Chapter Thirty-Three

He was out of breath by the time he got to the terminal gate at the LAX airport. If he missed this flight to Miami he’d never make his connecting flight to Key West in time and that meant he’d miss watching the sunset with Tessler. It was a promise he really wanted to keep and a visual he’d held on to in his mind’s eye for the last several days. It was the only thing that kept him focused and on task. Sure, they’d see other sunsets together and possibly even a couple of sunrises, but this first sunset was important for so many reasons. Metaphorically, it was a symbol for the two of them to witness the close of one chapter of their lives and to be together as they started the next. Sort of like riding off into the sunset just as they did at the end of an old-fashioned cowboy western movie.

Mason settled into his seat on the plane and buckled up the seatbelt in his lap. He was beyond exhausted from working his ass off over the last several days, but the one thing that kept him pushing forward was the reward of seeing Tessler in Key West. They’d had minimal contact during that time by choice. It may have killed them both to do it that way, but fully completing the execution of the job meant they had to follow Mason’s plan right to the bitter end, not by taking the risk of details emerging during a phone call or a text. Everything needed to be done clean and concise. No bullshit, and no evidence left behind.

They were in the final stretch of putting this nightmare behind them and starting new. When they fell asleep tonight in each other’s arms, Tessler’s secrets would be safe—at least for the time being. Mason wasn’t sure how receptive Tessler would be to the suggestions he was planning to make to finalize this chapter of his life, but they could enjoy the next few days at the beach before they had to think too hard about that. For now, Tessler wasn’t in danger, and it filled Mason’s heart to the brim to know he helped make that happen. To use his training for good like this was such a boost to Mason’s ego and self-worth. The rush he felt driving away with the prize in hand that night would forever be a part of him, even if it was a moment he couldn’t ever share with anyone. It was still his victory, his accomplishment—both physically and mentally, and he was damned proud of himself.

He’d been so efficient at facilitating his plan, that he’d completed the job and even managed to arrive at work on time that Monday with the other guys of Ventura Security and held vigil outside the courtroom doors as a show of support for a very nervous Kensey. They were a united presence at the courthouse for four days, until Victor dismissed some of them after the jury came back with a guilty verdict, and it was known that Kensey’s evil grandfather was going away to prison for a very long time. Victor also gave the guards a week off before they would repeat this duty again at the courthouse when the asshole who kidnapped Kensey went to trial. That gave Mason one solid week to reacquaint himself with Tessler’s tanned body on a sunny beach down in Key West.

My own personal Fantasy Island.

As much as Mason’s commitment to the team had him thinking he should stay until Kensey’s grandfather was officially sentenced, he wanted to see Tessler more. It was that simple. For the first time in his life, he had someone more important to him than anything else.

Mason’s head fell against the headrest of his seat as the plane lifted off the runway and ascended into the sky. He closed his eyes and released a sigh of relief at the thought he was now one step closer to holding the man he loved in his arms.

See you soon, Tess.

When Mason was a lot younger he imagined that one day he’d fall for a pretty girl, get married, and maybe have a couple of kids. But as the years passed him by, with no pretty girls coming along to melt his heart, Mason had shrugged off any possibility he’d have a family, and he’d come to accept that, too. Marriage wasn’t for everyone, and he was old enough now to have witnessed several of his Marine friends get married and then divorced a few years later. It had left Mason feeling blessed for missing out on the race to the altar with a pretty girl, but then Tessler and his magnetic brown eyes blew into his life and turned it upside down, and his once expected future with a pretty girl had been transformed into wanting to spend the rest of his days with a gorgeously handsome man.

How did I ever get this lucky to have Tessler as a partner?

Being in love did crazy things to your brain, at least it did to Mason. It made him push himself harder to be a better and stronger man, both physically and emotionally. It also made him want all the silly, little things that came with being in love—right down to the hearts bulging out of his eyes like a cartoon character. Yeah, love sure was a rabid beast, but Mason had never felt happier in his life, and the wild ride Tessler was taking him on was something Mason never wanted to stop. He wanted a life with Tessler that brought them both into old age. He wanted their love to be endless.

Mason’s connecting plane landed at the Key West airport, and he hurried over to a waiting taxi for the final leg of his very long journey to see Tessler. It was down to only a few short miles separating them, and Mason’s heart was ready to explode inside his chest. He gave the address of Tessler’s cottage to the driver and asked him to hurry. Judging by the sky, Mason estimated he had around twenty minutes to get to the cottage to see that sunset. He’d be cutting it close, but Tessler was well worth the extra effort in everything Mason did. He thought about sending Tessler a quick text message but his hands were shaking so badly, he doubted he’d be able to get a message typed. His arrival would be a complete surprise. He only hoped Tessler was as excited to see him as Mason was to see Tessler.

He already had the door to the taxi partially opened when it came to a stop in the dirt driveway beside a small, white clapboard cottage. Mason tossed a few bills at the driver and grabbed his duffel bag from the floor, then jumped from the vehicle. Christ, he was so nervous!

