14. MASON

14

MASON

I opened my eyes to the soft light falling through the window. An icy chill hung in the air, the quiet after the snowstorm that had raged through the night.

Cami lay on my chest, her naked body wrapped around mine. Her skin was warm and her breathing rhythmic. Her long eyelashes brushed her cheeks and she was a vision.

Waking up next to her felt like nothing I’d ever experienced before.

The fire had died down sometime in the night, leaving the cabin cold, and I’d brought her to bed with me. She’d been half-asleep and carrying her had been easy—she weighed just about nothing. We’d fallen asleep together again and beneath the fur blankets, it was warm.

I drank in the moment.

I couldn’t help but stare at her, taking in the way her dark hair fell across her face, the way her lips parted slightly as she slept. She looked peaceful. And for the first time in a long time, I felt peaceful, too.

I hadn’t planned on this. It had been a long time since I’d shared a bed with someone. It had been a long time since I’d shared anything with anyone. But waking up with her nestled against me, the heat of her body pressed against mine felt… right.

My cock stirred, ready for round two with her pressed against me like this, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment.

Down, boy.

Her presence filled the small space, making it feel less lonely, less like the cold, empty cabin it usually was.

And if I had to be honest… that scared the hell out of me.

Which was saying something because fucking nothing scared me.

I let out a slow breath, trying to calm my mind. I didn’t want this to end with her. Not yet. I wanted to stay right here, with her, wrapped in the warmth and comfort that I hadn’t felt in so long. But at the same time, the weight of it pressed down on me.

Letting someone in? Getting close to them? It was dangerous as fuck. I knew what that led to.

Pain.

Loss.

I’d learned that lesson the hard way, and I wasn’t eager to repeat it. The only way to not get hurt was to not get attached. It had worked for me until now—but Cami was different.

She shifted slightly in her sleep, her body moving closer to mine, and I felt a surge of something I hadn’t expected. It wasn’t just lust, though there was plenty of that. It was more than that. It was… need . But also not the kind I expected. I needed this. I needed her .

I’d spent so long pushing people away, building walls around myself to keep everyone out.

I ran a hand through her hair, careful not to wake her, and stared up at the ceiling. I hadn’t let anyone get this close in years. Not since everything went to hell. Not since Wallace’s betrayal had ripped everything I thought I knew apart. But here I was, wanting to hold on to something I didn’t think I could have anymore.

What if I let her in? What if I stopped running, stopped hiding, and let myself have something for once?

The thought was heavy. It was dangerously tempting. I wanted to believe this could work, that I could have something good for once, but that voice in the back of my head kept reminding me of everything I’d lost. The people who’d betrayed me, the ones who’d died because of me…

I shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable without waking her, and felt her stir against me. Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep, and a small smile tugged at her lips.

“Morning,” she whispered, her voice soft and sleepy.

“Morning,” I replied, my voice rough.

She stretched against me, her body pressing even closer, and I felt the heat of her skin. My cock throbbed, that familiar tension rising between us. She was beautiful. More than beautiful. And as much as I tried to keep my distance, as much as I tried to tell myself I couldn’t afford to get close to her, I couldn’t help it. She’d already gotten under my skin.

I wanted her. Not just to fuck, either. I wanted her in my life. I wanted to hold on to this feeling of warmth, of connection, of… home.

She rested her head back on my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns against my skin. It was so simple, so normal. The intimacy of it, the closeness, made me realize just how much I’d been missing.