Open Doors Read online

  “You did?” Her fingers cover her mouth in surprise.

  “She told me she needed me to leave them alone and that he would take care of her, for the rest of her life. I shouldn’t have believed her. Or him. I knew he had a jealousy that was crumbling Lily’s will.” I clench my teeth with regret, sparing a few thoughts for a dear friend. “I can’t believe she’s gone.”

  She approaches me slowly. “I saw a photo of yours in her belongings, along with a message. That’s why I came to you…” She lowers her face, heavy with emotion.

  My heart knocks hard against my chest, urging me to go to her. “I wish I hadn’t stayed away.” I study her closely. “I did, because Lily loved him and thought the world of him. Kind of like I do you.”

  Her gaze bounces up, engaging with mine for a profound moment. “You do?”

  “I do.”

  “Mason…” She bites her trembling lips. And I want to brush my mouth against them. Touch them. Tease them. Taste them. Crush this building torment inside of both of us.

  Fuck it!

  Closing the gap between us, I hold the side of her face. As she watches me, I let the calm veneer slip from my features, revealing glimmers of desire. “I want you, Dani. Now…”

  “I want you, too. But…I…I’ve never…” She stalls as her voice trails off. She can’t get herself to finish the sentence and tell me, but she doesn’t have to. I know. I’ve known from the start. Which is probably why I find myself so protective of her.

  “That’s ok,” I reassure her, my torrid breath fanning her features red. “I won’t let you hurt. I’ll never let you hurt again.”

  With a gentle whimper, she nods and brings her lashes to a close as a sign of submission. It turns me on wildly, my cock hard and hungry for love. The very next second, I pick her up in my arms, and carry her to my room.

  She doesn’t let go of my shirt as I lay her on my bed, her skin peppered with little shivers. I let her hold onto my collar while I encase her in the bulk of my arms. Cradling the nape of her neck, I run an eager gaze over her.

  “You are beautiful.”

  It takes me a second to reel in my thoughts from having her in my clasp; her body mine to coddle, caress and consume.

  I satiate my cravings by laying claim to her untouched lips. I graze their rosy outlines with gentler pecks, sucking them in with moist nibbles every so often, and she follows my timing. When I sense her letting me in, ready for a wilder rhythm, I pry them open with my tongue and delve in, exploring the sweetness I crave.

  Ravaging her lips until she’s left breathless, I brush my mouth down to the arches of her velvety neck. I bite her supple skin between my lips, squeezing the sweet taste out of it, till I hear her call my name out raggedly as her excitement builds. “Mason!”

  “Shhh…” I blow over the marks my onslaught has left behind. Soon I hear the mellowing notes of her moans. I unbutton the shirt. My shirt, but it looks fucking better on her than it ever did on me. She grabs the edges, needing a second before allowing me to slip it off her, and expose herself in a way she hasn’t exposed herself to anyone before.

  “It’ll be ok, baby,” I mouth to her knowing she needs to know I’m not only here with her but for her.

  She slides her hand to her sides.

  As the shirt comes off, I edge back to enjoy the sight of her soft curves. And I’m not prepared for the delicious sight.

  The breaths that escape my throat are hard and fast. Even my most virile imaginations are no match for her sensuality. Her skin is a sea of milk, the red lingerie against it resembling petals of delicate roses.

  I guide her exploring fingers from my collar to my buttons, and she follows my lead to help take my shirt off. I unbuckle my trousers. Slipping off my boxers, I cast them aside, revealing my erect cock, the tip gleaming from droplets of cum that are for her.

  A dewy look fogs her expressions, while she observes my naked form. “You’re beautiful too.” She lets out a coy sigh.

  The sound of her longingness spreads wildfire through me, feeding my raging cock even further. I growl from the sweet agony of it.

  I glide over her desirously, burying the thick of my palms into her hair. I rip open the hook of her bra, and pull off her panties with little restraint, fulfilling an animal need to meld each inch of my naked skin against hers.

