30. Mason
THIRTY
MASON
I’ve never been the dating type. Never been one who wooed a woman and promised them the world. Dating gives hope, and hope is something I’ve never had the urge to give. There’s only been one other person I’ve called mine, but even then, there wasn’t this need to make her feel cherished. Not the way there is with Lily.
It pisses me off that no one has ever taken care of her before now. When I show up to her place with a bouquet of roses I picked up at the corner store—the same one she goes to every week for groceries—her eyes light up like it’s the best gift she’s ever received.
I want to put that look on her face every day for the rest of my life, and that thought terrifies me more than it should because I still haven’t figured shit out, and I know I’m running out of time.
“You ready to go?” I ask her.
She nods, and I grab her hand, pulling her behind me to the parking lot where my Harley sits.
“Are we going on that?” She waves her hand at my bike.
“Yeah, why?” Amusement sprinkles through my chest at the way she fidgets. “You’ve never been on one?”
She shakes her head, a small smile breaking over her face. “No, I have. Just don’t like them very much.”
Grabbing a helmet off the back and walking over to her, I place it in her hands. “Then you haven’t been riding them right.” I wink.
Her chest brushes against my stomach as she sucks in a breath and I close my eyes, willing my cock to calm down until after we get back. I’m determined to give her a night she’ll remember. Clichés included.
Truthfully, I don’t have anything spectacular planned. I just want to dote on her. Take her out and show her how she deserves to be treated.
I’ve reserved us a table at a small French restaurant right outside of Phoenix, next to a small lake where I plan to take her after, just to sit outside by the water and talk. A nice, normal night where she can let go of the weight she always carries on her shoulders and enjoy her time with me. Hopefully .
She climbs onto the back of my bike, and the heat of her body pressed against me sends a shot of desire curling through my insides. I look back and smirk. “Ready?”
She nods, the black helmet hiding her eyes from my view.
It’s a thirty-minute ride, and she’s silent, only the tightening of her arms around my waist reminding me she’s there in the first place. Pulling into the lot, I park and turn off the engine, my hands coming down on top of hers and squeezing.
She climbs off my bike, and I’m struck by the sight of her, unsure why it is that every moment spent in her presence makes me want to dive a little deeper. How is it that she gets more attractive the longer I stare? She pulls off her helmet, her dark locks mussed and tumbling down her back, giving her a freshly fucked look that makes my stomach flip and blood rush to my cock.
“What are you looking at?” She glances at her outfit, running her hands over the front of her shirt and down her dark jeans.
I stand up, walking to her, and draw her into me, running my tongue across her lips and reveling in her taste. “You, little bird. I’m always looking at you.”
She smiles against my mouth, her hands reaching up and wrapping around my neck. “You know, you’re much more romantic than I gave you credit for.”
I quirk a brow. “I’m not romantic, Lily. I’m just in—” The words stick on the back of my tongue and I clear my throat as I realize what I was about to say.
In love.
She tilts her head, her eyes gaining a curious sheen, and my heart spasms in my chest. My thumb brushes against the underside of her jaw, the smoothness of her skin making my mouth water, wanting to feel it under my tongue.
I smile, running my hands down her arms and grasping her palm, locking our fingers together. I bring her hand up to my mouth, pressing a kiss to the back. “You must bring it out of me.”
Her eyes dim, and she inhales heavily before pasting a grin on her face and twisting to stare at the restaurant. “Wow, Alex, this place looks really nice.” She fidgets as I lead us through the doors. “Is it okay for me to wear jeans in here?”
I smirk and tap the top of her nose, turning my attention to the blond hostess as her head pops up from her stand with a big grin. We are underdressed, but honestly, I don’t give a fuck. The only thing places like this care about is the money. If you act like you belong, then you do. I grew up living and breathing in this type of environment, and if I have to adopt the air of my past in order to give her a night to remember, then that’s what I’ll do.
Besides, fuck these people. It isn’t about what they think—it’s about my woman. And that’s what Lily is.
Mine.
“Alex Calhoun. We have a reservation.”
The hostess nods and leads us to our booth. When we sit down, I can feel Lily’s stare burning a hole in the center of my chest.
“What?” I ask.
