Mason
Getting out of training on a Friday wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. After getting an earful of shit from Blake and only mild dirty looks from Cameron, I managed to convince my team that one day off wouldn’t kill me. Or them. Upon receiving their grumbled agreements, I made a phone call and was able to book the same flights as Trix for our trip back home.
We’re waiting outside on the curb of San Jose International Airport, my duffle slung over one shoulder and Trix’s hot pink roller bag in hand. She tilts her head up, and a slight breeze tosses her loose blond and purple locks around her face. Her lips curl in a smile, and I can’t see behind her sunglasses, but I’d be willing to bet her eyes are shining with humor.
She hikes her purse higher on her bare shoulder, tugging on the skinny strap of her tank. “You look good in pink.”
I cock a shoulder and swing my gaze to the row of cars trickling down the terminal as they wait for their passengers to appear. “I look good in everything, baby.” I squint, searching for my brother’s Cadillac.
Since our flight took us to San Jose, I called up Drake and guilted his ass into picking us up from the airport. Trix assured me that her parents could get her, but knowing I’d have to let her go eventually, I’d rather milk every last second of our time together.
She giggles. “I can’t argue with that.”
Damn, I dig this girl.
“Come here.” I throw my arm over her shoulder and pull her to me, maneuvering her around my bag so I can get to her lips. Aware we’ll have to keep all public affection to a minimum when around her family, I refuse to pass up the chance to steal a kiss. Tilting my head to avoid bashing her forehead with the bill of my baseball hat, I press a long close-mouthed kiss to her soft lips.
A slow hum vibrates our connection as she gives her weight over to me. I should stop, pull away to avoid making a scene, but the way her hands grip my tee at my belly, her sweet floral scent whirling through my senses . . . I part my lips. She takes my cue and wraps her arms around my neck, pushing up on tiptoes and pressing her tits into my chest.
My pulse rockets through my veins, and I slide my hand down her back to the base of her spine. Don’t grab her ass in front of all these people. Do NOT grab her ass—
A horn honks. “You gonna fuck her out there, or do you two horny bastards wanna get in the damn car!”
We grin against each other’s lips, before turning to see Drake leaning over into the passenger side of his ride, windows down, and scowling.
“Have some fucking respect, you little shit!” I motion to the back of his car. “Pop the trunk.”
I open the back door for Trix to get in before I take our bags and secure them in the trunk.
I hop in the front seat and pull on my seatbelt. The smell of Drake’s cologne mixes with the stale scent of weed. My stomach twists with worry. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Sure thing.” Drake has on his sunglasses, but I can tell by the slight lift of his chin that he’s checking Trix out in the backseat through the rearview mirror.
“Eyes on the road, bro.”
He shoots me a look and a cocky grin then merges with traffic. “Where to, sweetheart?”
“Drake.” Fuckin’ thinking he’s a damn baller. Idiot.
He laughs and sits deeper into his seat.
“I-17 south to Los Gatos.” There’s a hesitant sound in her voice that makes me wish I was in the backseat so I could touch her in some way to calm her nerves.
Silence descends on the three of us. Drake and I have plenty to talk about, but none of it I’ll say in front of Trix. And there are a million things I’d like to say to my girl but don’t want Drake to hear.
He pulls onto the long stretch of highway and settles into the fast lane. “So you guys are dating, yeah?”
I cock my head to glare at my little brother. “Are you stupid?”
He shrugs. “What? It’s an obvious question. She’s a stripper, dude. For all I know, she’s just escorting you home for the right price.”
I grit my teeth, fists clenched as I contemplate the cost-reward of knocking Drake out while he’s flying down the highway with the girl I care for most in the entire world sitting in the back. Fuck!
The soft sound of Trix’s laughter filters from the backseat. “You’re so right, Drake. Mason’s paying me for full service all weekend long.” She pushes up to place her face right between Drake and me. “You should’ve seen the expression on the stewardess’s face when I sucked your brother off under a blanket on the plane.” She licks her lips and moans and Drake shifts in his seat. She leans in closer to him. “Your brother’s a big boy, and I mean big in every way. I have bruises all over my ass after we fucked like monkeys in the airplane bathroom.”
Damn, she’s good at this seduction shit. Drake’s practically drooling, and I’m doing everything to keep my dick from responding to her tease.
“You lucky son of a bitch!”
I turn and grip my fingers into Trix’s hair, pulling her to me for a hard kiss while she giggles against my lips.
She flicks Drake’s ear. “Sucka.”
“Wait, so you’re kidding . . . or . . . ?”
I punch him in the shoulder, eliciting a bitch-ass squeal from his wanna-be gangster lips. “Why don’t you mind your own business?”
“Fuck, man.” He rubs his arm. “Fine. Shit.”
I shake my head and consider a rental car or even a few hundred dollars to get a cab to take us back to the airport at the end of the weekend.
“Trix, baby, your dad’s birthday is Sunday afternoon, right?”
“Yeah. It’s at one, so we can hang for a few hours, and then Isaac will take us to the airport. You’re still going to come, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, but I was thinking . . . You wanna bring the kids to Cowell tomorrow? Figure we could give your mom and dad a break from the kids, hang out at the beach all day, maybe a bonfire that night?”
“Really?” The high-pitched sound of excitement from her lips makes my chest pound. “That would be awesome!”
“Great, let’s do it. We’ll figure out all the details tonight after you settle in.”
“The kids are going to shit, they’ll be so excited,” she mumbles to herself.
Drake laughs, low and shitty sounding. What the hell is his problem? “Look at you getting all domesticated.” He shoves me. “No more back in town for hanging with your boys and fucking bitches, huh?”
What the fuck? I’ve come back in town and hung at the bars with The Brotherhood, but fucking bitches? That’s never been me. Not that the occasional one-nighter didn’t sneak up on me, but it was rare. “Are you high?”
