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Chapter 4
Mason and Julia slept like husband and wife. In the morning, Julia was the first to open her eyes. She lay
quiet, lest she'd wake him up, enjoying the weight of his hand on her hip. It was a proprietor's gesture, and
such a feminist as Julia could enjoy it only secretly.
The more she thought of the hand on her hip, the more she liked the idea. She thought of the situation more
globally: of his hands elsewhere on her body, and then of more than a hand on her hip. Gradually her pulse
quickened. It was rather a long time since they'd been together last. Feverishly, Julia recalled what Bill
Merrick said: she was not to have sex. She sighed.
Mason rubbed his nose against Julia's back, tenderly, and her body arched.
"Julia," he murmured sleepily.
"I can't," she said apologetically.
"What?"
"Have sex. I hope you don't think I don't want to? I want you, I do!"
"I do, too," he said, hastily drawing back. "I understand. Don't worry."
Julia turned to him. "But Mason--"
"It's okay. Really."
She sat up. She looked so unhappy Mason couldn't help chuckling.
"Look, I'm sorry--"
"Julia," he said. "We're adults. We've shared so much, and we trust each other. We can share this -
restriction, can't we?"
Her eyes grew big with surprise. She had never thought this cynical, sexy and - usually selfish man could
see it this way.
Mason chuckled again. "Julia," he said. "You shouldn't look at me like this. What you said and what you're
doing--"
"Come here," Julia demanded softly. "I guess you are right, we're adults, and we CAN find a way to deal with
this - restriction."
He stopped laughing. "Are you serious?"
"Now, it's no laughing matter, is it?" Julia teased and pulled him by the hand.
*
Mason took a shower, and so did Julia. They breakfasted quietly, and Julia found Mason looked relaxed.
Maybe having lifted his defense shield, even a tiny bit, he felt better. She hoped so.
"Julia, you're not eating anything."
"I am," she argued.
"Hardly. Are you sick?"
She listened to her body. "No," she said, surprised.
"Can it be my presence that helps you?" Mason supposed.
"It can," she agreed, and was happy to see his smile.
"Then you should spend every night like this, - and, of course, every morning, in the very same fashion. I did
not know, Ms Wainwright, that you can be - shall I say inventive, or lascivious--"
Mason expected to hear her favorite retort, consisting in pronouncing his name in her own special manner,
but Julia only blushed and hid her face. He loved this trait in her.
"And if I needed to be lured out of Santa Barbara to learn this, I am glad," he added with a grin.
Julia met his gaze. "We don't need to be away from home, you know."
"Of course we do not," he said. "Now I'm thinking hard in what way I can surprise YOU, and--"
"Mason!!"
Here it was, unmistakable. Mason laughed light-heartedly. It was unbelievable, how good he felt with this
woman who was pregnant by him.
Mason and Julia slept like husband and wife. In the morning, Julia was the first to open her eyes. She lay
quiet, lest she'd wake him up, enjoying the weight of his hand on her hip. It was a proprietor's gesture, and
such a feminist as Julia could enjoy it only secretly.
The more she thought of the hand on her hip, the more she liked the idea. She thought of the situation more
globally: of his hands elsewhere on her body, and then of more than a hand on her hip. Gradually her pulse
quickened. It was rather a long time since they'd been together last. Feverishly, Julia recalled what Bill
Merrick said: she was not to have sex. She sighed.
Mason rubbed his nose against Julia's back, tenderly, and her body arched.
"Julia," he murmured sleepily.
"I can't," she said apologetically.
"What?"
"Have sex. I hope you don't think I don't want to? I want you, I do!"
"I do, too," he said, hastily drawing back. "I understand. Don't worry."
Julia turned to him. "But Mason--"
"It's okay. Really."
She sat up. She looked so unhappy Mason couldn't help chuckling.
"Look, I'm sorry--"
"Julia," he said. "We're adults. We've shared so much, and we trust each other. We can share this -
restriction, can't we?"
Her eyes grew big with surprise. She had never thought this cynical, sexy and - usually selfish man could
see it this way.
Mason chuckled again. "Julia," he said. "You shouldn't look at me like this. What you said and what you're
doing--"
"Come here," Julia demanded softly. "I guess you are right, we're adults, and we CAN find a way to deal with
this - restriction."
He stopped laughing. "Are you serious?"
"Now, it's no laughing matter, is it?" Julia teased and pulled him by the hand.
*
Mason took a shower, and so did Julia. They breakfasted quietly, and Julia found Mason looked relaxed.
Maybe having lifted his defense shield, even a tiny bit, he felt better. She hoped so.
"Julia, you're not eating anything."
"I am," she argued.
"Hardly. Are you sick?"
She listened to her body. "No," she said, surprised.
"Can it be my presence that helps you?" Mason supposed.
"It can," she agreed, and was happy to see his smile.
"Then you should spend every night like this, - and, of course, every morning, in the very same fashion. I did
not know, Ms Wainwright, that you can be - shall I say inventive, or lascivious--"
Mason expected to hear her favorite retort, consisting in pronouncing his name in her own special manner,
but Julia only blushed and hid her face. He loved this trait in her.
"And if I needed to be lured out of Santa Barbara to learn this, I am glad," he added with a grin.
Julia met his gaze. "We don't need to be away from home, you know."
"Of course we do not," he said. "Now I'm thinking hard in what way I can surprise YOU, and--"
"Mason!!"
Here it was, unmistakable. Mason laughed light-heartedly. It was unbelievable, how good he felt with this
woman who was pregnant by him.