And then he heard his name. He’d heard Ellis calling for him with panic in his deep voice. And he thought it’d been the sound of mercy. Now he was here in the man’s home—a police officer’s home—wearing his clothes and kissing his kindness. Mason’s touch was so damn gentle, so sweet and loving, that there was no way it could be faked. That’s why he was going to have to tell Mason everything about God and Worm tomorrow. He wanted to make absolutely sure that Mason didn’t get caught up in any of his crap.
He watched Mason move around in his tidy kitchen, warming their stew that was already making his stomach roar embarrassingly. It was a small but modern home with an open floor plan, stainless steel appliances, and recessed lighting. Mason had a bowl of apples atop his breakfast bar, along with an open laptop and several scattered papers. The five-person dining room table was a pretty polished oak and looked unused as if it was only there because it was the norm. He had masculine art on his walls, and the most fascinating was the bookshelves that made up one long wall of his living room. And each shelf was overflowing with everything from fiction to textbooks.
Mason walked into the living room carrying a bowl in each hand. He’d changed into a pair of lounge pants and a long-sleeved cotton shirt that said “You’re getting on my nervous system.”
When Mason noticed him scrutinizing it, he chuckled and said, “My partner, Clark, and I participated in an MS charity marathon last year. And for it, I got a scraped knee and this kick-ass T-shirt.” Mason snapped his fingers. “Oh, something to drink. Do you want some water or something warm?”
“Water is fine,” Jesse said. His pride was taking a serious beating, but his momma also didn’t raise no fool. He’d be an idiot to refuse anything Mason offered. Anything.
Jesse was careful to remember his manners and not inhale the stew, but he still finished well ahead of Mason. Neither of them had said much while they ate. The only sounds he heard were the crackling of the firewood that challenged the thunder and gale force winds outside. He caught Mason watching him, and Jesse wasn’t exactly shy about watching him back. When they were finished, Mason took the bowls and placed them in the empty sink. Everything in his house was so neat and clean, yet it still had that cozy, lived-in vibe. A place Jesse would call a home, not a house.
Mason took the quilt from around Jesse’s shoulders, and he suddenly realized that for the first time in weeks… he felt warm. He took Mason’s outstretched hand and got to his feet, standing close enough to kiss him, but he didn’t dare.
“You look asleep on your feet, Jesse. I have a guest room. It’s yours until you get your bearings. You said your friend might still come through for—”
“No,” Jesse said more firmly than he’d intended. “I need to come through for myself. I can’t wait on him anymore. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably already be—”
“Hey. Shhh. Don’t even think that. No what-ifs, Jesse,” Mason said, gazing up at him as if Jesse were something mesmerizing. Then he blinked rapidly and sputtered about getting Jesse’s backpack and duffle bag out of the truck when the rain let up. “But I have some spare toiletries in the guest bath. I think you’ll find everything you need.”
“I don’t want to take up an entire room, like a guest or anything. I can just crash on the floor right here if you don’t mind.”
“I do mind.” Mason nodded. “I mind a lot.”
“Ellis, I—”
Mason cupped both Jesse’s cheeks, and instinctually his eyes fell closed, and he relished the comfort. “You are my guest, now.” Mason’s gaze bore into his as if he truly wanted Jesse to understand his words. “And it’s important to me that you’re comfortable, not crashing on my couch. It’s important that you’re safe.”
“Why me?” Jesse needed to know. If this was charity, then he’d treat it as such and vow to pay Mason back as soon as he could, but if it was more, if Mason was feeling even a fraction of the desire that Jesse felt for him, then he was all in for this exceptional man.
“Honestly—” Mason rubbed at the scruff on his chin. “—I really can’t say. All I know is from the moment I saw you wandering alone on the streets, nervous and terrified, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Every time I saw you while I was working, I struggled not to go to you and beg you to just come home with me.”
Jesse couldn’t speak because of the wedge of emotion clogging his throat, and Mason being the phenomenal person that he was knew that he needed a moment alone. An hour ago, Jesse thought he was going to be shot in the back and his body dumped in a creek. Now, he was staring into the eyes of the man who he believed was his angel, his savior… and maybe one day soon, his lover.
“We should maybe try to get some rest. It’ll be daylight soon.” Mason took a deep breath before slowly releasing him. “The guest room is the door on the left. There’s a bathroom in there with some products under the sink.”
“Okay. Good night,” Jesse whispered before he retreated down the dim hall. There was another bathroom opposite his room and an open door at the end of the hall with a large, unmade bed dominating most of the space that he assumed was Mason’s room.
Noted.
Mason
It was still dark outside and even darker in Mason’s bedroom, but his internal clock told him the day was about to break soon. The thunder from the storm continued to shake the foundation of his house, but that wasn’t why he struggled to sleep. It was because he was extremely conscious of the man he’d brought into his home who was just now stepping out of an almost hour-long shower.
Mason imagined Jesse wrapping a towel around his lean hips while drying the ends of his dirty-blond hair with another one. He was sure Jesse’s slick, warm skin smelled good, like the Men’s Dove accessories he had in the shower alcove. Mason groaned and turned over flat on his back, throwing his forearm over his eyes. He had to stop torturing himself.
He wasn’t sure how much time passed when he heard the door down from his open and light footsteps moving toward him. Mason had deliberately left his bedroom door open in invitation, in hopes Jesse would accept it. Jesse’s sexy body appeared in his doorway, draped in the heavy terry cloth robe Mason kept behind the guest bathroom door. Lightning flashed across the walls, and he caught a glimpse of the uncertainty on Jesse’s beautiful face.
“Hey.” Mason sat up on one elbow, his sheet falling to his lap and revealing his bare chest. Jesse’s eyes were hot and heavy on him, but it seemed as if he needed something more than what his body was saying.
“I wasn’t sure if you were up.” Jesse’s voice was shaky. “I’ve been wanting to sleep for weeks, and now… now that I’m… safe, I can’t seem to keep my eyes closed.”
“You can come in if you want,” Mason said, wishing his tone wasn’t so thick. “I’m struggling to rest too.”
“Because of the storm?”
“No,” Mason answered honestly. “Because of you.”
“I’m sorry… I—”
“I was worried you weren’t comfortable.”