Stranded: A Christmas Story by Fiona Wilde Read Free Book Online Page B

will be even harder to get what you want.”
    “Hey,” Lydia said defensively. “That’s not fair…”

“I’m not saying that’s you,’ he said. “But it’s 99 percent of people. No one wants to walk out on the ledge alone.”
    Lydia thought about how she felt two nights ago, when she looked out over the roof of her car and saw the valley below. She had been absolutely, completely terrified. She’d never felt more alone or helpless in her entire life. What Mason was describing was the emotional equivalent of what she’d felt that night. She was looking out into the valley of her future and was pretty sure the view of what she wanted was getting clearer. But could she do it? Could she take the jump? If she did, the next time she saw her family she would be a completely different person.
    “I guess I should turn in,” she said, standing up. “Thanks for the wine, the gift, and for giving me an unexpectedly wonderful Christmas to remember.”
    Mason stood, too. “Oh, thanks for making mine wonderful, too.”
    Lydia slept comfortably for most of the night.  She dreamt of Mason, of his mouth on hers. She dreamt of being over his knee and awoke rocked by a powerful orgasm that rocked her awake. The shame she felt was more acute than what she’d experienced over his lap, but she could not stop thinking about how he made her feel. She’d spent so much time trying to look feminine and alluring, spending thousands of dollars on expensive dresses and sexy boots. But with Mason, she felt more feminine than ever, even when dressed in sweats or blue jeans. She decided that it was because he was - without a doubt - the most masculine man she’d ever met.
    She wondered about what it would be like to share her life with a man like Mason, to live with such a man in a setting like this. Lydia had found herself romanticizing his life - and him - more and more. Even the spankings - after the fact - were remembered almost fondly. He’d been trying to keep her safe, and was willing to go toe-to-toe with her to make sure that happened. He’d risked her anger and disdain, but she’d not been able to harbor either. He’d been blunt with her about the way he ran things. With a man like Mason there were no head games; what you saw was what you got.
    “Stop it,” she said. “He’s hardly thinking of you. So…just stop.”
    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