“Obviously,” he says, snorting with amusement. “Why do you look so surprised? Has no one told you that before?”
I bite my lip. “Um. No.”
He scoffs. “They’re idiots.”
He pulls his joggers back on and reconnects his pump tubing. He tucks the device into his pocket before collapsing onto the couch, exhaling heavily.
Meanwhile, I fumble for my clothes, suddenly hyperaware that I’m still naked. I dress quickly with trembling hands and feel his heated gaze on me the whole time.
Without a word, he reaches for my elbow and draws me against his side. He leans in, pausing just a breath away from my mouth.
I freeze. Travis never kissed me after I went down on him. Not until I brushed my teeth.
But Mason just looks at me, his expression soft and almost pained, like not kissing me would physically hurt him. So I close the distance.
His lips are soft and coaxing, the faint scrape of stubble grazing my skin. He’s a really good kisser—bold and assertive and confident.
Everything I’m not.
He pulls back just enough to meet my gaze, his voice quieter now. “I should go,” he says, his tone remorseful.
I nod, trying to hide my disappointment. “Alright.”
He hesitates, fingers drumming lightly against his thigh. “It’s not that I want to,” he adds quickly. “I’ve just got some family stuff to handle.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” I say quickly.
His throat bobs. “Yeah, I know. I just… I want to tell you why I might be busy sometimes. Why I might seem flakey.”
He shifts back slightly, so we’re no longer touching. I lean in expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
“I have a little sister,” he says at last. “Maddie. She’s thirteen. I help take care of her.”
My heart softens. “Is that the family crisis you mentioned before? The reason you dropped out of college?”
He nods. “Yeah. Our mom’s always struggled with depression, but it got worse a couple of years ago. She couldn’t really take care of Maddie on her own anymore, so I moved back home to help.” His gaze drops to the floor. “And, um… she was just diagnosed with stage four cancer.”
The air leaves my lungs in a single, sharp breath.
“Oh my God,” I whisper, reaching for him instinctively. My hand lands on his forearm, my thumb tracing gentle circles against his skin. “I’m so sorry, Mason. That’s… that’s awful.”
He blinks at the floor. “Yeah. She told Maddie tonight. She didn’t take it well—locked herself in her room and wouldn’t talk to either of us. I wanted to give her space, but I should probably head back soon and check on her.”
If I wasn’t already swooning for him, I am now. Nothing gets me going more than beefy guys with even beefier hearts.
“Thank you for telling me,” I say honestly. “And… Maddie is lucky to have you. You’re a good brother.”
“Thanks,” he says softly, cracking a half-smile and pushing himself up from the couch. He stretches, arms reaching high overhead, subtly flexing. When he pulls his T-shirt back on, his curls tumble messily over his forehead, but somehow he makes it look sexy.
He bends down to pick up his keys and glances back at me. “I’ll text you later?”
“Yeah, sure,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant. As if I do this sort of thing all the time—the casual sex thing. “Sounds good.”
He leans down and presses one last short kiss to my lips before turning to leave. I watch him go, the door closing softly behind him.
After he’s gone, the house is too quiet. I collapse on the couch and bury my face into the cushions, groaning. My lips are still warm where he kissed me.
I don’t recognize this tingly feeling inside me. It’s like an unidentified species, unable to be classified. All I know is that it’s dangerous and growing faster than I can contain it.
