Face the Music by Ali Vali

Author:Ali Vali [Vali, Ali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781635555332
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2020-03-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

The river was coming into view as dawn started to light the sky, and Victoria enjoyed the landscape as she lay in Mason’s arms. The night had been equally intense and tender, leaving her exhausted. It was good exhaustion, not the tense kind she usually felt from dealing with her mother and the crazy life they led.

“You know what I learned just now?” Mason’s whispered question made her smile, especially when she kissed her shoulder blade as she pressed closer behind her.

“What’s that?” She rolled over but stayed close.

“It just hit me what good morning means.” Mason kissed her and trailed her hand down her back. “Good morning.”

“It is.” She traced Mason’s lips with her fingertip and smiled. It’d been a long time since she’d been intimate with anyone, and this was the first time she’d spent the entire night with someone.

Her nomadic upbringing had stunted the part of her heart that most people seemed to take for granted. That part that thrilled over finding someone to share herself with, followed by allowing them into her heart. Up to now she’d only shared her body, but never herself. It made for long nights, but it’d be unfair to lead someone to a place she wasn’t willing to go.

The main responsibility she’d had to herself until this moment was to protect herself above all else. Not allowing anyone too close had kept her safe from more hurt than she had already, but it really was a lonely way to live. Loneliness wasn’t pain, though, and there was Mason at the door, gazing at her like she really wanted to be let in. The problem was, her fingers were numb from holding the knob so tightly, unsure whether to turn it or not.

“You’re really sweet.” It was hard not to feel adored, the way Mason was looking at her. “Thank you for staying with me.”

“Do you think it was a hardship?” Mason flattened her hand on the small of her back and pulled her closer. “If you need to hear me say it, last night was wonderful. You were wonderful.”

“Mason Liner, are you a closet romantic?” She took Mason’s hand. Mason’s eyes seemed to focus on hers when she sucked her index finger to the knuckle.

“Romantic? I’ve never been accused of that, but I’m willing to expand my horizons. Maybe we both can.”

She ran her tongue along the pad of Mason’s finger before releasing it. “Can I admit something?” She buried her fingers in Mason’s hair and sighed when Mason kissed her slowly and with so much tenderness it made her want to weep.

“Tell me. You can tell me anything.” Mason started to move away but she resisted, held her close.

“I’m afraid.” The admission was painful, but she wanted to be honest. “I don’t know how to do this. Dating. Relationships. No clue.” She’d never had a model of what a loving and committed long-term relationship was, with the exception of her grandparents, and even that relationship wasn’t perfect.

“The truth is we’re discovering new territory together.

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