Xeni Read online

  “We are gathered here today—”

  “Wait. You’re starting?” Maya asked as she rushed over. Deborah didn’t skip a beat and she was doing it from memory. There was no Bible in her hand, no slip of paper, no iPad.

  “If anyone present can show why these two shouldn’t be joined, speak now.” There was some grumbling about what the fuck Deborah was doing, but no objections. She kept right on, bulldozing through appropriate phrases. Xeni responded at the right moments, repeated the words she needed to say, and the whole time she could feel her anger growing. Fuck Deborah. This was supposed to be her day. Their day. The next thing Xeni knew, she was pronouncing them husband and wife. “You two may now kiss,” she concluded with no enthusiasm whatsoever.

  A sudden wave of disappointment washed over Xeni. She should have expected this. She couldn’t have a single moment of peace now that her aunt was gone. The mess she had left behind felt cursed. Or maybe the ancestors were punishing her for rushing into this without talking to her parents or trying to make peace with her mother. Maybe this what she got for going through with a wedding and not even giving her step-dad a chance to walk her down the aisle. Her confident impulsiveness had led to some amazing experiences, but every once in a while it bit her in the ass. She just wanted a blip of happiness, just a taste. Somehow the universe and Xeni’s own stupid choices had managed to screw that up.

  She registered Mason’s hand brushing against her neck a split second before he stepped into her space and then his lips were on hers. She leaned back, involuntarily. They’d agreed this kiss was going to happen, but she wasn’t expecting his lips to be so soft and warm. He didn’t pull away. He was waiting, waiting for Xeni to get with the program and join him.

  Kiss him, that stubborn part of her ego urged her on. Fuck Deborah and kiss the shit out of this man.

  She slid her hand up his large shoulder and kissed him back, soaking in his warmth as his other arm wrapped around her waist. She leaned into him further, stretching up on her tiptoes as her lips parted just enough for his tongue to brush against hers. Xeni swallowed a desperate groan, pressing closer and wishing the height difference between them wasn’t so great, just for a moment. And then his firm hand scooped her up by her ass and hoisted her in the air until they were face to face. She broke away for a moment, scanning his pretty brown eyes that seemed to be searching for the same happiness, craving that moment of peace. Maybe the height difference wasn’t so bad after all.

  She pressed her lips against his again, until she heard Silas cough. When Mason finally set her down, Xeni could barely connect her head to her ass, but she could feel herself smiling. She opened her eyes and saw Mason gazing back at her, the same dazed look on his handsome face.

  “How was that for a kiss?” he teased.

  A joke about having had better died on her lips. Instead she just laughed and took Mason’s hand. She turned to face their small wedding party, raising their joined fingers in the air.

  “Friends, family and farm folk, I now present you with my husband,” she said.

  She was sure the responding cheers of celebration could be heard clear across the orchard.

  8

  Mason didn’t know what to make of it, but he was having the time of his life. There had been dinner, a little dancing, some damn good cake, everything he and Xeni wanted from tonight. He’d never thought his own wedding could be something he wouldn’t absolutely dread or live to regret.

  He sat back in the sturdy folding chair, listening to Maya and Ginny tell another animated story. It was their ritual at least once a week. Sit down, grab a few beers and go on about the good and the absolute worst customer behavior. Diner patrons who sent back their food a record seven times, parents who couldn’t be bothered to follow the rules of the petting zoo and the teenagers. Mary and Joseph, the teenagers, climbing the trees and trying to concuss each other with unripened apples. It was their release at the end of the long day and Maya and Ginny were the best storytellers of the bunch. This time though, they only had a fraction of Mason’s attention. He was listening to Maya and Ginny, but his eyes were on Xeni.

  They’d followed through with the terms and conditions of Ms. Sable’s will. There were married now and tomorrow they would each be able to claim their portion of the inheritance. Finally, Mason would be through with his father. He’d dreamt about how relieved he would feel when that moment eventually came. Granted, with what he was bringing home from the cafe, he figured his father would actually be dead before he finished paying off his debt. But that sense of relief, that eventual freedom, had kept him going.

