Mason (Trinity Academy Book 2) Read online

  I step out of my shoes, right before he breaks the kiss and pushes me back onto the bed. I watch him with a huge smile as he almost rips my sweatpants and panties off. But when he unzips his jeans, the smile fades, and I can’t help but lick my lips.

  “Get your shirt off,” he snaps as he yanks his sweater off.

  I pull the fabric over my head and let out a shriek of laughter when he grabs hold of my thighs and yanks me toward the edge of the bed.

  When he slams his cock into me, my back arches off the bed and I grab hold of the covers.

  Holy crap, I can’t get enough of this man. My non-existent sex drive from before he came along is quickly getting out of control.

  He braces himself over me with his left hand, pressing on the bed, and brings his right hand to my hip.

  “You wanted to talk,” I tease as he pulls back until only the head of his cock is still inside me.

  “We can talk during the intermission,” he grumbles as he fills me again with a hard thrust.

  Breathless, I ask, “Intermission?”

  “I plan to keep you naked all night.” He drives into me so hard it shifts my body upward and makes a moan of pleasure burst over my parted lips.

  I’m in seventh heaven when his strokes become harder each one hitting deep within me. When my orgasm crashes over me, tightening every muscle in my body, I bow off the bed. Another moan escapes, and with the pleasure growing inside of me, it soon has me crying out.

  Mason covers my mouth with his hand, muffling my sounds of ecstasy. My eyes lock on his as he unravels my mind and body with wave after wave of pure bliss, and seeing the rapture tightening his features as he empties himself inside of me, makes the moment perfect.

  He slumps over me, catching himself just in time from landing on me.

  “Fuck,” he whispers breathlessly.

  Now that he’s closer, I bring my hands up to his arms and rub up and down them.

  I smile into his eyes as I say, “Thanks, hot stuff.”

  “Why hot stuff?” He pulls out and pleasure ripples over his body again.

  “I’m testing pet names for you to see which one I like best,” I explain.

  He sits down and falls back onto the mattress, looking totally sated.

  When I scoot off the bed, he says, “I liked hearing you scream Mr. President from the other side of the campus.”

  “One second.” I clench my legs together and not caring what I look like, I do the freaking penguin walk to the bathroom.

  When I’m done, and I walk back into his room, he pats the bed. “Get your sexy ass over here.”

  Grinning, I lie down next to him. He throws the covers over me as well, then he lifts his arm, so I can snuggle up against his side.

  “So, Mr. President, let’s talk.”

  “First thing. Only call me that when I can fuck you.”

  I let out a burst of laughter. “Noted, sir.”

  “That as well,” he adds. “Sir and Mr. President are for the bedroom.”

  “And hot stuff?” I ask, pouting up at him.

  He lifts an eyebrow at me. “How about just calling me Mason?”

  “Let’s negotiate,” I say. “Can I call you Mace?”

  “Mace works,” he agrees, then he asks, “While we’re talking about pet names, is there a story behind your father calling you Tiger?”

  “It was kitten until I started PMSing,” I explain.

  Mason tries to keep from laughing but when I snort, he cracks up. “You must’ve traumatized your father for him to switch from Kitten to Tiger.”

  I watch him laugh, and it fills me with so much happiness.

  His laughter dies down, and our eyes meet. We turn on our sides and laying face to face we stare at each other for a while, and it fills my chest with something I haven’t felt before.

  It’s fresh and light, making me feel safe and secure.

  I like you, Mace.

  He brings a hand to my face and brushes his fingers along my temple.

  “Can I tell you something I haven’t told anyone?” he whispers.

  I nod.

  “You scare me, Hunt.” A frown begins to form on my face, but then he continues, “I’ve fallen for you.”

  “Why does that scare you?” I ask, keeping my voice soft so I don’t disturb the moment between us.

  “I almost lost you.” He pauses and wrapping an arm around my waist, he holds me close.

  I place my arm around him and begin to draw lazy patterns on his back.

