Page 12 of Sweetheart

“So where do you want to go?” Mason asked. “Dinner of course. We could go to the diner again but that’s not very romantic. There’s that fancy restaurant, Crimson, that I can try to get reservations to.” Mason hadn’t eaten there yet but he’d heard all good things about the place.

Levi shook his head. “One of my housemates owns that restaurant. I don’t need reservations.”

“Perfect!” Mason beamed at him.

“I didn’t say I would take you,” Levi pointed out.

Mason waved that away. They were totally going on a date. This was like foreplay or something. “I have faith in you. Besides, I know you want to.” Mason danced beside Levi, which he hoped Levi would find cute. Mason could absolutely do cute!

That was until he tripped over a root and nearly fell face forward.

Levi moved so fast that Mason missed it. He did not miss the feeling of being held in strong naked arms and against a wide muscular chest. Mason might have nuzzled said chest.

“My hero!” Mason exclaimed.

Levi snorted before helping Mason stand on his own two feet.

“I think you should hold on to me,” Mason held out a hand. “I don’t want to fall and hurt myself after all.”

“Really?” Levi’s narrowed eyes showed he knew that Mason was messing with him.

“I could fall down and get a boo-boo,” Mason pointed out. Of course, then he could insist that Levi kissed said boo-boo. And more! Oh, the possibilities.

He was shocked when Levi laced their fingers together. That had actually worked. Oh yes, Daddy! Levi was totally a Daddy.

“You’re a menace,” Levi muttered.

Mason cackled. “I have no idea what you're talking about.” It was freeing to be able to joke and tease around with Levi.Usually, his hookups happened so fast that Mason got a few pickup lines in before they were hitting the sheets. It had been like this when he’d chatted with Levi as Stone as well. They’d been able to play around, and Mason had been so happy. He’d looked forward to their conversations.

There was no excuse for what Mason had done to Levi. He had wanted to meet the man, but he’d known Levi wasn’t ready. Mason felt like absolute shit for pushing and then getting mad. Alcohol or not, Mason was an asshole.

He wanted to say something about the message, but he also didn’t want to send Levi running off again. They were getting along so well. Maybe Mason should just ignore the elephant in the room for now. He’d been practicing what to say for over a week now and he still didn’t know the words that would make everything right.

“Should I pick you up?” Mason said to get them back on track. The date. He wanted that date. “I would suggest that you pick me up but then I also think that might never happen. Same problem with meeting you at the restaurant. You could just not show up and there I would be all dressed up by my lonesome.”

Levi growled. “I would never do that to anyone.”

“Of course you wouldn’t, Boo Bear,” Mason assured. “You are a true gentleman. I just know it.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Levi corrected. He urged Mason over a dip in the ground.

Mason barely bit back the words that he knew more about Levi than Levi thought. “I think I do.”

Levi didn’t respond. Did he think about all those late-night conversations they’d had on the dating app? There hadn’t been many heavy topics broached but they had shared about their lives. Or at least Mason was pretty sure that everything Levi had told him was true.

His cabin came into view and Mason wanted to pout. It was too soon! Wait! “How’d you know where I lived?”

Levi walked him all the way to the steps leading up to the porch. Such a gentleman.

Levi turned to him. “You told me. This is the only ranger station on this side of the state park. Plus, we knew someone had moved in.”

That made sense. It also saddened Mason that Levi hadn’t been as obsessed as he was and hadn’t sought Mason out. “Oh.”

“You should get inside,” Levi told him. “It’s too cold out here for you.”

Mason lifted a brow. Levi seemed cold. Goosebumps covered his wonderfully delicious body. Damn, Mason wanted to trace all those tattoos with his tongue. “You could come inside and warm up,” he offered. Mason had a nice warm bed for Levi.

Levi’s eyes widened before releasing Mason’s hand.

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