  Right now, though… he was trying to focus on the moment. They only had a handful of hours before he stuffed himself back into Mr. Barber’s stuffy office with its poorly placed furniture, where he’d signed off on the solution to all his problems. He wasn’t going to waste that precious time worrying and he wasn’t going to take his eyes off his bride.

  Yes, for now she was absolutely his bride, especially after that bone-shaking kiss. He’d meant to keep it tame, A light little peck on the lips., When he saw the emotions on her face, the anger and disappointment, he’d wanted to bring her back to the moment.

  He saw the effort she’d put into looking beautiful for the ceremony. For the first time, he’d allowed himself to really look at her body. The way the bright yellow fabric hugged her breasts and her wide hips, and how it did not do a damn thing to conceal her amazing ass. The braids in her hair and the flowers. He even noticed that she’d matched her makeup to the pinks and blues on her flowery dress.

  And then Deborah stomped all over the joyful seconds they had tried to pull together. Mason had ironed his shirt, for Christ’s sake, and there was this cranky woman nearly shouting instructions, forcing them to hurry up and move on. They only paused long enough to unspool the baker’s twine Liz suggested they use as rings. He’d gently tied the string in a small bow around Xeni’s finger and he couldn’t miss the way her jaw tensed or the subtle flare of her nostrils.

  She was upset and he suddenly felt protective over her, responsible for her. It wouldn’t be good for him to fist fight an elderly ordained member of their community, but he could try and distract Xeni from the way Deborah was fucking up Xeni’s vision for how this bizarre, yet special day was supposed to be.

  When he’d felt her tongue against his, he’d figured it worked. And, at least for him, the effects of the kiss hadn’t worn off. Maybe come midnight, he’d come back to himself and remember he was still the single guy working on his cousin’s farm. But for now, they had this moment.

  Mason watched Xeni as she opened the cooler and pulled out two beers. She was also caught up in Maya’s story.

  “I’m standing there, waiting for his mother to say something or do something then,” Maya paused and glanced at her mother, Bess, who still laughing. Maya lowered her voice a bit. “Then this motherfucker goes ‘okay honey we can touch, but be gentle.’ She hands her two-year-old this heavy ass jar of lavender honey—”

  “That I made from scratch. With my own blood, sweat and tears,” Ginny added.

  “Gross,” Xeni replied. A burst of laughter sputtered out of Mason. She turned and winked at him as she popped the top on one of the beers. He couldn’t help but smile back.

  “Literally so much blood. So much sweat,” Ginny said.

  Maya went on. “There are no bodily fluids in any of our products. Anyway, so she hands this damn baby a very heavy, very full jar of honey and he doesn’t just drop it. He looks at it and then smashes it on the floor. What part of ‘please do not let your children touch the breakable jars of honey’ don’t you understand? So Ginny just looks at her and goes…”

  “…that’ll be seventeen fifty-nine.”

  “The woman looks between us and goes ‘for honey?’ When I tell you I’ve never been so happy to have a White wife.”

  “I walked over to the register and rang her up. I didn’t even try to clean things up.”

  “So she pa
ys and then—”

  There was more to the story, but Mason wasn’t listening. Xeni was coming right for him with a determined look in her eyes. He followed the movement of her curves in that amazing dress and straightened up just in time for her to take a seat on his lap.

  “Is this okay?” she asked quietly.

  “Absolutely, but hold on.” Mason lifted Xeni just enough to shift his foot. He pulled her closer with a hand on her thick thigh.

  That kiss.

  Mason knew what was happening. Xeni was hurting and, thanks to her family, she couldn’t even grieve properly because they wouldn’t stop throwing obstacles in her way. He’d felt it in that kiss. They’d both found a way to turn some sort of release valve. Instead of tears, there was that kiss and if Mason was reading things correctly, Xeni was holding on to that feeling, leaning into it. But he wasn’t stupid. It was only for tonight.

  Then he nodded toward the beers in her hand.

