Eight Days in the Sun Read online

  “I hate your mother.”

  Yeah, that’s better. Talk about my mother. That’s like ten buckets of the Antarctic sea dousing any arousal.

  “I’m embarrassed you had to witness my family drama.”

  “Don’t be. It just shocks me how good you turned out, Mason. I can’t believe you gave her the car.”

  “Why not? She’s right. I don’t need it.”

  “But—”

  “It’s a small price to pay if it means not having to see her again, Kiran. I appreciate you learning to drive it for me. It meant a lot, but it’s time to let it go.”

  “Still, it makes me so mad.” Her slow, rich, velvety voice is closer to me. “That woman…well, she…she…” Kiran sits up. “Can’t. Understand. Normal. Thinking.”

  “Yeah, she’s changed. Drugs and desperation will do that.” My jaw drops, replaying Kiran’s sentence. “Girl, did you just call my mother a cun—”

  She slaps her hand over my mouth. “I didn’t say that exact word.” She sounds contrite. “I’m sorry.”

  I pull her wrist and bring her toward me. “I’m not mad. But you need to understand, she wasn’t always the woman you met tonight. Once, she was my mama. And a good one at that. The kind that headed up the PTA and attended every school function.”

  She rests her head on my chest. “What changed?”

  “She lost the person she loved most. When my dad died, I think all the good parts of her went into the cold, hard ground with him. She started drinking more and taking sleeping pills every night. She decided to replace him with a revolving door of men. I sat back and just tried to get by. I took Dana to school and made sure she ate, but I ignored all the other shit. I was stupid, Kiran. I thought she’d just snap out of it one day. Have a fucking epiphany or hit rock bottom, but it never happened. It just got worse. Dana paid the price for my ignorance.”

  “What happened?”

  “Football practice was canceled because the weather was calling for thunderstorms. I came home early and…” I can’t even finish the rest. I can’t go back to that awful day in the middle of July, only ten months after my father passed. “He was a nice guy too. Helped us with bills and even came to a few of my games. I thought maybe he’d help Carla find what she needed. She cared for him more than the others. That day, I realized he was the devil incarnate. After I beat the hell out of him, I called Grams. She drove all night and got us out of there. Not only that, she brought her shotgun and threatened to blow his balls off if he so much as came near her granddaughter again. Grams got Dana therapy and gave us a proper home. I don’t know if anyone could have helped Dana more. I know this sounds fucked up, but in time, I might have been able to forgive my mother for those horrible choices. I still loved her on some level, even though I hated her. Does that make any sense?”

  “Yes, it does to me. Although I don’t think I could forgive her at all. It’s remarkable that you could.”

  “I can’t now. She crossed a line we can never rebound from.”

  “What line, Mason?”

  “She took her pedophile boyfriend’s side. When Dana testified for the prosecution against the bastard, she was a witness for the defense. Who the fuck does that to their own kid? Thankfully, the judge saw right through it. The bastard’s locked up now. I’m thankful Dana’s not here. She’s never gotten over it.”

  “Who could get over something like that? You haven’t either.” Kiran’s voice is thick. She wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. She’s shaking; hot tears land on my chest.

  I hold her close and kiss her head. “So yeah, you’re right. She’s a woman who can’t understand normal thinking.”

  “You were so young, Mason. No one should have to go through what you did. Thank you for telling me.”

  “Just answering your question, Shenoy.”

  “What question?”

  “Why you’re lying in my bed instead of the couch. I don’t know Gerald, but I know her. I don’t trust anyone she chooses. I sure as hell won’t make the same mistake twice.”

  She runs her fingers through my hair. “Mason, I think you have the strongest protection mechanism I’ve ever seen.”

  “Honey, you’ve got the same trait. Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I can’t see how heated up you were.”

  “You told me to calm down.”

  “I was holding you back. Kiran, you are brave, intelligent, tenacious, courageous, and heroic. You know what that stands for?”

