Page 26 of The Hero's Bride
Emotion wedged in her throat. How had she come to have the two kindest rescuers? Wordlessly, she moved forward and hugged him around the waist.
“Go get him,” he whispered and grinned as she hurried down the hall.
When she walked into the room, Mason was standing at the window by the fireplace with his arms crossed. She strode forward, closing the distance between them. He turned, brows lifting. His muscles were tense and rigid, and she hated the way his jaw clenched with uncertainty. She paused, and then rushed forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on tight. His arms came around her immediately and they stood there soaking in the comfort of one another.
“Mason, just because you don’t expect much from others, doesn’t mean you should expect the same of me. Nothing that has been said in the past two hours has changed how much I’ve loved getting to know the man you’ve become. He’s worthy of promises. Has needs and feelings that are important.” It wasn’t difficult to recall the words she’d spoken to him as Sully took their pictures by the fountain, because she felt the weight of each one as she spoke. It wasn’t a weight that chained her or caused her distress, but one that she recognized as important. Like being the keeper of a rare treasure. A weight of connection and worth. “When I told you I don’t want one-sided promises between us, I meant it.”
He closed his eyes, chest expanding against her body as he took several deep breaths. He gripped her chin gently, lifting her gaze to meet his. “My promise still holds true, but part of that was to help you discover what brings you joy. What it means to live free of restrictions or fear. The agents’ offer gives you more of that freedom. That’s what I want for you, Thalia. I’m not proud of my reaction. The thought of losing you caused me pain, but I realize how selfish that sounds. The choices the agents mentioned will only help you create the life you want. You deserve those choices.”
“What if the choice I want to make is the one that keeps me with you?” Her heart shifted, fluttering with a pang of longing.
He dipped his chin to his chest, drawing in an expansive breath. “Jesus, sweetheart.” The emotion filtering through his eyes made her limbs tingle, and she wanted to stand in his embrace forever. His lips crashed over hers and she poured herself into the kiss, relishing every stroke of his tongue. Every push and bump as they fought to get closer.
“So fucking perfect.” He pulled back long enough to speak the words against her lips. His breath was sawing in and out as he stared at her like no man had ever done before. “I’d never want to limit your world by asking you to stay with me in California. I know there are so many things out there for you to experience and discover. I’m not going to be the one to hold you back.”
The finality of his words pierced her. Although Sully’s words of encouragement were still fresh in her mind, she couldn’t find the courage to press Mason further. She tucked her chin, burying her face against him, and did her best not to fall apart.
Chapter Fourteen
“Ready?” Red askedThalia as he positioned the computer on the bedspread.
“Yes, but don’t go anywhere. Not yet.”
He paused beside the bed. “Don’t you want some space to talk?”
“Maybe after I formally introduce you to my best friend.”
A heavy weight landed in his gut. “You know that coming with me will take you farther from her, right?”
“There are phones, computer screens, airplanes, trains,” she continued listing different ways she could connect with Vivienne and, feeling lighter than he had in a very long time, he caught her around the waist, tickling below her rib cage. She shrieked before dissolving into laughter. He decided tickling her was his new favorite pastime.
“Okay,” she cried. “Enough, enough.” Her smile stretched bright over her glowing cheeks. He kissed the top of her head before lying down beside her on his stomach, so they were shoulder to shoulder. Their outer thighs and legs touched as they pressed close to view the screen. Thalia hit the button he’d shown her to join the call and his chest swelled. She was a fast learner. The screen changed almost immediately, moving from their reflection to project Vivenne sitting at what appeared to be a kitchen nook with a killer view of the ocean.
“Thalia!” the blonde screamed, clasping her hands in front of her. She looked from the computer screen to Iron then back, tears gathering in her eyes. He hadn’t seen Iron in years, not since they met in a military hospital and were roommates on the recovery floor after leaving the ICU, but the man looked a hell of a lot better these days. He stared down at Thalia’s friend with adoration and Red wondered if they’d also developed feelings for each other like he and Thalia had.
“It’s so good to see you.” The women took each other in for several minutes, both swiping away tears. “Thank you for sending help. This is Mason. He and Sully found me, although I have no idea how. Thank you, Iron, for taking such good care of my friend. I’ve never seen her look so carefree, so happy.”
“I could say the same about you with your hair loose around your shoulders and a glow on your cheeks. I miss you, but seeing you looking so well, smiling, makes me so happy.” As Thalia and Vivienne talked, he and Iron exchanged a knowing look. One that spoke of finding something special when you least expected it. The only difference was, Vivienne was someone Iron could keep. There was an odd pressure in his chest and a sick sensation in his gut when he thought of losing Thalia.
“Red,” Iron’s voice boomed through the computer speakers. “We’ve got catching up to do. I’m going to go into the other room to give the girls time to talk. Sully around?”
Iron could’ve said anything else in the world and he would’ve been less shocked. “Probably in the kitchen.”
“Course he is. That bastard could always eat.” Iron laughed and tilted Vivienne’s chin, pressing his lips to her mouth. Red pushed off the bed, wishing he could openly claim Thalia in the same way without getting their emotions more entangled than they already were. Instead, he gave her a quick shoulder squeeze and exited the bedroom, closing the door behind him so she could have some privacy.
Red moved into the empty kitchen and noticed the curtains rippling as a breeze moved in from the balcony. He could overhear the sounds of Sully and Jude’s voices and stepped outside.
“Thalia talking to her friend?” Jude asked.
“Yeah, Iron was on the call, too.”
“You saw him?” Sully asked, flattening his palm over the top of his head. “How the hell is he?”
“Told me to come find you because we had catching up to do.”
“You’re shitting me.” A slow grin spread over Sully’s face before he sobered. “He was messed up bad. Holed up and shut everyone out. I understand why. A lot of people don’t survive that kind of loss and PTSD. Glad he’s doing better.”
His phone, still clutched in his hand, vibrated with an incoming call. “This is him. I’ll put it on speaker.”
