I wanted to be protected by my mother when I lost my father. I needed to be protected by her when Jeremy took everything from us. Nobody apart from Olly has ever shielded me from pain before. Yet here he is, safeguarding me with no expectations.

“Sure, Cole, we’re done, for now.” Ace smirks. “I’ll be sure to tell Prez you’ve gone and got yourself a woman,” he goads, and without turning back, he casually walks away like he didn’t awaken a beast who I’m now holding back from charging forward. Mason’s muscles bunch beneath my hands and his body shakes with anger. He doesn’t look at me. I just watch him intently as he breathes heavily, staring down the path where Ace just stood.

“Don’t. Don’t give him what he wants,” I say sternly, still grasping his forearm in an effort to prevent another physical altercation, as if one wasn’t enough today. Slowly, his gaze falls to where my hand rests on him and I can almost feel the burn from the heat of his stare. I pull it away, suddenly aware of our closeness, and distance myself from the man who’s stepped up for me for the second time today.

My head droops with exhaustion. I don’t have the effort to spend another moment figuring out Mason’s reaction to me. What’s the point in trying?

My mind now full of clarity, my adrenalin pushing aside the alcohol in my system, I pull myself together and ignore my body’s desire for a man I’ll never have.

“Well, not that any of your assistance was required or anything, but I still feel I should thank you for standing up for me with that guy. It was a nice gesture. I’m not naïve as to think he was actually here to check up on me, but now that that’s over, I think I’ll be heading home. Thanks for returning my coat,” I say with as much sincerity as I can muster up. Grabbing my coat and clutch, Cole replies before I have the chance to leave without further conversation.

“You’re not walking home alone, Lindsey. Give me a minute to let Roamyn know I’m heading out and I’ll walk with you.”

I stand up straighter, crossing my arms. “I don’t need an escort for the whole three minute walk to my loft, Detective. I’m quite capable of walking myself home.”

“Not asking for your permission, sweetheart. Doing it anyway,” he retorts, locking me in between the bar and his body. The air becomes thin, my breathing deepens and my body temperature rises. Why does he have to get so close?

A stubbornness matching my own stares back at me and I blurt out the only thing that might deter him from wanting to accompany me home. “I’m not having sex with you.”

He chuckles and the sound is divine, yet surprising to hear from a man who’s so intense. It would be music to my ears if he wasn’t so frustrating.

“Never thought you were going to, Linds. Now are you going to stand here and throw a tantrum some more, or are we leaving so we can both get home to our beds?”

My brows furrow. “It’s Lindsey. Not Linds,” I reply swiftly, my nickname sounding far too satisfying leaving his kissable lips. More of that and I’ll be begging for him to take me on the sidewalk.

“Oliver calls you Linds,” he points out.

“Well, yeah, he does, Mason. We’ve been best friends for seventeen years. He was allowed nickname rights after two of those.”

“Linds,” he reiterates, his tone now more serious than playful. “Shut down your sass and get your ass moving.” Seriously? Who the hell does this man think he is? I sigh, my eyes itchy from lack of sleep and my head’s now pounding. “Fine, you win this round. But don’t ever expect it to happen again.”

“Be back,” he mumbles as he marches off to where Detective Tate, who I now know is Roamyn, is sitting, his back to us with two blondes either side of him. Hesitating, Mason stops mid-stride. “Don’t go anywhere.” Yelling over the music, he eyes me like I’m about to make a run for it.

“Not moving, Mason, now hurry up.” I jab my arm out, gesturing for him to get a move on. If he doesn’t hurry up, I will leave.

After a quick goodbye and cheeky grin from Roamyn, I let Mason lead us out of the bar while giving him the directions to the loft.

Leaning in so close I can feel his hot breath on my ear, he whispers, “Lead the way, sweetheart.”

I melt, melt into a puddle of mush this gorgeous man created the moment he opened his mouth. Those deep blue hues, that foreign chuckle, his hard chest, and that dark hair on top of his head that I just want to run my fingers through, it all screams bad news at my carefully crafted routine I call life.

I want him, bad. I want him to slap those cuffs on, tell me what a bad girl I’ve been, and fuck me into oblivion. I hold back my grin. This is so not going to end well.

Mason

Her breath releases in visible clouds, the winter’s night even colder than the last. Thank fuck her place is only minutes away. Freezing my balls off or not, I’d still be walking her home. She lives in a nice neighborhood, but no fancy penthouse is safer than any alley, and people would be stupid to think otherwise. Nothing about her screams damsel. In fact, I’d say she doesn’t need a lick of my help. But I keep digging for more conversation, more about her. Just a few more minutes. Surely, she’ll give me something to go on.

She tucks her hands in her pockets after pulling her jacket up around her neck. “So, Mase, you make it a habit to walk home all the women you meet at work?”

I turn to her, smirking in surprise. “Mase, huh?”

She shrugs. “Only fair I get to nickname you after you gave yourself the right to use mine.”

She plays it off casually, and I chuckle. This may be the lightest moment we’ve experienced.

“Think you might be just what I need,” I mutter softly, the words escaping my mouth before I have a chance to take them back. I turn ready to accept the attitude she’s bound to throw me but instead, shock rocks me to my core.

“Me too.”

She stares into space; her eyes vacant. Her voice is so quiet when the words slip out I think she surprises herself.

Maybe I imagined it. I wanted it so badly to be real. Why, I don’t even know.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mason

Our worlds collided with a violent crash, the impact stronger than either of us could have ever imagined. We didn’t realize until the damage was done and we had more than just broken bones.

My breathing deepens as I trail soft kisses down her stomach, her skin rippling with pleasure beneath my touch. Her body trembles and her small pink nipples harden. A raspy moan slips past her lips and her back arches off the bed when my thumb glides back and forth over her clit. She’s so soft, so wet.

“Oh, God, Mason. I need you,” Lindsey whispers through a haze of lust, her half-lidded eyes shutting completely.

I groan, my voice raw with need. “You got it, sweetheart.”

I pull her thighs around my hips, positioning myself at her entrance. Cock in hand, I squeeze my shaft and swirl the head through her wetness. Fuck, I can’t hold off any longer.

Thrusting forward in one sharp movement, my hands hold her in place. I stretch her, her pussy contracts, the tightness spiking a shiver of pleasure to rush through me. I fight the overwhelming urge to plow into her, hard and fast. I want to savor every touch, every kiss, every thrust because no other woman feels this good. Leaning in, I rest an arm beside her head, and use the other to graze my thumb over her cheek. She’s so goddamn beautiful. I slide my palms down her chest, her body so smooth under my calloused fingers. I caress her bare tits while pumping my hips back and forward in pure ecstasy. Fuck.

Lindsey circles her arms around my neck and smashes her lips to mine in a bruising kiss.