Page 22 of Mason

"Happy to be here," I respond, meaning every word. In this space, I'm not just a schoolteacher or a biker's girl, I'm part of something larger—a family forged on two wheels, riding toward something better.

THIRTEEN

CARLIE

The sun dips lower,casting a golden glow over the field as the charity ride winds down. Faces around me are flushed with joy and exertion, filled with satisfaction from a day well spent. I catch Mason's dark eyes on me, a storm of emotions swirling within them. Pride, or maybe something deeper.

"Hey," he says, his voice low, pulling me aside. "You were amazing today."

"Thank you." I smile up at him, feeling warmth fill my chest. "It felt good... being a part of all this."

"More than just a part, Carlie," he insists, his thumb brushing a smudge of dirt off my cheek. "You were the heart of it. I can’t tell you how many people came up to me and told me how much you helped out."

I blink, surprised by the intensity of his words, the raw sincerity in his gaze. "Mason?"

"Yeah, Darlin'?"

"Today meant a lot to me." My hands run over his chest then down the sides of his cut. "Being here, with you, with them—it's like I found where I'm supposed to be."

"Same here, Carlie. Same here." His arms envelop me, and I can feel the reverberations of his voice as he speaks into my hair. "You’re not just some chick for the moment. You're it for me. The long haul. Ride or die and all of it."

I pull back enough to see his face, searching his dark eyes for truth. I find it there, shining back at me clear as day. "Really? This soon? So fast?"

"Really," he confirms, his lips curving into a rare, genuine smile. "As corny as it sounds, I knew when I laid eyes on you the night you walked into Perdition. You weren’t just some chick that made my dick rock hard, you are everything I was missing in myself. Iron Reapers, babe. We're family—and I want you riding shotgun with me. Forever."

"Forever sounds perfect," I whisper, leaning into his kiss, a promise made without words but felt with every fiber of our beings. In his embrace, surrounded by the roar of engines and the laughter of newfound friends, everything clicks into place.

We're more than just two hearts lost on the highway, we're home.

The roar of the engine vibrates through me, a rhythm that matches the steady thrumming of my heart. I cling to Mason, the leather of his cut warm against my palms, as we weave through the twilight back to the Iron Reapers' clubhouse. The road beneath us is a familiar path now, one that feels like it's been etched into my soul.

"Feels right, doesn't it?" Mason's voice cuts through the wind, barely audible over the rumble of his bike.

"Like coming home," I yell back, and I mean every word. The air is cooler now, but the warmth from Mason's body is all the comfort I need.

We pull into the club's gravel lot, the sound of our arrival announcing us like a declaration. My legs are shaky as I dismount, not from fear but from an adrenaline high I doubt willgo away anytime soon. Mason's hand finds mine, his grip solid and reassuring.

"Ready for this?" he asks, eyeing me with a look that says he already knows the answer.

"Born ready," I smile.

The clubhouse doors swing open, and music hits us like a wave. We're sucked into the whirlwind of celebration. I stick close to Mason, feeling his presence beside me like a shield.

"Mason!" someone hollers, raising a beer in salute. He nods, his arm never leaving my waist.

"Your old lady sure can ride," another chimes in, and I feel my cheeks flush with pride.

"Damn straight," Mason growls, his pride evident even in those two words.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell him, then navigate my way through the sea of bodies toward the bathroom. When I return, my eyes instantly find Mason. He stands tall and unmovable, a pillar among the chaos. Only, there's a woman wearing too little clothes, batting her eyelashes at him, and leaning in closer than necessary. Mason's face is impassive, his disinterest clear as day.

"Mason!" I call out, and his head snaps up. His eyes light up, a spark that's saved just for me. The way he looks at me does something crazy inside me. I can’t help but grin as he steps away from the woman and meets me halfway.

“A fan?” I ask, jealousy coming out strong even though he gave me no reason to doubt him. Hell, his reaction told me everything I needed to know. Doesn’t stop the insecurities from popping up though.

His arm snakes around my waist, pulling me into his side and bites my ear lobe before sucking it into his warm mouth. “Don’t be jealous Darlin', she’s got nothing I want because she’s not you,” He rasps into my ear. Damn, and he knows just how to make me melt.

He pulls me back over to where he was standing with Dagger and Tank. “Amber, have you met my old lady, Carlie, yet?” This is the first time he’s introduced me as his old lady and it does something funny to my insides.

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