Not What She Seems

chapter 21



The barn manager had done a good job selecting their mounts for their trail ride. For Mason he selected a fiery roan mare that needed a firm rider with experience, which Mason had from his time playing Polo. As Sylvia had not ridden in years he picked out a softer, more compliant older chestnut mare that wasn’t likely to give her any trouble.

“You two take your time, bring them on back when you’re ready, I’ll untack them,” he instructed them.

They thanked him and once they were both up on their mounts, Mason led the way away from the barn towards a path that led into the forest. They talked very little at first as they were both enjoying the quiet of the setting too much to spoil it by speaking. The tranquility was a welcome change for them both. Sylvia loved the country, but being the creature she was required that she live in a populated area where prey was more readily available. For just one moment she caught herself daydreaming about living on a horse farm out in the country, somewhere like this, where nature was all around her instead of concrete and cars. It would never happen because places like this didn’t have enough men to support her need to feed. But it was still fun to dream.

The horses were steady footed as they wound their way down the trail through the forest. The colors of fall were all around them and it felt magical, riding through the hushed woods. Eventually the trail widened enough for them to ride side by side so Mason slowed his horse until Sylvia was riding next to him.

“Can I ask you something? I mean, something kind of personal?”

“Of course, please, go ahead.” Sylvia replied, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. She couldn’t imagine what he would possibly want to know.

“Well, I was just wondering… how come you’re not married yet, or at least in a steady relationship? I can’t believe no one’s snapped you up yet. Do you not want to get married, have children someday, do the whole family thing?”

Sylvia laughed out loud. Of all of the things she imagined he would ask her, that wasn’t it. “I guess I’ve never found the right man yet, so I haven’t thought too much about the whole marriage and kids thing.” Succubi didn’t marry, and weren’t physically able to produce children, so neither was even a concern for her, but she couldn’t tell him that so she told him the closest thing to the truth that she could. “I could ask you the same, you know,” she added pointedly.

“I’d like a family someday, with the right woman, but I don’t want to ‘settle’ for anyone just to be able to say I got married and had kids, as much as I’d like to.” He paused, hesitant to continue. “I was almost married once.”

His admission surprised her. “What happened?” she asked softly.

Mason sighed. “She was killed, when we were working as missionaries in Africa. Rebels invaded the town we were in, and she was shot accidentally in the chaos. There was no hospital for hundreds of miles, and I did the best I could with what I had on hand, but I still lost her.” He sounded bitter as he spoke.

“Mason, I’m so sorry.” Suddenly she understood why this very eligible bachelor had not pursued a relationship in ten years and she was a bit flattered he had chosen her to try again. No human woman had caught his interest, no other succubi had managed to bed him, yet he was interested in her.

“Me too, but life goes on, doesn’t it?” He smiled wanly at her. “I didn’t think I’d ever be able to have a relationship with a woman ever again, yet here we are. There’s something about you, Sylvia, something that drew me in as soon as we met.” She wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Physical intimacy was normal to her, but emotional intimacy with one of her prey was entirely new to her. Guilt began gnawing at her as she realized he was at risk of getting emotionally hurt when the Challenge was through and she had no need of him anymore. She had always been aware of it in a detached sort of way, but hearing what he was putting on the line emotionally to be involved with her made it more real. They had known each other such a short time, but already he had become the focus of her days, and it saddened her to imagine the time when she was done with him. He was a good man.

“So Marjory’s husband’s in Tokyo, on business?” she asked abruptly to change the subject. This is why she never fed off her prey more than once, outside of the service. Emotional attachment was a dangerous thing, and Mason was becoming attached to her. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she was becoming attached to him as well. She wasn’t sure what to do about it. The more attached to her he became, the easier to sleep with him it would be, but the thought of him becoming excessively attached to her was scary. She knew what it felt like, to lose the one you loved, and she didn’t want to put him through it when she was done with him. She needed to speed up her game to win the Challenge, and to keep the damage to Mason to a minimum. It would also help her protect herself. Aside from Keith, she had never become emotionally attached to any of her lovers. The fact that she was falling for him, and he for her, terrified her.