  Her palms roam over my body, exploring my musculature in ways that tells me she’s been admiring it, and craving the sensations. I run my fingers from the insides of her knees, up to the base of her spine in erotic patterns, till the sensations snap her last threads of doubt.

  “Oh, fuck…” Her fingernails dig into my back, drawing me close to her chest, letting me know her breasts are aching for my affection.

  Running a few soft strokes at the base of her breasts, I cup her tender swells, caressing them till her nipples tauten in my fingers like blossoming buds. Captivated by how velvety they are, I sink my mouth onto them, indulging their sensitive spots by alternating between soft flicks of my tongue and firm tugs of my lips.

  Relenting to my expertise, her back arches further away, till she breaks out into a soft release. That’s the sexiest fucking thing ever. Knowing I affect her so much to make her come without even touching her pussy makes me happier than she’ll ever know.

  I pause, as she catches her breath.

  Taking control of her pleasure and watching her reactions to it, is a great aphrodisiac. I’ve got the first taste of it. Now, I’m hooked.

  Kissing a trail down her midriff, I part her thighs gently, an audible sigh slipping out of my lungs when I arrive at her pussy.

  Beads of sultry moistness glisten over her folds, as if in response to the heat my body is radiating. I look up, cracking a grin at her, and she closes her abashed face with her palms. She might be coy about it, but her soft center is lusting after my cock just as much my cock is lusting for her.

  I slip a finger inside, but she clenches her thighs shut. I let her relax, whispering reassurances to her, till she lets me reach for her pulsing spot. I brush her clit with my thumb in gentle circles, watching her squirm. I push a second finger in, massaging inside her body, her moans growing louder.

  Her legs arch up, as if an invitation to up my skilled foreplay. Only too willing to grab that invite, I sink my lips on her clit, brushing it with my tongue, as my fingers continue teasing the rest of her body.

  As her legs straddle my head tighter and she clasps my hair hard, I hold her shaky thighs down and take her through a thrilling wave of unfamiliar sensations, building her up until she snaps.

  With a loud cry, she drops back limply on the pillow, while I watch her struggle to come back to reality from the aftermath of my bold objectives with delight.

  “You’re a sexy kitten… aren’t you?” I brush her neck with a teasing breath, before taking her in my arms.

  “Oh, Mason…I never knew…” Her cheeks flush.

  She tucks herself into the nook of my neck like an exposed nestling, seeking my warmth and comfort.

  I guide her palm towards my cock, and show her the loving rhythm I enjoy. As she gets more comfortable, she looks up to me for approval. I lower to kiss her lips, but release husky grunts instead. The soft feel of her fingers on my hard cock kills whatever is left of my composure. This woman owns me as much as I do her.

  “Dani…” I groan, the veins on my shaft thick and full, showing how ready I am to make her mine.

  She gently reclines on her pillow, submitting herself to my lead. I angle the tip of my cock against her warm entrance.

  But, when I look into the depths of her green eyes, I notice a short flash of fear, reminding me she’s a flickering candle in the storm of our passions. I pause for her.

  My erection aches from the strain of it, but I want her to experience heaven, just as I know I’m going to be feeling hers.

  9

  Dani

  I want you, Dani.

  I recall the note of authority in his voice that had me relent al
l control to him. I feel the same way as he's about to enter me, a dancing flame ready to grow into a bonfire. My body trusts him. As does my heart. In ways that I would never have trusted another man with my first experience.

  I snake my arms around his shoulders, and I bring my eyes to a soft close, hoping to calm the fears. The first moment of his entry, brings a spasm of pain. And I draw my legs in.

  “Baby, I won’t let you hurt…”

  His words are like a spell, untangling any worries I might have, and I allow him to widen my hips.

  “God, Mason…” I exclaim as he pushes in. He pauses rubbing my clit in relaxing strokes. By the time he thrusts deeper in, my pussy is so supple and wet, the friction unleashes shivers of pleasure.

