17. CAMI

17

CAMI

M ason’s knock startled me so much I nearly jumped out of my skin. Since the guys had been in my house, I couldn’t relax. My home wasn’t a haven anymore, it was a place where they could find me.

When I opened the door, he stood there like a wall of muscle and concern. I couldn’t breathe. What if, somehow, he knew what had happened? That those men had come looking for him, because of me.

He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, his eyes scanning the room like he was looking for something—or someone.

I swallowed hard and panic bubbled up inside me.

“Cami,” he said, his voice low and rough with worry. “Are you okay?”

I nodded quickly. My hands trembled, and I pushed them into my pockets.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

His eyes narrowed, looking straight through my lie. “You look like something’s wrong.”

I took a shuddering breath and tried to steady myself.

I couldn’t tell him. I couldn’t . If I did, he’d know I’d brought this danger back into his life, that I was the one who had done exactly what the people he’d cared for before had done.

I’d put him in harm’s way.

The guilt twisted in my stomach like a knife. I wanted to tell him—God, I wanted to spill everything—but I couldn’t. Not when I knew what it would cost him.

Traitor.

“Nothing’s wrong,” I said, forcing a smile that I knew didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m just… having a bad day.”

He wasn’t buying it. He stepped closer, his big muscular bulk overwhelming in the small space of my cottage, and the heat radiated off him, the tension between us thickening with every second. “Cami,” he said softly, his voice a deep rumble. “If something happened, you need to tell me.”

I bit my lip, my heart aching. He deserved to know. He deserved the truth from me. He hadn’t had it from anyone who mattered in his life before. But what if telling him only made things worse? What if I was the reason everything fell apart for him again?

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to convince myself, too. “Really.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he sighed, his shoulders relaxing a little as he stepped back. “I don’t like the idea of you being here alone, especially with everything going on.”

I swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at me.

“With what going on?” I asked.

He was worried about me. Worried about keeping me safe. And here I was, hiding the fact I’d been threatened. Because I’d let my past creep back into my present and drag him down with me.

If he knew what had happened, if he knew the men were after him , he’d never forgive me. He’d leave, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him now.

You’re selfish.

Wasn’t that exactly what Dylan had done to me—kept secrets, hidden things until everything blew up in my face?

I pressed my hands against my sides, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. “Mason, you don’t have to worry about me. I can handle myself.”

His jaw tightened. He wanted to protect me, but he also knew I wasn’t some fragile thing that needed saving. Still, he knew something was off. And he still chose to trust me.

That hurt like a bitch because he couldn’t trust me.

Clearly.

“Alright,” he finally said, his voice gruff. “But if anything happens, you call me. I don’t care what time it is.”

I nodded, a lump forming in my throat. “I will.”

Mason didn’t leave. Instead, he moved closer again, his hand coming up to brush a stray strand of hair from my face. His touch was gentle, careful, and it sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t help the way my body reacted to him—my pulse quickened, my breath hitched, and all I wanted was for him to wrap me up in those strong arms and make me forget about everything else.

“Why do you care so much?” I blurted out. “You don’t know me. We don’t know each other. Not really.”

“Because you matter to me,” he said simply.

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wasn’t used to being someone’s priority. With Dylan, I’d always felt like an afterthought, like I was never enough. Mason made me feel like I was worth something, like I was worth protecting, worth caring about.

I wanted to tell him about the men who had come here, about how they’d threatened me. But I needed more time to figure out how to fix this without dragging him deeper into the mess that was my life.

I let out a shuddering breath.

Being around him made it so hard to think straight. All I wanted was to be close to him. All I wanted was to feel the safety and warmth he offered and forget about the rest of the world.

“You don’t have to worry about me,” I said softly, stepping closer to him. “I’m okay.”

He let out a soft chuckle, the sound deep and soothing. “I’m not going to stop worrying about you, Cami. That’s not how this works.”

His words wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and I realized how much I’d needed something like this—the feeling of being cared for, of being protected by someone who genuinely wanted to be there for me.

I’d never had that with Dylan. He’d always made me feel like I had to earn his affection, like I wasn’t good enough unless I was doing something for him. Mason didn’t ask for anything in return. He just… cared.

I looked up at him, and the air between us shifted again, thickening with a tension that had nothing to do with fear or danger. It was electric and undeniable. My breath caught as his hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing lightly over my skin.

“Mason…” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

His eyes darkened, and before I could say another word, his lips were on mine.

The kiss was slow at first, tender, but it quickly grew hotter, more urgent. I melted into him, my hands finding their way to his broad shoulders, pulling him closer.

My mind went blank, and all I could focus on was the heat of his body against mine, the way his hands roamed my back, pulling me closer, deeper into the kiss. It was intense and raw and terrifying.

When we finally pulled apart, breathless and flushed, I looked up at him, my heart hammering in my chest. Mason’s eyes were dark with desire, but there was something else there, too.

“You don’t have to handle everything alone,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “I’m here, Cami. I’ve got you.”

I was probably making things worse by keeping him in the dark, but I couldn’t bring myself to ruin this.

Not yet.