He ignores me, and I make a mental note to talk to Trix about this later. I know she wouldn’t care even if what Drake said was the truth—after all, she’s been honest about her past conquests—but I need her to know that it’s bullshit.
The rolling hills of San Jose fade into the distance as we approach the Santa Cruz Mountains with their towering redwoods and evergreens. With a few more instructions and forty minutes later, we pull up to an older homestead-style house in a remote area of Los Gatos. The home is tucked deep into the woods on a dirt road. Even though only a few miles from multi-million dollar homes, new developments, and middle class homes, it’s so hidden in the trees I wonder if the city even knows they’re still here.
“Is this it?” Drake says with a hint of disgust in his voice.
“Yep. Home sweet home.”
The second the last word is out of her mouth, the front door flies open, and kids pour out of the tiny home like circus clowns. Trix squeals with excitement and barrels out of the backseat. She runs, kicking up dirt with her flip-flops, and catches the fastest of her brothers and sisters as a little boy leaps into her arms.
“Dude, what the fuck . . .?” Drake whispers and I know he’s confused about the myriad of ethnicities and ages of all the children now piled around Trix.
“Big family. Stay in here.” I push out of the car just as an older man steps out of the door.
He’s bigger than I expected, full beard and overgrown hair, but dressed well in a long-sleeved collared shirt tucked into jeans. That must be Pastor Langley, Trix’s Dad. A small, thin woman with short dark hair pushes past the man and races toward the kids’ squealing, and it doesn’t take a genius to realize it’s Trix’s Mom.
I’m transfixed on this family reunion. Hell, I don’t even remember the last time I hugged my mom. Trix closes her eyes as her mom kisses every inch of her face. It isn’t until I feel the prickle of being watched that I peek up to find a set of dark brown eyes on me.
Trix’s dad looks curious as he moves off the front porch towards his family. His daughter breaks away from her siblings and meets her dad with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. They say a few words to each other then look in my direction. I take my cue and head over to introduce myself.
My muscles are tense as I approach, uneasy about being the odd man out to this welcoming home.
Trix grabs my hand, her sunglasses up on her head, wide grin across her face, and if I weren’t so concerned about honoring her father’s wishes, I’d plant a mind-scrambling kiss against those lips.
“Dad, this is Mason, the guy I told you about.”
I reach out my hand to the older man. “Mr. Langley, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Please, call me Jerome.” He reaches forward, exposing a heavily tattooed forearm, and grips my hand in a firm shake. “It’s nice to meet you. I wish I could say I’ve heard so much about you, but I’ve only heard of you over the last couple days.”
“Sir, your daughter talks plenty of you, so I feel I’ve known you for a while now.”
His gaze moves between Trix and me. “Thank you for making sure she got home safely. I would’ve been happy to pick her up.”
“No need. We’re passing through to Santa Cruz anyway. I’m happy to do it.”
“Oh, this must be Mason.” The woman I assumed was Trix’s mother approaches, a warm and welcoming grin on her face. She wraps me in a hug. “I’m Aggie. It’s so nice to meet you. Will you be coming to the party on Sunday?”
“Yes, I’d planned on it. Thank you for the invite.”
“Whoa, Bee-ee-ah. He’s hu-u-mong-u-us!” A tiny little girl whose hair, eyes, and skin all seem to be the exact same shade of bronze, tugs Trix’s hand.
“Leah, honey,” Aggie whispers.
“You play football?” The tallest of the kids with thick black hair, light skin, and almond-shaped eyes joins the conversation.
“I did in high school, but not anymore.”
“Mason fights for the UFL.” Pride shines in her eyes as she looks up at her little brother. “Mason, this is my brother Isaac.” Trix looks around and continues. “My other brothers, Josiah, Zane, and Aaron.” She scoops up the squealing little girl and props her on a hip. “This little rug rat is Leah.” She rubs the head of a tiny Asian girl who is clinging to Trix’s leg, looking up at her big sister. “And finally, this is Zoe.” Her bright eyes flash back to me. “And, everyone, this is Mason.”
The little ones wave shyly, and the older ones stand back, studying me with speculative glances.
“It’s nice to meet you all.” The kids explode in a flurry of chatter, and Trix’s face lights with love for her siblings. I run my knuckles down her upper arm to get her attention. “I better take off.”
“Oh, yeah.” Her smile falls and she nods. “Guess so.”
I say good-bye to her family and move back to the car with Trix. With the trunk of the car open, no one can see us, and I lean in to place a small kiss to her forehead. “I’ll call you tonight.”
“I hate this.” Her eyebrows are pinched together. “We’ve spend the last three days together, and saying good-bye to you just feels wrong.”
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “We have all day tomorrow at the beach. I can’t wait to see you in your bikini—”
“Dad wants me to help you with your bags.” Isaac’s there with his arms crossed at his chest.
Trix rolls her eyes and takes a step back to create distance between us.
“Sounds good, man.” I pull her bright pink suitcase from the trunk and set it down for Isaac. “See you guys tomorrow.”
“Bye.” She gives me a small, sad wave and heads toward the house with her brother, who I hear say, “What’s going on tomorrow?” a few seconds before he shouts, “Awesome!”
My chest is heavy when I watch the door close behind Trix and fold back into Drake’s car.
“Holy shit, bro. You’re buyin’ the cow too?”
This time I unleash all my frustration and knock the asshole in the chest. He doubles over the steering wheel, gasping.
“That’s your final warning.”
“Jeez, you didn’t have to knock the wind outta me, dick.”
“Talk about my woman again, and I’ll knock the fuckin’ life out of you.”
Not that I blame him for being surprised. As soon as the words come from my lips, I realize I’m telling the God’s honest truth.