Chapter 23

23

Mason

I wiped the sweat from my brow with a rough hand and squinted against the glare, taking in the sight of the horses training in the rings. We were down a trainer now that Walker was working in the new division, but everyone else was pitching in.

I led my horse through the stables. “Good job today, Jasper,” I said, giving the chestnut stallion a friendly pat on the flank before closing the stable door behind him. The comforting scent of hay and leather filled the air, mixing with the earthy smell of the outdoors. It was the kind of smell that sank deep into your clothes and skin, marking you as part of the land.

When I reached the sunlight again, a sudden cloud of dust caught my attention, and I glanced up. A familiar silver car was making its way down the long dirt road leading to the ranch house. My heart skipped a beat—Chloe’s car. Wasn’t expecting to see her till I got home tonight. She had that effect on me, always stirring up something that felt a lot like anticipation but warmer, sweeter.

I leaned against the wooden fence post, arms crossed, watching as the car drew nearer. Couldn’t help the excitement bubbling up inside me, though I tried to play it cool. She brought light into places I didn’t even know were dark.

The dust from Chloe’s car settled like a soft shroud over the ground, and there she was, stepping out with a heaviness that seemed to drag at her small frame. My heart hitched in my chest, something was off. She usually had this shy smile, the one that said she was happy to be right where she was. Today? Nothing. Just a tight line where her lips should’ve been.

“Chlo?” I called out, my voice laced with a concern I couldn’t mask. “Everything alright?”

She glanced up, and even from this distance, I could see the storm clouds in her blue eyes, the kind you don’t saddle up for.

The kind you shelter from.

“Hi,” she managed, her voice a leaf trembling on a tree, just before it falls. I closed the distance between us in a few long strides.

“Talk to me,” I urged, reaching out to gently touch her arm. Her skin was cool, a stark contrast to the warm summer air. “What’s got you lookin’ like the world’s about to end?”

She shook her head, a silent plea in her gaze. I recognized that look. It wasn’t just fear. It was the kind of terror that gets deep into your bones, the sort you can’t shake off. Whatever was eating at her, it was big.

“Come on,” I said softly, guiding her toward the ranch office connected to the stables. “Let’s find some privacy.”

My office was small, cluttered with paperwork and the faint smell of leather and old coffee. But it was a sanctuary in its own right, walls lined with memories, certificates and photos. A place where trust was as much a part of the room as the wood beams above us .

“Here we are,” I murmured, closing the door gently behind us. “No one’ll bother us.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to just show up,” she started, wringing her hands, a nervous habit I’d come to know.

“Hey, no need for sorrys,” I reassured her, “You know you’re always welcome here.”

She gave a weak nod, like it took all her strength to do just that. I stood across from her, giving her space but staying close enough so she knew I wasn’t going anywhere. No matter what she was carrying, I wanted to help lighten the load. That’s what people did for each other around here. That’s what I wanted to do for her.

The silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken words. Then, like a summer storm breaking loose from the hold of heavy clouds, Chloe surged forward. Her hands found my cheeks, and she pulled me down into a kiss that scorched every ounce of worry straight out of my mind.

“Chlo—“

She cut off my surprise with another deep, demanding kiss, her urgency undeniable. My arms wrapped around her instinctively, drawing her closer until there wasn’t a breath of space left between us. The taste of her, sweet and fierce, flooded my senses. I forgot about the reasons why this might be a bad idea, why we should’ve been talking instead of tangling up in each other like wild vines.

Her fingers tangled in my hair, tugging slightly, sending a cascade of electric sparks through me. The room spun away, leaving nothing but the heat of her body pressed against mine.

“Need you,” she gasped against my lips, a plea wrapped in a whisper.

“God, Chloe,” I murmured back, desire roaring to life inside me like a fire long banked but never extinguished .

We stumbled toward the worn-out couch in the corner of my office, all hands and mouths, barely catching our breaths. She was petite but fierce, her movements filled with a passion that fueled my own.

“Here?” she questioned, her blue eyes alight with a hunger that matched my own.

“Anywhere,” I answered, the word barely more than a growl.