Mason hurried along the side of the cottage and walked in the direction of the beach; he could barely catch a glimpse of the ocean through the density of the mangrove trees and other bushes. He found a pathway and followed it through an opening in the shrubs and then he saw Tessler. Sitting alone on a towel in the sand of this pristine beach with his perfectly tanned backside facing him, he stole Mason’s breath. He stood there still for a moment and just took in the sight of the sun ready to fall into the ocean while the man of his dreams watched nature’s beauty in awe from his spot in the sand. This was a perfect fucking moment—one Mason would never forget as long as he lived.

Somehow Mason finally got his feet to move and quietly approached Tessler in the sand. It wasn’t until he took a seat directly beside him so their shoulders touched that Tessler glanced in his direction. Mason saw the tear streaks on his cheeks then, and the glassy-eyed look of disbelief creasing Tessler’s face, almost as if he couldn’t believe he was really seeing him. He cupped the side of Tessler’s face and dried his skin.

“I’m here, babe,” Mason said. “What’s wrong?”

The sound of Mason’s voice seemed to pull Tessler out of his trance, and his arms quickly wrapped around Mason’s shoulders in a desperate embrace. “I’d started to think you weren’t ever coming and thought I was watching another sunset without you,” Tessler said beside Mason’s ear. “I’ve been so worried, Mase.”

“I’m okay, Tess. Everything is fine.”

“You told me I shouldn’t call, and as the days wore on without any word from you, I started to wonder what happened,” Tessler confessed.

Mason hugged Tessler back. “It’s over and you’re safe,” Mason said. He leaned back and pressed his lips to Tessler’s damp cheeks, then inhaled the scent of the man in his arms. His skin smelled like sunshine, sea mist, and coconut, and Mason was filled with the need to taste him all over. “I’ve missed you so fucking much, Tess.”

“Me, too,” Tessler answered. “God, you have no idea.”

Mason tipped his head and found Tessler’s mouth. Their kiss was frenzied, hot, and sloppy, and as Mason’s need began to amp, he pulled Tessler off of his towel and had him straddled across his thighs in one swift motion. His hands slid down Tessler’s warm, smooth back and then they froze on his hips.

“Holy shit,” Mason panted.

“What’s the matter?” Tessler asked.

Mason looked down between them and started to chuckle. “You’re completely fucking naked.”

“I am most of the time I’m here,” Tessler said and grinned. “How else do you think I’m able to achieve this all-over tan?”

Mason’s fingers circled Tessler’s hard shaft and squeezed. “You’re evil,” Mason said and took another kiss while he fisted Tessler’s cock and began to stroke.

“And you’re wearing too many clothes,” Tessler added.

Mason pulled out of this kiss even more breathless than the last one. “You want me to take off my clothes here?”

“I do, and I don’t want you putting them back on, either.”

Tessler stood up with his feet planted in the sand beside Mason’s thighs. His thick cock bounced directly in front of Mason’s mouth. Mason grinned right before his tongue lashed out to swipe a taste, then his lips circled his tip and Tessler moaned.

“Mmmm, I can taste the ocean,” Mason said.

Tessler stepped back. “As much as I’m aching for you to suck me, I really should shower for you, first.” He spun away and sat back down on the towel and then looked over at Mason. “Besides, don’t you want to watch the sunset with me?”

“I do, Tess, but not just tonight,” Mason said. “I want to watch sunsets with you every night.”

“You know, you can see the sunrise from my bed,” Tessler added.

“Seriously?” Mason asked. He watched Tessler nod and then said, “Then, I think we should sit here to watch the sunsets, and we’ll catch the sunrise from your bed.”

“It becomes our bed as of tonight,” Tessler said and smiled, then his gaze went back to the sun as it was just starting to kiss the horizon. Ribbons of reds, oranges, and even purples and blues were splashed over the sky like a Monet painting.

Mason sat beside Tessler and they watched the sunset in perfect silence. The only sounds were the waves rolling up on the beach in front of them and the seagulls soaring overhead. When the vibrant colors began to fade into the darker shades of dusk, Mason bumped his shoulder with Tessler’s.

“I have something for you,” Mason stated. He reached for his duffel bag he’d dropped in the sand before he sat down, unzipped the top, then pulled out a thin box.

“Is that what I think it is?” Tessler asked.

“It is,” Mason replied, “and it’s yours now.”

Tessler took the box Mason handed to him and opened the lid. Inside was a black, hardcover book with a blank cover and the title: Black Key Journal written on the spine. Mason watched Tessler lovingly caress the book. His long fingers took their time sliding over the surface and corners, almost like he were saying hello to an old friend.

“Can you tell me how you managed to get this back?” Tessler asked.

“You know I can’t, Tess. All that matters is that it’s yours again, and no one will ever take it away from you.” Mason was quiet for a moment rolling the right words to say around inside his head, then he decided to just let it spill. “There’s something else I think you should consider, Tess.”