  “There was a moment I thought you were dead.” He lets out a hollow-sounding chuckle. “I remember thinking you’re too young to die. You have too much life in you to… just die.”

  He’s quiet for a minute, and I keep moving my hand over his back. I never thought my dying, or almost dying, would have such an impact on the people around me. It’s a sobering thought, realizing you make a difference in someone’s life. Enough for them to mourn you.

  “It felt like I lost something important, like you were just torn from my heart. That’s when I realized how much you meant to me.”

  “I’m sorry it happened that way,” I whisper, wishing it could have been different.

  “Honestly, I wouldn’t have admitted it otherwise. Nearly losing you showed me how much I’ve distanced myself from everyone but Falcon and Lake.”

  He presses a kiss to the tip of my nose before pulling back to meet my eyes. “You were literally a light that forced your way through the darkness I became accustomed to after I lost my sister.”

  I smile and press a kiss to his chin. “I like that. I can be your light while you’re my heart.” I shoot up and begin to bounce on the bed. “I’m hungry.”

  “You and Lake aren’t related, right?” he jokes as he pushes himself into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard.

  “He’s my brother from another mother.”

  Mason’s gaze slowly sweeps over my naked body. When he meets my eyes again, a grin pulls at his mouth. “I love how comfortable you are in your own skin.”

  Shrugging, I say, “I might not have the biggest ta-tas, or the best curves, but I like the way I look.”

  “I like the way you look as well,” he teases and bringing a hand to my chest, he brushes his knuckles over my nipple.

  “Was that all you wanted to talk about?” I ask.

  Mason shakes his head, and a serious look settles on his face. “You watched some of what happened today, right?”

  Immediately a smile splits across my face. “Yeah, and you looked badass up on the stage.”

  He winks at me, and it’s a good thing I’m not wearing any panties, or they would’ve melted right off.

  He brushes my hair back over my shoulder, then says, “Hear me out before you respond, okay.”

  “Okay.”

  “Preston is good with computers.”

  Huh?

  He smiles when he sees my confusion, then continues, “I needed you to know that because he compiled the footage we aired today. As soon as it was done airing, he deleted it from the internet, so it’s not out there.”

  “Okay.”

  “You saw with Layla’s incident we blurred all the faces out except for Serena’s?” Mason asks, and I begin to get a niggling suspicion where this is going.

  “Yes, I’m glad you did that.”

  “We did the same thing with the footage we got from the indoor pool.”

  With a hawk eye, he watches for my reaction.

  “But Preston took it down, so it’s not out there, right?” I ask to make sure I understood him.

  “Yes, only Preston and I have a copy, so I have the evidence to hand over to the DA’s office, for them to proceed with prosecuting the Senator and Serena.”

  “Prosecute?” I ask.

  “Yes, so the Senator can be charged with embezzlement and Serena with assault.”

  There’s a twinge of sadness for Serena, but it vanishes as quickly as it comes. “Am I a horrible person for feeling…�
�� my words trail away when I realize I’m not sure how I feel, “relieved?”

  Emotion floods me like a tidal wave when I realize the full impact of what has happened today. When tears rush to my eyes, I look down at my hands where they’re resting on my leg. A tear splats against my knee, and I quickly swipe it away.

  “Babe?” Mason shifts closer to me, and placing a finger under my chin, he nudges my face up. “Are you okay?”

  Meeting his eyes, I whisper, “You kept your promise.”

  “I told you I would,” he replies with his worried eyes not leaving mine.

  “You did all of that for me?”

  He nods, and the corner of his mouth curves up. “Don’t you know I’ll do anything for you?”

  The moment makes me finally comprehend the relationship between Mason and me is really happening. We’re not just fooling around.

  “Thank you, Mace.” I shuffle closer to him on my knees and framing his face with my hands, I say, “Thank you for not letting me die.” I struggle to stay in control of my emotions as tears spill over my cheeks. “Thank you for making her pay.”

