Page 18 of Mason

She's shaking, her voice a soft whisper against the thunder inside me. I listen, really listen. She's laying her soul bare, and damn if it doesn't make me want to wrap her up and shield her from everything dark and dirty about my life.

"Everyone thinks I'm tough, unbreakable. But here with you, I'm just... Mason. The prospect of losing what little peace I've found terrifies me."

Her eyes lift to mine, wide and glistening, a mirror to my own fears.

"Mason—"

"Shh, baby. You're not alone in this. We're both wading through some heavy shit."

"Is it always going to be this hard?" she whispers, a plea for something certain in the chaos we’re drowning in.

"Life's a bitch, but we don't back down. Not from fights, not from fears. And definitely not from something that feels this damn right." My words are a vow, etched deep in the marrow of my bones.

She nods, her resolve knitting together with mine, two souls entwined in the battle for something worth more than any war I’ve ever fought.

ELEVEN

MASON

After eating breakfast,Carlie and I curled up on the couch, quickly falling asleep in each other’s arms. I woke up wanting nothing more to be inside her again, but I knew she needed more from me than just my dick. She needs to know that I care about her for more than her lush curves and great tits.

“Hey, sleepy head,” I murmur against her ear. “Wake up,” I say, dropping kisses against her cheek and chin.

“No, it’s too soon,” she sighs with her eyes still closed.

“I want to take you for a ride.”

Carlie’s eyes blink open and she stares at me for several long moments.

“What are you thinking?” I ask.

“The last time you took me for a ride we wound up in your bed then shit hit the fan and I was ordered to stay at the clubhouse. It’s kind of how we ended up in this position.”

I laugh at my stubborn girl. “Can’t deny that. This time, I don’t have plans on taking you back to my place, at least not so soon.”

“Oh yeah? And what did you have planned?”

“I want to show you around Jackson on my bike.”

“You know I’m from here, right?” She smiles teasingly.

I pull her against me and kiss the top of her head. “It’s different on the back of my bike, babe. I want you to see the world from my eyes.”

She looks up at me and kisses my lips tenderly. “That sounds awesome. Just as long as I’m back in time to get ready for school tomorrow.”

Carlie’s curls whip behind her as the whole town zips by, storefronts and faded billboards blending into the wild rush of it all. I feel her pressed against my back, her warmth, her trust. Each turn makes my muscles tighten as I keep control of the bike.

“Lean with it, Darlin',” I shout over the wind. She listens, melting into the curves of the road like we’re one, not two.

We pull up to Rosie’s Diner, the neon sign reflecting off the chrome of my bike. As we slide into the booth, my phone buzzes. I catch Carlie’s eye before checking it. Just one of the brothers, nothing major. I show her the screen—keeping it open between us.

“Nothing urgent,” I say, putting it away. “You hungry?”

“Starving,” she says, but then her face turns pink, her eyes dropping to the table. She smiles, but there’s something different in it this time.

I notice the shift immediately. “Hey,” I say, leaning forward. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” she says quickly, brushing it off with a wave. “It’s silly.”

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