Page 83 of A Little More Hope

The mere thought of him loving me did more for my happiness and peace of mind than I could ever put into words, and I’d do anything to keep him thinking that way.

The last few months had tested my resolve as I’d adjusted to my new life with Mason and rapidly came to terms with what being the partner of the man who owned a quarter share of a successful construction company actually meant. My first trip to New York had been incredibly daunting, crammed full of people and dinners or events every other day, but he’d taken all my worries and gently soothed every one of them away, coaxing me into his world with as minimal disruption and stress as possible.

The first time I went to his office massively brought home how successful he and his partners were. They didn’t only rent a couple of floors of the skyscraper their offices were in; they owned the whole damn building.

I’d almost died of shock when he’d told me as we’d made our way through the lobby, as person after person warmly greeted him and welcomed him back. All the insecurities I had of not being good enough, and why the hell he’d want to be with me when he had a whole city of men way more handsome, sexy, well put together, and successful to choose from had me second-guessing myself all over again. But with each kiss of his lips and caress of his hands on my body, Mason once again soothed all those fears away, reassuring me I was the one he wanted, the one he loved. And, though the four of them were a success now, they certainly hadn’t started out that way.

I’d clicked with Nate as soon as we’d met, becoming good friends in no time. I’d asked his secret for coping with how different he and Ethan were, and he told me they’d worked hard at finding ways to reach common ground with interests both of them enjoyed, no matter how big or small. And in his case, not needing to involve spending huge amounts of money he didn’t have. He said he found joining their lives difficult to begin with, especially when Ethan whisked him away somewhere expensive, but he’d overcome his worries by surprising him with things only he, Nate, could do, and that helped him to feel they were both equal in their partnership.

He gave me a lot to think about after we got home.

With Mason’s advice and mentoring, I’d already bought my first reno project. A small fixer-upper, which would be a good introduction for me into the renovation business. Though how I’d manage to sell when I poured all my time and effort into making the place perfect was already giving me sleepless nights. I’d roped in Cam too, and he’d agreed to build the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. If all went well, this could be a lucrative business for both of us.

Inevitably, it would take Mason and me a while to get fully comfortable with each other and discover a routine that worked for each of us, but we were getting there. We both loved living in our beach house, and I thanked Aunt Mary Ellen every day for one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.

Glancing over at Mason, I felt so overwhelmingly happy and content. And seeing him laughing and enjoying time with his friends never stopped filling me with so much joy at how far he’d come from the reclusive man I’d first met.

His arms slipped around my waist, and he drew me in close to his side. My pulse thudded heavily as he leaned in and nuzzled at my ear.

“I love you,” he repeated gently, making my whole body boneless as I swayed against him.

“I love you too.” And I did. With my whole heart.

Snuggling in as close as I could get, letting his heat and love surround me, made me realize I’d never dared hope to get lucky enough to have a man as wonderful as Mason by my side. We were bound to have our ups and downs in the future, but we’d always have each other to lean on for love and support, whatever life decided to throw our way, and really, it didn’t get any better than that.

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