She blinks a few times then shakes her head. “Nothing, I—I never knew your last name is all. Crazy because it’s never even crossed my mind to ask.” Her eyes haze over, and my stomach tenses as I force a smile on my face.
It’s not my last name. It’s Don’s.
She picks up a menu. “Jesus, how’d you even find this place?”
I raise my fingers and wiggle them. “Magic.”
“Alex.” She giggles, rolling her eyes. “The entire menu is in French.”
I shrug. “And? I’ll order for you if you want.”
“There’s nothing under fifty bucks!” she whisper-shouts.
I shrug again. “Don’t worry about that.”
Her eyes slide behind me and she shrinks a little in her chair, making my stomach sink. I glance around, realizing for the first time that there are servers in the corner glancing over at us, whispering in hushed voices. Fuck. Suddenly, I’m second-guessing the entire evening. I was trying to show her a nice night, give her things that she’s never had, but I don’t want her to spend all of her time being uncomfortable, with people judging us for tattoos and jeans when they’re used to suits and pretty dresses.
My leg reaches for hers under the table, my foot grazing up her calf.
Her eyes flash to mine. “Stop it,” she mouths.
I smirk. “Or what?”
The waiter interrupts our moment, and I order without thinking, allowing the names of the items to roll effortlessly off my tongue.
“Parles-tu francais?” I ask him. I need to tell him to keep his coworkers in check, but I don’t want to embarrass Lily.
His eyes widen with his nod, and I swallow, my eyes flashing once again to the girls in the corner. “Demandez à vos collègues d’arrêter de regarder ici comme si nous étions le divertissement et j’ajouterai une centaine de plus à votre conseil.” Get your coworkers to stop watching us like we’re the entertainment, and I’ll add a hundred to your tip.
“Oui, monsieur.”
He takes our menu, and it isn’t until I take a sip of my sparkling water and look back to Lily that I realize she’s frozen in place, eyes large and round, glass of water frozen halfway to her mouth.
I grin, even though panic starts to leech my nerves. This was a stupid idea.
“Who are you?” she asks.
I lift my shoulder. “I’m not allowed to speak French?”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m just…surprised.”
“Well, maybe I like surprising you.”
“Hmm,” she hums. “What did you say?”
My foot brushes against hers again under the table, heat flaring in my veins when her leg wraps around mine.
“Doesn’t matter,” I say.
Her eyes narrow. “Do you speak any other languages?”
I nod. “Learning languages wasn’t a negotiation when I was growing up.”
My heart beats the fuck out of my chest because we’re dangerously close to wading into territory that I’m uncomfortable talking about.
“And where’d you grow up?” She bites her lip when she asks, her fingers tapping against her wrist like she’s nervous to ask.
Swallowing around the baseball-sized knot in my throat, I lean back in my chair, my eyes assessing her silently for long, stretched moments. I may not be able to give her everything, but I can give her this.
“Oregon,” I force out.
“Oh, that’s right.” She nods, pursing her lips.
A small grin tilts my lips as I watch her. She’s so fucking cute. “Go ahead.”
Her brows raise. “What do you mean?”
I wave my hand in the space between us. “Ask away. I can see you’re dying to know more.”
Her head cocks to the side. “And you’ll answer?”
I shrug. “Only one way to find out.”
We’re interrupted when the waiter brings our food, but she doesn’t miss a beat, her eyes gaining a fire and her shoulders straightening, looking like she’s preparing for battle now that I’ve given her the green light.
“Do your parents still live there, in Oregon?”
My chest pinches as I cut into my steak. “Yes.”
“Do you speak to them?”
Nausea rolls in my gut. “No.”
“How come?”
I place my fork and knife down, sadness tightening my muscles until I feel like they might snap. “ That is a long story.”
She exhales and I can see the disappointment swirling in her eyes. I reach across the table and cover her hand with mine. “One that I’ll share, but not here.”
She nods, looking at the table.
I tap the top of her fingers with mine, leaving my chair to lean halfway across the table. “Don’t hide from me, little bird.”
She looks back up and then meets me in the middle, brushing a kiss across my lips, lighting up my insides.
“Give me all your secrets,” she speaks against my lips. “I promise to keep them safe.”