Stranded: A Christmas Story (6 page)

But she was wrong. Mason was unable to stop thinking of Lydia, even though he told himself he was being foolish. She’d turned out to be as pretty on the inside on the outside, even if she was a stubborn little thing. But she was a city girl, and he could not ask her to come live with him in the sticks, not that she would do anything other than laugh in his face if he did.

He’d wanted to kiss her so badly earlier in the evening, but he had put himself as a position of authority over her and didn’t want to send mixed signals. Mason had always told himself that if he entered a disciplinary relationship with a woman, it would be by mutual consent - with much discussion beforehand. But to spank a woman and then try to enter a relationship with her - that was something else entirely. While Mason did find a sexual element to spanking and always thought he would love to find a woman who would explore spanking in that way, he worried that introducing erotic spanking to a woman he’d only spanked for discipline before even kissing might make her question his motives.

It was all too much to think about, and he told himself to put thoughts of Lydia out of his head. But both lay awake a long time thinking about the other.

The snow had stopped for good the next morning, but they were still stranded. Mason took Lydia snowshoeing and they kept up with the townsfolk by radio. Conditions were still treacherous in the pass and she told them she was fine where she was until someone could make it to Mason’s cabin.

On the last day of the year, Mason came to Lydia and told her he had good news.

“They’re sending someone up for you tomorrow,” he said. “So you’ll be home by sundown.”

Lydia turned away so he wouldn’t see the disappointment in her face. She would just feel silly.

“Wow!” she said. “That’s, uh, great!” She turned back to him, forcing a smile. “I still owe you dinner tonight,” she added. “I guess it’ll be my farewell gift, too.”

She was so pretty. He wanted to kiss her. “Yeah, I guess it will….”

Mason wanted to rush over, to grab her and tell her not to go. But instead he muttered something about fetching more firewood and walked outside.

Lydia busied herself the rest of the day by fixing the meal. She tried not to concentrate on how she felt about Mason, about how…different he’d made her feel about herself. She’d found a certain peace at his cabin that she’d never felt before. She didn’t know if she could be content going back to nine to five schedules and after work mixers and weekend club-hopping that always left her feeling lonelier than ever. But what was she supposed to do? Beg him to stay? Yeah, making him feel totally awkward was a great way to end her time with Mason.

Lydia made an elk roast with potatoes, canned pearl onions and carrots. She seasoned it with braided garlic she found in the pantry. She was delighted to find that Mason had all the makings for a cherry pie, including her favorite brand of canned cherries. It had been years since her grandmother had showed her how to roll out a piecrust but it came back to her.

She laid out the table with the dishes and put a small lantern as the centerpiece. It was more charming than a candle. She could see Mason walking back to the house in the fading light and Lydia wished she had a way to make the dinner more special. And then it dawned on her. She ran into the bedroom and slammed the door. A moment later she heard Mason enter the house and call out for her.

“Wow! This looks wonderful!” he said. “But I’m not having a bite until you come to join me!”

“I’ll be out in a minute?” she called, wondering if she was doing the right thing and deciding that even if she wasn’t, at least this latest surprise would make it a night to remember.

A few moments later she emerged from the bedroom. Mason stood staring at her, unable to speak.

“Happy New Year’s Eve,” she said.

He walked over, his eyes taking her in. Lydia had donned the black, sequined dress. It skimmed her body like a second skin. She’d piled her hair up in a loose bun and put on makeup.

“Lydia,” he said. “You are so beautiful.”

She blushed. She’d never had a compliment make her feel so happy. And unlike other times when it gave her an ego boost, this one filled her with warmth.

“Wait here,” he said, and left the room. Lydia stood there, wondering if she’d done something wrong. It seemed like forever until he returned, and when he did she laughed and covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide with happy surprise.

“You own a suit?” she asked, and then gasped. “I’m sorry. I just…”

“No, it’s OK,” he said. “I figured one might come in handy so I kept it.”

“You look so handsome,” she said.

Mason walked over and took her hand. He kissed it gently. And then led her to the table. Lydia smiled at him through the glow and they spoke of their interesting week together, each avoiding the personally painful topic of her departure the next day.

They were sitting on the sofa enjoying some wine that Mason had pulled out for the occasion when he  told her he wished he had some music in the house.

“I’d as you to dance if I did,” he said.

“I’d say yes,” she admitted.

Mason put his wine glass down and slid closer to her. Lydia’s heart began to pound.

“Earlier when I said you were beautiful, I didn’t just mean on the outside,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you, Lydia. You’re such a nice person.”

