Cataclysm (Alternate Earth Series, Book One) Read Online Free Page B

girls, and Will phases Linc. It’s obvious their destination was already predetermined.
    “Come have some tea with us,” Lilly offers to me.
    The front door opens again and Leah walks into the house, shortly followed by Mason.
    “The baby!” Leah squeals in delight when she sees Kate, who is still in my arms.
    She walks over to me and leans in to kiss me on the cheek.
    “Happy birthday, Jess,” she says, but her full attention is quickly consumed by Kate.
    “Here,” I say, handing Kate over to Leah, “you can take her back to Caylin. She and Aiden are in the kitchen. I’m sure the three of you have a lot of catching up to do.”
    “How is Princeton treating you?” Lilly asks Leah.
    “It’s going really well, Ms. Lilly,” Leah replies. “Two years down and two more to go.”
    “You’re majoring in history, right?” Lilly asks.
    Leah nods her head as she cradles Kate close to her chest. “Yes, ma’am. After coming to live on this Earth, I just found a love for it once I started reading about it.”
    “Are you ready to go back home?” Mason asks me.
    “Yes, I want to spend some time with Max and Brynlee before tonight.” I turn to Lilly and ask, “What time is the party?”
    “Three,” she answers, not even bothering to hide the fact that they’re throwing me a birthday celebration. “But try to act surprised for the kids’ benefit.”
    I laugh. “I’ll do my best.”
    As Lilly and Leah walk to the back of the house to find Caylin and Aiden, Mason gently takes hold of my hand closest to him and phases us to the bedroom of our beach home.
    “Are the kids here?” I ask him, surprised he didn’t take us directly back to our home in Cypress Hollow.
    “No,” he tells me, bringing me into the circle of his arms, “which is exactly why I brought you here. I wanted some time alone with you, in case a miracle happens and we don’t get any later.”
    “I see,” I whisper, resting my palms against his chest. “So, now that you have me alone, whatever do you plan to do to me, Mr. Collier?”
    “ With you,” he corrects gently, slipping his warm hands underneath my shirt to caress the small of my back. “Always with you, Jess.”
    “Could you be a little bit more descriptive?” I tease.
    Mason smiles and leans in as if he’s going to kiss my lips, but doesn’t. He tilts his head to the right, barely touching his cheek to mine as he whispers in my ear.
    “I plan to take all of your clothes off and tease those sensitive little areas on your body that only I know about,” he promises, starting with a light kiss right below my ear.
    “And then what?” I murmur, desiring for Mason to continue his slow seduction.
    Mason’s hands glide up my back until he reaches the fabric of my bra. After he deftly releases its clasp, he slides his hands around to the front of me to cup my breasts against the warmth of his palms, and gently massages them.
    “Wouldn’t it be better if I show you instead of just talk about it?” Mason asks, sliding his hands down to the front of my jeans.
    “Most definitely,” I answer, as he releases the top button before the sound of my zipper being let down fills the bedroom.
    From the first time we made love to this one, Mason has always been an attentive and generous lover. During our years together, he has all but erased what happened to me during my childhood. I knew I would never be able to forget what was done to the child me, but those memories were growing more and more distant. They no longer controlled who I was or how I responded to Mason’s gentle lovemaking.
    After our secret rendezvous, we go back to Cypress Hollow to spend the rest of the day with our family. My father, his wife, Simone, and their little boy, Dale, come over to have lunch with us. As my father and I sit in the backyard at the picnic table, watching the kids play on the treehouse playset Mason built, my dad hands me a small white box with a pink and white bow on top.
    “You know the rule