Page 103 of Hot Ice, Tennessee

For God’s sake, Mason and I weren’t even technically boyfriends yet, and here my brother was, talking about love.

But if what I feel for Mason isn’t rapidly turning into love, I don’t know what love is.

The thought made me feel a little fucked in the head, actually. I wanted all of this to be real. Wanted it more than I’d ever wanted anything with my ex, that was for damn sure.

Well, maybe we should make our own damn rules.

Maybe that’s what we’ve been doing the whole time.

“Mason,” I said, before he could say anything about Kane. “I want to be your boyfriend.”

He went wide-eyed, smiling and sitting back down on the bench before he responded. “Swear to God, I’m going to pass out. Is this just how the Sanocki guys operate? You toss out big things like they’re a lit match into a fire, and then just… see what happens?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, then nodded. “Yeah. That is kind of how we do it.”

“God, comehere,” Mason said, tugging on the front of my shirt and pulling me down to kiss him. “I swear I’ve wanted to be your boyfriend probably since the week I met you, and I don’t care if that sounds crazy.”

I breathed against him, smiling like an idiot again. “I don’t care if it’s crazy, either. I just want to be with you.”

“Jesse, do you realize that Kane saw uskissing, and we both still have all of our fingers and limbs intact?”

I laughed, peppering him with kisses again. “Damn right.”

“We’re not on a bloody heap on the floor. He still wants to talk to us both. And all he did was make fun of us a little bit?”

“It’s a Tennessee miracle,” I said.

“I need to go buy a lottery ticket, or something. Fuck, you’re my boyfriend, too. I—”

He stopped, letting out a long breath as he leaned back. I saw in a second that his expression had changed a little, and when I saw his eyes get watery, I reached out to stroke his hair.

“Mason, what’s up?”

“I… just realized that I felt something today that I haven’t felt since Dad’s been gone,” he said softly. “I felt like I had family. Like Kane was some disapproving father who didn’t quite understand my decision, but… loved me for it anyway.”

“It’s true,” I said.

A tear broke off down his cheek, but he smiled at the same time. “I know he isn’t my family, but in a way, he’s the closest thing I’ve got. And Finn, and now Ori, because the two of them are attached at the hip.”

“You know what? I can tell how much they care about you, too.”

His tears dried up. The sad expression left his face, and he morphed back into the rugged, handsome cowboy in a quick minute. A guy who looked like he had everything figured out. Aguy who talked to anyone. A guy who smiled and had fun, even through the shittiest situations.

My cowboy.

My fuckin’ favorite.

“Oh, we are going to be themenacesof the Hard Spot Saloon,” Mason said, a devilish grin on his face.

“Mason, I want to be your boyfriend more than anything, but I’m telling you right now that you’llneverget me to do a keg stand, cocktail stand, or astandof any kind.”

He laughed. “No. But we get to be together. As a couple.”

Something fluttered in my chest. “That’s not something I’ve ever gotten to do publicly.”

“Get ready for me to walk you around like you’re a celebrity,” Mason said. “Holy shit, I am so lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one. Itamedyou.”

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