Clothes became irrelevant, discarded without care as we sought the skin beneath. Her scars were there, a roadmap of survival I’d come to honor, but now, they were just part of the landscape of Chloe, the woman who was unraveling me with every touch.

“Chloe, are you sure?” I had to ask, even as my body screamed for hers.

“Yes,” she breathed out, pulling me back down to her. “I need to fuck you, Mason.”

“Shit.”

I took her lips again in a fierce kiss, relishing when she bit onto mine. A moment later, she pushed me down onto the couch, climbing on top of me.

I groaned as Chloe’s hips rocked against mine, her wet heat teasing my cock as it nestled against her pussy. The urge to take control was strong, but I held back, giving her what she needed. Her hands gripped my shoulders, fingernails digging in as she ground herself against me with a fierceness I’d never seen before.

And then she pulled back, lifting up, and grabbing my cock to hold it steady.

“I need this,” she said, staring into my eyes as she slowly, ever so slowly, sank down on me, taking every inch into her tight, hot cunt.

Fuuuuuck .

For a moment, it was silent. No one moved. I swear to God, even time stood still. And then she was riding me.

She fucked me with a ferocity that left me breathless, head thrown back in ecstasy, blonde hair wild.

I gripped Chloe’s hips as she rode, her nails leaving crescent marks on my chest. This wasn’t the sweet, gentle lover I knew—she was possessed, fucking me with an urgency I’d never seen before.

Our connection was raw, our movements frenzied as if we were trying to make up for lost time or maybe steal some moments before time could catch up to us. There was no finesse, only the primal rhythm of need meeting need, the slick sound of skin on skin echoing around the small office.

“That’s it, baby. Take what you need,” I rasped, meeting her thrusts. She cried out, her eyes squeezed shut. I rubbed her clit with my thumb and her inner walls fluttered around me.

“Chloe,” I groaned as sensation spiraled.

“Mason,” she echoed back, her voice cracking.

I grunted. “That feel good, baby?”

She threw her head back. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes.”

“You’re gonna make me come in you again, Chloe. You sure that’s what you want?” She’d told me she was on the pill, but I wanted to make sure she really wanted it.

“Yes, Mason. Fill me up.”

Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I quickened my pace on her clit, and felt her fall apart around me.

My climax built fast and hot, spurred on by the primal sounds falling from her lips. When I came, it was like a dam breaking, pleasure flooding every cell of my body. My cock twitched inside her, relishing the feel of every movement, every squeeze from her inner walls .

Chloe continued to move above me, drawing out the intensity until I was boneless beneath her.

As the waves receded, leaving us spent and clinging to each other, I pressed my forehead to hers, both of us panting, both of us silent.

I sat back against the worn leather of my office couch, a tangle of limbs with Chloe still nestled against me. My heart was thudding in my chest, a staccato rhythm that matched the confusion swirling in my brain.

“Chloe,” I started, voice rough with more than just spent desire. “That was . . .” Words failed me, and I shifted my gaze to her, searching her face for clues.

“Unexpected?” she offered, a wry smile touching her lips even as she avoided meeting my eyes.

“Definitely that.” I ran a hand through my hair, feeling strands stick up at odd angles. But hell, who was I trying to impress now?

Her laughter, light and somehow sad, filled the small office.

“Talk to me, Chlo.” The words were gentle, but insistent. “What brought this on?”

She looked away, staring at a spot on the wall as if it held all the answers. “Can’t a girl just want to feel alive sometimes?” Her voice was a whisper, but it cut through me like a blade.

“Sure, she can,” I said slowly. “But there’s more. I can see it.”

Chloe shook her head, her blonde hair creating a golden halo around her face. “It’s nothing. Really.” But the way her fingers twisted into the fabric of my forgotten jeans told a different story.

“Chloe.” My tone left no room for deflection.

“Please, Mason.” Now her blue eyes met mine, pleading. “Let’s not do this. Not now.”

I stood up, feeling the weight of her secrets like a storm cloud hovering over us. Quietly, and with a kind of hasty care, I dressed her, then myself.

“Come on,” I said, reaching for her hand with a gentle tug.

“Where are we going?” Chloe’s voice was small, but curiosity flickered in her eyes.

