I slapped his chest. “You'll do no such thing.”
Tugging me tight against him, he stopped my half-hearted assault. “No, I won't.” There was a severe note in his voice, trying to reassure me I didn't need to worry. But, despite his good intentions, the implication rubbed me the wrong way.
“Don't make me promises.” I didn't mean to let the bitter words slip out, but I was still so angry about many things. My trust hung like a battered, beaten pinata strung up by the most tenuous threads.
“I havenevermade you a promise I didn't keep.” His green eyes held my own. He was an excellent liar, and sometimes it was easy to forget that under the unfailing affection he regarded me with.
I chewed the words over. “You lied to me a lot of times, Mason.”
“I know, Claire. But lies are not the same thing as broken promises. So far, I have kept all of them, even if only on technicalities.”
“Are you proud?” I winced at my tone. He had been trying and was proving that, although it hurt to accept it.
His fingers worked into my lower back, smoothing the tension out of my muscles. “I understand this is going to take time, Claire.”
I would have argued if he said anything to defend himself or apologized again. Instead, his calm acceptance took all the fight out of me, and I deflated. “Let's enjoy Christmas, but don't expect a present.”
“I do, and I won't be disappointed,” he disagreed.
“How could I have gotten you a present? I haven't had the time.”
“Rochelle took care of it for you.” He beamed at me, and my cheeks grew unbearably hot.
Tears gathered in my eyes. “Why?”
He shrugged, “She saw you have a lot going on, and she took it upon herself.”
My eyes narrowed. “Did Rochelle take it upon herself to buy gifts for both of us?”
“She had a lot of fun doing it,” he offered with a sly smile.
I laughed. “Thank you, Mason. It sounds great.” Maybe I could adjust to his lifestyle.
There were a few quiet moments between us before his hands began skating over my back and the curve of my ass. “I've been thinking…” his voice poured over me, warm and silken.
“What have you been thinking?” I didn't intend the minor hitch in my voice as it dropped into something deeper and more seductive.
“You have been a naughty girl,” his thick but elegant eyebrow raised.
I laughed in outrage. “Andyou'vebeen so well-behaved? Maybeyouneed a spanking.” Part of me was genuinely outraged. He had a lot of nerve commenting on my behavior, even for dirty reasons.
“Maybe I would like it,” he challenged. My mouth popped open in shock, and he laughed. I was as dominant as I was blonde and leggy, and the jerk knew it.
A hint of mischief crept into me. Mason didn't expect me to follow through. I wondered if he had gotten into my head with all his damned Christmas magic. That had to be why I was behaving like a child. The urge to spank him lit my blood and sent a thrill of excitement through me. He would never give me a chance to reach his bare ass, but... I stepped back so we were no longer touching.
Suspicion clouded his green eyes. “Claire, what are you—”
Slap!- my hand collided with his face. The strike wasn't hard enough to hurt him, but I surprised the hell out of him. The excitement in his expression had a giggle ripping from me. He launched for me, and I turned with a shriek, running as fast as I could before he could grab hold of me.
Chapter 3
Claire
Thisstupidhousewasjust so damn big. I still didn't always know exactly where I was going, and I certainly didn't see any hiding places Mason hadn't discovered. All of that thinking proved useless. As I rounded the entrance to the living room, he grabbed me, surprising me from around a corner—there must have been a shortcut.
I was over his shoulder in a moment, kicking and thrashing to escape. There was no hint of fear like there had been the night in the gym or the library. Instead, peels of laughter burst from me. In answer, he dug his fingers into my sides, tickling me a bit too hard, causing tears to stream down my cheeks. And then, he brought his hand down hard on my ass, jostling the plug and drawing out a moan.
“Naughty girl, you're going to pay for that.”