“What’s that?” Tessler asked without looking at Mason.

“I think the only way to seriously put all the bullshit with Barry behind you is to do your own press conference,” Mason suggested. “Do it soon and beat Barry to the punch. Disclose all your identities and take the power away from him or anyone else who wants to do it for you. Own it and then you can move on without ever needing to worry about this again.”

Mason heard the sharp intake of breath Tessler drew into his lungs. His lips flattened into a straight line. He looked angry and Mason wondered if he’d made a mistake to suggest something this big. He firmly believed this was the best logical action Tessler should take, but maybe this wasn’t the best time to mention it. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the reunion they had happening right now in this beautiful location.

After a long moment, Tessler finally said, “You really think I should do that?”

“I do, Tess. Sooner or later this will come out, you know it, so it makes sense that you should be the one to announce it. If you explain it to the public in your own words, it will be less sensationalized by the media. If someone like Barry discloses it, then your story becomes a headline. You’ve still got time to beat him with this announcement if you do it soon.”

“I don’t know if I can do it,” Tessler replied.

“Has he tried to contact you yet?” Mason asked.

“No, not yet.”

“Well, once he realizes he no longer has the journal, he probably will call, so be prepared for that,” Mason explained.

Tessler looked away to the other end of the beach. He was too quiet and Mason again feared he’d crossed a line, then finally Tessler faced him again. “Would you be there with me when I did the interview?”

Every muscle in Mason’s body uncoiled at Tessler’s question. “Jesus, of course I’d be there with you,” Mason said. “I’ll help you any way I can. You know that.”

“Maybe I could sit with a reporter down here, give them an exclusive or something,” Tessler said.

“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Mason said. “You need to do this soon though before Barry decides to go ahead with his—even without the journal in his possession. Maybe if you go with a lesser known reporter here in Key West, the story will be buried. That would also lessen the chance of a media circus happening because of this news.”

“You could be right about that,” Tessler said and then began to flip through some of the pages in the journal. “By chance, did you read this?” Tessler’s asked in a soft voice after a long moment.

Their eyes met and that’s when Mason saw the fresh tears teetering on the ends of Tessler’s lashes. Jesus, he imagined this was a lot for Tessler to process, maybe it was too much. He held eye contact as he answered, “No, I didn’t, Tess. This is your deepest personal stuff, you said so yourself. There’s no way I’d invade your privacy like that.”

Tessler wiped at his eyes with one hand. “I wouldn’t have minded if you read it,” he admitted. “It feels different for you to know this shit.”

Mason shook his head. “I couldn’t do it. Somehow it would still feel like a betrayal,” Mason said.

“Don’t you want to know what’s inside this book?” Tessler questioned.

“No, I don’t,” Mason said with a shake of his head. “The person who wrote that journal isn’t the man I fell in love with. What he did years ago might have helped to shape the man he is today, but I don’t need to know that other person. I know you have a past, and I do too. We both survived those years, and we came out of it and somehow managed to find each other. I’m not sure anything else matters, except for the history we make together from here on out.”

Tessler seemed to tense beside him and Mason stilled too. Had he said something to upset Tessler? “Tess, I’m not trying to hurt you. I just don’t see an advantage to me knowing what’s inside that book. You said you’re not that same person anymore, so why would I want to know that part of you?”

Tessler drew in a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. “Do you really mean it?” he asked.

“Well, if I’m being completely honest about this,” Mason said. “I’m nervous that some of that shit might give my self-esteem a kick, and I’m just now starting to feel really good about myself again. I don’t think there’s any real benefit for me knowing every last detail of your past.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Tessler said. “You said something else in there, something you’ve never said to me before now.”

Mason sat there and searched his memory. He went over every word he remembered saying and then stopped. Had he used the L word out loud in front of Tessler? Jesus, he must have. The look on Tessler’s face now had Mason concerned. He couldn’t get a clear read on if he was happy he’d used the word or not.

Mason set his hand on top of Tessler’s where it held the journal and laced their fingers. He might as well get all his cards on the table, once and for all. It didn’t make sense for him to hide something that was so damn big inside of his heart.

“I was very serious, Tess. I’m in love with you.” Mason said the words and then he watched for Tessler’s reaction. He first saw the quirk of one eyebrow, then the slow grin that slid across his face to form a smile.

“I love you, too . . . so fucking much,” Tessler sighed.

The kiss that followed their confession didn’t end until they were inside the cottage, and even then, they only separated long enough for Mason to remove his clothes before they stepped into the shower together. Mason used his hand to stroke them both to their first orgasm of the night as their mouths continued to feast. Mason couldn’t remember ever feeling this much pleasure from having his tongue sucked, but Tessler had a way of making his toes curl no matter what he was doing to him, and it filled Mason with pure joy. He couldn’t believe he’d finally found that special someone who filled up all the lonely spaces inside of him, fixed the broken pieces, and smoothed out the jagged edges, too. More importantly, Tessler made Mason a better man.