than him or, for that
matter, I was getting a great deal less than him. I never told him, but he told
me that he was the son and thought it best that he had all the ranch and money
since I was working. I think…he said he had plans and a buyer already lined up.
I doubt that is true. Dad said that he’d asked Dirk if he wanted a share of the
ranch like I have, and he told him that he’d just wait until Dad died and have
it all. I can’t believe that he’d say that to him.” Mason held her, trying to
think what the fuck was wrong with the younger man. He had some serious
god-like feelings going on there. “Mason, my dad changed his will about a month
ago. Dirk is going to get an allowance and nothing more. Not any of the ranch,
and none of the money that Dad has made over the years. He’s getting three
grand a month until he’s thirty-nine. Then nothing. I’m afraid he’s going to
hurt me…really, I’m afraid he’ll kill me when he finds out. Mom and Dad too.”
“I’m going to tell you something. Please just
listen to me before you get angry, okay?” She nodded. “Your dad has made a deal
with me. I’m going to take over the running of the ranch a little at a time
until you and I decide to get married. If you’ll marry me, then we’ll both have
it. I’m not asking you to marry me because…well, I don’t want you to think that’s
the only reason I want to do it.”
“I’m not ready to get married. I might not
ever be.” He nodded, and he could feel she was scared about them. He was too if
he was honest about it. “Mason, we don’t love each other. I’m not even sure…we
might hate each other when we’re not having sex. That alone can’t make a life
together.”
“I know that. It’s why I wanted to talk to
you today. Before…before the shower, I wanted you to come to me so that I could
tell you everything your dad wants. But I got sidetracked, and you are just too
sexy to resist.” She snorted and he laughed. “You can distract me whenever you
want like that, but we really need to sit down and talk to your dad and mom. It’s
getting bad out there with Dirk, and we have to have a plan. That way you can
tell them how you feel.”
“You want to marry me?” He nodded, but told
her that he didn’t love her, not yet anyway. “I want a love life like my
parents have. They love each other and respect one another’s feelings too. I
don’t think we’re there yet.”
“You’re right, we’re not. But I want you to
keep an open mind on the fact that my kind, all shifters, fall in love only
once. And you are my mate. I will care for you, keep you safe, but I’m not
going to rule you.” He crossed his arms over her back, holding her tightly to
him. “I might know more than you on a few things, like protecting you against
men like your brother, but you know a great deal more about nearly anything
else that I don’t. I will never treat you as any less than my one and only.”
She didn’t say anything for several minutes,
but he could feel her relaxing against him. When she looked up, pulling
slightly away, he looked down into her eyes and smiled at her. Mason had never
been in love before, and despite what he’d just said to her, he was pretty sure
that he was as close to falling over the edge as anyone could ever be. And he
wasn’t the least bit upset about it.
“He’s going to hurt one or all of us, isn’t
he?” Mason nodded. He wasn’t going to lie to her. And he never wanted to keep
things from her. He knew that it could get one or both of them hurt. “And when
he does, you’re going to kill him.”
“I will.” She only stared at him before
pulling away. Mason wasn’t sure what she was going to do or even say about it,
but when she turned back to him, he could see that she’d come to a decision.
“I wrote him off as never changing years ago.
I don’t think…not until recently have Mom and Dad, especially Dad, understood
just how bad he has gotten. There are
matter, I was getting a great deal less than him. I never told him, but he told
me that he was the son and thought it best that he had all the ranch and money
since I was working. I think…he said he had plans and a buyer already lined up.
I doubt that is true. Dad said that he’d asked Dirk if he wanted a share of the
ranch like I have, and he told him that he’d just wait until Dad died and have
it all. I can’t believe that he’d say that to him.” Mason held her, trying to
think what the fuck was wrong with the younger man. He had some serious
god-like feelings going on there. “Mason, my dad changed his will about a month
ago. Dirk is going to get an allowance and nothing more. Not any of the ranch,
and none of the money that Dad has made over the years. He’s getting three
grand a month until he’s thirty-nine. Then nothing. I’m afraid he’s going to
hurt me…really, I’m afraid he’ll kill me when he finds out. Mom and Dad too.”
“I’m going to tell you something. Please just
listen to me before you get angry, okay?” She nodded. “Your dad has made a deal
with me. I’m going to take over the running of the ranch a little at a time
until you and I decide to get married. If you’ll marry me, then we’ll both have
it. I’m not asking you to marry me because…well, I don’t want you to think that’s
the only reason I want to do it.”
“I’m not ready to get married. I might not
ever be.” He nodded, and he could feel she was scared about them. He was too if
he was honest about it. “Mason, we don’t love each other. I’m not even sure…we
might hate each other when we’re not having sex. That alone can’t make a life
together.”
“I know that. It’s why I wanted to talk to
you today. Before…before the shower, I wanted you to come to me so that I could
tell you everything your dad wants. But I got sidetracked, and you are just too
sexy to resist.” She snorted and he laughed. “You can distract me whenever you
want like that, but we really need to sit down and talk to your dad and mom. It’s
getting bad out there with Dirk, and we have to have a plan. That way you can
tell them how you feel.”
“You want to marry me?” He nodded, but told
her that he didn’t love her, not yet anyway. “I want a love life like my
parents have. They love each other and respect one another’s feelings too. I
don’t think we’re there yet.”
“You’re right, we’re not. But I want you to
keep an open mind on the fact that my kind, all shifters, fall in love only
once. And you are my mate. I will care for you, keep you safe, but I’m not
going to rule you.” He crossed his arms over her back, holding her tightly to
him. “I might know more than you on a few things, like protecting you against
men like your brother, but you know a great deal more about nearly anything
else that I don’t. I will never treat you as any less than my one and only.”
She didn’t say anything for several minutes,
but he could feel her relaxing against him. When she looked up, pulling
slightly away, he looked down into her eyes and smiled at her. Mason had never
been in love before, and despite what he’d just said to her, he was pretty sure
that he was as close to falling over the edge as anyone could ever be. And he
wasn’t the least bit upset about it.
“He’s going to hurt one or all of us, isn’t
he?” Mason nodded. He wasn’t going to lie to her. And he never wanted to keep
things from her. He knew that it could get one or both of them hurt. “And when
he does, you’re going to kill him.”
“I will.” She only stared at him before
pulling away. Mason wasn’t sure what she was going to do or even say about it,
but when she turned back to him, he could see that she’d come to a decision.
“I wrote him off as never changing years ago.
I don’t think…not until recently have Mom and Dad, especially Dad, understood
just how bad he has gotten. There are
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