Page 62 of Savoring Addison

“I hired a private investigator. The day after you told me about him.” He kept his expression utterly neutral, not yet sure how she’d take that news. When she didn’t respond or react in any way, he found more words flowing out of him, impossible to stop. “You were so sad. I probably should’ve asked you, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up in case the PI couldn’t find him, and, well, it was obvious how much he meant to you. I thought for sure you’d want to see him again. When I got the report last night, and I found out he lived near Tulsa, it seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.”

Still nothing out of her. Not so much as the flick of an eyebrow.

“Please say something,” he said as the silence dragged on.

“I—I can’t—” Rapid, sharp breaths cut off the rest of her sentence.

“Breathe,” Mason said, rubbing gentle circles on her back. “Sit down and breathe, little one.” He helped her into the booth, wrapping a soothing arm around her shoulders as she struggled to regain control.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have sprung it on her after all,” Ricky said as he slid into the other side of the booth. He turned to Addison with apologetic eyes. “That’s my bad. I really wanted to surprise you.”

She started shaking her head before he got it all out. “No,” she forced out between two slow, deep breaths. “Best surprise ever. I promise. Just give me a sec.”

Ricky’s grin lit up his whole face, and he waited patiently for her to get her breathing back under control. “Holy shit, Addy. I still can’t believe you’re really here. When Mason called me yesterday, part of me thought it was a sick joke.”

Reaching across the table, Addison grabbed both of Ricky’s hands, holding onto them for dear life. “I’m really here. And I’m not going anywhere until I know every single thing that’s happened in your life since the last time I saw you, so you’d better get talking.”

Ricky chuckled. “Oh God. I hope this place has bottomless coffee.” He ran a hand through his shaggy hair. “Where should I start?”

“What are you doing in Oklahoma? Do you live here? What’s your life like? Are you married? Do you have kids? Did you?—”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Ricky interrupted, holding out his hands and laughing again. “One question at a time. Yes, I live here—about twenty minutes from here, actually. With my girlfriend. No kids, at least not yet. I’m working as a child welfare specialist in Tulsa.”

“Child welfare—” Her eyes went very wide. “You’re...you’re working with foster kids?”

“Mostly I do home visits.” Ricky sat up a little straighter, his eyes shining brighter. “Checking foster homes, or homes of people we have reason to suspect are harming or neglecting their children. It’s my job to make sure the kids are getting the level of care they deserve. To keep them safe.”

“Your literal job is to make sure no kid goes through what we did.” Awe filled Addison’s voice, and she wiped away tears. “God, Ricky. Do you know how incredible that is?”

Blushing, he picked up his coffee, swirling the dregs around the bottom of the cup without taking a sip. “I don’t know about that,” he said, clearly pleased but simultaneously uncomfortable with the praise.

Mason knew from experience how hard it was to accept a compliment when you never learned how as a child. His heart went out to the man.

“I do know about that,” Addison insisted. “I couldn’t be prouder of my big brother.”

It was Ricky’s turn to wipe tears from his eyes. “Okay, enough about me for now. I want to hear about you.”

Sitting back against the plasticky fabric of the booth, Mason watched the pair as they gushed at each other. Their excited voices filled their little corner of the diner with so much joy the air around them seemed to literally vibrate with it.

He had a feeling they wouldn’t make it back to the Airbnb in Missouri tonight. Not that he minded in the least.

They didn’t end up in an all-night diner by mistake.

After nearly eight full days at Addison’s side, being apart from her now fucking sucked. He couldn’t glance at her whenever she entered his mind, drinking in her beauty, studying her expression, fantasizing about kissing those incredible lips. Nor could he touch her whenever the mood struck him, which felt like a fucking tragedy now. His skin itched to be in contact with hers. To grab hold of her and never again let go.

“Master Mason?”

The words yanked him from his thoughts, and he looked down at the redhead kneeling at his feet. “Forgive me, Tara,” he said, brushing a gentle hand along her cheekbone. Thank God she was a repeat guest, currently on her seventh visit to the Manor. If he’d pulled this shit with someone new, it could’ve been a disaster. “I have a lot going on in my personal life, but that’s no excuse for allowing myself to become distracted.”

Tara ran her naughty little hands up his thighs, letting her fingertips graze his cock. She’d never been one to follow the rules. “Maybe I can do something to help you concentrate on the here and now, Master.” She looked up at him with her big green eyes—eyes he’d lost himself in countless times in recent years.

They were the wrong shade of green, though. Addison’s eyes were the most stunning green-blue he’d ever seen, with those incredible specks of gold throughout. Anything else seemed lackluster by comparison.

“You’re such a good girl,” Mason said, trying to force his full attention back to the kneeling sub before him. This was his job, goddamnit. His job, his reputation, and his best client. She deserved everything he could give her. “Take me in your mouth. Make sure I never think of anything but you again.”

She purred her approval of his words, starting to unbuckle his belt with slow, seductive movements. Before she even managed to detach the leather from the prong, a scream ripped through the room.

“What the fuck?” Tara half-shouted, pushing up to her feet and running to the window. “Did that come from outside?”

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