My mouth speaks for me before my mind has a chance to overanalyze every possible reason this idea could be monumentally bad. “I’ll have Charlotte, just leave her with me. She’ll be fine here. You said yourself earlier, uniforms will stay outside your place all tonight and tomorrow while I’m here, so why doesn’t she just stay with me until you get home?”

I widen my eyes at him, hopeful for his trust. Allowing Charlotte to stay with me, alone, just the two of us is a huge internal hurdle of fear mixed with trust for Mason to jump over.

He stares at me for a few seconds too long without saying a word and my nerves light on fire, spreading quickly throughout me.

I relent, the confliction laced through his features chips at my heart. He still doesn’t trust me. Can I blame him? No, I certainly couldn’t.

“You don’t have to. It was just an idea.” I shake it off and lower my eyes so Mason can’t see the hurt burning brightly. The last thing I want is him to make his decision built on his guilt.

He squeezes my thigh with the hand resting on it. With the other, he brushes my hair back over my shoulder. “Want your eyes, Lindsey.”

I blink away any emotion, like I’ve done so many times before and lift my head high with confidence. When I knew he trusted me completely, maybe then I’d let it all show.

“You keep my baby girl close tomorrow, okay?” he asks, but it’s more of a statement.

“Mason, I—”

“No, Lindsey, just listen, okay? I saw your face drop when I didn’t say yes straight away. You hide that shit well, normally, but you weren’t quick enough then. I was never doubting your capabilities of taking care of my daughter. I’ve seen the way you are with her. The way she is with you makes my days lighter and generally fucking cheerier. You don’t know this, but I see it. You’re giving her something she’s been missing out on now for too long. And watching my baby girl walk down the hall arm in arm with my woman, warms my heart like you wouldn’t believe.”

I sit up straighter, and clasp my hands together behind Mason’s neck. “Is my big badass detective getting soft on me?” I tease.

He grabs my ass and pulls me against him, the hardness inside his pants a surprise against my core. “Far from soft, sweetheart.” He winks and his face turns upwards, radiating a heat through my body. I spot Mason’s gun and badge over his shoulder, sitting at the back of the counter and seeing them sparks an idea.

I pull back from Mase and his hazy eyes meet mine. “Do you have your cuffs?”

He angles his head to the side slightly, his eyes questioning me without the need for words. “Yeah I’ve always got them on me. Why?”

I lower my voice and trail a finger over his Henley-covered chest, down to the waistband of his tan pants. “Get them. They’re about to come in handy.”

Mase’s lips part and he leans in, but I bypass his lips, slide down his body, off the counter and without so much of a look behind me, I swing my hips all the way to his bedroom, because I know he’s watching. I don’t need to see it to believe it. I can feel his eyes on me, the heat of his stare burns into my back.

I lift the hem of my navy chiffon blouse over my head. I drop it to the cream plush carpet of Mason’s bedroom. Another step closer to the bed, I whip the tie holding my bun in place out and shake my hair free. It falls down my back, past my bra, and it whispers against my waist. I reach behind me, flicking my bra clasp free. The cups fall, the straps dangle down my arms. I toss it aside and reach for the button on my black skinny jeans. Shimmying them down, I step out of them and push them out of the way. My fingers meet the lace of my panties, but before I can remove them, they’re yanked down by two large hands and I’m spun around and lifted into strong arms. My legs wrap around Mase’s now naked waist. He obviously undressed just as I did. An oomph crosses my lips as we fall onto the bed.

“And what exactly are you planning to do with these?” Mase teases, a finger holding up the silver cuffs he just pulled from the top of his pants.

I smirk and raise a brow at him. “Lay down on the bed, Detective Cole.” Without a word, I grab the dangling cuffs and place them behind me on the comforter. “Lay down on the bed, on your back, head on the pillow.”

He opens his mouth, but no words come out. He closes it and swallows. His Adam’s apple bobs. His hands travel to his pants and in one swift movement, they fall to the floor along with his briefs. His cock springs free, eager and fiery and I lick my lips, ready to devour him. Shifting aside, I make room for him to lie down. His head hits the pillow and his long body reaches right to the end of his bed. Fuck, he’s tall. He pulls his head forward to make room for his hands as he shoves them behind it.

“Uh uh.” I shake my head, and picking up the cuffs, I shift over Mason’s body so I can reach his wrists. I can’t cuff him to the wooden headboard, but I don’t need to. The act of cuffing him is clearly enough to get him raging hard and just how I want him. As I straddle his stomach, his cock pokes my ass, the touch of the head on me enough to make me move my hands faster. My nipples pebble, my pussy grows wetter. I want nothing more than to shove back on him and bury him deep inside me, but first I have other plans. I tighten both cuffs over his wrists and shift my way back down his body. Inch by inch, I kiss and devour. Savoring the smoothness of his skin and hardness of his muscles beneath my lips. He wriggles under my tongue and a groan rips from him. His abs harden and he attempts to sit up, but I push my hand up, palm against his chest and shove him back down.

“You’re killing me here, sweetheart,” he croaks, his knuckles turning white as he clenches his fists.

“I’m just getting started, sweetheart,” I reply, using the endearment he’s delighted me with from the first day we met. He grunts and the deep sound seduces my resistance. More of that and foreplay will become a lost cause.

I kiss further south until I reach his cock. I clasp my hands firmly around his shaft, squeeze and slide slowly, up and down. His breathing hitches, his cock throbs. I lean in and blow a light breath over the head, earning myself another moan from him. Holding him tightly in my hand, I lick the underside of his rigid cock. Encircling my lips around him, I swirl my tongue over the top then devour. I suck him dry until he’s pumping his hips up thrusting into my mouth. My cheeks hollow in and begin to ache but I keep going, his pleasure my only goal. Two hands grab my head and a slight sting jolts through me from my hair being pulled.  I lift my gaze and my eyes catch his as he watches me, brows furrowed, mouth parted and his breathing heavy, eyes so ferocious I know he’s holding in his desire to ram himself down my throat. His cock swells in my mouth, and with a pop, my lips are yanked free. I reach over to the nightstand, rip a condom out and slide it on.

“Better sink down on my cock Lindsey because I’m two seconds away from coming.” He grounds out breathlessly, his gravelly voice turning me on more.

I slam down home, Mason filling every inch of me with so much more than just his beautiful cock.

He fills my life with a richness no amount of money ever could. He fills my home with warmth just from his and Charlotte’s presence. He is comfort, familiarity. He is home.

The coolness of metal cuffs graze the back of my neck as Mase pulls me forward, trapping my cheek against his chest. “Hold on,” he whispers in my ear, keeping me still. I’m shot upwards, Mason pistoning his hips into me. He’s losing all constraint. Pleasure temporarily blinds me as my release takes control, my shaking legs no longer capable of steadying themselves. Mason’s relentless thrusting slows until he’s motionless and nothing other than our labored breathing sounds through the room.