Page 62 of Risk
Why does it feel like I’ve somehow cheated on him? Wow, my braining is complicated.
Standing naked between his legs, I feel like I’m still shrouded in a mask because I’ve had a double life all along. I feel like I’m more Daisy Ren than Leah with Mason. We’re all sex. All fun. All fantasy.
And he’s trying to take that part of me, of us, to the next level.
I’m not sure we’re ready for that.
It’s one thing to do it in a club. There are no recording devices allowed there. We’d have anonymity. But the internet is another monster. It stays forever. It could ruin us both.
No. It could ruin Mason.
One slip, one detail, one wrong move, and his identity could be revealed.
With that in mind, how on earth are we supposed to date at all? How can we make anything official without me losing my job or him being laughed at and looked down on for dating me?
As he sits on the edge of the bed, still in a three-piece suit, I’m suddenly very aware of how different we are.
He just said he made a billion dollars today.
I used my last ten bucks to get my stupid phone to charge.
He’s a somebody.
I’m a nobody.
Yet, I feel this overpowering need to protect him. And when he stares at me like he is right now, like I’m the only person in existence, I forget it isn’t true.
I want this man. For now. For however long I can.
“I’m really proud of you, Mase.” Leaning in, I kiss him with every fiber of my being. From my toes to my roots.
The kiss is long, steady, strong, and possessive.
“Fuck, Leah,” he groans when I finally pull away. His gaze drifts over my face but doesn’t lower to the rest of my body. “Kiss me like that again, Princess.”
I give him what he asks for.
When I pull away again, I’m the one left breathless. “I’ve never kissed anyone like that in my life.” It’s only after his eyes widen and brow furrows when I realize I just said that out loud. Stepping back, I tuck my hair between my ears and clear my throat. “Wow, that was deep.”
Stop talking, Leah, you sound like an idiot.
Mason stands up and slowly closes the space between us. “I hold everything close to my chest.” Sliding his hand under my hair, he grips the nape of my neck. “I took the biggest risk of my life a few months ago and have felt like a ticking time bomb ever since.” He cups my cheek with his other hand. “Today, everything fell into place. My best friends and I just had the biggest payout—better than we’ve ever dreamed of.”
It’s hard to swallow past the lump in my throat.
“And the first thing I wanted to do was share my news with you, Leah.” His eyes get these little crinkles on the side with his tight smile. “I realized today how very alone I’ve been. And when I couldn’t get a hold of you, it was all I could do to not rip the city apart to find you. I’ve been pacing this room for two hours, scared to death that you might not even come back. Then I thought of how crazy it is that we’ve clashed like this since the first moment I saw you.”
My heart spins in circles.
Mason runs his thumb along my cheek, his tone softening. “On a fucking whim, because I craved you so badly, I asked you to come be with me and here you are.”
“Here… I am.” Is it getting hot in here? I think I’m having a hot flash or something.
“I don’t have anyone else in my life to share happy news with.”
My dumb heart grows a fat, pouty bottom lip and tears up.
“You’re happy for me.” His four words land like an anvil. It’s as if the concept is so foreign, he doesn’t know how to process it.