Page 41 of Boundaries

“Nice,” I cooed.

Mason negotiated his way via the stones over the shallowest part of the river before the bend, which made up the deeper pool section. He teetered a couple of times on the rocks, but didn’t fall in. At that point I didn’t care either way. I was slowly losing my grasp on reality.

Being carried by Mason made me feel safe, something I rarely felt in his company and it was refreshing. My arms were around his neck, I could feel the corded strength of the muscles in his throat.

After a good ten minutes or so, I felt him mount the steps of the porch of his house. He was taking me to his place as it was the closest.

“You need water and a damn good hiding, but the water will do for now,” he scowled, his voice firm. Commanding. My tummy flipped.

He was taking me upstairs. He carried me easily as if I weighed nothing.

I wasn’t totally out of it, but I felt like I was dreaming. Mason lowered me onto something soft, a bed I imagined. His bed? He then left me and came back with a glass of water.

In a throaty, sexy-as-hell voice he said, “Drink this, all of it, I’m running you a cold bath. I need to get some ice. If you’re going to throw up, I’d appreciate it if you could make it to the toilet. The ensuite is there.”

I felt hypnotised by his eyes as they searched my face.

Everything was hazy, I was forced to drink at least three glasses of water whilst Mason ran the bath. I faintly recognised it was one of those free-standing ones.

It should have felt strange being in Mason’s bedroom, but I felt so horrendous that I didn’t care. It was like the world’s worst hangover.

Mason helped me from the bed and into the bathroom, the bath was full of ice. I could see it floating on the top. Was he nuts?

“Your neck is on fire,” Mason said, taking me by the chin and sliding his other hand around my throat.

I felt so helpless.

“Come on, take everything off and get in.” He was in full-on bossy mode and even though I was sick, it turned me on.

“What?” I said weakly.

He frowned moodily, “Your clothes.” Motioning with his hand.

I took a step back and looked from him to the bath and back again, “I can’t do that with you here.”

He wasn’t deterred, “Do it or I’ll do it for you and I won’t be gentle about it. Keep your bra and knickers on if it bothers you that much. You’re sick Amy, this isn’t about that. I’m not that much of a bastard that I’d come onto an ill female.”

“OK, but you’re going to have to help me,” I pouted.

Mason helped me pull my tee off over my head. I was probably wearing the most boring underwear ever, but I didn’t care. As he said, this wasn’t about that. It was about bringing the temperature of my body down. How I hadn’t thrown up was a miracle.

After a few minutes, as I discarded my clothes, I stood there in Mason McKenna’s bathroom in a white cotton bra and knickers. His face as he guided me to the water was passive. He wasn’t a guy with lustful intentions at that point, he was a man who was helping a woman in need. It made me feel nice inside. Special somehow.

I gasped as the icy water hit my limbs and tried to climb out, but Mason forced me down into the water.

I stared up at his tense profile in silent question. The water was freezing.

“You need to submerge your body,” he explained, dragging what appeared to be a laundry basket over and placing his backside down on it.

“You could have just put me in the pool,” I suggested weakly.

He shook his head, “It’s not cold enough this time of year.”

Eventually, I became used to it and I lay there for around ten minutes. I could hear Mason in his room and saw him texting on his phone at one point. Maybe he was telling Mattie where I was. That reminded me of what I’d witnessed and of that betrayal. My brother was the last person I wanted to see.

Mason kept checking in on me. To think that my heatstroke had forced us into a temporary truce.

That dizzy feeling started to reduce, but I felt so tired, like I was sleepwalking. Mason helped me from the bath and started to dry my body with a large fluffy towel. His kind behaviour made me feel worse somehow, and I felt the need to cry again.

---