Grand Love by JC Hawke

13

Nina

“Everything okay?”Maggie asks, her eyes wide and laser sharp.

I watch as Mason pales. He knows how this looks.

“Everything is fine.” I step forward and take Ellis from Maggie’s arms, giving her a reassuring look.

“Maggie, I’m sorry, I—”

“Will you get Ellis in the bath?” I ask Mason, needing him to stop talking and not make this any worse.

“Sure,” he mutters, nodding eagerly.

I give Ellis a kiss and hand him over to Mason. They disappear into the hall, and I know Maggie is waiting for me to turn around so she can interrogate me.

“What in the world? Nina, has Mason put his hands on you before?”

“It’s not like that, Maggie. Mason would never hurt me.”

“I beg to differ. I always thought he was such a gentleman.”

“Maggie, that man is anything but gentle.”

Her eyes widen, then her cheeks flush. “Oh. Oh!” She leans into me, clearly curious. “So, he wasn’t being aggressive, he was being… kinky?”

“Oh, god. We aren’t doing this!” I laugh.

She smiles wide. “I have to know you are okay. Goodness gracious me.” She places a hand on her chest. “I panicked when I walked in here.”

“He definitely wasn’t being kinky,” I explain. “But it wasn’t completely innocent either. He’s just annoyed that Joey is pissing on his carpet. But it’s not even Mason’s carpet anymore.”

“I don’t think that’s the correct analogy dear.”

“You know what I mean.” I wave her off.

“So, he’s staking his claim,” she asks, still looking extremely curious.

“Yes, and no. I don’t know.”

I can’t exactly tell Maggie that I wanted Mason’s hands on me. Or that I wanted him to squeeze just a little bit tighter.

“When me and John got together, we just talked. Like an actual conversation. It was simple. He said, ‘wanna go watch a movie’ and I said, ‘yes’ and we got married six months later.”

“If only it was that simple, Mags.”

“It’s as simple as you make it. You’re both too damn stubborn. Just have a conversation.”

I puff out a breath, fed up with everyone else having an opinion on what me and Mason want. “Who said we even want it to work?”

“Well, if that boy isn’t kinky or aggressive, I’d say you definitely have some things to work out. Wouldn’t you?”

I grin at her, not believing I’m having this conversation with her. “Was everything okay with Ellis today?”

She purses her lips. “Good as gold, he’s just perfect.”

“Thank you, Maggie.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek and tells me to come over Sunday for dinner, then leaves.

The sound of Ellis screeching with laughter makes me smile and I sneak off in the direction of the bathroom, wondering what’s so funny. Only as I round the corner I falter, caught completely off guard by what’s unfolding before me. Mason is standing beside the tub, his top is soaked and discarded on my bathroom floor, and I’ve caught him in the middle of pulling off his trousers.

And for the love of all that is holy I am rendered absolutely stupid.

You cannot lick him.

Mason lifts his head, sensing my presence at the door. “What was that?” He frowns.

I pop a brow, swallowing the saliva that threatens to slip out and drip down my chin like a drooling puppy. “Huh?”

“You said I can’t lick him.”

My cheeks flame and his face morphs into a knowing smile.

“No, I didn’t.” I panic. I did not say that out loud.

“Sorry.” His smile is so wide I’m surprised his face doesn’t split in two. He’s so smug. “Ellis soaked me. I was going to jump in. We do it at home.”

“Okay.” I nod eagerly.

He licks his lips, concealing his grin as he continues to pull off his trousers.

Am I a complete pervert for wanting to watch this? I should leave. I should go and wait in the living room, but I’m rooted to the ground. Unable to move my feet even if I wanted to.

Keeping his boxers on, he climbs into the tub and sits opposite Ellis. He looks massive in my tiny bath, and really fucking good too.

They splash the water and Ellis chuckles. I sense they do this a lot as Ellis watches Mason’s every move, waiting as if he knows what’s to come. They are scooping up cups of water and pouring them over their heads. Apparently, that is hilarious. I can’t help but smile.

“Do you mind putting my shirt in the dryer, Mummy?” Mason asks, winking at Ellis and snapping me out of my trance.

“Of course.” I walk to the bath and reach for the T-shirt.

“Nina.”

“Mum, Mum, Ma.” I snap my head up in surprise when they both say my name, my shock coming from Ellis finally saying Mum for the first time. Although, I’m not met with a happy smile, and I’m not given the chance to get excited about it. No, I am met with a face full of water.

I gasp, squeezing my eyes tight.