  In a few seconds, he’s planted deep, and I find myself enjoying the hard inside of my softness.

  “You’re a glove around my cock,” he remarks through his ragged breaths. Happiness lifting my mouth into a smile.

  I run my fingers through his hair, as he steadies the pace of our lovemaking. He continues rolling my throbbing clit with his masterful fingers. The swell of another peak builds again. I wonder if I can actually survive a third rush. I half-open my eyelids and find it impossible to unlock my gaze from his.

  “You feel so good, my soft kitten.” He drives harder and deeper. My pussy wraps around him, pulling at him to never leave me. A sharp tingle pushes up from my core, and singes through my veins. His loud groan pushes me over the edge and I pulse around him as he moans his release with me.

  Spent, he lies over me for a while, and I eye him admiringly as we settle our raspy, hot breaths. As he flips over to my side, I lie on his chest, playing with the line of curly hair, running from his belly button downward. Manly. Every bit of him. Our skin glistens and our hearts beat in sync. If I didn’t know better, I’d say that I’m falling hard for this man who was once a mystery but now a reality.

  After a while, he lifts my cheek up. “Marry me, Dani…”

  “What?” I ask, almost certain I’ve misheard him.

  “I need you. I want you. And most importantly, I love you.” He kisses me, and my mind slip into a sweet haze. “Let me take care of you forever,” he says softly against my lips, as if I wasn’t swooning enough already.

  Forever…

  A shiver tickles up my spine. After the shock wears off about the speed and the fears of his genuineness float away, I let my mother speak to me from beyond the grave.

  “Don’t let your heart be closed, Dani. Let it be open. Open the doors to your heart so you will feel it when it’s right.”

  “Yes,” I whisper back and he smiles and chuckles before claiming my mouth and cementing the moment with another even slower and more generous round of making love.

  Yes.

  As the day rolls on and I’m stepping into the shower, I notice my phone buzzing. I pick it up and slip into the bathroom.

  “Hey, Jack.” I smile, sitting on the counter, watching my reflection in the mirror. My skin’s aglow, but after six orgasms whose wouldn’t be?

  “Just checking in. Everything okay?”

  I look at the time and realize that we’ve eaten up most of the day with our time under the sheets.

  “You wouldn’t believe how okay I am.” I touch my chest, where my heart’s exploding with excitement, hearing my friend’s impatience rise. “Mason Kenmore asked me to marry him.”

  “What? Are you insane?” He sounds unamused, in a way that makes me highly uncomfortable.

  “Insane?” I laugh awkwardly. I can imagine why he would feel that way. So, I tell him everything that’s happened, and how dreamy it all is. How dreamy he is. “Still think it’s insane?” I ask.

  “I do.” He’s not swayed and it makes the skin on my arms prickle. Jack is one of those people who thinks logically, his job as a physicist needing grounding in reality, so I try to push down the creeping feelings. “You’re going to regret this, Dani. Big time. I’d bet anything that he’s substituting you for…your mother. I saw how he was looking at her in that picture. It wasn’t friendship. It was more.”

  I mull hard, for minutes, but find nothing to say in rebuttal except a quick goodbye.

  It wasn’t friendship. It was…more? But he said…

  The sobering reality douses my intoxicated self. How could I be such a fool? Wiping away tears, I return to the bedroom, my insides frayed from agonizing over falling for a man who was unavailable to me, just like my father was to my mother. She loved him so much. And he used her for what he wanted.

  I don’t have the guts to speak up to him. Not even when he warms my chest with a smile that speaks “you mean everything to me.”

  And when he disappears into the bathroom, I slip back into my clothes and grab my belongings, and rush out quietly.

  Closing the door on my heart as well as his apartment.

  The weekend passes slowly, but I stay busy with the twins, making the day about them. If it’s one of our last in the house, I want them to have great memories to hold onto.

  But beyond my attempts at normalcy and oblivious happiness for them, I’m a rolling mess inside. Jack tries to assure me that I’ve done the right thing, but inside I feel completely wrong.