“You’ve brought out the best in me,” she said. “You’ve made me think about the kind of person I want to be, and about my life itself. You’ve made me think about what I want, and how to get it.”

“And what do you want?” he asked.

She looked into his eyes. “At this moment? A kiss would be nice.”

She dropped her eyes, and he took her wine glass and leaned past her to put it on the table. Then he tipped her face up and looked down into her eyes.

“I’ve been wanting the same thing,” he said, and dropped his lips to hers. Lydia opened her mouth to his, winding her arms around her supple, sequin-encased form. He pulled Lydia to sitting and stood, picking her up off the sofa and taking her to the bedroom.

“If it’s OK…?” he began.

Her answer was to kiss him and he went in, putting her on the bed. Lydia sat up as he unzipped the dress and then took off his suit. She pushed out of her clothes and lay there in only her high heels, black bra and panties. Mason’s heart was pounding with excitement as he lay down beside her. He’d been with a number of women, but none of them had ever turned him on like this one.

He laid back down beside her, running the back of his hand gently down the side of her face as he looked into her eyes. Lydia ran her hands down the smooth, hard muscles of his arms, glorying in the strength of him. He moved over her and she parted her legs, lifting her hips as he slid her panties down. Mason sat up and let her straddle him as he unhooked her bra. His hands cupped her breasts and then slid down her back to cradle her buttocks. An electric shock went through her.

“I like that,” she said shyly.

He smiled.

“I like it, too.” He squeezed her bottom, lifted her and laid her face down on the bed. He rubbed her back and then rubbed her bottom, squeezing periodically.

“You have the most perfect ass,” he said. He slapped it lightly, gauging her reaction.

“I like it when you’re not mad with me,” she said.

That was his green light. He smacked her again, and rubbed the pain away. Lydia felt herself growing more and more excited as he continued. She put her hand back, feeling the warmth he’d raised with just a few playful slaps. She wanted to make him feel as good as he was making her feel.

She rolled over and playfully pushed him back, lowering her mouth to his and then blazing a line of kisses down his belly until she reached his cock, which towered rock hard over the nest of downy black hair. She gently licked the tip and then wrapped her mouth around the head, suckling for a moment before sliding further down to take as much of him in as she could.

Mason was lost to her, lost to the sensation and when he didn’t think he could take any more he stopped her and pulled her back to the bed, rolling over until he was on top of her. Lydia opened her legs to him, welcoming the thrust of his eager cock. She’d never felt like this with anyone.

He drove into her, and Lydia clung to him, clung to a moment she didn’t think would happen. She was proud of herself for telling him what she wanted he’d given her the courage to do that and afterwards, as they lay in the bed watching the stars in the cold night sky, she told him so.

“I’m proud of you,” he said. “And now that you say I’ve motivated you, what kind of man would I be if I didn’t motivate myself to say what I wanted?” He paused, looking at the moonlight reflecting off her face.

“Do you think you could live out here? With me?”

Lydia was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know. I see a beauty in it. I’ve never been more relaxed. But I have a job…obligations…”

“I know, and I don’t want to pull you away from what you’ve worked hard to achieve. But maybe we could come up with a compromise, a way to live in both worlds until we decide if one or the other or both is what we want for a life together. It would be good for me, too. If I’m ever going to get serious about my art I need to stop being such a hermit.”

“A life together…” She said the words dreamily as she stared into his eyes. “I like the way that sounds.” She hesitated. “But you’d do that? For me?”

“It wouldn’t just be me on my own anymore if it were ‘us,’” he said. “I’ve been thinking a little about my standards, too, and how I thought the perfect woman would be one that would just throw everything away and follow my dream. But that’s selfish, now that I think about it. Who knows? You might decide this life is for you. But if you don’t, I can’t see clinging to this and losing you, Lydia. That would be a huge mistake.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I want to try, but it would be a big adjustment. I don’t want to make promises I can’t keep.”

“You’re a remarkable woman,” he said.

She wound her arms around his neck. “And you’re a remarkable man. Thanks for saving me, Mason Carter,” she said. “Thanks for saving me in more ways than one.”

“I’m glad I saved you,” he said.

“Even if I destroyed your snowmachine?”

His answer came without hesitation. “Even if you destroyed my snowmachine. Just don’t do it again, or I’ll spank you.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“I promise.”

He pulled the blanket over them and cuddled her close. Neither of them could believe their good fortune. Out of the most unusual circumstances, two people who seemed so completely different had found each other, and then found that they had more in common than they had ever imagined. Tomorrow a new year would begin for both of them, but this New Year’s Eve was theirs to enjoy - complete with their own brand of personal fireworks.

THE END