Page 157 of Ride With Me

Mason groans and attempts and fails to roll over onto his side, muttering, "Too hot, too hot, too hot."

I raise an eyebrow at his explanation. "Clothes were making me sweat. Needed to lay down and cool off?" he tells me, his tone laced with scepticism. He looks up at me, his eyes heavy-lidded as he shrugs his shoulders.

“Do you want me to help you up? I don’t like that you’ve got your bare ass cheeks on a pile of rotten leaves, what if a bug crawls up there?”

“Least somethings up there,” Mason snaps at me.

I roll my eyes, “Can we talk about this later when we aren’t stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to get help?”

Mason huffs as he sits up and whips the t-shirt off his head, “No. We should talk about it now…” I hear Mason shouting at me, but all I can focus on is the way his sweat is dripping down his chest and trickling towards his stomach. His stomach, even at our age, is still as hard and tight as it was when he was twenty-one. The way his skin is taut where his hip bones jut out from his body. And finally, the way his cock, even while soft, is thick and lo…

Mason's words crack through the air, I'm caught off guard by the intensity of his anger – and, I admit, a flicker of embarrassment shoots through me as I realise I've been gazing at his naked body instead of listening to his words. His face is red and twisted with rage, his eyes blazing like hot coals as he shouts at me. "Oh my fucking God, are you being serious right now?" he thunders, his voice echoing through the air like a storm cloud bursting forth. The sudden stillness that follows is intense, as if even the trees themselves are holding their breath in anticipation of what will come next.

I'm caught off guard by the flush spreading up my neck, my heart racing with embarrassment as I realise I've been staring at him with an intensity that's uncharacteristic of me. I've seen him naked and sweaty before, but never like this – never with the same visceral response that's stirring within me now. The sound of his sharp breathing fills my ears, and I'm acutely aware of the scent of his sweat-drenched skin, like a primal pheromone drawing me in. Mason's fingers snap in front of my face, breaking the spell, and I jerk my gaze away from his limpdick resting against his thigh. For a moment, our eyes lock, and I feel the weight of his anger and my own guilt.

I meet Masons gaze, a tidal wave of emotions crashes over me, threatening to engulf me whole. His eyes, a deep shade of blue, now seem to hold an emotion I haven’t seen for a while. I can see the fine tremors of anger still vibrating through him, but it's tempered by a softness in his eyes that takes my breath away – a look that speaks of love and longing, of devotion and desperation.

My voice cracks as I force myself to meet his gaze, my eyes burning with a mixture of emotions as I ask the question that's been festering inside me for what feels like an eternity. “Do you still love me?” The air is heavy with tension, thickening like a fog that refuses to lift, as I wait for his response. My mind is a jumble of doubts and fears, uncertainty that threatens to consume me whole. I'm torn between the desire to know the truth and the desperate need to retreat from the vulnerability that comes with asking such a question.

“What?” he asks, confused. “Of course, I do.”

I gaze into his eyes, I search for any flicker of the love we once shared, any hint of warmth that might still linger. The words spill out of me like a prayer, a plea for him to recall the tender moments we've shared, the laughter, the whispers in the dark. "Think about it deeper," I say, my voice low. “Do you still feel that spark when we're together? Do I make you happy?”

I give him some time to answer and as the seconds tick by in a stilled silence, I’m almost convinced I know my answer.

Mason's fingers brush against mine, a shiver runs down my spine and I involuntarily I almost jerk my hand away. But when I turn back to him, I'm met with a sight that takes my breath away, tears streaming down his cheeks like rain-soaked rivulets, his eyes red-rimmed and raw. “Leo, I love you,” he whispers, his voice cracking with emotion. He squeezes my hand tighter,his grip like a vice as he continues, “I just don't know what's changed. We used to be so close, we’d share everything, our doubts and fears were always easily communicated. Now I feel like we’re strangers.”

I take a couple of deep breaths, just to give me an extra moment to think about my next words, but before I can open my mouth, I feel rain drops starting to drop against my body. Looking up to the sky, I can’t help but laugh. I don’t know why I expected the sunny weather to last, we’re in England, of course it decides to start pissing it down.

“Right, get up,” I tell Mason and help him stand up from the pile of rotten leaves. “We need to get out of here and find shelter somewhere.”

Mason ignores me, but he does walk ahead of me, naked I must add. “Want to put your clothes back on?”

“Nope,” is all he says and then we walk back to the car in silence, the air filled with stilled awkwardness.

CHAPTER 3

MAGNUS

Learningthat my current partner cheated on me and attempted to humiliate me in front of our friends felt like a brutal punch to the gut.

While our relationship may not have been heading anywhere significant, was it too much to expect loyalty from him? I understood that Tommy wasn't looking for anything serious, yet he had agreed to exclusivity. If he had only communicated with me, we could have addressed any problems or ended things amicably. Instead, Tommy chose to try and embarrass me in front of our friends.

Jokes on him, because everyone now knows what an untrusty little rat he truly is.

I’m not heartbroken, but Tommy could be enjoyable in bed when he put in the effort. Throughout our time together, he was generally willing to follow my lead, and I've never had anyone beg for my attention quite like he did.

I like my men to act and behave in a certain type of way. I don’t want someone I can easily walk all over, I need them to have a little bit of spunk to them, while also willing to communicate with me if there’s a problem.

Driving home after a long, hectic day at work, I'm eagerly anticipating the moment I can kick back on the sofa with a cold beer in hand. Despite the sweltering heat, I’m not loving the sudden downpour that has emerged out of nowhere, leaving the air thick and muggy. I roll down the car windows to let in some fresh air, but then I slow my pace, noticing the sound of shouting voices in the distance.

As I ease my foot off the accelerator, I catch sight of two men vehemently shouting at each other. I can't help but raise an eyebrow when I realise that one of them is completely naked, arms raised in exasperation. The other man wears a bored expression, one arm casually extended to the side with his thumb jutting upwards as if he's attempting to hitch a ride.

I know I should simply overlook the scene and carry on my way home, but my curiosity is too strong to resist. “Hey!” I call out, prompting the feuding duo to pause their argument and glance over in my direction.

The fully clothed man strides over to me first, and I can’t help but notice the sweat cascading down his face—a strikingly handsome face, if I’m being honest. His clothes are clinging to him, soaked through from the rain.

"Are you guys alright out here?" I ask, my voice laced with concern.

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