  “Pretty sure it stands for b-i-t-c-h.”

  “Trust me, I mean it as a compliment.”

  “I know.” She yawns and lays her head against my chest once more.

  We’re both drained. This day has been nothing but emotional highs and lows.

  “Good night, Cutler. Sweet dreams.”

  “Sweet dreams, sunshine.”

  Chapter 32

  Kiran

  Of all the times I imagined sharing a bed with Mason, the other night was not it. But we talked, and I had a better understanding of him. In a sense, I wish I didn’t. I’m still holding out hope for us. There was something needy and desperate when he kissed me that went beyond lust. But it wasn’t love in that kiss. I try not to fixate on us. There is no us. There is me helping him out. Him being grateful but not pushing. I see flickers of the boy I knew. He still exists beneath the hard exterior of the beautiful man I crave. The man I love.

  Speaking of lust, I’ve managed to create an entire soundtrack of raunchy parodies that play in my head while Mason runs on the treadmill. Tonight, I keep thinking of the way his powerful legs flexed and the sheen of sweat coated his body before he went upstairs to take a shower. Tonight, I think my fingers will frustrate me instead of providing any relief. This is a hot as Hades South Carolina evening when nothing stirs. Everything stands still, the heat stifling any movement.

  Except for me. I am restless. Every small shift reinvigorates my craving for him.

  I cannot sleep. I suck on ice chips. I pray for rain.

  I eat a plum, biting the fleshy fruit and sucking the sweet juice. I wash my face and hands. I decide to take off every article of clothing. After all, my panties are drenched. It’s not enough. Finally, I go to him. The oak staircase announces my arrival with each slow, longing step.

  “Kiran…” he says as I stand outside his door.

  I don’t wait for an invitation this time. Closing my eyes, I turn the knob. It’s dark and quiet except for the slow pitch rhythm of the circulating fan.

  I wonder if he can hear my heart beating. It’s so loud it reverberates in my skull.

  “Couldn’t sleep, sunshine?”

  “No.”

  He lifts the covers and pats the empty space next to him. “Come here.”

  I get into the bed. He reaches for me. Grasping my arm, he pulls me on top of him. I’m suddenly in his strong arms, our bodies entwined.

  “You’re coming to my bed fucking naked? You think I can resist?”

  “I’m hoping you can’t.”

  He’s not wearing a shirt. I feel down his side with the palms of my hands. The tattoos hide the wounds on his body, but I feel them now. He doesn’t shy away from my touch. He holds me closer and rolls us over.

  His kiss is still hard, but it’s tender too. He didn’t shave today. The gruff on his face slides along my skin.

  “Are the lights off?” he asks in a raspy whisper.

  “Yes, why?”

  “Because I want us on even footing.”

  His lips travel down my neck. His tongue flicks my nipple. His teeth scrape against my skin. I beg for more.

  His rough, calloused hands slide down my body. His touch is different. It’s slow and lingering. His cock is a hard, heavy column against my thigh.

  “God, Kiran, you’re still so beautiful.”

  “Make love to me now.”

  I feel his smile against my neck. “I’m barely hanging on here. I’m planning to fuck you
. You see, I want to be gentle, but I’m too hungry to do this right.”

  “There isn’t a wrong way, Mason.”

  “We’ll see.” He’s inside of me in one quick urgent thrust. He groans, his fingernails biting into my flesh. “Don’t move…please.”

  I force myself to stay still. “Okay.”

  “You’re so fucking tight.”

  “And wet.”

  He licks his lips. “That too.” Mason leans his forehead against mine. “This will be hard for me.”

  “You’re definitely hard.”

  He runs his thumb across my lips. “Pipe down on the smartassery. I’m struggling here.”

  I wait for him. Mason’s strong body tightens. He shifts once inside of me. I moan with pleasure just from that small shift. As if that sound is a spark, he takes off. I don’t even have a second to brace for this. He fucks me. His wild, primal masculine thrusts leave me quaking. I lose myself to them. To the feeling of him inside of me. He possesses every cell in my body.

