Page 53 of The Real Mason
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Anna
Istand still and listen to the sound of Mason climbing the stairs. The place where he smacked burns and feels so damn good I think I might faint. To think I almost went my whole life without knowing the pleasure of a hard hand hitting my bottom.
That would’ve been tragic, indeed.
I hear Mason’s heavy tread as he walks down the hall toward what I know is his bedroom.
What is he getting? A whip? Cane? That lovely flogger? Is he going to tie me up?
I close my eyes, resisting the urge to squeeze my thighs together and relieve the ache. I’ve missed him so much and want him so badly.
It has been horrible to stay away.
After my revelation, I wanted to rush to his house, but I didn’t. I realized there was a difference between understanding and believing.
So I spent the month letting it sink in, figuring out what this kind of relationship would feel like to me, learning how to believe there is no normal. This, what Mason and I are together, is normal. For us. No one else matters.
And in my belief, I found that sense of power I’ve always longed for but hovered out of my reach. In learning what I wanted, I found freedom.
Mason all but runs down the stairs, distracting me from my thoughts. My heart kicks up a notch, anxious for whatever he has in store for me.
His hands are empty.
I scowl. “Where did you go?”
He slows as he enters the living room, eyeing me with a predator’s gleam before stalking around me.
My blood picks up speed. My belly heats. All from that single look.
God have mercy when he touches me.
He stops in front of me and grips my neck, thumb pressing into my jugular.
My pulse races with excitement.
“Do you love me, Anna?”
The question takes me aback. I clear my throat, the dominance of the gesture not lost on me. “Of course, always and forever.”
He nods. “Good, because you’re going to marry me.”
Shocked, I suck in a breath. “Oh!”
He digs in his pocket and pulls out a small velvet box. He lifts the lid to reveal a beautifully cut antique diamond engagement ring. “I saw this in an antique store window a few days after we parted. I knew it was crazy, because I didn’t have any idea if you were going to come back, and I tried to walk away from it, but I couldn’t let it go. For two days I walked around in a panic, sure someone would buy it out from under me. So I gathered what little hope I had, went back, and bought it.”
“I…” I can only stare and sputter. I’ve never been so surprised in my life.
“Say, ‘Yes, Mason’.” He takes my hand and slips the ring on my finger.
It’s a perfect fit. Behind my utter disbelief is pure happiness. Peace. That sense of rightness that tells me our love is strong and true.
“But…” I stutter.
“‘But’ is not an option on the table.” He shoots me a stern look that has my toes curling in my boots, but I see the amusement lurking in his eyes. “In fact, you have no options other than, ‘Yes, Mason’.”
I release my pent-up breath. I know an order when I hear one.
