CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Mason

I pull up to the cabin bright and early, as promised. Ally never told me what the plan was for today, but I guess if I can be cryptic, then so can she. She's already waiting for me outside when I pull into the gravel drive, and the sight of her standing on the porch, leaning on the railing in her denim cut-offs and loose-fitting tank top, makes my chest seize. All I keep thinking about since yesterday is that damn kiss. Not the one at the clinic, although that one was hot as hell until Ally decided to be the responsible one. No, my mind has been stuck on the way Ally held me as she kissed me to wake me up from my nightmare.

I've had the same nightmare almost every night for the past year. Every time, I wake up shaking and sweating, trying to convince myself that it hasn't happened again. That nobody else has died. Two nights ago was the first time I'd been woken from my nightmare by a soothing embrace and comforting words spoken in a hushed voice.It was the first time I fell back into a deep slumber, one that wasn't plagued with dreams.

"I thought I'd repay you for the coffee you got me yesterday. It's no latte from Poppy, but it's the best I can do with black coffee," Ally says as she hands me of my dad's old mugs and the sight of it makes my heart ache for a second. Ever since Ally moved into the cabin, memories have been flooding back to me about my dad. It hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. In fact, remembering him the way he was at the cabin has been pushing out the more painful ones, and I've wondered if keeping his legacy alive is about more than the clinic.

I take the cup of coffee, giving Ally a quick nod of thanks, and I survey the yard. She's gathered all kinds of painting supplies, but what she intends on doing with them is a mystery.

"Put me in, coach. What are we doing?" I say, gesturing to the supplies.She's set up my dad's old workhorses and placed a sheet of plywood overtop forming a makeshift table. Small cans of colourful paint dot the yard.

"We're painting signs for the festival! Everything else is just about in order for tomorrow, so now we need decorations." Ally sets about explaining all the signs we need to paint today, and we have our work cut out for us. There will be one directing patrons over to the food carts, one indicating where there will be booths with games, the raffle tent, and a few more decorative ones. Ally has cut out pumpkins and sunflowers, as the theme is fall harvest and she's leaning into it.

I quickly learn that I am not nearly as adept at painting as Ally is. My lines are a little sloppy, and somehow, my colour choices are a little off. I'm standing back, surveying Ally as she finishes up the sign she's working on, and I can't help but notice how steady her hand is. Her fingers wrap firmly around the wooden handle of the brush, making long, clean strokes.

"What do you think?" I hold up my sign to show Ally and she scrunches her face in the prettiest little grimace. "Don't give me that look. I'm trying my best over here."

I set down the sign and go over to where Ally is standing. Her painting is gorgeous. The details that she's added to the pumpkins make them appear real. She has a real creative eye. I make an exaggerated point of looking down my nose at it, like I'm some art critic in the Louvre.

"Stay in the lines next time, Honeybee." I nudge her and she whips around to face me, still holding the brush she was working with. Red paint flies off the end of the bristles and lands on my face. Ally's mouth hangs open when she realizes what just happened, but her eyes twinkle as she tries to cover her laugh.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that, I promise." But her apology doesn't land through her laughter, and I'm already picking up my brush covered with yellow paint and flicking it towards her.

Ally shrieks and makes to run away from me but I catch her, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her around in mid-air.

"Asshole!" Ally cries, and somehow this time, I know that she's kidding. It's been a while she would have called me that and meant it. I turn Ally around to face me, my arms still wrapped around her waist, holding her close. I tell myself that this is playful. The kiss in my office was a mistake. Letting ourselves inch closer to that line the other night at Reggie's was a mistake. We're friends now, although I can't help but enjoy having Ally's tight body next to mine.

"You have something on your face. Let me get that for you," I say with a wink, lifting my hand as if to wipe away the yellow paint on her face. Ally is standing there, peering up at me with her big turquoise eyes. There's still red paint on my hand, and when I swipe it across her forehead, it mixes with the yellow, creating a streak that resembles a sunset. A sunset over an endless ocean of blue.

