Laurie
watched him fighting for control of himself and an odd emotion stirred in her.
She couldn’t name it but it made her want to take care of him.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Mason opened his eyes and met hers and a look of surprise
crossed his face. She reached for his hand, lifted it up to examine his bloody
knuckles then took his chin in her shaky hand and turned his head to look at
the small cut next to his eyebrow.
“We should clean this up.” She slid off the stool and led
him by the hand to the kitchen.
He silently watched her as she rinsed his hand in the sink
and then studied his knuckles again.
“His teeth really tore you up,” she murmured, using a paper
towel to dry his knuckles then another to clean up his eyebrow. “Do you have
bandages?”
“In the bathroom.”
He motioned toward his bedroom, which Laurie would have to
cross through to get to the bathroom. She followed his gaze then looked back at
him. Their eyes locked in a hard stare and she had a sudden flash of the two of
them tangled up in his bedsheets. Face heating up, she quickly looked away and
left him at the sink.
She stepped into his bedroom, trying hard not to look at the
rumpled sheets on the bed, which she’d just imagined getting pounded on. From
the medicine cabinet she collected antiseptic gel and bandages and returned to
find Mason sitting on one of the barstools. She took the seat beside him and
made quick work of bandaging the cuts on his knuckles and the one on his
handsome face.
When she was finished she went to the fridge and grabbed two
beers. She placed the beers and a bottle opener on the bar in front of him and
climbed onto the empty stool. He opened both bottles and pushed one toward her.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he demanded.
He sounded gruff but she didn’t feel threatened. She took a
good swig of her beer and shrugged.
“You didn’t beat me up. Besides, that asshole
deserved what he got.”
A surprised chuckle escaped Mason and he raised his
eyebrows, pausing before taking a drink of his beer.
“Bloodthirsty, are we?”
“No. Well, maybe a little. I mean, I’ve seen fights, even
been in a few but I’ve never seen anything quite like that. It was…uh…interesting.”
That wasn’t the right word but she thought it would do since she was too
embarrassed to name the feeling watching him thrash a full-grown man gave her. “If
I was strong enough, I would have beaten him the same way. That guy threatened
to knock my teeth out if I didn’t suck his dick.”
Mason’s muscles twitched as she repeated the threat. She
shook her head.
“My teeth, Mason. How shitty is that? I can’t afford a
dentist right now.”
Mason nearly choked and then laughed loudly. She shot him an
impish grin as he gazed at her, shaking his head.
“So you’re not afraid I’m going to hurt you like I did that
guy?”
“Would you hurt me?” she asked with a serious look.
“No,” he stated. “Angel, I would never hurt you.”
She looked at him closely for a moment and believed he was
being completely honest. She smiled and then nodded.
“Then no, I’m not afraid.” She reached out and smoothed the
bandages on the back of his hand. “Besides, the only times I’ve seen you get
violent have been when you were protecting me. So if anything, I feel safe with
you. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t like being all damsel-in-distress-y but I
guess if I’m going to be in that spot, it’s nice to have someone protecting me who
can beat the hell out of everyone else.”
“So if you’re a damsel in distress, does that make me a
knight in shining armor?”
Laurie grinned and was about to respond when there was a
knock on the door. Mason frowned, obviously not expecting anyone else. He shot
Laurie a look that was clearly an order for her to stay where she was and then
he moved to the door and pulled it open.
“Chloe.” He sounded surprised as he motioned for the small,
middle-aged woman to come inside.
watched him fighting for control of himself and an odd emotion stirred in her.
She couldn’t name it but it made her want to take care of him.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Mason opened his eyes and met hers and a look of surprise
crossed his face. She reached for his hand, lifted it up to examine his bloody
knuckles then took his chin in her shaky hand and turned his head to look at
the small cut next to his eyebrow.
“We should clean this up.” She slid off the stool and led
him by the hand to the kitchen.
He silently watched her as she rinsed his hand in the sink
and then studied his knuckles again.
“His teeth really tore you up,” she murmured, using a paper
towel to dry his knuckles then another to clean up his eyebrow. “Do you have
bandages?”
“In the bathroom.”
He motioned toward his bedroom, which Laurie would have to
cross through to get to the bathroom. She followed his gaze then looked back at
him. Their eyes locked in a hard stare and she had a sudden flash of the two of
them tangled up in his bedsheets. Face heating up, she quickly looked away and
left him at the sink.
She stepped into his bedroom, trying hard not to look at the
rumpled sheets on the bed, which she’d just imagined getting pounded on. From
the medicine cabinet she collected antiseptic gel and bandages and returned to
find Mason sitting on one of the barstools. She took the seat beside him and
made quick work of bandaging the cuts on his knuckles and the one on his
handsome face.
When she was finished she went to the fridge and grabbed two
beers. She placed the beers and a bottle opener on the bar in front of him and
climbed onto the empty stool. He opened both bottles and pushed one toward her.
“Why aren’t you afraid of me?” he demanded.
He sounded gruff but she didn’t feel threatened. She took a
good swig of her beer and shrugged.
“You didn’t beat me up. Besides, that asshole
deserved what he got.”
A surprised chuckle escaped Mason and he raised his
eyebrows, pausing before taking a drink of his beer.
“Bloodthirsty, are we?”
“No. Well, maybe a little. I mean, I’ve seen fights, even
been in a few but I’ve never seen anything quite like that. It was…uh…interesting.”
That wasn’t the right word but she thought it would do since she was too
embarrassed to name the feeling watching him thrash a full-grown man gave her. “If
I was strong enough, I would have beaten him the same way. That guy threatened
to knock my teeth out if I didn’t suck his dick.”
Mason’s muscles twitched as she repeated the threat. She
shook her head.
“My teeth, Mason. How shitty is that? I can’t afford a
dentist right now.”
Mason nearly choked and then laughed loudly. She shot him an
impish grin as he gazed at her, shaking his head.
“So you’re not afraid I’m going to hurt you like I did that
guy?”
“Would you hurt me?” she asked with a serious look.
“No,” he stated. “Angel, I would never hurt you.”
She looked at him closely for a moment and believed he was
being completely honest. She smiled and then nodded.
“Then no, I’m not afraid.” She reached out and smoothed the
bandages on the back of his hand. “Besides, the only times I’ve seen you get
violent have been when you were protecting me. So if anything, I feel safe with
you. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t like being all damsel-in-distress-y but I
guess if I’m going to be in that spot, it’s nice to have someone protecting me who
can beat the hell out of everyone else.”
“So if you’re a damsel in distress, does that make me a
knight in shining armor?”
Laurie grinned and was about to respond when there was a
knock on the door. Mason frowned, obviously not expecting anyone else. He shot
Laurie a look that was clearly an order for her to stay where she was and then
he moved to the door and pulled it open.
“Chloe.” He sounded surprised as he motioned for the small,
middle-aged woman to come inside.
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