Page 54 of My Secret Santa Mason

Mason’s jaw tightened, and he set his mug down on the coffee table before turning to face me. “It sounds to me like your ex might’ve been caught in the middle of something he didn’t fully understand.”

I nodded, my fingers gripping the mug a little tighter. “It’s just… it feels like karma, you know? After what he did to me—cheating on me with my best friend, lying to me—it’s like… I don’t know, maybe this is the universe’s way of punishing him.” I swallowed hard, feeling guilty. “Is that a terrible thing to say?”

Mason shook his head, his expression serious. “I understand what you feel, and I understand. But karma or not, it’s not your burden to carry anymore. Dylan’s choices were his own, and whatever mess he’s in now? It’s not your responsibility. You’ve moved on. You’ve built a life here, Cami—a life that’s yours. He doesn’t get to take that from you.”

His words hit me in a way I wasn’t expecting—a surge of warmth and relief washing over me. He was right. None of it mattered anymore.

Not Dylan, not the betrayal, not the shadows of my past. That was behind me now, and all that lay ahead was a future I wanted to embrace. A future that included Silver Ridge.

And Mason.

I set my mug down beside his and turned to face him fully. “You’re right,” I whispered. “None of that matters anymore. Because I have a life here. I have friends. I have you.”

Mason’s eyes softened, and for a moment, the rough exterior he always wore like armor cracked and I saw the man underneath. The gentle, caring, wonderful Mason I’d fallen in love with.

“You have me,” he echoed, his voice rough. “I just… I’m not good at this, Cami. I’ve been alone for so long. I don’t know how to be the man you need.”

I shook my head, reaching out to cup his face, my thumbs brushing over his beard. “You don’t have to be anything but who you are,” I whispered. “That’s all I need. I love you, Mason. Just the way you are.”

His breath hitched, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second. Then, slowly, his hands came up to cover mine, holding them against his face as he leaned into my touch. “I love you, too,” he murmured, his voice thick. “I didn’t think I’d ever say that. But with you… You’ve changed everything.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes but this had nothing to do with fear or sadness.

For so long, I’d been searching for this—for a love that was real, that was true, that didn’t come with conditions or betrayals. And now, sitting here with Mason, I’d found it.

“I want to be with you,” he continued, his voice low but firm. “I want to try. I’m going to fuck it up, I’m telling you that now. But Iwant to make it work. As long as you know that, know that I love you, we can figure it out. Right?”

My heart swelled with love for this man who had been through so much and still found it in himself to open up and let me in. “We’ll figure it out together,” I whispered. “Whatever it takes. If that means living in the mountains with you, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Mason’s eyes darkened with emotion, and in an instant, his lips were on mine. The kiss was soft at first, filled with tenderness and gratitude, but it quickly deepened, the heat between us rising as his hands moved to my waist, pulling me closer. My heart hammered against my ribs, my body responding to him, and the same heat I always felt with him washed over me.

This was what I’d been searching for. A life filled with love, with someone who saw me, who understood me, and who stood by my side no matter what. And as Mason’s kiss turned more heated, more urgent, I knew with every fiber of my being that this was where I belonged.

His hands roamed over my back, tugging me closer until I was practically in his lap. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I felt a surge of warmth spread through me—an intense need for him blossoming at my core as his lips crashed down on mine.

I let out a whimper when he lifted me and turned me to straddle his lap, but then his hands were under my sweater, his fingers splaying against my skin. His touch sent shivers of pleasure through me, and my head fell back, breaking our kiss. He trailed kisses down my throat and over my shoulder. He tugged the neckline of my sweater aside and kissed my collarbone.

“I want you so fucking badly, baby,” he murmured against my skin, his breath warm and sending tingles through me. “So badly it hurts.”

He pressed his lips to mine again, and his hands slid up to the clasp of my bra. I held my breath as he unhooked the hooks and tugged the cups down. He cupped my breasts, his thumbs brushing over my nipples, and I let out a gasp.

“You are so fucking gorgeous,” he whispered.

He worked my sweater and my top up my body, and I lifted my arms so he could pull it over my head. He tossed it aside, and I sat on his lap, topless. Mason stared at my breasts, pure hunger in his eyes before he leaned forward and closed his mouth over my nipple.

The heat of his mouth, the gentle suction and the brush of his tongue sent shockwaves of pleasure straight to my pussy.

I shifted closer, and the friction between my legs as I ground against him had me moaning softly.

“Fuck, baby,” Mason said, lifting his head. He looked dazed, and I smiled.

I liked knowing that I had the power to affect him. To make him feel as crazy as I felt.

“Mason,” I murmured.

His mouth returned to my breast, and he pulled me closer, one hand around my waist, the other cupping me as he kissed, licked, and sucked on my nipples.

“Mason,” I breathed again. “I want you.”

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