Page 53 of Sweetheart

“I’ll go get the drinks!” Bryce said while bouncing up. “Soda!”

Mason waited until he was alone with Levi.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Levi sat on the mattress beside his hip.

“I can’t let you and your family do what I was too weak to do,” Mason said. “It’s not fair to all of you.”

“You are my family. Our family. We would do this just for that reason. However, your father is a threat to all of us.”

“Are you sure?” Did it make Mason weak that he was grateful Levi insisted he stay out of this? Mason really didn’t want to see what happened to his father.

“I want to do this for you. Make your nightmare go away. I’ll work with the others and we will make sure that we’ll all stay safe. I trust Axel and he won’t lead us astray.”

It did help that Levi had Axel and the others. “If you’re sure. I don’t want to see him again.”

“I am positive,” Levi said. He grasped Mason’s hand. “I won’t lie. I would like to stay here, give you a nice soothing bath, make sure all your wounds are treated. Maybe spend the next few days in this bed.”

“I would like that,” Mason said. “I would really like that.”

“Except I won’t be able to rest and look after you properly until I know you’re safe.”

“I get that.” Mason hated that he understood.

“But I will be much more at ease when he is taken care of.” Levi brought Mason’s hand to his mouth. “And I’ll be able to check every inch of you.” He waggled his brows. “Every inch.”

Did that mean what Mason hoped it meant? “You mean—”

“I want to share everything with you,” Levi said. “I want to make you my mate. I want to experience everything that I’ve been waiting on with you.”

“I don’t want you to rush things,” Mason said. “We can still wait.”

“Thank you for saying that.” Levi kissed Mason’s palm several times.

“I mean it,” Mason assured Levi.

“I’ve waited a lifetime, several lifetimes for you, Mason. For you.”

“I’m so not worth all that.” Mason had to be honest.

“You are,” Levi insisted.

“I’m really not.” Mason could feel the tears start to pool from the corner of his eyes. “Levi—”

“Please don’t misunderstand me,” Levi said. “The choices that I made were because I knew—okay I didn’t know, but I felt—that I had a mate out there somewhere. I chose to wait for you. That’s on me.”

“I didn’t wait.” Mason had never been ashamed of his past before. He liked sex. Mason had found solace in others while he was living in a hell of his father’s making.

“And that’s more than okay.” Levi winked. “At least one of us has practical experience.”

Levi was too sweet. “You swear? You’re not…disappointed?”

“I’m not. I swear.”

Mason smiled. His lips hurt but he couldn’t help it with how happy Levi made him. “You need to go.”

“I do.” Leaning forward, Levi cupped his face gently. “I will be back.”

“I’ll be waiting on you.” Mason accepted Levi’s sweet kiss even as his lips ached from the contact.

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