Free A Very Merry Iona Christmas by M. L. Briers Page A

back.
    “Is there a
difference?” Carly and Iona said together. Mason considered it. Then he gave a small
shrug.
    “Probably not.” He
agreed and she beamed him the kind of smile that made him happier than he’d
ever been. Her eyes were luminous. Her smile was like a pup being born. It
brought him happiness and contentment with his lot in life.
    “Thank you.” Carly’s
quick change of subject made him frown again. “For what you and the pack did
for Hope.” Carly added when she saw his confusion.
    “She’s one of us,
Carly…”
    “Don’t start that
again, Mason…” Carly went to turn on her heels back towards the children, but
Mason reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her into his
arms, and her hands came up and palmed his chest as she tipped her head back to
look up at him.
    “I just can’t help
myself…” He said it like it was an apology, and Carly went to speak, but his
lips came down on hers a moment later, and the jolt that went through her body flipped
the off switch on her brain. She was lost to his kiss, and oh what a kiss that
was.
    Fire melted the ice
within her. It wasn’t a gradual process it happened in a heartbeat. The heat
started inside of her womb and spread outwards.
    Mason turned her back
to the wall and caged her in. If the children woke they wouldn’t be able to see
around his broad back… He felt that hard ache of his length trapped between
them and he growled, boy did he growl.
    That rumble, that
growl that started deep within him fanned the flames of desire inside of her
and grew. Her fingers curled against his chest as she found that she couldn’t
get close enough to him.
    Lust, it’s just
lust… She tried to tell herself and
yet even without Iona speaking a word, calling her a liar, she knew it wasn’t
true. She wanted him, but she wanted all of him, every last piece.
    Mason didn’t want to
break away from her lips. He’d not done tasting her yet. He wasn’t nearly drunk
on her, and yet, if he went any further then he’d be taking his mate up against
the living room wall with the children sleeping across the damn way.
    Mason released her
lips and turned his head to nuzzle between her neck and her shoulder. Her scent
was all around him, and he wanted her more than he wanted life itself. He
palmed the wall and eased back away from her…
    “One more minute and
you’d be mine and there’s not a damn thing either one of us could do to put a
stop to it.” Mason warned with a deep rumble that underscored every word. His
beast was close to the surface. He was close to letting his beast out.
    “Mason, I…” Carly
tried to shake the fog from her mind. It was that tunnel vision kind that
pulled you in and wouldn’t let the hell go. She heard his words and she felt
the same way.
    Was he giving her a
way out? Was he offering her the chance to leave? Could she honestly say that
was what she wanted now?
     
    ~
    ~
    ~
     
    Mason pushed away from
the wall. Pushed back away from her. Before she could say or do anything; he
was stalking away from her and down the corridor.
    Crap! Brain fart…
    ‘Don’t just stand
there, stupid. Go after him!” Iona
growled. It was a pathetic attempt, but when in Rome…
    Crap, Iona. I don’t
know what I want. Well…
    ‘Sure you do. You
want him stupid.’
    Would you stop
calling me stupid…?
    ‘Not until you go
after that sexy hunk of maleness and do what comes naturally.’ Iona wasn’t taking any prisoners. She folded those
imaginary arms across her chest and thumbed her nose at the witch.
    How do you know,
though? Like really know?
    ‘Well in this case,
fate told you, I told, he told you. Do you need the Tripple Goddess to come
down here and draw you a damn picture? Maybe she could use crayon, or chalk,
maybe you’d prefer it in charcoal…’
    Ok! Damn it! I get
it. I screwed up…

CHAPTER NINE
     
     
     
    ‘Ahem. A woman
doesn’t screw up, she just changes her mind.’ Iona offered and Carly