  “Is that for me?”

  “Yes.” She handed him an amber lager, then tipped her own bottle back and took a deep pull. He thought she might drain it in one go, but she came up for air and whispered in his ear. “But don’t get used to this. I’m not that type of wife, bringing you cold drinks at the end of the day. Hugging all up on you,” she said as she wiggled a little closer.

  “What kind of wife are you?”

  “Cold. Distant. Harsh. Demanding.”

  “I don’t see it,” Mason said as he took a sip of his fresh beer.

  “Take it back, McInroy. I’m a cruel, cruel mistress.”

  “Sure thing, love.”

  Suddenly the music stopped and Silas cleared his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention.

  “Okay, get off my property. We have a farm to run tomorrow.”

  It wasn’t that late, but Silas wasn’t wrong. Mason had the lunch rush covered, but he still had to be up at dawn to open the cafe for breakfast.

  “Let us help with cleanup,” Xeni stood and chugged the rest of her beer, then started going around to the tables, grabbing the paper plates and plastic cups that were strewn around. The small party had made a bit of a mess.

  “We got it,” Silas replied. Mason knew that tone. His cousin had hit his peopling limit for the day and he just wanted to recharge in bed with his wife.

  “At least let us help with the stuff raccoons will find of interest. More hands. It’ll go much faster,” Xeni insisted.

  Silas shrugged in agreement and pulled the forty-gallon trash can he’d set out earlier closer to the tables. In no time, they had the whole yard cleaned up, with all the decorations, tables and chairs stashed neatly on the porch.

  After they gathered up their stuff and said their thank yous and good nights, Mason walked Xeni to her car. They both seemed to have something they wanted to say. They waited by the Mercedes until they were finally alone, after the rest of the guests had walked or driven off into the night. Xeni pulled her keys out of her bag.

  “Do you want a lift back?” she asked.

  “I think I might walk. Take in the fresh air. Let the fact that I’m a married man really sink in.”

  “Hmm,” Xeni said, looking in the direction of the farm. “Not a bad idea. Maybe I should walk with you.”

  Mason was about to ask what she planned to do with her car, when he realized what she was really saying.

  “I’d love the company, but I have to warn you, my place isn’t really set up for guests.”

  “Good thing I’m no regular guest then. I’m your wife.”

  “That you are.”

  “I’m going to be completely honest with you. I’m lonely,” Xeni said.

  “Another thing we have in common.”

  It was dark, but the lights from the porch were still shining and he could see from the look in her eyes that she was trying to figure him out.

  “We’re adults, right?” he asked, like he wasn’t entirely sure.

  “We are. I’m not saying I think we should engage in adult activities, I just—”

  “Don’t want to be alone.”

  “Bingo.”

  Mason didn’t say a word and just held out his hand. As soon as her fingers intertwined with his, he led her across the apple orchards back to his one-room apartment above the cafe.

  There was nothing wrong with what they were doing, Xeni told herself. Technically they were married, so it made sense for them to spend the night together. And she’d been completely honest with him when she said she was lonely. She was drained and, if she dug down to the next level self-awareness she’d been trying to hide from, there was still a sadness she couldn’t really describe that was eating at her.

  She knew if she went back to her aunt’s house, she would finally cry. The night had taken such an unexpected turn. It had only been a day, but she immediately recognized the energy in Liz and that they were destined to be friends. Ginny and Maya were hilarious, and it was nice to have Bess and Mrs. Pummel there. Their auntie energy helped with the fact that her own parents had no idea the wedding had taken place. Sydney was great, sweet, funny and just happy to be involved.

  And then there was Mason. He was so warm and easy to be around. The way Mason had kissed her, the way she fit so perfectly on his lap. She was on a high and that high only brought the bleak chasm that was so close to swallowing her whole into clearer focus. Xeni had given herself permission. She had one day and that day wasn’t over yet. She was going to let herself enjoy the way she felt around Mason for a little longer.

