Buried Flames (24 page)

“I don’t think I’ve ever slept so deeply,” Brenna murmured, wrapping her arm around his waist and scooting a little higher so that she could rest her cheek on his chest. “Sam’s snoring didn’t even wake me up. Did you hear him?”

“Yeah,” Mason said, catching the light muffled sound of Sam’s soft stuttered breathing. “I do now.”

“I feel so well rested. I don’t even remember dreaming.”

Mason frowned as he couldn’t recall dreaming either, which had been a regular occurrence, ever since he’d returned home to the States. He was also well rested, another odd occurrence that he wasn’t going to examine too closely. His right arm was holding Brenna, so he brought up his left hand and rubbed his eyes. They really needed to head over to the lodge, grab whatever could be scrounged for a late dinner, and then talk to the group about what they were going to do about the lone NSA agent they’d left behind. Would he give up, would he come after Fairfax alone, or would he somehow get word out to others in his agency and attempt to push their luck by attacking the lodge with whatever reinforcements they could muster?

“I know you told Tank we would walk over to the lodge when we woke up, but do you mind if we take a few moments to ourselves?” Brenna’s delicate fingers slid underneath Mason’s shirt, causing him to tense. He grabbed her wrist, stopping her from going any farther. Their previous conversation hadn’t resolved too much, obviously. All he’d done was make her see just how fucked up he really was and she came back for more. Her whispered voice drifted over his skin as softly as her fingers had. “I need you, Mason.”

Had Brenna said anything other than that, Mason would have untangled himself and gotten out of this bed. He would have walked over to the lodge, been given his instructions by Tank, and executed his duties like he always had before. He would have been in his element. Instead, the genuine need lacing her words called out to him.

Mason had her beneath him before he could change his mind. He wasn’t certain what was going to happen an hour from now, let alone tomorrow. How many times had he warned her that he wasn’t meant for this…intimacy? Whatever resulted from this now was on both of their heads.

“Lift your arms,” Mason ordered gruffly, drawing her tank above her head and tossing it in the air. He didn’t care where it landed. The fragrance of the lotion she’d used after showering this morning was subtle and yet so
her
. One of the other women had given it to her, but the sweet scent somehow reminded him of when they were younger. “Damn, you smell good.”

“Anything would smell good after being in that ash for three weeks,” Brenna said with a breathless laugh, most likely because Mason was now removing her shorts and panties. Her attempt at a little humor was appreciated, but it fell flat. He could think of nothing other than touching her. “You—”

Mason pressed his lips to the inside of her ankle while lightly tracing the inside of her thigh with his fingers. He couldn’t see a thing in the darkness, allowing his hearing and other senses to be heightened. He heard the catch in her breath and could feel the slight tremor of arousal run through her body. Her stimulating reactions only served to make him harder than he was before…if that were even possible.

“You’re as soft as I remember.” Mason reached for her other ankle, placing his lips against her contoured calf and following it as far as he could without actually giving her too much pleasure. He didn’t want this time with her to be quick. He wanted to savor her sweetness while he could, because tomorrow was promised to no one anymore. “How have you changed over the years, Brenna? Do you still like it when I kiss the side of your neck or the inside of your thigh?”

Mason gently lowered her leg, settling in between her thighs as he lifted himself over her. He rested himself on his elbows as he pressed a kiss against her neck, obtaining the arousing reaction he desired. Her breathing became rapid and her arms slid up his back, trying to pull off his shirt. It
was
dark and she wouldn’t have been able to see his scars, but he currently had no condom. This sensual act was only going to go so far and he didn’t want to be tempted to take unhealthy risks. He was barely hanging on to his sanity as it was.

When Mason sealed his lips around her nipple, she arched against him and wrapped one hand around the back of his head, forgetting all about his shirt. He stroked the hard nub with his tongue over and over until he heard a small cry catch in her throat. Her throaty moan drifted over his senses and he finally flipped her over so that she was on top of him.

“Mason…” Brenna whispered his name when he pulled her up toward him, not stopping until she was on her knees above him. Her hands were most likely resting on the wall above the headboard. He drew her down slightly, until he had her just where he wanted. He then slowly ran his tongue from her entrance to her sensitive clit, acquiring the reaction he wanted. “Yes, Mason. More. Much more.”

“You taste just as sweet as I remember,” Mason murmured, gently pulling her folds apart so that nothing stood in his way of pleasuring her. Her inner thigh muscles had a slight tremor as he idly traced his fingers over her clit to give her pleasure while allowing himself the gratification to feel how wet she was for him. “I like having you in this position…open, aroused, ready.”

“Then do something with that mouth besides talk,” Brenna directed breathlessly as she rested her head against the back of her hands. Mason couldn’t see her do so, but he could tell from the way her body shifted. Had they had all the time in the world, he would have been tempted to keep teasing her to a state of arousal so sharp, he would have immensely enjoyed her begging. He finally closed his lips over her clit and stroked it softly with his tongue. “God, yes!”

*

Brenna was seeing
bursts of color in the darkness. She was resting her forehead against the back of her hands for support, but she’d never quite felt the strength of the tremors in her knees like she was experiencing now. Her entire body was energized to the point of combustion and there wasn’t anything she could do until Mason brought her to that euphoric state.

