Hudson reached out to clap his shoulder. “Mason, you can bring anyone you like. ” He winked at me, then down at Erin. “We’d better go, sweetheart.”
I walked them to the door, then locked it behind them. When I turned to Mason, he grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me to him. We got lost in the kiss until the girls reminded us we weren’t alone.
Breaking away, I kissed his forehead and his cheek before letting him go. “I want to take you on a date. You free tonight?”
He held me in his arms as he looked into my eyes. “You’re the only thing on my to-do list. But do we have to wait that long? Can’t we start it now?”
I laughed at his shared eagerness. “Sure. Let’s start with coffee.”
We ended up taking the girls on a walk to the park, but this time, he reached for my hand as we strolled down the street. “Is this okay? I mean, we’re home now, and if you don’t want any PDA, I understand.”
In a very uncharacteristic move, I lifted his hand to my mouth and kissed the top. It felt like this could be our life if Iwanted it. “I’m not the one with the public NFL career, but if you’re okay with it, so am I.”
His shy smile I loved, was back. “I’ve wanted this for a long time. And if all of this has taught me anything, it’s that the right moment is never better than right now.”
“Then lead the way, sweetheart.”
When we reached our bench in the park, Mason radiated a new self-confidence as he told me about his conversation with Axel and phone call with Perry about his mother. As we sat close to one another on that bench, we talked quietly like we were confiding secrets only the other could know. The clean scent of his shampoo and the warmth radiating from his proximity created an intimate bubble he and I shared. With his arm around me on the back of the bench, I leaned toward him, taking in every smile and soft word. I wanted to savor every one of them and store them away for the next time I’d be without him. In the short span of time, he had become the most important thing in my life, and I refused to let him leave.
When Mason stopped speaking, I blinked out of my Mason-induced haze as he smiled lovingly at me. “Are you okay?”
I ran my hand over his jaw. “I’ve never been better in my life.”
Mason lifted his hand to the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss in the middle of the park. The world fell away when the warm slide of his tongue along mine engulfed my heart and soul, providing me with another moment of clarity I’d missed along the way. I was in love with him.
I smiled at my epiphany, making him pull back. Mason didn’t release me, but placed his forehead on mine. “That wasmegivingyouyour first kiss, Thomas.”
“And this is me hoping you’ll never stop,” I whispered.
He nodded, then pulled back to look at me. His whispered confession should have alarmed me, but it did the opposite. “I’m falling for you, Thomas.”
I ran my fingers through his hair. “Good,” I murmured, kissing him softly. “I’m already there, so I’ll catch you.”
On our walk home, I told him about my conversation with Sam. “At one time, it was my goal to be a Bureau Chief.”
“Wow. That sounds impressive. Do you not want that job?”
I curled my lips as I chose my words. “That dream cost me, and someone I once loved, dearly.”
“Is that why you’re hesitating on the job?”
I nodded. “It haunts me.” I took his hand. “Honesty is important in a relationship, and I need you to know about the mistakes I made. It’s why I’ve never gone into another relationship, and why I no longer drink alcohol.”
He frowned. “Okay. I’m listening.”
I looked up the street and recounted the story. “Ten years ago, the woman I was involved with died in a car accident. Vanessa was beautiful inside and out. I loved her, but I couldn’t give her the life she deserved. I was barely thirty and climbing the ladder in the bureau. She wanted me to be available more, to get married and have kids, but my job was dangerous. I didn’t know how to make it work.” I shook my head, trying to escape the memory.
“Anyway, the night she died, she picked me up at the office to go to an engagement dinner for our friends. We had a good time, and I had drunk a few drinks, so she was driving. She could sense something was on my mind, and she’d been talking to me. A man driving in the oncoming lane had a medical emergency and crossed the yellow line. When I grabbed for the wheel to avoid him, it was too late. He hit the driver’s side, and we slammed into the guardrail. I was trained in defensive driving, and if I’d been at the wheel, she’d still be alive.”
Mason stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and brought his hand to my face. “You don’t know that. It was a horrible accident.”
Swallowing, I nodded. “I know that now. But the guilt ate at me, and I couldn’t do my job. I took a leave of absence and finally got some counseling. When the job with Hudson came open, I saw it as a new start.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that. But that doesn’t change how I feel about you, Tommy. It just makes me understand your sweet, protective side even more.”
I smirked at him. “Tommy?”
“Uh-huh. It’s more personal.” He wove his fingers through my short hair. “Everyone else calls you Thomas. I want to call you Tommy. Unless you prefer something else, like daddy.”
