Page 18 of The Hero's Bride
She startled at the knock on the door, immediately trying to jump back, but Mason held her tightly.
“Everything okay?” Sully’s voice sounded from behind the closed connecting door.
“Give us a minute,” Mason ground out.
Heat flared over her cheeks, knowing in her gut that Sully would interpret the desire roughening his friend’s voice.
“Fuck.” His hoarse whisper sent a shiver of want down her spine, but then he dropped his forehead to hers. A gesture that was a sweet contrast to his coarse words. She found both appealing. “You okay?” he asked, smoothing his palms over her hair.
Her brain had temporarily short-circuited, leaving her searching for a response that would correctly surmise what she was feeling.No, because I’m drowning without your lips on mine? Yes, but please don’t hurt me? Never leave?Although she’d never been intimate with a man, let alone kissed one, she knew with soul-deep certainty that no one would ever measure up to Mason. If he could hear her inner thoughts, he’d probably run in the opposite direction. What had been a life-altering kiss for her might’ve been a way to pass the time for him. Mason was stunning, and she had no illusions that he hadn’t had many women fall at his feet. She also refused to set herself up for heartbreak and entertain the idea that just maybe she’d be the last.
“Thalia?” He jerked his chin back to meet her gaze, studying her with intensity.
She framed his face again, giving him the same impassioned stare. “Whatever happens, the memory of that kiss will live in my mind forever.”
“Mine too, but I hope it’s just one of many beautiful memories we give each other.” He pulled her into his chest, closing his arms around her in a tight embrace.
She could feel the result of his attraction hard against her stomach, yet he made no move to push her further. His breath tickled the top of her head as he placed a kiss against her hair, then inhaled. Her breath caught in her chest. It would be so easy to give this man her heart, but how could she know it would be safe with him? That he wouldn’t come to realize she was no hero like he was. Had nowhere to work. No family to offer her support. He deserved a woman with more to offer. Not one he’d had to save. “I don’t know what you’re thinking right now, but I feel you putting up a wall. Don’t keep me at arm’s length. By your side is exactly where I want to be.”
“How can you be sure?” she whispered.
“It’s in my nature to plan and assess. I don’t take unnecessary risks. Never make quick decisions when it comes to a woman—not that there have been a lot of them. Most of the time, I need to be in control, and yet, I’d gladly hand it all over to you. That makes me sure I’m right where I should be.” He kissed her forehead. “That being said, if I took the kiss too far, too fast, please tell me.”
She shook her head side to side. “No,” she croaked.
Warmth settled over his features, and he leaned in, giving her a soft and sweet kiss. “As much as I want to stay here with you, Sully is probably about to knock down the wall.”
She nodded. “Let’s go take the pictures, then.” She offered him a smile and hoped that after they took some pictures, more kissing would be part of their plans. She wasn’t worthy of a man like Mason, but she was safe with him. If she could keep her emotions at bay, she’d love to have an opportunity to explore this physical intimacy with him. She’d almost died several times. She’d been kept and controlled. Kissing Mason felt like freedom. Whether it was right or wrong, she wanted more.
He took her hand and led her to the connecting door. As soon as he opened it, Sully glanced between them and cleared his throat. “Let’s do this before we lose the sunset.” He clapped his hands on his knees and stood from the bed.
Mason jerked his head in a nod, and they navigated down to the lobby and out the back door to a courtyard. The space was lush with plants and flowers in full bloom, framing a bubbling fountain in the center.
“This looks like theSecret Garden. It was a book my mother used to read, and this was exactly how I pictured it.” In the distance, the sun was beginning to drop below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of tangerine.
“How about a few shots sitting on the ledge of the fountain?” Sully suggested.
Mason nodded and lifted a brow to her. “Does that sound okay?”
“Sure. Wherever you think would be best.” They settled on the stone ring surrounding the fountain and Sully lifted his phone, taking a few pictures. Mason suddenly slid off the wall and kneeled in the grass by her feet. Before she recognized that the move was purely for pictures, emotion slammed into her.
“Maybe this isn’t a typical marriage proposal, Thalia, but it is a promise.” He gave her a gentle smile, eyes filled with softness. “A promise that I’m going to help you discover what brings you joy. What it means to live free of restrictions or fear. I’m honored to bring you to my home. Honored to have your friendship.”
Mason reached into his pocket, and she could feel her eyes widen as her lips parted in shock. He pulled out a box, held it out to her, and opened the lid. Cushioned in the soft velvet was a stone of her homeland surrounded by what appeared to be brilliant diamonds. Once again, words seemed far from reach. She looked from Mason to Sully, who was grinning. Had he gone to all this trouble just for the pictures? Surely, he wouldn’t be giving her something so special.
“Sweetheart, look at me.”
At the sound of Mason’s voice, she turned her attention back to the man offering her a chance at a new life and maybe more. It was themoreshe hoped for the most. She just had to be brave enough to reach out and take it.
“This is a gift. Something I want you to have no matter where we go, together or apart. May I put it on your finger?”
Still overcome by Mason’s words and his generosity, she lifted a trembling hand. He steadied it with his own and slipped the ring on. The gold band warmed her skin as it slid to the base of her finger.
She swallowed hard. “It fits. I’m not sure how that’s possible, but it does.” She glanced down at her finger, watching the way the diamonds caught the light, then back at Mason who was infinitely more beautiful than the exquisite piece of jewelry. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I see the woman you’ve become. I see you, Thalia, and I want to be right here as you come to see yourself, too. I will protect you with everything I am.” The statement erased all the softness in his face, leaving only determination and honor in its wake. The expression of a warrior.
“I know you will,” she murmured, touched by the depth of his words. Sully had wandered to the edge of the courtyard, giving them some privacy. “But this shouldn’t be one-sided. You can’t do all the giving. Make all the promises without expecting some back.”