Mason gently placed a hand on her buttocks, bringing her forward even more and intensifying the pressure. He brought his other hand around and every so gently slid a finger inside of her, while rasping his tongue against her clit. Those shooting electrical impulses became even stronger and Brenna found that she couldn’t breathe evenly anymore.

Brenna wanted to ask for more, but she couldn’t form the words with her lips. Mason had hooked his finger so that he was rubbing that perfect little spot that she just knew would send her over the edge of the precipice. Being open to him in this position caused her to feel vulnerable and yet she found she received more pleasure in this position than she would have ever thought.

“Don’t stop,” Brenna protested when Mason withdrew his finger, leaving her feeling quite empty. The ache somehow managed to only increase at the absence of his touch. “I need…yes!”

Mason ever so slowly inserted two fingers into her sheath while dragging his thumb over a very sensitive spot right underneath her clit. She curled her fingers into her palms as he started to suckle on her clit stronger than before until it was totally out from underneath its hood. There were no more barriers to stop this pleasurable torment and she was taken to new heights.

The moment Mason curled his two fingers and firmly stroked those uncovered nerves, Brenna flew higher than she’d ever remembered. This wasn’t the young boy who fumbled to make sweet love to her up in the hayloft of her father’s barn. This was a man who knew exactly how to touch, stroke, and caress a woman to orgasm. And that’s exactly what he did time and again.

Brenna was past the point of no return and closed her eyes tight in response, regardless that it was totally pitch black in the room. She parted her lips and silently cried out as Mason triggered her body into an intense release that had her seeing colored spots while every nerve in her body exploded in rapture.

“I’ve got you,” Mason murmured, suddenly holding her in his arms and pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. Brenna wasn’t even sure how she’d come to be in this position, but she was grateful for the extra time to catch her breath. “Relax for a bit, little one. You rolled those together rather quickly.”

Brenna wished she were lying against his warm skin instead of his clothes, but that could be rectified as soon as she gained her energy back. She pressed a kiss against the cord of muscle on the side of his neck, relishing his strength and his ability to still be gentle while he handled her body. The mixture of the two was heady and gave her the power to lift herself over him.

“You certainly haven’t lost your touch,” Brenna whispered against his lips, not nearly close to being finished with what they’d started here. She really wanted to turn the light on so she could see Mason’s expressions. They were starting out on new ground and she didn’t want to miss a thing. “That was absolutely wonderful.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Mason said with a smile in his voice. Now Brenna really wanted the lights on, since she hadn’t truly seen him smile since they’d been in high school. The sound of his happiness merged with hers and her heart felt lighter for it until he made his next statement. “We really need to head over to the lodge.”

Brenna pulled back in surprise, wondering if she’d mistakenly heard the contentment that had been interwoven within his previous words. His hands had been on her waist, so she knew exactly where his wrists were. She quickly grabbed them and pinned them over his head, knowing full well he’d let her. She wanted to get her point across, but the hard bulge beneath her mound was quite distracting.

“We agreed it was okay to take time for ourselves,” Brenna started out, wanting to say everything that was whirling around in her mind. “We’re not in a situation where—”

“Little one, I haven’t changed my mind about us.” Mason extricated his hands and used his right one to cup her face. Brenna leaned into his warmth, relief skating through her. This was their time, regardless that it was merging with an end of the world scenario. “We don’t have any condoms and I’m not going to risk getting you pregnant, especially in this precarious situation.”

“A gentleman through and through,” Brenna murmured as she pressed her lips to the middle of his palm, coarse with hard work from the farm. Mason had always been a doer and that hadn’t changed.

“I’m no gentleman, little one,” Mason declared, rolling her over in one motion while reaching over the bedside lamp. The room was immediately dowsed in a golden hue, but all Brenna could see was the small smile on his lips. It was infectious. “But then again, you weren’t attracted to me back then for my manners.”

“I’m sure we can—”

A rap came at the door, wiping Mason’s smile away while causing that recognizable rush of anxiety that Brenna was becoming all too familiar with. She’d wanted a little more time and it looked as if she wasn’t going to get it. Sam immediately stood to all fours, staring intently at the door.

“Mason, we need you in the radio room.” Owen paused, seemingly unwilling to break this moment of peace they’d all been experiencing. That didn’t stop him though. “The missing NSA agent is at the front checkpoint…and he’s got a few reinforcements.”

M
ason stood in
the security office at the entrance of the bunker with a cup of coffee in hand as he stared at the bank of monitors. Each of these monitors was fed to security by the Video Surveillance Control Room (VSCR) further inside the bunker. The quality of the video was excellent; however, the cameras varied quite a bit and the IR cameras basically only defined outlines with different heat signatures.

Mason wasn’t able to give confirmation that this man was the third agent who’d been after Fairfax back at the winery, but he certainly had the information to prove it—along with an additional team of four men. What this agent hadn’t counted on was that Tank had positioned numerous cameras around the lodge along trails leading farther up the mountain and areas on or around the foothills. They were catching sight of other tangos trying to find a way inside the perimeter.