Page 5 of Sweetheart

Chapter Two

Mason

Grinning, Mason stepped into his favorite diner while spotting his prey. It had been two weeks since Mason had first laid eyes on the man who’d answered the door nearly naked and deliciously sweaty from what had clearly been a long hard run. Mason liked hard things. He couldn’t get the man out of his head and finally Mason had tracked him down.

It had taken Mason all of twenty-four hours before he realized what had been tickling at the back of his brain.

The scar. The handsome stranger had a scar over his left pec. Over where his heart was. That scar. Yeah, Mason had seen it before. In the profile picture of Stone.

The handsome stranger that had nearly knocked Mason off his feet with need was the same one that Mason had been obsessed with over an online app. The same man that Mason had stupidly told to stop messaging him.

Once he realized the stranger was Stone, Mason couldn’t stop himself from needing to see the man again. Mason had become a little too obsessed. Normal people didn’t sit out in the woods watching a house full of men waiting to see one in particular. Something kept bringing him and Stone together and Mason just wanted to figure out if that pull meant what he thought.

He’d set out to learn everything he could about Stone’s real life, but he hadn’t learned much. Mason hadn’t seen the handsome stranger at all in the two weeks he’d been watching for him. Although, Mason had learned a whole lot about the menthat lived with Stone and had his suspensions already of what might be going on in Mason’s new adopted town.

Men of all ages lived in the big house. Although there were no actual children like Mason had first assumed. The men were involved in several very interesting relationship dynamics. At least two relationships consisted of three partners. Mason did not have a problem with poly relationships, but he would not be sharing his gray-eyed man with anyone else. He was possessive enough to know that a poly relationship wasn’t for him.

Also, several of the men indulged in age regression, daddy kink, and there was even one young man who dressed as a pup. Mason was intrigued. Mason and his twin had belonged to a BDSM club in the city and had often snuck out to indulge in their own kinks after coming of age.

While Jason leaned more toward the S&M part of the community, Mason enjoyed the softer side. He’d gravitated toward the few Daddy Doms in the club, but it had always felt fake since they’d lacked any sort of connection.

Hope bloomed and settled in Mason’s chest that this time he might have found where he actually belonged. Someone that might be into the same things as he while also wanting something more than just one night. Stone had to have been on that app for a reason after all.

There was just one concern. Mason knew something strange was going on with the men of the big house. Something that would place Mason firmly in enemy territory if they knew who he really was.

The number of disappearances and sudden appearances that happened around the house astounded him. Mason could sitfor hours leaning against his now claimed tree and watch men coming out of the woods and toward the house with no apparent arrival. They just sort of popped into existence.

He’d already known that these men were part of the paranormal or supernatural world and that popping up confirmed it.

Which meant Mason’s obsession must be paranormal as well.

Before they could go much further, Mason was going to have to confess his role in the paranormal community and why he was currently hiding out in an abandoned cabin playing at being a park ranger. If Stone found out who he was without Mason being the one to tell him, it would ruin everything Mason wanted with Stone.

First, he had to get his gray-eyed hottie to talk to him.

Mason waved to one of the waitresses he’d become friendly with before pointing over to the booth occupied by one man. He strolled over, trying to appear casual even as his heart raced.

As he walked closer to the booth, he noticed the man’s head bent over a sketch pad. Was he an artist? From what Mason could see in the bold strikes of pencil against paper, it would appear so.

Mason stopped beside the table. “That’s amazing.”

The man startled and squeaked before he slammed his hand over the page.

“Hello.” Mason smiled. “I don’t think we formally met. I’m Mason Benard. A park ranger stationed about five miles from your house. We sort of met the other day?” He held out his hand.

Now Stone could totally ignore him. Mason half expected him to. Did he know Mason was the person from the dating app? Mason hadn’t shared any pictures with his face shown but he’d figured out this was Stone, so it was possible the reverse was true. That would explain the door being slammed in his face.

The man slowly reached out a hand.

Mason grabbed onto it. “And you are?”

Gray eyes widened. “Levi.”

Levi, not Stone, interesting. Not that Mason had used his real name. On dating apps, he went by the moniker Ranger Rick with his profile one of his uniform shirt open showing off his hairless and toned chest. “It’s very nice to meet you, Levi.” Mason forced himself to let go of Levi’s hand. “Mind if I join you?”

Levi glanced around the diner. Yes, there were several empty tables. No, Mason did not want to sit at any of them. He wanted to be as close to Levi as possible. In the chats, Stone had always seemed super sweet, well educated, and fun. That couldn’t have been an act. Not as often as they messaged. He prayed Levi would give him a chance.

“Please?” Mason asked quietly. He was almost desperate. There was so much he wanted to say but Mason didn’t want to scare Stone…Levi away either. His brother often called Mason out for coming on too strong. Or the fact that Mason tended to latch on too hard to other people. It wasn’t Mason’s fault that he knew what he wanted.

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