Chapter 36: Chapter 36

JAMIE

The familiar sound of the front door opening and closing reverberated through the house, setting Penelope into a frenzy of joy. Her brown locks bobbed as she sprinted toward the noise, her tiny feet struggling to keep pace with her eagerness. Mason’s late work hours meant he seldom made it home before her bedtime, so her excitement was understandable.

Their reunion was marked by her delighted squeals as he playfully hoisted her over his shoulder, her laughter filling the otherwise quiet house. Mason had a unique flair for such playful interactions, something I couldn’t quite emulate.

They entered the living room, where Mason gently set Penelope down on the couch next to me. She instantly hopped off and knelt on the floor, her attention captivated by the scattered Lego on the carpet.

“Daddy, look what I built!” she exclaimed, her face glowing with pride as she pointed to the castle she had assembled.

“Wow! That’s quite something,” Mason responded, scrutinizing her Lego masterpiece. “Is this one bigger than the one we built together last week?”

“Much bigger,” Penelope replied, her eyes twinkling with excitement. “Can you build me a dragon?” she asked, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

Mason nodded. “Sure, but then it’s bedtime,” he said, beginning to gather the pieces.

As he worked, Penelope watched with wide eyes, her imagination running wild.

From the couch, I observed them as they constructed Lego knights to guard the castle from the menacing dragon. It made me reflect on our current life.

Mason, the knight, was striving to shield his castle, his family, from the threats that hung over us.

“The dragon killed the knight!” Penelope yelled in excitement, her eyes wide with joy.

“And the castle has fallen,” Mason added, toppling the castle with a swift strike from the dragon.

Penelope giggled as the castle crumbled to the ground, its towers and walls collapsing into a pile of colorful bricks.

“All right, I think it’s bedtime,” I announced, already rising from the couch.

“I’ll take her,” Mason volunteered.

Penelope sprang up with excitement. Mason scooped her up in his arms. Together, they headed toward the stairs, discussing the bedtime story he was going to read to her.

I was at the kitchen island, pouring a glass of wine, when Mason entered the kitchen. The air was thick with tension now that we were alone, without our daughter as a buffer.

“I made dinner,” I said, gesturing to the stove, where it had been warming at a low temperature since he went upstairs. “It’s one of my mom’s recipes.”

Mason removed the dish from the oven with oven mitts and placed it on the stovetop. He looked down at it, the aroma wafting toward him.

“This looks delicious. Thank you.”

I managed a smile, trying to conceal the lingering pain. I stood at the island, sipping my wine as I watched him serve his dinner and sit across from me.

“So…,” he started, spearing a piece of broccoli with his fork. “How was physiotherapy?”

“It was good,” I replied, striving to sound cheerful. “How was work?” I asked, attempting to keep the conversation going.

“Good,” Mason responded, his tone flat.

The conversation felt strained, as it had been since he discovered about Adam and the kiss. We had both been walking on eggshells around each other. I was growing weary of it.

“Are we really doing this?” I asked.

Mason didn’t respond but continued eating, his expression impassive.

I frowned, exhausted from the constant uncertainty. “Whatever! I’m so done with this.” I turned to leave.

“Wait,” Mason said, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

He let out a sigh and turned to face me. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice barely audible. “I know I’ve been pushing you away, I’m the one at fault.”

“Yes, you are,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest. “You’ve been such a jerk to me, Mason,” I added, my voice heavy with hurt.

“I know,” Mason said, his eyes filled with remorse. “I didn’t handle the situation well. I think I was just scared. I thought…maybe you kissed him because you didn’t feel the same for me as you did before the accident.”

“But there was no cause for you to think that,” I responded. “Everything was fine between us. When Adam kissed me that night, I pushed him away. That’s the whole truth, I swear.”

“He seems to believe there’s more to it,” he retorted.

I paused, searching for the right words. “I can’t fathom why he’d think that. Sure, I confided in him occasionally, I chatted with Adam, just like I did with Ethan. But it was never more than that for me.”

“I trust you,” Mason assured me.

A smile tugged at my lips. “So, can we finally put this to rest?” I asked, and he nodded in agreement.

A wave of relief washed over me as I realized we could finally leave this mess behind and move forward.

“Come here.” Mason beckoned, pulling me into his embrace.

His arms wrapped around me, drawing me close to him. It felt so comforting to be in his arms again, inhaling his masculine scent.

“I fucking love you,” he murmured against my neck.

I pulled away slightly, surprised by his declaration. He had said it once before, but it had slipped out unintentionally, even though it was clear he felt that way. He hadn’t repeated it since then.

Everyone knows Mason Knight isn’t one to wear his heart on his sleeve. Yet here he was, confessing his love for me, without a hint of hesitation. My heart pounded as I absorbed his words.

I met his gaze, a smile playing on my lips. “I fucking love you too,” I responded, laughing lightly.

He smirked, then leaned in to seal our words with a passionate, demanding kiss.

I was nestled between his legs, feeling him harden against me. It felt so right to be close to him again. ~I’ve missed this.~

Mason’s fingers traced a teasing path up my arm, then lingered on the buttons of my blouse. With a gentle touch, he began to undo them, one by one, revealing my bare breasts beneath.

