Savor Me

“You should know a few things.” I start preparing myself to end things with Hunter. “I spend every night talking to Mason. In a way, I know him better than I do you. You fall asleep and he and I stay awake for hours. Hunter, he’s amazing. He gets me and believes in me and trusts me. He’s quiet, but the way he looks at me says more than his words could ever express. The best part is I look at him the same way. From the very first night, my connection with Mason has been intense. I recognized something in him right away. I’ve just been too scared to admit it. ” I confess it all. I don’t want to hurt Hunter, but if he has some delusional idea that he and I have anything close to what Mason and I have, I need to crush it now.

“No, Lacey.” I know he wasn’t expecting that answer. I also know it’s killing him to hear.

“Hunter, I need to go find him.”

“So what does that mean? Are you breaking up with me?” he asks, tossing his hands out to the side. The hurt can’t be hidden on his beautiful face. “Damn it, Lacey. Can’t you see I want to be with you? Just me and you. I want us to form that bond that you think you have with Mason. Lacey, I’m fucking crazy about you, but if I tell you I love you now, I’ll sound like an ass. I want to say it when you can appreciate it and not when it sounds like I’m just saying it to compete with my best friend. I want you, Lacey. Stay with me.” He moves to grab me, but for the first time, I move away from Hunter Coy.

“Mason needs me,” I say quietly.

He barks out a laugh. “No he doesn’t! Mason is a loner, always has been. He doesn’t attach himself to people. He may have had a shit past, but that’s not why he’s quiet and likes to watch. He watches because he is trying to figure out how to make things better. He’s a trainer through and through. He trains things, Lacey. He takes them in a raw form and molds them into something beautiful. He’s going to mold you and try to change you. And when he is done, he will walk away and consider it a job well done. I’m the only person he has ever stuck with. He doesn’t need you, Lacey. ” Two months ago, his words would have terrified me. Hell, two hours ago they would have had me on the run. But now that I think Mason loves me, I’m blind to anything but that.

“Well none of that matters, because I need him,” I say matter-of-factly.

And with that, I turn away from an amazing sure thing. I have no doubt that Hunter loves me. I’m not blind. And on a scale of one to ten, Hunter Coy is an off-the-charts catch. He’s kind and loyal and would probably spend the rest of his life taking care of me. The only thing he isn’t…is Mason Wynn.





I RUSH AROUND THE corner of the building, hoping to catch a cab back to Mason’s place when, suddenly, I stumble. I barely catch my balance as I try to figure out what tripped me. I look back and can faintly make out a silhouette sitting against the wall. His knees are pulled up, his head cradled in his hands.

“Mase?” I ask, heading back in his direction. “What are you doing?”

“I promised you I’d never leave. I couldn’t stand there any longer, but I couldn’t just leave either.”

“So you’ve just been sitting here eavesdropping?” I try to make a joke as I squat down next to him.

“Pretty much.” He finally lifts his eyes to mine, and the fear and pain inside them forces me to my ass beside him.

“Jesus, are you okay?”

“Not even close.”

“Mason…”

“I can’t go back to that, Lace. I can’t watch him touch you. He’s my best friend, and I have hated him every minute since he said he wanted to take you away from me. I can’t live wrapped up in that kind of hate, but I also don’t think I can live without you. I’m sorry if that’s what you want, but I can’t do it anymore.”

“I don’t want that either. I thought you said you were listening?” I scoot in close to him. He’s made no attempt to touch me, but I need to touch him. I rest my head on his shoulder, and he gently leans his down on top of it.

“I was listening, but you didn’t have a chance to hear me.”

“So was Hunter, right?” I ask, begging for the answer.

He lets out a loud breath. “Yeah, pretty much spot-on. Well, except for the whole trainer bit. That was a stretch, even for him. I don’t want to change you, and obviously I won’t leave.” He shrugs.

My heart begins to race over the fact that this could actually be real. “I can see that,” I tease.

“I’m sorry if I was a dick back there. It’s just that I’m so fucking scared you will chose him.”

I move around to face him and kneel between his legs. I make sure his blues are looking at me. I want him to understand this and know that it’s more than just a sentence. “It was never a choice, Mase. It was always you.”

“I…I do need you. But not for the reason you think. It’s not because I’m broken. It’s because I can’t figure out how I would even begin to move my life forward without you. I don’t want just the nights anymore, Lace. I want the days too. For once in my life, I feel like I have something I can really be proud of. I want you to be mine for everyone to see. Not hide it like it’s some dirty little secret. Is that something you think you could handle?”

“I think I could handle just about anything except losing you.” Tears pool in my eyes as I prepare myself for what I’m going to say next. Still holding his gaze, I free us both. “Mason, I love you.”