  Was I that naïve? Was I swept away by the thought of being loved? Was I betrayed by my own desires for connection and a savior in my life? I wanted him. I wanted him so badly I could still feel his hands on my skin.

  Stop it. Maybe some people don’t know when it’s right and when it’s wrong. Stop beating yourself up for falling for a man with skills and a panty-melting smile.

  Monday morning comes around and my jitters worsen with every second that ticks past nine a.m. Eventually, I pick up the phone and call the mortgage company. I’ve rehearsed my lines, and I can only hope they’ll buy me time, until I can find some way to save our home.

  I pick at the lace on my dress restlessly as the phone rings, dreading the worst, as the officer answers the call with all the dry pleasantries of a piece of driftwood.

  “Yes, hello, Mr. Finnegan. I’m Danielle Reynolds, Lily Reynolds’s daughter.” I can barely hold back my tears while I give him the details of the mortgage loan and impending issues he’s not going to like. “It’s about this month’s payment. I’m afraid I have bad—”

  “Lily Reynolds? That name sounds familiar.” I hear the clicking of the keyboard. “Yes, I’m right. I saw it on the list this morning. That mortgage has been paid in full.”

  “What?” My phone nearly slips out of my hand. “How?”

  “Yes. Just this morning by bank transfer. Like I said, paid in full.”

  “Full?” My voice cracks in disbelief. “By whom?”

  “An anonymous donor.”

  As I end the call, the tears pooling behind my eyelids, roll down. I can hear the voice of the “anonymous donor” whispering in my head…I care for you… I want you to be safe. I love you.

  I bury my face in my palms and sob. “Mason, you did all of that and more. You said you loved my mother, but I can see you love me and in the best way. I didn’t trust your intentions all because of my father’s lingering actions. But no more. No. More. He took my mother from us, but I won’t let him take you from me!”

  10

  Mason

  I push the doorbell and take a step back to wait for the door to open. She left without a word. I exited the shower and I could feel her absence. I sat on the bed and thought it through. I could rush to her side, but that wouldn’t help anything. I looked out the window, the storm was gone. And I truly felt it was. The sun shined and I could feel the calm that I’d always been missing.

  After dressing, I called my assistant and set him on a mission that I wouldn’t take anything less than perfection and he heard it in my voice.

  Dani’s fears stem from her past and I can understand that. Our stories were different, but when the heart feels alone, and afraid, it’s still the same. And without her, I’m both.

  But even with giving her a day
to be with her brothers, it was clear that my understanding wouldn’t stop me from descending at her doorstep with an exotic bouquet of peonies in my hand.

  I know this woman in my heart. She is mine and I will take care of her forever.

  When the door finally opens, she stands on the other side, her face guarded, but hopeful. A silent beat passes, both of us trapped in the intensity of each other’s gazes.

  I’m completely taken aback by her beauty and her glow. She’s first to break the silence and I’m thankful.

  “Mason.” She throws open the storm door and throws her arms around me. “Thank you. I hoped, but I never thought I’d find both a savior and my love in a crazy plan, but I did. I’ll love you forever.”

  I hold her tight. “And you’ll live with me forever.”

  A tender smile washes over her face. “Yes, I will.”

  She arches up with an idyllic smile. And I give her lips the attention we both crave, sealing the moment with a kiss that both awakens and settles me.

  Mine. She is mine.

  Epilogue

  Dani

  I type the client-engagement email, sitting at my corner on the cherrywood desk. The promotions over the past two months have really spread the word. My charity “Open Doors” is showing promise, ensuring more families-in-need have roofs over their heads. Soon, we’ll be approaching our first milestone of ten families helped.

  Of course, none of this would have been possible without the generous support and guidance of my husband.

  I glance over the top of my laptop and catch him reading a file with his handsome “workface”—an intensity I only see in another area of passion in his life—me.

  I check the clock before closing the screen. Just before noon. Perfect timing. The little one will be up any second now.