Read Atonement (Heart of Stone) for Free Online

so I could face him.
“Whether I spoke to you or not wouldn’t have changed the outcome, so there was
no point in upsetting you.”
    “But it’s upset you, so it upsets me.” He swallowed and
blew out a large breath as he closed his eyes, “If it’s saddening you this much
then I… I’m okay with you working with him.”
    Holy crap!
     
    I smiled up at him with adoration before I palmed his
cheek. “Thank you,” I whispered, “It means a lot for you to tell me that,
Mason.”
    The anguish over all this flashed through his eyes and I
reached up to kiss him. He growled as was his usual reaction to my kiss whilst
his hand slid in my hair to hold me in place as he devoured me.
    I circled his nose with my own when he pulled away. “I’m
not going to be working with Kade, Mason, but thank you.”
    He smiled in relief but at least he had offered.
    Here goes.
    “I have a job at the Panther.”
     
    I swallowed when after a couple of minutes he hadn’t
acknowledged my words. “Mason?”
    His jaw was clenched and his unique twitch in his cheek
was prominent, both signs of when his temper was close, and I gulped as I went
to move from his lap.
    His hand shot out and wrapped around my forearm as his
blazing eyes swung to mine. “Hold it.”
    His chest was heaving as the tic got wilder and I tried
to pull my arm free. “Mason, you’re hurting me.”
    He relaxed his hold a little but it was still firm and I
was starting to worry slightly over his calmness.
    “Just repeat what you just told me, Ava, cos’ for an
insane moment I could’ve sworn you said you had a job at the Panther.”
    I slipped my free hand up to my mouth and started to
nibble furiously on my fingertip. “Mason, calm down. I’m only working behind
the bar and waiting tables, I’m not gonna be stripping or entertaining.”
     
    I was suddenly pinned beneath him on the sofa, his hard
body pressing against me as my arms were held over my head. “Damn, fucking
right you won’t be entertaining, baby. You –are – mine!”
    I gazed at him, my eyes boring into him as I tried to
read his thoughts. “Mason, what’s wrong with you? You’re never this level of possessive
or aggressive.”
    His eyes flashed with uncertainty before he threw himself
off me and stalked towards the cupboard.
    He held up the whisky bottle to me in question. “No, it’s
only 2 o’clock, Mason.”
    He shrugged before he proceeded to pour a hefty amount
for himself and a horrible thought sizzled in the recesses of my mind. “Mason.”
    He turned to me, his dark eyes hiding many secrets; I
could see them all floating about like wisps of dandelion seeds in the autumn
breeze and my stomach flipped at the familiarity before I had the truth.
    I stood from the sofa and walked across the room towards
him. His eyes flicked when I grasped his chin and tipped his head forward to
scrutinise his eyes. I shook my head at him, “No, Mason, no.”
    He squeezed his eyes tightly and I slapped my hands on
his chest, pushing him back slightly so he stumbled with the force of my rage.
“NO!”
     
    His crystal tumbler launched across the room, shattering
across the other cupboard and propelling our wedding photo across the floor and
under the sofa. I placed my face in my hands and fought the urge to tear this
man before me to pieces. “How long?” I asked him without removing my hands from
my face.
    “It doesn’t matter, Ava!”
    “Like fuck, Mason. It does fucking matter, it matters a
fucking lot. Now, how long?”
     
    He turned his back to me, bounded the stairs and slammed
our bedroom door shut.
    My legs finally gave way and I sank to the floor.
Dizziness enveloped me as I fought against each of my heavy inhalations and my
throat hurt as I refused to give access to the tears that were fighting with my
emotions.
    Fuck!
    Just… Fuck!

Chapter 5
mason
           “Fuck!!”
    I palmed the mattress as I bent over the bed and clashed
with the fight my lungs were giving me.