  He covers my face in beautiful, passionate kisses while he drives into my body like it’s the Autobahn. “You feel so damn good, sunshine.” I think that’s what he says, but it’s a garbled mess, and I can barely process a full sentence.

  I hang on to him, pulling his hair and wrapping my legs around his hips like a vise. He grasps my legs to deepen his thrusts. I call his name. His breaths grow harsher, and his speed quickens. I feel myself at the edge. Then he stops. A warmth spreads inside of me.

  “Fuck.”

  In the low moonlight, I can make out his grimace. His body clenches.

  “It’s okay,” I say.

  He buries his head against my neck. “Fail.”

  “You didn’t fail.”

  “Did you come, and I missed it?”

  “No.”

  “Then I failed.”

  He gets up and heads to the bathroom. I want to go to him, but he slams the door. I lay there, not sure why he is so angry. I’m not. In fact, I’m still trying to catch my breath. It wasn’t a marathon, but definitely qualified as a fast sprint. He returns with a wash cloth for me. I clean myself up.

  Dragging a hand through his thick hair, he sighs. “I’m so sorry, darlin’.”

  “Don’t be. It happens.”

  “Maybe so, but it’s still pretty pathetic and selfish.”

  “The last word I’d use to describe you is selfish. You’re really weighing down my high.”

  “What high?”

  “You wanted me so much you couldn’t hold out. At least that’s how I looked at it. To tell the truth, it made me feel a little cocky actually.”

  He laughs. “Don’t joke.”

  I sigh and fall back into the bed. “You’re right. It was the worst thing ever. You’ve officially ruined sex for me. I’ll never be the same ever again. Thanks, Mason. Thank a lot.”

  This time he laughs harder. “I forgot how fluent you are in sarcasm.” He lies down, facing me.

  “Yeah, I minored in it at college. Made the dean’s list and everything.”

  “Is that a fact?” He feels around until he finds an errant strand of hair. He promptly tucks it behind my ear. That little gesture makes me want to ride the Autobahn all over again.

  “It is.”

  “It’s been a very long time for me, Kiran.”

  “How long?”

  “Five years.”

  “Are you teasing?”

  He places my hand over his heart. “Swear it. I went out on a few dates over the years, but it never went beyond that.”

  “I see.”

  “Kiran, there’s another problem.” His mouth tightens into a grim line. “We didn’t use any protection. So I failed on two counts. I didn’t even think about it. I’m so sorry. We can go to the drugstore. I think there’s an all-night one between here and Charleston. We’ll get you the pill, sweetheart.”

  I lace my fingers through his. “Stop apologizing to me. I should have told you. We don’t have to worry about that. I’m on birth control, and I don’t have any diseases.”

  He releases a breath. “That’s good. I suppose.”

  “You suppose?”

  “It’s really good, Kiran. I’ve been tested too, not that it matters.”

  “I wasn’t tested. I haven’t been with anyone since you.”

  He jerks his head up. “But you were with…with him for six months.”

  “Vik was patient with me. We talked about it a few times. I even went on birth control, but it never felt right.” I don’t know how to explain to him what I don’t understand myself. How can you cheat on someone you’re not even with? But every time I tried to be intimate with another man, it was like I was betraying Mason. He must have felt the same way. God knows, the man is Adonis incarnate, and he probably had a million offers. “We never went any further than kissing. But I stayed on the pill.”

  “I should not be happy about this.” His grin widens. “But I am.”

  “Yeah, I can see that.”

  His fingers glide down my side, ghosting across my breasts and down my waist until his hand settles on my hip. “Hey, it’s not as if anyone has pleased me. The only companion I’ve had is my right hand, which, although talented in its own right, is no match for you.” He kisses me, sucking on my lower lip. “Do you know how many times I’ve imagined being inside you?”

  “I’ll go with one hundred and twenty-seven thousand, six hundred and two times.”