“Edward? Yes, he has a very demanding schedule and travels often. Marjory’s used to being without him.”

Silence fell between them for a few minutes before he spoke again. “Have you lost someone too, or been hurt badly in the past by someone you loved? I don’t mean to pry; it just feels like you’ve had a tough time in the love department too. You don’t have to answer that, if you don’t want to,” he added hastily.

She was quiet as she struggled to choose her words carefully. “Yes, someone hurt me very deeply before. I loved him, and he loved me, but he was no good for me. To be with him meant I had to destroy myself, the way I was, and I found it wasn’t worth it.” Her admission to Mason surprised even herself. She never discussed her relationship with Keith with anyone, not even Lilith. It was like a dark, dirty secret that festered inside of her, and it felt good to free it out into the open.

Mason pulled his horse to a stop beside her and Sylvia’s mare stopped in response.

“I’ll never hurt you, Sylvia. I just wanted you to know that. It’s the last thing I would ever do. I know it’s early on, we haven’t been seeing each other very long, but… I’d like to hope that the fact that we found each other means something, something big. I want a wife, and a family, someday, and if you want the same things, I hope you’ll let down your guard with me. I often get the feeling you’re holding back, keeping something to yourself, and that’s okay, you deserve your privacy. But if you’re holding back because you’re scared of getting your heart broken, please know that’s not my intention here.” The earnest look in his eyes made her suddenly consider breaking the whole thing off. But only for a moment.

“I… I don’t want to hurt you either.”

“I know, you’re too good for that. Maybe that’s why I find you so irresistible,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood again. “Or maybe it’s just because we were meant to be together.”

Before Sylvia could answer him he nudged his horse into a fast-paced trot. She followed his lead and urged her horse to do the same. Worry consumed her. It had been such a simple plan, before. Before she had realized what a wonderful person Mason truly was, and before she seriously considered how her actions might affect him. But what did it matter? He was a human, after all, and if she wanted to keep her territory he might just have to be hurt in the whole process. It was a risk she was willing to take, even if she didn’t like doing it.

The rest of the ride was far more upbeat. They spoke of little things, here and there, between the breaks in conversation when they just enjoyed being outdoors that beautiful afternoon. Eventually it was time to head back as dusk fell so early with winter fast approaching. Sylvia was sorry to see their afternoon end. After being out of the sport for so long, she enjoyed the ride immensely.

They passed their mounts back to the stable manager to untack and put away.

“Mrs. Bennett asked me to tell you dinner’s at six.”

Mason checked his watch. “Perfect. That gives us time to get cleaned up first.”

When they got back to the guest house Sylvia could tell Mason was struggling with something as he stared at his overnight bag in the front entryway.

“What’s the matter?”

“How… Where should I put my bag?”

She tried not to smile when she realized he was struggling with the sleeping arrangement for the night. “I thought we were going to share a bed?”

“Do you still want to? I mean, I didn’t know if you said that in the heat of the moment or what.” He colored slightly and she was willing to bet he was remembering the intimate moments they shared in the Audi the other night, just before their date ended.

She approached him and lay both of her palms flat against his chest so they were eye to eye, and close. “I said it because I meant it, and I still do. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I’ll just be happy sleeping next to you in the same bed, if that’s what you’re comfortable with.”

Mason broke into a huge grin. “Yes, I’d like that. I just wanted to be sure that’s what you still wanted. I didn’t want to push you about it.”

“Don’t be silly. Go on, bring your bag up. I’m in the largest bedroom, the one with the fireplace.” It amused her that Mason was worried about being pushy with her, when she was the one trying to speed along their physical relationship. What a relief to hear that they would be sharing a bed together after all. For a moment she feared he’d changed his mind about that. If she could get him into her bed, she could get him into her pants. Getting him to lie in bed with her for the night was half the battle, and now that it was settled, she felt confident she could prod him along to have sex with her, or close to it. Things weren’t moving as fast as she wanted them to, but progress was still being made.

“I’d like to take a shower, but you can use the main bath, I’ll use the one down the hall,” he told her.

