Free BuckingHard by Darah Lace Page A

clinic.”
    The trail opened into a clearing littered with several large
blocks of limestone the size of her mom’s Toyota. Mason propped a hip against
the nearest one and looked at her. “Since when did money become so important to
you?”
    “It’s not, at least for the reasons you think.” She hopped
up to sit beside him. “I had a few scholarships, but Mason, I have a shitload
of student loans to pay off. I can do that a lot faster if I take this
internship.”
    He nodded then looked at her. “Those are all good reasons to
go. But you still haven’t answered my question. Is it what you want?”
    What she wanted wasn’t possible but she couldn’t tell him
that. She plucked a piece of straw from her jeans. “Why wouldn’t I want it?”
    Straightening away from the rock, he moved in front of her
and tipped her chin with a finger until his dark eyes held hers. “Why won’t you
answer my question?”
    Her heart pounded. He was too close, too inquisitive, too
goddamn sexy. Bradi turned her head and jumped to her feet. Wrong move. She was
sandwiched between the rock and Mason. She slid sideways but he blocked her
with a thick thigh. His hips pressed her backward into the boulder and her
belly fluttered. Oh god, he was definitely the proverbial hard place.
    She flattened her hands against his chest and pushed. “I
don’t know what you want from me but—”
    “I want you to quit running from me.” His long tanned
fingers gripped her upper arms and hauled her up against his chest. “And I want
you to answer the fucking question.”
    “I’m not running from you. I’m leaving town.”
    “Yeah, without even telling me. Without saying goodbye.”
    The hurt in his eyes tore at her. But on the other hand,
what did he really expect? “I’ve been coming and going for the last seven years
and it never seemed to bother you.”
    “That was before last night.”
    “Last night was a mistake.”
    “Is that how you really feel?”
    “Mason, we both know you wouldn’t have wanted me in your bed
if I hadn’t pushed you into it.”
    “If you’ll recall…” His voice deepened and his eyelids
drooped. He released one arm to drag a finger along her shoulder and down the
scooped neck of her tank top. “I‘m the one who put you there.”
    A shudder rippled through her and her breath turned shallow.
She latched onto his wrist and looked around the clearing. “Mason, don’t.”
    “No one can see us if that’s what you’re worried about.” His
finger hooked the material and dragged it over her bra. His eyes burned with
lust as they followed the movement. “I want to tie you to my bed again.”
    Her grip tightened on his wrist but she arched into his
touch. She didn’t have the will to fight him physically, even knowing how much
it would hurt when it was over. “Mason, please. We can’t. I can’t.”
    “Why not? You wanted it last night.” He dragged her bra down
with her shirt. Her breast dropped then lifted, nipple hard and aching. “You
begged for it.”
    I wanted you . Begged for you . “That was
different,” she whispered.
    “Why?” His gaze lifted to hers. “Because you knew you were
leaving?” His thumb rolled the beaded tip, eliciting a whimper from her. “What
was I, Bradi? Just a little something for the road?”
    Shame filtered in to dampen the pleasure. He was right. She
would never have seduced him otherwise. But dammit, it hurt that he couldn’t
see how much she loved him. She thrust his hand away and bucked against him.
    Catching her hand, he twisted her arm behind her back. His
face lowered until his breath mingled with hers. “Tell me I’m wrong, Bradi.
Tell me last night was special.”
    “So you won’t feel used?” The hurtful words just kept
pouring out of her mouth. “The sheets on your bed weren’t even cold from an
afternoon of fucking Deidre when you tied me to it.”
    Teeth clenched. “I haven’t had a woman in my bed since you
got home from school.”
    She snorted.