  Plus, she was stupid horny. She hadn’t been touched by a man in so freaking long. And Mason’s hands…

  When they reached the cafe, Mason led her around back, then up a set of wooden stairs to the second floor. Mason opened the door and ushered her inside. The light on his bedside table was still on. Xeni looked around, shocked by how clean the place was. Most guys she knew who lived alone had given up the moment they left their mothers’ homes. Clothes and crap everywhere, with floors that had never known the taste of a vacuum. Mason kept his little bachelor pad pretty neat. Her eyes roamed around the room, noticing a full wall with crates and crates of records centered around a complex stereo system.

  There was a makeshift desk under the far window. Cases that Xeni thought held different wind instruments. Two guitars were on stands. She wondered if he played all of those instruments or if he just found comfort in having them around. She walked over and saw that the desktop was an old door. An old recliner looked like it had seen much better days and then there was the bed. A very large bed that probably wouldn’t seem so large with Mason in it.

  It had no bed frame, just a box spring and a Cal King mattress on the floor, but it was enough. Xeni noticed the way Mason had to tilt his head a bit to the side to avoid the ceiling. The space may have been nice, but it wasn’t built for a man of his height.

  “Sorry I don’t have much in the way of furniture, but have a seat wherever you like. The bathroom’s through there.” Xeni looked off to the right and caught a glimpse of herself in the old mirror hanging over the sink.

  Xeni walked over to his desk and pulled out his rolling chair. “I have another confession. Well two. I didn’t bring anything to sleep in, but also I usually sleep naked. It’s not a sexual thing. I just don’t like having any kind of clothing on. I get itchy and then I get hot.” Xeni shuddered at the thought. The best part of her day was her naked time. “But if you’re not into it, maybe I can borrow a shirt of yours.”

  “You’re asking me if I have an issue with a naked woman in my bed? I sleep naked too, and it’s definitely a sex thing. But I can loan you something to wear. And I can put on some shorts. Since this isn’t a sex thing,” he said motioning between them.

  “Well, I mean, it could be like a finger banging thing.”

  Mason turned and opened his closet and pulled out a McInroy Farm t-shirt. He set it on the bed. “I was going to step into the restroom, but what kind of husband would I be if I didn’t offer it to my wife first?”

>   “Why thank you.” Xeni crossed the small space, brushing past him as she stepped into the bathroom. She didn’t take the t-shirt with her. After she turned on the lights and closed the door, she decided it was best not to give herself time to think. She loved her body and had no shame showing it off, so there were no issues there. And she knew exactly what could go wrong and she knew how to make sure those things didn’t happen. She just wanted a little cuddling. Maybe another mind-blowing smooch and a two-finger tickle. Nothing else had to happen. Or maybe nothing would happen at all.

  She was already wet though. Her body had sparked to life the moment their lips touched and her pussy had been aching since the first casual touch Mason had eased across her back. Sitting on his lap didn’t help one bit. He was so built, so sturdy. She couldn’t help but picture the kinds of acrobatic shit they could get up to. She hoped a little something happened or she knew she’d find herself in the bathroom in the middle of the night trying to ease the ache with her own hand.

  She got undressed, shoving her clothes into her bag before she walked back into Mason’s bedroom. He’d stepped out of his shoes and had unbuttoned his dress shirt, but he stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw her. Xeni tried it keep it nice and cool and casual. She set her bag down on the recliner, then looked toward the bed. “Do you have a side you usually sleep on?”

  “Uh, I’m right up the middle.”

  “Okay. Well, bathroom’s yours.”

  “Thank you.” Mason coughed a few times, clearly trying to put his eyes back in his head before he excused himself to the bathroom. Xeni folded the t-shirt and put it back on the arm of the recliner. She found an outlet and plugged in her phone. She had a bunch of alerts, but a quick glance told her there were no emergencies. She’d get back to her life tomorrow.

  Xeni climbed between Mason’s comfortable sheets and waited.

  He came out of the bathroom a few minutes later. She couldn’t help but laugh at the way he shuffled into the room, taking small baby steps as he hunched over, covering his junk with both hands.