He pushed my blouse aside, bringing them into view, and cupped one in his hand. “Mmm.” I moaned as he ran his thumb over the peak, back and forth.

Mason’s lips curled into a wicked smirk. “It’s a wonder I’ve managed to keep my hands off you these past few days.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and whispered against his lips, “Well, you know what they say about make-up sex. Let’s make it count.” I nipped at my lower lip playfully.

Mason scooped me up in his arms, his sudden actions eliciting a laugh from me that echoed through our quiet house. He started to carry me out of the kitchen, my legs swinging in the air.

“Where are we going?” I asked with playful curiosity.

“To the shower,” he replied, his words accompanied by that devilish smirk I adored so much.

The prospect of getting wet and soapy with him in the shower was incredibly enticing. I leaned in and kissed him, our kiss deepening as we climbed the stairs.

It was a wonder we made it to the bedroom without stumbling.

Mason set me down in the bathroom, the warm tiles beneath me instantly soothing my weary feet. He turned toward the shower and switched on the water.

He came back to me, his hands gently sliding my open blouse off my shoulders and down my arms. Once I was completely naked, I watched as he began to undress.

His white shirt was untucked and unbuttoned, offering a glimpse of his broad chest. With measured movements, he shrugged the shirt off his shoulders and down his muscular arms, the fabric pooling at his feet.

The sound of his belt buckle being undone was followed by a satisfying thud as his trousers hit the floor. My back pressed against the cool tile of the shower wall.

Mason’s palms were flat on either side of my head as he deepened our kiss, his tongue tangling with mine. My hands instinctively moved to his chest, tracing the familiar lines of his abdominal muscles.

I reached down and grasped his length, so large, so thick, it made me feel good knowing I could make him feel this way. Mason’s strong arms hoisted me up, his hands gripping my hips as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

Our naked bodies pressed together, the heat of his skin igniting a fire within me. He held my ass cheeks in both hands before thrusting his cock inside me.

The pleasure was immediate as he began to move, my body rocking rhythmically against the cool tile of the shower wall. “Mmm, yes,” I sighed.

Mason was trailing kisses down my chest, pausing to take one of my nipples into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it. I let out another moan, my fingers threading through his damp hair.

“Harder,” I breathed out.

“As you wish,” Mason responded huskily.

He spun me around so I was facing the foggy glass shower door. He entered me again, his thrusts more forceful and rapid this time.

His hand reached around me, his fingers moving quickly over my clit as he took me from behind. The pleasure was so intense it was almost too much, and I could feel myself nearing the edge.

His grip on my hips tightened, his movements growing more fervent. I found myself pressed against the shower door, the impact sending a wave of pleasure through me.

Our shared moans echoed in the bathroom as I reached my climax. Simultaneously, he held me close, releasing himself inside me.

I turned to face him, water droplets cascading down his face from his hair. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him into a gentle kiss.

In that moment, I was filled with gratitude that he was still here, despite everything. I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. The hands were inching toward midnight.

Mason was leaning against the headboard of our bed, a pillow propped behind his head. I was snuggled against his chest, my hair a wild mess from our earlier shower.

I tried to pull the sheet up higher. Mason playfully tugged it back down, and suddenly, my bare backside was exposed.

“Hey, cheeky!” I exclaimed, playfully nudging him. “Haven’t you had enough?”

“Not nearly,” he responded, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

I turned to look at him, my heart fluttering at the sight. I gazed at him, feeling a sense of peace just being in his arms.

As Mason’s fingers traced the scars on my back, a shiver ran down my spine. I used to hate him seeing my scars, but now I didn’t mind so much.

“What’s on your mind, beautiful?” Mason asked, sensing my shift in mood.

I hesitated, unsure whether to share the day’s events. But remembering our commitment to honesty, I knew I had to. Still, I was worried about how it might affect our current happiness.

I sat up, clutching the sheet to my chest. I tucked a loose strand of my blonde hair behind my ear, unsure of how to start.

~He’s going to lose it when I tell him about Brent.~

“I, um…had lunch with Carmen at the restaurant earlier while she was on break from work,” I began, and he nodded for me to continue. “When I was leaving I ran into Brent.”

“Brent,” Mason said, his voice hardening. “What happened?”

The air was heavy with tension. “Nothing, really,” I said, trying to sound casual. “He was just being a jerk, bringing up the accident. He asked about you.”

Mason let out a sigh. “I haven’t seen him in a couple of years,” he replied. “He tried to reach out to me after the accident, but I ignored him.”

I nodded, understanding his reluctance. “Carmen’s been ignoring him too. But it seems like he’s going to get his stuff back after all. Carmen said he could call around some day and pick it up.”

“Hopefully that will be the end of that situation,” Mason replied. “Did anything else happen?” he asked.

~Other than him telling me that I’m going to pay for ruining his marriage, no, nothing else.~

I shook my head in response. Satisfied with my answer, Mason pulled me toward him. I rested my head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat.

“The next time you see him, I want you to call me, okay?” he asked.

My voice came out as a whisper when I responded. “Okay, I promise.”