"Beautiful," I say, the words almost a whisper. I see Ally's throat bob as she swallows hard. I reach my hand up to her face, this time to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, but Ally turns away, breaking the spell of the moment.

"We should get these paintings under the porch," she whispers, yanking me out of my stupor. "I see some clouds rolling in and I don't want them to get ruined." Despite the way she kissed me at Reggie's, Ally is still trying to keep a healthy distance between us.

A few grey clouds are gathering overhead and a cool breeze wafts between us. Our bodies are practically steaming in the chill of the air.Ally's right about pulling the signs undercover, and about pulling back from me. I help her move the last of the signs under the cover of the porch as Ally turns to look at me.We're almost at the finish line now. A finish line that will either make us or break us, and the latter is enough for me to restrain myself around Ally. No distractions.

"That's our work done for the day," she says, and I'm hoping she isn't implying that I should leave. For all of my previous judgements of Ally, she's proving me wrong about her. When I'm with her now, I'm at ease. She has no lofty expectations. She holds no prior judgements or opinions on my reputation as a physician. When I'm around Ally, I'm just me.

"Let me make you some dinner, or a drink, or something for your hard work today," she offers. Dinner between friends. Dinner is safe, right?

"I have a better idea. Why don't you wash the paint off and I'll meet you back out here." Ally glances up at the sky, wondering what I could be planning with the clouds looming. It's not supposed to rain today, based on the weather report, and after the last few days, I'm craving a night to unwind and forget about the clinic for a while. My pager better behave tonight. I consider turning it off for a moment, but I know I can't.

Ally nods and retreats inside the cabin. Of the two of us, she got the brunt of the paint war. I walked away with only a few splatters.

I wander around to the back of the cabin and open the creaky door of the old wooden shed. My mind wanders to Ally in the shower, hot and steamy, the water running off the peaks of her perfect tits. It's all I can do not to get in with her. But the way she turned away from me moments before is all that I need to know. Nothing more is going to happen between us. Whatever we shared last night, whatever part of Ally opened up to me as she held me, is sealed shut once again. I still can't even make sense of how I got here. One minute, I was strategizing how to get Ally to leave, and now, I not only want her around the clinic, but I'm imagining kissing her again, her body naked and wet in the shower. My cock pulses and hardens at the image.

Standing in the doorway of the shed, my heart just about cracks in two as I skim over my dad's collection of tools, dusty and untouched. There's a generous supply of old camping, fishing, and hunting gear. Not that anyone has used it recently.

Dad had stopped being able to take my brothers and me out camping a long time ago. This version of my dad, the one that spent so much time outdoors, that part of him meant something, too. He was more than just Heartwood's physician, the founder of the Heartwood Medical Centre. Maybe I can be more, too.

I pull an old tent and two sleeping bags out onto the lawn by the fire pit. We've had this tent since I was a kid, and at this point, I could put it up with my eyes closed. I've set it up and positioned a log as a backrest next to a roaring fire by the time Ally re-emerges from the cabin. She's thrown her hair up into a messy bun and she's fresh-faced, just a faint pink shine on her full lips.

"What is all this?" Ally smiles and when she does, it seems as if her entire face sparkles.

"A camp-out. It's something that I used to do with my dad. Or are you too high-maintenance for camping?"I tease.

"I'll have you know, Mason Landry, that I love the outdoors. I'm just surprised. Don't you want to get back to the clinic tonight?" She's right, I often spend my nights in the clinic, there's never not something to catch up on. Ally has noted my routine, and I try not to think about how that fact tugs on my heart. The line keeping Ally and me from crossing into dangerous territory is becoming blurrier by the second.

"Not tonight. A night off from the clinic won't kill me," I say, waving her over to take a seat on the blanket I've spread out in front of the fire. She settles in next to me and leans back against the log I rolled over. Ally maintains a comfortable distance from me, although the space between us feels taut, like I'm being drawn toward her.

"You deserve that—a night off, a life outside of the clinic." Ally stares into the flames, licking at the logs in front of us. "What was your dad like?"she asks.