  Through my tears, my eyes caress every inch of Mason’s face, and I feel a fluttering in my chest. It’s deep and warm, and it fills me with hope and dreams.

  It’s knowing, Mason won’t hurt me, and it’s safe to dream of a future with him.

  I lean forward and press a soft kiss to his lips, then I whisper, “I just fell for you.”

  Chapter 28

  Mason

  I finish up my work and checking my watch, I see that it’s almost time for dinner. I close the laptop and head to the living room where Lake’s in his usual spot.

  “Have you ordered food?” I ask as I sit down on the other couch.

  “Is that a trick question?” he quips.

  “Just checking.”

  “Falcon ran down to get the Chinese. He’ll also call the girls and Preston on his way back up.” Lake doesn’t take his eyes away from his phone.

  “Are you texting with Lee-ann?” I ask. “She’s arriving this Saturday, right?”

  “Yes, Lee’s flight is landing at three pm.” He smiles as he sets his phone down.

  “You already shortened her name?” I ask.

  “We’re getting married in July,” he answers wryly.

  “Right, I guess it’s not too soon,” I agree. Even though I’ve asked him a million times by now, I can’t stop from asking again, “Are you sure about this marriage?”

  He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Not a hundred percent.”

  His answer shocks me. “Why?”

  “I’ll only know for sure once we’ve spent some time together. For me to say I have no doubts at this stage would be stupid.”

  “True.”

  Falcon opens the door and comes in carrying bags with Chinese take out. The girls and Preston follow right behind him.

  When Kingsley tries to sit down next to me, I take hold of her hips and pull her down on my lap.

  She immediately smiles and presses a kiss to my cheek. “I haven’t seen you in forever,” she jokes.

  “Right,” I grin back at her. “It’s been like… four hours.” I let out a chuckle and my eyes land on Lake who’s watching us with a warm smile.

  He tilts his head, and a rare serious expression settles on his face. “You have no idea how happy it makes me seeing the two of you together.”

  “Thanks, buddy,” I reply, knowing he means every word.

  Layla sets the food out on the dinner table, then calls, “Get your butts over here so we can eat.”

  Lake’s up like a flash which has me chuckling. I help Kingsley up and walk over to the table. I pull out a chair, and once she’s seated, I take the one next to her.

  The conversation is light while we eat, and I wait until everyone is done before I take Serena’s phone from my pocket and set it down on the table.

  “The reason I wanted us all to meet for dinner is that Serena told me something right before the stadium erupted in chaos.”

  “What?” Kingsley asks, leaning her elbows on the table.

  I turn on the phone and bring up the messages between Serena and Mrs. Reyes.

  My eyes go to Falcon, and I hand him the phone.

  He reads the texts and then his mouth sets in a hard line.

  “How do you want to handle this?” I ask him, feeling it’s only right he makes the decision seeing as it involves his mother.

  He sets the phone down on the table, then bites the words out, “The same way we handled Serena. We destroy her.” He pinches the bridge of his nose and takes a couple of deep breaths before he looks at Layla. He reaches for her hand and holding it he explains to everyone else what’s going on, “Serena told Clare that she saw you had an allergy when she looked at your student file. Clare was the one who told her what to do.”

  There’s a couple of seconds of silence before Lake asks, “Preston, can you hack into the bank and freeze her credit cards?”

  “I haven’t done it before, but I can try,” Preston answers, already looking excited.

  Falcon let’s out a bitter chuckle and shakes his head. “That’s not good enough. I want to hit her where it will hurt most.”

  “Her status,” I murmur.

  “I’ll have to talk to Julian and my father about this.”

  “You want to go into the office tomorrow and see them?” I ask.

  “We could always join our fathers for a round of golf. Mine keeps asking,” Lake mentions.

  “That’s a good idea,” Falcon agrees. “Do you know on which days they like to play?”

  “Thursday afternoons,” Lake answers.

  “Tomorrow.” Falcon begins to nod. “I’ll call Julian and tell him to meet us at the golf club.”