“Oh my god, did you see that! It’s like he knew I was going to get you!” I barely see but I can hear how proud Mason is of his son.

They both threw their cups over me, soaking my face and tank. “What was that for!” I wipe at my face, probably smearing my mascara.

“It’s tradition. Everyone gets wet at bath time, Mummy.” Mason shrugs, his face cheeky and knowing.

“Not in this house! Is that why you made me come closer? You ass.”

“Language, Mummy,” he says to me but looks at Ellis, his abs rippling as he chuckles. “I think Mum, Mum, Ma is feeling the cold, Ellis.”

I drop my eyes from his perfect face and notice that my nipples are straining against the fabric of my tank. The water has soaked the white material and my breasts are very visible.

Covering them with my hands, I shake my head at Mason and edge out the bathroom. “You need to get out of my bath, then my apartment,” I say, keeping it playful.

He bites his lip, giving me a panty-melting look. “You’re not getting in?”

“No.”

“Spoil sport. Mummy’s a spoilsport.”

“And Daddy’s a moron.”

“Da, Da, Da, Da,” Ellis babbles.

I roll my eyes and leave the bathroom, then go to my bedroom and find a fresh top.

* * *

Mase

I didn’t planto get in the bath, and I probably didn’t think it through. Because now I’m standing in the bathroom in nothing but a towel and no spare clothes to change into. Nina disappeared after nipplegate and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. She has the best tits.

Ellis bounces in my arms, pointing towards the door, and I make the decision to go out and find her. I need my clothes dried before I can leave and that won’t happen until I get them in the dryer.

We find Nina in the kitchen. She has an oversized hoodie pulled over her, hiding herself from me.

“We thought we should apologise.”

She spins, her eyes dropping down my body then snapping back to my face. “You did?”

“Yeah, we didn’t mean to get you wet.” I look at Ellis trying not to laugh. I’m a bastard.

“You didn’t?” Her head drops to the side, her eyes flitting down the length of my body.

“Not with the water anyway.” I openly smirk at her.

“Will you put some clothes on already?” She shakes her head as if her reaction to me is wrong. “Please.”

“I thought this is what we did? Or are you the only one who can get naked?”

Her cheeks flame and she steps towards us, taking the clothes from my hands. “I will put these in the dryer. Ellis has clothes in the dresser in my room.”

“Let’s get you warmed up then, little dude.” I bounce him in my arms and disappear down the hallway.

Nina’s bedroom is boring, with little on the walls. I wonder why she doesn’t make it more homely. Placing Ellis in his cot, I take out some pyjamas then dress him.

“This is a good one, it says ‘Boss like Daddy’,” I tell him, pulling the top over his head and then smoothing down his hair.

“We could do with a brush.” His hair is thick and dark and seems to grow more and more every day. It’s long enough to style just like mine. Taking the brush from the top of the dresser, I sit him on the bed and style it into perfection.

“You look good.” I smile down at him, holding out my fist which he grabs and tries to chew.

“Let’s go find Mummy, and hey!” I point at him. “You need to try that Mum, Mum thing again. I think I saw the Ice Queen melt a little.”

“Da Da Da Da.” He bounces in my arms, and I plant a kiss on his smooth head, inhaling the clean smell of his shampoo.

I don’t see Ellis anywhere near as much as I’d like, yet we have him fifty-fifty. I don’t know how other dads do it, especially every other weekend dads. I can’t think of anything more important than the precious hours I get with him during the week.

Before we go back out into the lounge, I pull on my jeans, the only things I saved from Ellis’s water onslaught. Nina is laying out the table when we enter the living area, and she can’t help her hungry eyes from roaming my body. If there was any doubt before now that I still did it for her, after today, I know for absolute certain that I do.

I can’t help but mess with her. It’s been too long. “Are you dribbling?”

“Shut up.” She glares. “Would you like to stay for tea?”

I can see her gnawing on the inside of her cheek, and I know it would have taken a lot for her to put aside her pride and ask me that. So instead of being smart with her, I simply tell her. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Maybe I could find you a top that will fit you.” She stares at my chest, and I almost feel bad. If roles were reversed, and she was standing naked in just a pair of jeans, commando, with her breasts on full display… yeah, I’m hard.

I readjust myself in my jeans, whilst Ellis looks puzzled between the two of us. He has never known us to be in the same room for so long before. This must be alien to him.

“You’re unbelievable, you know that?” she snaps as if she can’t hold it in any longer, shaking her head as she starts to turn away.

“What?”