The question comes out of nowhere, and I'm stunned for a minute. I make a point not to talk about my father. But something about the way Ally has asked with genuine curiosity makes me want to share him with her.

"Jack Landry," I say, pushing air out through pursed lips, "was a legend in Heartwood. He is a legend. Everyone who knew him loved him. Being a dad was all he ever wanted, apart from becoming a doctor. And then he got four sons, which was like his wildest dream come true. He would take us out hunting and fishing and camping all the time when we were young. We could never go too far, so he was always available at the clinic, but we didn't care to notice. We just ate it all up. Those days were short-lived," I explain. "You know, this was where he lived. In the cabin."

I hadn't planned on telling Ally about the cabin's history. One, it was too painful to talk about, and two, I never wanted Ally to feel guilty about moving in here. But she deserves to know now, and I want her to know about this part of me, the part of me that still has fond memories of my dad before I came to resent him.

Ally fixes her eyes on me as she shakes her head slowly.

"I'm sorry. Winnie didn't tell me. I never would have—" I cut her off before she can say anything more. The last thing I want is for her to apologize for something she had no control over.

"You don't need to apologize, Honeybee. I actually like seeing the cabin being lived in. It's nice that it feels like a home again." I turn and look at the small wooden building in the middle of the forest.

"What changed? Between you and your father, I mean." She must have sensed in my tone earlier that things weren't always that good where my dad was concerned.

"He wasn't the same after my mom died. It broke him, you know. He believed that if he tried hard enough, he could save everyone. When my mom was diagnosed with cancer, too far gone for treatment, he couldn't save her, and he felt like he failed at the one thing he dedicated his life to. He doubled down on his work at the clinic and left us behind in his wake."

Ally reaches down and places her hands on mine. When I look up, my eyes meet hers, the rims of them sparkling and watery.

"So the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." She lets out a shaky laugh, and the sound of it does wonders to ease the tension in the air.But Ally is more accurate in her assessment of me than she realizes.

"I never thought I would turn out like my dad. I tried my best not to. But he left me this shit hole of a situation that I can't seem to dig my way out of."I wave my hand in the direction of said shit hole, the clinic.

"You don't have to dig yourself out of it. We're doing it together. At least, I want to do this together."Ally places her hand on her chest as if swearing an oath, a promise to me that she will devote herself to the clinic like I have.

"Forgive me if I don't work well with others. I've always been alone in this. God knows my brothers aren't any help. It's like I'm the only one who cares. About Dad, about the clinic, about any of it."

"I care about it," Ally whispers, and I decide to risk looking up into her eyes. This is treacherous, allowing myself to feel the things that I'm used to pushing aside. Anytime I have ever allowed these feelings for a woman to creep in, the harsh reminder that the clinic is my one and only priority makes me back away, run for dear life.

Ally is different. Ally cares about the same thing I care about. I only care about Priya's well-being. And the baby. Her words live in my mind, proof that Ally understands the call we answer to serve our patients. This thought alone is what brings my defences crashing down. Ally could be a partner in this. Not someone who takes time away from the things I care about and value, but who adds the passion and fire I am craving. Ally is everything that my life has been lacking.

"You're the first person in a long time to walk into my life and make me feel less alone, Ally. You're the first person who hasn't pitied me for the life I've given up for this clinic. Who hasn't either lectured me or praised me for working myself to the bone and then just stood back to watch as I drown."

The urge to reach up and grab her, pull her towards me, is so strong I might have to sit on my hands. But I need to hear it from her. I need some confirmation from her that she's willing to take the leap, too. No more pulling back. No more second-guessing.

Ally is the first to reach up and cup my cheek in her hand, her thumb brushing back and forth on my rough jaw.

"Say you feel this, Ally. Say you want it, and I'll give you everything," I whisper.

"I want you . Mason Landry. Not Dr. Mason Landry. Just you ," she says. Those are the words I've been waiting to hear, the ones I've been baiting Ally to say. She's admitted it. She's admitted that she's just as fucked as I am, and I love it.

