Our very own alpha males. I thought they only existed in books.
I looked up at Mason, who was in as much of a disguise as he could be with a black hoodie and black cap pulled low over his face.
Once he’d successfully scared our would-be suitors away, he turned to me, the anger on his face melting away into a warm smile.
“Hi.” I grinned, my breath hitching as he enveloped me in a hug.
Good god, he was so strong. All his muscles aligned with my curves as I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him back. And he smelled amazing, like masculine soap and something intrinsically and deliciously Mason. My entire body zinged as I imagined what he looked like, what he felt like beneath all these clothes.
“Beating them off with a stick, I see,” he noted in my ear.
I swatted at him playfully, pulling away to smile over at Lily and to say hello to Ryan. I’d only met him briefly the other night at Mason’s. He was handsome and totally Lily’s type with his sandy-blond hair and classic good looks. I’d learned he played for the Broncos too, as a linebacker or something or other.
I looked back to Mason, taking in his strong jaw that broke into a gorgeous smile when our eyes met.
“Are you under there?” I teased, peering under his cap.
“Yeah, just trying to go incognito if I can.” He grinned, putting an arm around me and pulling me into his side. “You all set with drinks?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I nodded, my eyes lighting up as the music reached my ears. “I love this song.” I took his hand and pulled him to the edge of the crowd.
He stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me as I leaned into his body in an incredibly intimate, yet natural embrace. His large frame completely dwarfed mine, but rather than feel scared as I might expect, I felt cared for and protected.
He shielded me from being bumped or jostled when the music turned upbeat and the crowd responded, and guided me back to our table when it had happened too many times for his liking.
“Can I get you another?” he asked, his eyes on my empty glass when he’d pulled my chair out for me.
“Sure,” I agreed as he raised a questioning finger to Ryan, who shook his head, and Lily, who nodded.
“Keep an eye on my girl,” he ordered Ryan before stalking off to the bar.
“Damn,” Lily mouthed to me from across the table.
Damn was right. I felt like I was walking on air when Mason returned, and I pulled him back out to the dance floor.
“Ready to get out of here?” Mason rumbled in my ear hours later when the band was done and I was beginning to yawn. It was a work night, after all.
“Yeah.” I nodded.
Lily and I had taken a Lyft, making it easy for me to catch a ride with Mason and for her to leave with Ryan. We said our goodbyes and were soon rocketing off the curb.
“Have fun?” he asked as we merged onto the highway in his black Range Rover. I wondered absently how many cars he had.
“Yeah, they were good.” I nodded, referring to the band.
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked, looking over at me briefly before his eyes returned to the road.
“Not sure.” I shrugged.
“Want to hang with me?” he asked with a crooked smile.
“Perhaps,” I allowed with a small smile.
When we pulled up to my building, there were a few bums loitering around out front. Denver was a pretty safe city, but it happened occasionally.
“I’m walking you in,” he told me in a way that wasn’t to be argued with.
When we pushed into my building without needing to enter the code, I saw his jaw flex.