“Somewhere we can talk. Or not talk. Just . . . be.” My grip on her hand was firm, yet careful, as if she were a rare bird I didn’t want to startle.

We left my office and walked across the dusty expanse of the ranch. I didn’t miss the way her fingers tightened around mine while we headed toward my truck. The old Ford had seen better days, but it was reliable—kind of like me, I reckoned.

“Your chariot awaits,” I joked, opening the passenger door for her with a flourish that earned me a ghost of a smile. That smile . . . it was worth every bit of effort.

“Thank you, kind sir,” she played along, her voice light but her eyes still shadowed with that thing she wouldn’t name.

The engine rumbled to life, and I steered us away from the main buildings. We drove past the paddocks where the horses grazed, serene in the afternoon sun. A breeze laced with the scent of hay and wildflowers blew through the open windows, soothing some of the tension between us.

“Where are we going, Mason?” She turned to look at me, her blue eyes searching.

“Somewhere special.” My voice was low, almost a promise.

The dirt road snaked ahead, leading us to a part of the ranch that few knew about. I killed the engine beside a copse of trees, the leaves whispering secrets to one another. We got out, and I led her through an archway made by interlocking branches, stepping into a clearing that opened up to a view of the rolling hills and a small, tranquil pond .

“Wow,” she breathed out, her gaze sweeping over the landscape.

“Few people know about this spot. Just the family. And, well, me, I guess. It’s peaceful. Thought you might like it.” I watched her, saw the way the corners of her mouth lifted ever so slightly.

“It’s beautiful, Mason.”

“Like you,” I said without thinking, then cleared my throat.

“Thank you.” Her cheeks flushed pink, and she looked away. But not before I saw the grateful glint in her eyes.

We settled on the grassy bank of the pond. The water was smooth, mirroring the cotton candy blue of the sky. It was the kind of scene that begged for silence, for whispered confessions, or maybe just for two people to sit and feel the world spin beneath them.

“Chloe,” I started, then stopped. I wanted to ask her a million things, but now, with her sitting beside me, the questions didn’t seem as important.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said softly.

“Anytime you need an escape, just say the word.” I leaned back on my hands, giving her space, letting her breathe in the quiet beauty of the place.

“Escape,” she repeated thoughtfully, looking over the water. “Sometimes that’s all we’re looking for, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.” I watched a dragonfly skim across the pond’s surface. “But sometimes we find something worth staying for.” My gaze shifted to her, holding a silent question I wasn’t sure she was ready to answer.

She nodded, a small movement that felt as significant as any words.

I shifted closer, the grass tickling my palms as I turned to face her. The pond’s gentle lapping was like a quiet drumbeat, grounding us in this moment of truth. “Chloe,” I said, my voice barely louder than the breeze, “whatever it is that’s eating at you . . . you can trust me with it.”

Her eyes, wide and as blue as the sky above, darted away for a second before locking back onto mine. She drew in a deep breath, like she was about to dive underwater. “Mason, I—“ Her voice cracked, so she cleared her throat and tried again. “It’s just . . . hard. To talk about.”

“Hey,” I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her scarred temple, “no pressure, all right? But know this—I’m here for you. Always.”

A smile flickered across her face, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They were still stormy, full of things unsaid, secrets that weighed her down. And there I was, ready to be her anchor.

“Always is a long time, Mase,” she whispered, a half-hearted attempt at lightness.

“Good thing I ain’t going nowhere.” I flashed her a grin, hoping to coax one from her in return. It worked, sort of. A ghost of a smile, but it was a start.

“Thank you,” she said, her hand finding mine, fingers entwining like they belonged together. “For being patient. For this.” She gestured vaguely around us.

“Chlo,” I leaned in, our foreheads nearly touching, “whatever demons you’re fighting, we’ll face them together. When you’re ready.”

She nodded, swallowing hard. “I . . . I want to tell you. Everything. But it’s like this knot inside me—tight and tangled. I don’t know where to start pulling.”

“We’ll untangle it,” I promised, my thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. “One loop at a time.”

Her breath hitched, and she leaned into me, seeking comfort or maybe just warmth. “Okay,” she murmured, “okay. ”

I saw a shift in her, then. She was preparing herself. Readying to open up. And it was everything.