  “So, you don’t need me to hack into anything?” Preston asks, looking a little disappointed.

  “Sorry, buddy,” Lake pats his shoulder which makes Falcon’s lips twitch. “Maybe next time.”

  “Are you okay?” I ask him. Even though he doesn’t get along with Clare, she’s still his mother at the end of the day.

  There’s a cynical pull on his face, “Can’t say I’m surprised by any of this.” He pauses and lets out a sigh, “I’m okay, though.”

  His eyes meet Layla’s, and he whispers, “I’m sorry, my rainbow.”

  She looks at him with so much love, it makes my heart feel at ease, knowing she won’t blame him for his mother’s actions. “Don’t apologize to me, Falcon. None of it was your doing.”

  “Well, it’s a relief knowing I didn’t almost kill my best friend,” Kingsley suddenly mumbles.

  “You know I never blamed you,” Layla says.

  “I know, but it didn’t take the guilt away.” Kingsley shakes her head. “Why do people have to be so mean? Why can’t everyone just get along?”

  “Greed,” Preston answers her. “The more you have, the more you want, and the more ruthless you become to get it.” His eyes widen when he realizes what he just said, and then he sputters, “I-I don’t m-m-mean you guys.”

  “No, you’re right,” Lake agrees wryly. “That’s why I won’t join CRC.” His eyes lock on mine. “I’m not strong enough to not let that kind of power change me.”

  “It’s an intense feeling,” I admit. “You’re instantly on a high.”

  “I wish I was twenty-one,” Kingsley says. “I’d love a drink right now.”

  I begin to laugh and shake my head at her. “When’s your birthday? I’ll make sure there’s plenty to drink for your twenty-first.”

  “It’s on the nineteenth of July. I’m cancer.”

  “I don’t know shit about star signs,” I mutter.

  “When’s your birthday?” she asks.

  “February fifth,” I answer.

  “That explains everything,” Layla says, and she begins to chuckle.

  “What?” I ask.

  “You’re Aquarius, dude.”

  “So?”

  �
�Aquarius are detached, stubborn, and no middle path exists for them,” Preston reads off his phone.

  “What he said.” Pointing at Preston, Layla tries to hold back her laughter.

  “Your birthday is around the corner,” Lake murmurs. “We need to organize something.”

  “Let’s get through the next week, and then you can throw whatever party you want,” I say, just wanting all this shit to be in the past already.

  “I hate wearing caps,” I grumble when Lake holds one out to me.

  “You’re going to burn out in the sun. Take the damn thing,” he orders.

  I take it and pull it onto my head. “Are we early?”

  “Here they come,” Falcon says.

  I turn my head in the direction he’s looking, and then a smile breaks out over my face. Mr. Reyes walks in front with Mr. Cutler right behind him and my father’s at the back.

  “Preston asked me why we don’t walk next to each other.” I point at our fathers. “I should just take a photo and send it to him.”

  Falcon chuckles. “I never noticed it until you pointed it out.”

  “At least we inherited all the good traits,” Lake quips.

  “Boys,” Mr. Reyes greets when he reaches us. “I’m glad you finally decided to join us. Julian just called. He’s waiting at the golf carts for us. ”

  Falcon walks with Mr. Reyes, and I grin when Lake throws his arm around Mr. Cutler’s shoulders.

  Dad smiles at me, then he tilts his head. “You look different.”

  “It’s the stupid cap,” I grumble.

  “If you say so.” The corner of his mouth pulls up. “Have you met anyone interesting lately?” he asks while we follow behind the others.

  “Like who?”

  “Oh… anyone,” his grin grows into a smile, “like a girl?”

  “Who told you?” I ask, letting out a chuckle.

  “Your mom went for her usual botox and got to talking with the good doctor.”

  “Noooo. Dr. Hunt?” I stop and cover my mouth with a hand. “I’m too scared to ask what they talked about.”

  Dad pats me on the shoulder. “Your mother was gushing all night long about how the doctor sang your praises. So, tell me, are you serious about the girl?”