“Tea won’t be long.”

“Did you ring that jackass and tell—”

She turns on me, her face holding a warning. “Language.”

My eyes pinch in as I watch her. “Let him know not to come back tonight.”

“I already did.”

“Good.”

“Good,” she copies.

“You going to finish cooking my tea?” My lip tips up on one side. I know I’m winding her up, and I shouldn’t. But she needs to let her hair down a little. The Nina I once knew was never so uptight.

She must think better of it and doesn’t come back at me, instead she leaves us in the living room muttering her reply under her breath as she disappears to the kitchen.

“Is Mummy always this grumpy?”

* * *

Dinner is delicious,and I ask Nina after if she would mind me putting Ellis to bed. I’m being greedy with him, but I don’t care. When he was a newborn, I had to miss out because he couldn’t be away from Nina as often as he is now. It was hard, but she wasn’t ready to see me. I resented her for it at the time, but I understand how important that was for them to have that bond now.

Ellis goes down quickly and then I go and help clean up the last of the dishes with Nina. We don’t speak, but it isn’t awkward. Surprisingly, it’s been a good evening. It feels like we’ve turned a corner.

“I’ll check your clothes.”

I smile after her, watching her as she walks to the laundry room. I can hardly see her body with the oversized hoodie and leggings, but I know what’s underneath, and as she pads down the hall on her bare feet, I know how taut and smooth her legs are, how pert her sweet round ass is.

“Are you fucking kidding me!”

And then there’s that mouth.

“What’s the matter?” I ask, walking to the laundry room after her.

“It’s not on! I turned it on!”

I take my T-shirt and boxers and find that they are still damp, warm, but damp. I look down at the machine. “The water container is full. It must have stopped. Just stick them in for a bit longer.”

Squeezing in beside her, I pull out the water tray and then go and empty it into the kitchen sink. She’s sitting on the washing machine when I come back, looking annoyed.

“Why the sour face? I’m not that bad, am I?”

“You were only supposed to pop in, then you ended up bathing Ellis, then you ended up in my bath, and now you are strolling around topless. It’s a lot of YOU!”

I try to contain my smile, but I can’t help the boyish grin that slips past. “Don’t give me that smile,” she warns.

“Why? I know what it gets me.”

“You don’t play fair,” she huffs, jumping down from the worktop, bringing us toe to toe. She looks up at me, her head only just reaching my chin.

“I never have played fair, Pix.”

Her dainty palms spread out over my chest. “Mase—”

I lean in, my hand sliding along her jaw and lifting her lips to align with mine. “But you never played fair either.”

I lower my lips to hers, not being able to help myself and not thinking past the need to feel her. Taste her. It’s been too long. Our lips lightly brush before she tips her chin to meet me. I quickly deepen the kiss. She moans. Our tongues touch. She pulls away. And then we stand in a haze, my cock throbbing between us and my head a scrambled mess.

What the fuck are we doing?

She reaches past me, riffling around on the shelf behind me. She grabs what looks like a pillowcase. “Follow me,” she demands.

And like a damn dog, I do.

* * *

Nina

“I am not wearing that!”

“Yes, you are.”

“It’s a pillowcase.”

“It’s an extra-wide case. I never use the pillows, they’re too big.”

I take the scissors from the draw and begin to cut out holes. My hands shake as I cut through the fabric, and I know it’s because of what just happened. I wasn’t expecting this. I wasn’t expecting to want Mason as desperately as I do. I want to feel ashamed, or mad at myself, but I don’t. Not when it feels so natural to want him.

He still feels like mine, like I could reach out and touch him, as if he belongs to me and no one else. And that’s why I pulled away, because Mason Lowell isn’t mine anymore.

“You’ve lost it, you know that?”

“Maybe.” I finish and turn it in the right way, then hold it out to him. “Here.”

“You really can’t control yourself any better? This is needed?”

“Put it on or drive home half naked. It’s your choice.”

Snatching the pillowcase, he curses under his breath, pulling the cotton over his head and fighting his way into the makeshift armholes.

Because of the size of the case, it fits him, and it’s still loose in places.

“Well?” he asks.

My first dimple pops and then I am gone, bent over in hysterics at the beautiful specimen standing before me, wearing a pillowcase.

“Only you could make it look semi-hot.”

“Ridiculous.” He shakes his head, storming past me and dropping down onto my sofa.

I continue to laugh as the corners puff out at the shoulders.

“If you don’t stop, I’ll take it off, and then all hell will break loose. Do you want that?” he asks, completely serious.