She kissed him instead of answering him, doing her best to turn him on. “Are you sure you don’t want to shower together?” she asked playfully. The news that they would share a bed made her feel bolder than usual.

He laughed out loud. “Don’t tease me like that, Sylvia. It’s hard enough to be a gentleman around you already!”

“I’m not teasing; I want to shower with you.”

Mason didn’t know how to respond to her frankness. She could sense his inner struggle between the lust he felt for her and the appropriate response he felt he needed to give as a gentleman. “I don’t think we should. Marjory’s expecting us for dinner soon and we need to get ready. I don’t think we’ll make it to dinner on time if we do that.” His reply was sensible, but Sylvia could tell he was unhappy to turn her down.

“Well, should you change your mind, you know where to find me.” She kissed him again and ran her hands up and down his chest. She was disappointed but she reminded herself they had the whole night ahead of them. It would have surprised her if had he agreed to join her in the shower, but it was worth a try, and it did serve to remind him that she was willing to meet his needs. He was still a man, despite his earlier insistence they take things slowly. She knew every man could be broken. Even an Innocent.

She left the bathroom door ajar as she showered but Mason never took her up on her offer. It crossed her mind she could make the bold move of visiting him while he showered, but she didn’t want to be too pushy. The game of pushing when she could but not pushing too much was a delicate one, one she didn’t want to overplay. It was hard for her to keep herself in check. She needed to consummate their relationship soon, before Elora slept with her Innocent and won the Challenge, but pushing him too hard might cause him to pull back from her. It wasn’t worth the risk.

Once she was clean she selected a pair of black slacks and a pink cashmere sweater to wear to dinner. She dried her hair before putting it in a loose French braid, leaving a few stray tendrils loose around her face. Putting on her makeup was a quick task, and when she was done she liked what she saw. She looked sexy in her v-neck sweater, but still classy.

Mason was in the living room waiting for her in a pair of khakis and a light sweater. “You look lovely,” he told her as his eyes travelled slowly up and down her body.

“Why, thank you,” she grinned.

“Shall we?” He took her hand in his and led her out of the guest house, across the lawn to the main house. One of the help must have seen them coming and alerted Marjory because she greeted them at the front door before they had time to ring the bell.

“Let’s sit in the study a bit. I think the cook’s just putting the finishing touches on dinner.”

A roaring fire blazed in the fireplace of the study and Sylvia basked in its glow as she sipped the glass of wine Marjory had given her. Excitement was building up within her as she considered that perhaps tonight would be the night, the night she slept with Mason and won the Challenge, the night she fed from an Innocent. The small bits of energy she managed to drain from him while they kissed were magnificent for filling her up and recharging her. She couldn’t wait to feel the pure energy she would no doubt take from him when they slept together. It was sure to be like nothing she had ever experienced before, but she reminded herself that sleeping with Mason that night wasn’t a sure thing.

Dinner was lovely. Marjory entertained them with tales of her worldwide travels while the help served dish after dish of wonderful foods. At one point during dinner Mason placed his hand lightly on her thigh, under the table, and Sylvia felt her body jolt awake under his touch. As much as she was enjoying the meal, it felt like it would never end. All she wanted was to go back to the guest house with Mason, but first she had to sit politely through dinner and dessert.

Finally dinner was over. Everyone was contentedly full after the fabulous meal.

“Well,” Marjory said, “Please don’t think me rude, but after that wonderful dinner and the spectacular company, I think it’s about time I head off to bed. I’m not as young as I once was!”

They said their goodnights and Mason walked Sylvia back to the guest house, his arm around her shoulder. “So… just us now,” he said quietly in her ear as they entered the guest house.

“Yes, just us.” Her heart pounded with anticipation. She knew what she wanted to happen that evening, but it was really all up to him.

“Tell you what. I’m going to get a fire going in our room, you get comfortable, okay?”

“Sure. I’d love to change out of these clothes.” She had just the perfect thing in mind, too. If it didn’t push Mason over the edge tonight, nothing would. The limits of his self-control were about to be tested.