Free Atonement (Heart of Stone) by D H Sidebottom Page A

their friendship.
    “You need to understand, Mason. I need to do this. Parts
of my life…hurt; they ache inside me, Mason. It’s like something that I can’t
control and I need control after… everything I’ve been through. I need this.”
    He exhaled loudly then he did something I would never have
expected from him. He nodded. He nodded in agreement. He fucking nodded.
    “Okay… thank you.”
    He leant into me so his nose was touching mine as his
hands settled on my bum and pulled me close to him. “Just… don’t let me down,
Ava, because it happens again and…”
    This time in was turn to nod. “I know, baby. You don’t
know how much this means to me.”
    His eyes pierced mine as he placed a soft chaste kiss on
my lips, “I do Ava, more than you realise.”

Chapter 9
mason
          I turned and smirked at Ava as we passed the Gretna Green Service
station on the M1 as we made our way up to the cottage. The erotic images of
Ava’s hot little mouth around my cock in that car park had my dick roaring to
life, the hard length pressing into the zip on my jeans with my lack of
underwear.
    “I am not paying you any attention, Mason.” She grinned as
she flicked the playlist on the iPod and a Thirty Seconds to Mars album
hit the car at an ear splitting level. I scowled at her and turned it down with
the controls on the wheel.
    “But, baby, it’s my birthday.”
    She turned to me and treat me to that god damn stunning
smile of hers, “It is and because of that and cos’ you haven’t touched a speck
of that filth since Monday, I have a special surprise planned for tonight, so
rein it in Mr Fox and hold those thoughts until then.”
    I shivered in anticipation. “Fuck, baby. Now I’m gonna be
sporting a damn hard on all day.”
    She pursed her lips and I didn’t miss her slight squirm
in her seat. My woman was randy too, hell; my woman was always fucking randy.
Not that I was complaining of course. I would sit her on my cock all day and
let her ride around with me for 24 hours if I knew we wouldn’t get arrested in
public and embarrass other people.
     
    “You heard if Lay’s managed to get up?” I asked her,
hoping to draw my attention away from fucking my little warrior.
    She nodded as she ripped into a Mars bar. “I think
everyone’s managed to make it.”
    Great, that meant Kade.
    I nodded and she slipped her hand on my thigh, “Thank you
for this, Mason. I’ll make sure I’m not left alone with him and I won’t leave
your side all weekend” she told me with conviction as though she had read my
thoughts.
    I flicked her a smile, a relaxed one. It wasn’t that I
didn’t trust her, it was Kade. I knew he still wanted her, wanted what he
couldn’t have. Wanted what was mine. If he touched her this weekend, so help me
I would finish what I had started all those years ago and rip the bastards
fucking head off.
    I changed the subject before my heart started that rapid
beat it always insisted on with the mention of his name.
    “What’s the plan for tonight?”
    “The usual, the French bar for food then onto Haven to
dance my ass off with my girlies.”
    I chuckled slightly. Ava and her ‘girlies’ would demand
the whole of the dance floor when they started rockin’ their asses and to be
honest, I couldn’t wait to watch her perfect body move fluidly before me. She
was one hot little dancer and I groaned at the image dancing around my head.
     
    I flicked the left hand indicator when we approached our
junction and Ava bounced and clapped when she knew we were near. I laughed, God
this woman was my fucking life.
    “Excited?”
    She turned and beamed at me before she planted a huge
smacker on my cheek. “I know this weekend is gonna be just what we need, Mason.
I have a good feeling.”
    I took her hand and brought her tiny knuckles to my lips,
“Me too. Just what we need, friends, food and fucking all fucking weekend.”
    She shivered and squirmed again and I laughed out loud,
“Ready for