“Are you threatening me with sex?” I laugh harder.

“I never implied sex, Nina.” His face gets even more serious, and he rearranges himself again. “Jesus Christ.”

“Your clothes won’t be long then you can go home.” I sit down on the opposite sofa—feeling like it’s the safest thing to do—and try not to look at him, remaining focused on the TV.

After ten minutes, I feel his eyes on me and when I turn to face him, he jumps straight in. “I think we should have an evening a week where we have dinner together. For Ellis.”

Shit. Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. The evening has been good. Ellis loved having Mason here, but do I really want to tie us to one night a week, putting us both in a position to be around each other. We rarely last five minutes without disagreeing on something.

“You could come to the penthouse, or I could come here,” he suggests.

“I wouldn’t come to the penthouse.”

“Why?”

Because it would tear me apart to go back to the only place that ever felt like home. “Too much happened at the penthouse. I don’t think I’d be comfortable there.”

“That’s ridiculous, you pretty much lived there for five months.”

“Like you lived at Lowerwick for seventeen years but now can’t go back, not even for your sister.”

His face turns hard and he starts fiddling with the remote control. “Forget it.”

“I’m just saying, it’s how I feel.”

“I know, that’s fine and I understand.” He brushes it off, and I try to bite my tongue, but I know I need to get it off my chest.

“Have you spoken to Scarlet recently?”

“Nina—”

“We can talk about the house, and Scar if you want.”

“You aren’t turning this around on me. I asked you to do one night a week, for our son. This doesn’t need to become a screaming match because I don’t go to the estate.”

“I’m not screaming, Mason, I’m willing to compromise if you will.”

“What do you mean?”

“You say it’s for Ellis, having an evening where we eat together. And I agree, he seemed to love tonight.”

“Right…” He studies me, unsure of where I’m going with this.

“I take Ellis to the estate every other week, sometimes more. But what if we do one week here, one week at the penthouse, and one week at the estate? With Scar.”

His jaw locks and he stares down at the coffee table.

“I’d be willing to face the penthouse if you are willing to face Lowerwick.”

“It’s not the same thing. I lost everything at that house,” he mutters, not looking at me.

My throat grows tight and I move to sit on the same sofa as him, hating the distance between us.

“Yes, you did. But they’re still there—both of them. Scarlet shouldn’t have to be there alone all the time, Mason. I worry about her.”

“I worry about her too.” He rolls his lips as if his confession pisses him off.

“I’ll be there, Ellis too. It would mean the world to Scar. We don’t even have to do it right away, just think about it.” I give him a small smile, eyeing his fingers that are playing with a small piece of frayed cotton on the pillowcase.

He lifts his head, looking so deep into my eyes, I worry he will see the secrets I bury deep in my soul. “I’ll think about it.”

“Okay.” I don’t mention the ball. I figure baby steps are the best tactic with him after getting him to even consider going to the estate.

“I’m going to go check your clothes. I think it’s best that you wait here.” I give him a wink, trying to lighten the mood.

“Nina.” He stops me as I pass him, grasping my wrist.

I look down at him, wanting to laugh at the stupid pillowcase but completely caught off guard by the look in his eyes. “Thank you.”

“What for?” I frown.

His thumb traces my skin, where his bangle once sat. “I haven’t been able to take Ellis to the estate. I presumed you went—obviously you did that day you got fired, so I hoped you did. But to know you make the effort to take Ellis to see them. It means a lot.”

I nod, my eyes blurring. “I don’t just go for Ellis, Mason, although he is the main reason. I go for me too. And you. Your father was an incredible man, and I’ve only heard wonderful things about your mum.” I pause, not knowing if I want to bare myself to him completely. Tonight has been weird. “I feel close to you when I’m at the house.”

He lets me go and I figure he probably needs a minute. I get his clothes which are now dry and then place them on the arm of the chair. “I’ll leave you to get changed. You can post the key back through the door on your way out.”

He nods and I make myself scarce, feeling more confused than ever.

In my bedroom, I slip out of my jumper and then pull on my usual nightshirt. Needing to clean my teeth, I pull open the door and stop short, finding Mason standing on the other side, his hands gripping the frame and his head hanging as if it had been resting against the wood.

My hand goes to my heart, and his eyes drop to my top, then to my bare legs. “Nice T-shirt. I’m sure I had one like that once.”

My cheeks flush.

“Thank you for dinner. I’ll see you soon, Nina.” He bends, placing a soft kiss to my forehead before stalking off down the hall.