Beneath his huge hands, everything about her was small. His hand spanned the stomach she spent way too much time angsting over, making the extra weight look like nothing. And he was right; he was able to cover her breast with room to spare. She watched as he bent down to nuzzle his favorite spot beneath her ear and smiled and leaned against him. She loved the feeling of his taut body behind hers. She had never felt more fragile or more protected.
She turned in his arms and rubbed herself up against him voluptuously; his hot skin against her breasts felt simply amazing, and she was almost embarrassed to hear herself purring like a cat at the delightful sensation of the sparse hair on his chest grazing against her hard nipples.
His hands had come to rest on her butt and he was kneading the flesh there appreciatively before dragging one hand down to her thigh and lifting her leg so that he could rock his erection against her nude femininity. They moaned, and he leaned down to kiss her hungrily, his tongue mimicking the thrusting of his hips.
Things were starting to get out of hand when Mason groaned and reluctantly freed her mouth.
“We don’t have time, Daisy,” he whispered regretfully, while still rubbing himself up against her. “Christ, this is hard.”
“Yes, it is,” she giggled, and he growled, before nipping her bottom lip.
“Behave.” He dropped her thigh, and Daisy wobbled unsteadily. He grabbed one of the luxurious white hotel robes from behind the door and stuffed her arms into it.
“Cover yourself up, you shameless hussy. Stop trying to tempt me with your charms. Now go get dressed while I shower.”
She saluted smartly, just like he’d taught her, and he winked before ushering her out of the bathroom and shutting the door behind her. It reopened seconds later, and he tossed her pillow at her before closing and pointedly locking the door again. Daisy hugged the pillow to her chest and did a happy dance around the room before the fizzing in her veins settled down long enough for her to finally get dressed.
“You know you’re going to have to talk to Lia about Edmonton, right?” Mason muttered somberly in the lift forty minutes later.
“Yes.”
“Preferably before he touches you again,” he continued dangerously. “He lays another finger on you, and all bets are off. You’ll have to wind up explaining why her fiancé will be eating through a straw for the rest of his days.”
“Mason, don’t do or say anything until I’ve had a chance to talk with Lia or Daff, okay?”
“No promises.”
“Mason.”
“Daisy, if he touches you, I’m going to kick his ass. There’s no debating that. He has been gaslighting you for months, making you doubt yourself and your instincts. Fuck that guy; he lays a hand on you, I’m breaking it.”
They stepped out of the lift, and Daisy turned to him and reached up to cup his jaw and tug him down for a kiss. His stubble tickled the palms of her hands, and she moved her hands to the back of his head to the soft, fuzzier stubble of his hair.
“My hero,” she whispered after ending the kiss, and he smiled at her before claiming another quick kiss.
“And don’t you forget it. Now come on, we’re already late for dinner.”
They were twenty minutes late, and everybody was already seated when Mason and Daisy walked in. Daisy paused for a second, suddenly intimidated by the sheer number of people they were attempting to fool with their ruse, but Mason took her hand and tugged her toward the family table. She followed meekly, smiling and nodding as she went along, but not really making eye contact with anybody. She could see the speculation and blatant disbelief on some faces and immediately started panicking.
Mason’s arm crept around her waist, and he dropped a kiss on her cheek before whispering, “Relax and smile. You look like a deer trapped in the headlights.”
“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she hissed. “This was a crazy idea. They all know.”
“Calm down, angel,” he whispered. He lifted her hand to his lips and planted a kiss onto her knuckles before acknowledging their table with a warm smile.
“Hey, kids, how was the drive up?” Dr. McGregor greeted with a smile, and Mason extended his hand to the older man.
“Uneventful, but the scenery was stunning,” Mason supplied, shaking her father’s hand firmly. He bent to drop a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Mrs. McGregor, you’re looking ravishing this evening.”
Her mother actually blushed and waved aside his compliment, even though everybody could see she was flattered by it.
Mason helped her into an empty chair next to Daff and took the one on Daisy’s right. Daisy was aware of her great-aunts staring at them curiously and smiled at the older ladies shyly.