of you and Mason naked?”

Ava looked hurt for a moment and Courtney shook her head quickly. “I love it, babe. I just . . .”

“Well, I know you all miss us when we’re out in Portugal so I thought you could look at this and it would make you smile.”

“Oh it’s making me smile alright,” Marcy grinned as she slipped her little finger down the crack of my ass. Sam scowled and snatched it off her.

Nate looked at me and smirked. “Not as big as I thought you would be, Mase.”

Sam and Greg barked out a laugh. I just shook my head and groaned. “Merry Christmas, guys!”

* * *

Ava was quiet as she stood looking out at the snow through the window. The caterers had arrived and were dressing the table as I slid my arms around her and tickled her neck with my nose. “Are you okay?”

She nodded and turned to place a soft kiss on my cheek. “I just wish George was here . . . and Kade and Grace. It doesn’t feel right without them . . .”

We both tensed when a scream ripped through the house.

“Fuck!” Ava exclaimed.

“What the hell?”

“Courtney,” she shouted to me as she dashed through the room.

Oh shit!

* * *

“For fucks sake!” Nate grumbled as he paced the room. We all stiffened as another cry bounced around the house and made our stomachs heave. “This is torture.”

I nodded, agreeing with him.

Another scream.

“Finally!” Sam declared when blue flashing lights lit up the room as the ambulance pulled up the driveway. “Where the hell have you been?” he asked angrily when two paramedics rushed into the house.