Trying To Retain 'Normal'
Midafternoon of the 5th--Terri
Once they left the city limits, Mason opened the throttle. Avoiding the highways, he instead chose the smaller back roads closer to the river. The Harley’s roar was muted by the helmet he wore and usually he’d be talking to his passenger through the mics in the helmets, but the beautiful woman whose thighs cradled his couldn’t hear him.
That had been a shock. He still couldn’t believe that Caroline was deaf. His thoughts paralleled the road they were on, twisting and turning around unexpected corners bringing images of their past together.
Caroline laughing with her head thrown back in the sunlight.
Sitting in the park with bottles of beer, music from a string ensemble twining around them.
Dancing under a half moon on the balcony of the country club.
Her eyes opening lazily in the morning sun, her sleepy smile so gentle. The feel of her hand caressing his bare che…
Goddamnit! Mason ripped his thoughts away from that image, bringing his attention back to the curving road in front of them as he instinctively tipped the bike sideways to avoid a collision with a farm truck that came out of nowhere. They roared around the obstacle and he righted the bike almost as quickly as he’d tipped it.
Caroline’s body molded to him from behind, her balance impeccable. A quarter mile down the road he pulled onto the shoulder and ripped his helmet off, turning in the saddle to look at her. “Are you okay?” he demanded, alarmed that he might have scared her.
Caroline leaned back on the pillion and reached up, slipping her sunglasses from the bridge of her nose without removing her helmet. There were no face shields in the way. She smiled at him. “I’m fine,” she assured him gently. “You did good. I didn’t realize anything was off until we got past him, even.”
He breathed a little easier, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek lightly. “All right.” The relief in his expression was obvious, and the grin he shot her crinkled the corners of his blue eyes.
Caroline laughed. “You worry too much,” she informed him, putting her glasses back on her nose and sliding forward as he resettled himself in the saddle to cradle his behind snug between her thighs. Her arms crept around his waist to settle on his hips as well, her preferred position for riding.
Mason put his helmet back on and his hands on the grips. With a twist of his wrist, they were off again.
****
Lying on the blanket in the shade of a massive elm on the edge of the river Mason propped on his elbow and watched Caroline doze. They’d hiked and had lunch, talked and laughed. He’d admitted to reading her books over wine. She’d told him of the adjustments of being deaf. Her ability to lip read was good enough to make him forget sometimes that she couldn’t hear him.
He took the unguarded moment to study her features while she slept. She looked so tired. It worried him. It worried him more that she was evasive about why. He was familiar enough with her to see that even now she wasn’t sleeping well. Her brows were pulled together in a faint frown, lines of strain creasing her face even in sleep. There were shadows beneath her eyes.
“What are you doing to yourself, babe?” he wondered aloud. Her explanation that she’d been painting and writing rang true, but there was more to it. Something had given her nightmares. She was beginning to twitch in her sleep, making soft sounds of distress. It made everything in him clench tight with adrenaline, the need to take away her bad dreams driving him nuts.
A tear trickled down her cheek and that was the last straw. He leaned over to gently wipe the droplet from her face, and as she stirred awake he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her. A tender kiss that was meant to remain soft, but Caroline’s drowsy response was to open to him like a flower to the sun. He found himself dipping in for a taste of her, unable to stop.
The kiss went on forever, tender but heated. His hand cradled her jaw and then slid down her throat, resting where her pulse had picked up. Caroline’s arms came up around him and she drew him down. When he released her lips so they could both catch a quick breath, she whispered, “God, it’s been a long time, Mason.”
It assured him that she knew she wasn’t dreaming or thinking he was someone else and he kissed along her jaw to nibble her earlobe. Knowing she couldn’t hear him, he finally felt free to whisper in her ear, “I’m playin’ for keeps this time, Caroline.” It wasn’t exactly fair warning but it was as close as she was going to get. He’d realized when he saw her again that she was what he’d been waiting on, and he already knew it might be an uphill battle – she’d always said she didn’t want marriage. But he’d loved her for years and she’d had her chance to find out what she wanted. This time he was coming after her like Sherman taking Atlanta.
He trailed back around to her lips, his kiss demanding her response and getting it in spades. Mason groaned softly at the taste of her, so wild and sweet. Delicate and graceful but with a core of tempered steel that he couldn’t help admire.
When he drew back this time to meet her eyes, he smiled. A wicked twinkle lightened his expression, giving him an impish look for a moment. Caroline laughed breathlessly up at him, and Mason said softly, “If we don’t get back on the bike, we’re going to find ourselves arrested for public indecency.”
She glanced around the park, noting the few others sitting anywhere nearby. The late-afternoon sun was warm and sultry. Caroline turned lazy eyes back up to him and murmured, “It might be worth it.”
He laughed, delighted. “It might be at that,” Mason agreed. But he leaned down to kiss her, this time softly. Almost regretfully. When he pulled away it was to shove himself to his feet, discreetly rearranging his jeans, and help her up. “C’mon, babe,” he said. “Time to head back. You said you had a thing tonight.”
Caroline let him take both of her hands and haul her upright, and then she leaned in for another lingering kiss. “I’m enjoying today,” she told him softly.
He grinned back. “That was the point,” Mason replied. He swatted her on the behind lightly when she bent to pick up the blanket and after he collected the cooler they walked back to the bike teasing and laughing, kissing periodically.
As he walked her to her front door, Mason reflected on the ride home. Having her on the back of the bike again made his whole week. He hadn’t been lying when he said he’d been lonely, and for the first time in ages… he wasn’t. His fingertips touched her chin lightly and he smiled. “See you in a couple of days,” he told her with a smile.
When she let herself in the front door with a grin back at him, Mason had to resist the urge to pump the air with his fist. He was dead set on winning the girl this time.
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