The warm glow of the evening sun creates a golden aura around her hair. She looks angelic as the features on her face soften. Her walls have come down, and I take this as my cue to do what has been consuming every part of my thoughts ever since I saw Ally for the first time in the café. Ever since I kissed her in my office, my body has been demanding more. Ever since Ally kissed me, my heart has been reaching for her.

I bring my mouth to hers and kiss her, this time ignoring the gentle caresses of her tongue and driving mine into her mouth with more need, more desire than I've ever dared. This moment is the only one that matters. Where I am kissing Ally, and holding Ally, and my biggest concern is the clothing that I want to rip off her perfect body. The rest I can deal with when the time comes. If the time comes.

Ally's kiss is reassuring, telling me that my feelings are important, my desires are important. She matches my need, grabbing at the buttons of my flannel, fumbling with them as she undoes them. I bring my hand up to grip the back of her hair, tilting her head back to gain access to the long column of her neck.

She has my shirt unbuttoned now, and she is running her hands down my chest, my abs, making her way to my belt buckle. My belt is tight, being stretched taut by my growing erection, and I'm impatient for her to undo it. I need her to release me, unleash me. I've been bound up for far too long. The physical need for Ally is palpable now, and when I look into her eyes, I can see she needs me just as much.

She's unbuckled my belt, but she's taking her sweet time with my pants. Ally looks me in the eye as she rubs her hand up and down along the outline of my cock through the fabric of my jeans. I bite my bottom lip to keep myself from exploding just from her touch.

"Should we go inside?" Ally whispers to me, her hand still between my legs.

"We're doing this right here and right now, Honeybee," I say, my voice dropping in pitch as I bring my hands up to cradle her face.

"What if someone shows up? What if Nate shows up?" she asks. The sound of that dipshit's name on Ally's lips makes me almost feral. The testosterone coursing through my veins doesn't help.

"Then he can watch." My voice is low and raspy as I add, "And don't ever say his name while you have my cock in your hand again."

"Jealous?" The corner of her mouth quirks up. She's such a fucking tease.

"I don't need to be jealous of him. But when we're together like this, I want to be the only one on your mind."

My hands roam around Ally's body, landing on her soft, curved hips as I pick her up and shift her so she's lying on the blanket I had spread out on the ground. I have Ally right where I want her, and my hand explores the soft bit of skin that's exposed beneath the hem of her tank top. As I lean over her, perched on one elbow, I lift her shirt to expose her soft, round tits, taking my time to trace lazy circles around her hardened nipples. Her back arches in response to the sensation, and she gazes back to watch me admire her.

I lean down so that my lips graze the shell of her ear.

"Tell me what you want from me." I rasp, goosebumps forming along her arms.

"You know what I want." Ally lifts her head to bury her face in my neck, trailing her lips along the edge of my jaw.

"Say it again. Say what you need from me." This is Ally's weakness, the place that she never dares to let herself go. But I've seen glimpses of the subtle strength within this woman, and I need more. If I can be a safe space for her to say what she needs, maybe she'll be able to do it in other areas of her life, too.

"What about ‘ I call the shots ?'" Ally mimics my show of dominance from the other day.

"That was then," I say, interrupting myself to plant soft kisses down Ally's neck. "Now, Honeybee, I'm all yours. I'm at your mercy. Do what you want with me, Ally Wells. Do your worst." I rasp, swallowing a moan.

"I want you, Mason. I want all of you." She moans, arching her back as I nip at her collarbone. I'm still allowing my hands to roam—rolling her nipple between my fingers. Ally lets out a breathy moan as I flick it and let my hand trail lower.

"I'm going to need specific instructions," I say with a playful wink, "Use your words."

I'm enjoying toying with Ally as usual, but watching her hips squirm and shift as my hand makes its way to the waistband of her leggings gives me a different satisfaction. Ally looks down at where it's landed, her eyes pleading.