  He arches a brow. “That’s an oddly specific number.”

  “Just an educated guess based on the number of times I’ve imagined it.”

  “That’s your number, baby?”

  “Well, I tacked on a few thousand because… Well, because you’re a boy.”

  He laughs and pulls me against him. “Sounds accurate.”

  “What can I do to make it better for you?”

  “You want to make it better for me? Kiran, I came. It was very good for me.”

  “Yeah, but is there something that I could have done?”

  “Come faster maybe?”

  I giggle and punch him in the arm. Ouch. Apparently, his arm is still made of steel. “Seriously?”

  He presses his mouth against my forehead in a tender kiss. “First of all, I love that you’re asking me that. Secondly, I need you to be a little more verbal. Tell me what you feel, what you like, how you want me to touch you and when you’re close or not close. I can’t see your face. I doubt it would have made a difference tonight, but I can’t gauge it for myself. When I’m with you, it’s way too fucking intense for me to pick up on all your physical cues alone. At least for right now.”

  “It makes total sense. I can do that, Mason.”

  “I really wish I could have taken you there, sunshine.”

  “Not to sound cliché, but you know what they say.”

  “No, sweetheart, I don’t. What do they say?”

  “Practice makes perfect.”

  He chuckles. He’s left the door open, and a shaft of light comes from the hallway illuminating his naughty expression. “Right you are.”

  “What’s up with your face, Cutler? You look like the cat who ate the canary.”

  “You are just chock-full of clichés tonight, darling.” He traces my lips with his tongue. “Not sure what’s up with my face, but you know what I am sure is up?”

  “What?”

  He takes my hand and slides it down his waist until it’s right over his cock—his very hard, long cock. “I can guarantee I didn’t eat a canary, but I sure as hell plan to have my fill of peaches.”

  Chapter 33

  Mason

  I enter the kitchen from the backdoor to fetch a bottle of water. Okay, so I really came in to see if she’ll “practice” with me again. Now that my appetite is back, I’m insatiable. Luckily, she’s pretty voracious herself. I’m happy to report I’ve learned how to please her. In some ways, the sex is more intense than ever
because I get to see her beautiful body with my hands. I try to touch every inch of her.

  I stop in my track when I hear the voices. Kiran’s either on her phone or Skyping with her father. She has it on speaker. She thinks I’m in the shed. I head to the fridge for the bottle of water and hope by the time I gulp it down she’ll be off so I can get her off. Dawdling where I have no business, I take a slow sip of the ice water. The house is sturdy, but loud voices can leak through plaster walls.

  “Linda told me the truth. You’re living with some boy you met when you went on vacation five years ago?” Her father’s voice is ripe with disapproval and indignation. Guess Kiran kept me her dirty little secret, not that I blame her.

  “It’s not like that. You don’t understand.”

  “How can I understand when you lie to me, beta?”

  I should leave.

  “Papa, I love him.”

  Nope. I’m gonna stay.

  “You haven’t seen him for five years. What kind of man leaves a woman?”

  “You did.”

  Oh, shit.

  He lets out a long line of words, most of which I could not understand.

  “Stop it,” she says. “You know Mason had to leave.”

  “Why didn’t he come back for you?”

  She could not answer that one.”

  “You don’t even know what love is,” she said, her voice wavering. “You should not lecture me on this topic, Papa.”

  “Someone should talk sense into you. Do you know Vik is still single by the way?”

  “How do you know that? Oh Papa, please don’t tell me you still talk to my ex.”

  “He’s one of my clients so, yes, I talk to him. I’m not allowed to divulge information due to the privacy laws, but let me just say he has a very healthy portfolio. He still asks about you.”

  She lets out a frustrated sigh. “Well, stop telling him anything.”

  “He’s a wonderful person.”

  “Then you should date him.”

  “He is a catch.”

  “I’m going to disconnect now.”

  “Do not hang up on me. Tell me about this boy.”