"I want you to fuck me, Mason. I want every inch of your cock filling me." There's that bold side of Ally that I've been craving. I slide my fingers into her pants, finding the contours of her slit through the lacy thong she has on. I've been thinking about those lacy thongs ever since I saw them strewn about the driveway.

"That's my girl," I murmur, and the corner of Ally's mouth lifts into a grin. The words slipped out before I could catch them, and although a part of me wishes I could stuff them back in, the look on Ally's face washes away any ounce of regret. My girl.

I remove my hand from her pants just long enough to push down my own, feeling the sweet relief of releasing my pulsing cock from the restrictive denim. Ally's eyes widen at the size. Her reaction is unexpected, but, judging by the size of her vibrator, I don't think this will be a problem.

"Are you sure you want every inch?" I check in with her, smirking slightly. Ally nods, biting down on her bottom lip, and I just about come at the sight.

"Every inch." She whispers. "Just go slow." I'm used to going slow. The size of my cock has been off-putting for some women in the past. But here's Ally, not only willing to take it—but wanting it.

I don't waste any time pulling Ally's leggings off. Seeing her in the flesh is better than anything I could have conjured up in my mind. She's already wet, and I can feel it soaking through the thin fabric of her thong. I pull a condom out of my back pocket and rip the package open with my teeth. I roll it on and lay back on the blanket, pulling Ally on top of me. She lets me remove the last shreds of her clothing, lifting her tank top up and over her head, and I take in every inch of her naked body.She's all lean curves, her skin smooth and fair save for a smattering of freckles where the sun kisses her.

This is every man's wet dream, having a gorgeous woman straddling them naked in the open air in the woods, the heat of a campfire keeping us warm. I position Ally's hips so she's lined up on top of me, holding her weight so I can ease her onto my length and control the depth so as not to overwhelm her.

I nudge my tip into her opening, and ever so slowly, edge myself in. Ally lets out a guttural moan as I fill her, stretch her. Hearing her breath hitch sharply, I pause.

"God, you feel like heaven," I whisper, waiting for her to ease herself down as far as she can handle.

" More ," Ally says with a soft cry, and I oblige, pushing up into her another couple of inches.

"Are you okay?"I ask, checking in with her.

Ally nods, her eyes pleading for even more. I lift her hips up and back, bringing myself out right to the tip, a little tease before driving into her until she's seated on top of me.

"Say it, Honeybee. Say what you need."

Ally responds by lifting her hips, flicking them up and back in a smooth, rhythmic motion.

"I want to ride you. And I want to watch you come undone as I fuck you."

"That's my girl," I say again. This time my words are confident, deliberate, and I don't question them. I push her up so she's sitting tall, giving me access to the parts of her I know she wants touched. I rest my hand on her hip, wrapping my thumb around to make tight, soft circles around her clit. Ally bites down on her lip to muffle the cry that would have erupted from her.

I make the circles smaller and quicker as she moves her hips in time with my finger. Her breath is ragged. She's close to her edge, so I don't dare change what I'm doing until her walls constrict around me. The tightness of it brings me closer to my release, but I fight the urge to come. I want her to have everything she wants and deserves first.I want to give Ally all of me.

I thought I was falling for the version of Ally that's bold and strong, but I'm mistaken. This is my new favourite version of Ally, the one that only I can make crumble.

Ally shudders as she falls forward on me, everything in her body succumbing to the pleasure wracking her. The movement of her hips slows but doesn't stop, and I can feel my full release pumping into her. A loud clap of thunder erupts in the sky as I climax, and it covers the sound of my groan.

Ally and I lay here a moment, her small frame curled up on my chest, my length still buried to the hilt inside of her. All of the tension that wound me tight unravelled. I hold her close, wrapping my arms around her and trailing my lips along the curve where her neck meets her shoulder.

A raindrop lands on Ally's back, and I watch it run down the length of her spine.

One raindrop turns into several, which turn into a downpour as the sky opens up on us. Ally pulls back and looks at me, hair wet and sticking to her face.

Ally throws her head back and laughs. "Should we go inside now?"