Page 25 of Hidden Obsession

Emme went to Cleo as Wolf and Alex disappeared into the conference room with the others. Mason winked at Cleo before following Shane into his office.

His boss was curt and to the point. “Any news on your front?”

Mason sighed. “I’m running something on the side. Mercy is on it with Malco. I don’t know if it’s a solid lead or not, but it’s a potential threat from Cleo’s past. Otherwise, Alex and Wolf are on the computer side of things. Speaking of computers, boss, we need somebody with better skills to help. We manage, but it’s taking us way more time than it should.”

Shane nodded. “I’m looking for someone, a specialist, but it’s not easy. We need to trust that person with our lives, and hackers are flighty and dangerous. If we include one in our team, they have to be the best without any shadows in their past that could become a threat.”

Mason couldn’t agree more, but it meant in the meantime, they had to make do with what they had.

“I’m assigning Nick and King to your building. And before you say it’s unnecessary, Nick’s already found a couple of entry points that may be problematic. It’s only an extra precaution so you can focus on the investigation and protecting Cleo. It’s non-negotiable.”

Mason nodded. He wasn’t about to turn down help or any advantage he could get until he knew without a doubt who was threatening the woman in his life.

* * *

Mason had beensilent the moment he’d left Shane’s office, as if his mind was processing too many things, like an overheated computer.

Cleo wasn’t dumb, the way he’d closed up meant he was on to something, and she noticed him looking at her, opening his mouth as if to speak before stopping himself.

Distracted, he informed her about having Kingsley and Nicholas on security duty, looking around until they were safely locked inside his apartment. Even then, his attention went straight to his phone. Something was going on, and she wanted to know what it was.

Leaving him to his calls, Cleo went to the bathroom and turned the shower on. The blistering water was heaven and helped her clear her head. From the moment the stalker had attacked her, Mason had become her protector. But he had still been open with her, telling her about the investigation. Until this morning. It wasn’t much of a stretch to guess the reason why. He was an investigator, every piece of information he had, everything he suspected could link to her stalker, he would use to keep her safe, and that included the information about Jeffrey Spears.

Cleo realized she still feared the man, but even more now that Mason had become such an essential part of her life. Until now, until him, she hadn’t had anything to lose.

Every time they were together, Mason inched his way deeper under her skin and inside her heart, in a way she’d never thought she’d be lucky enough to experience.

Almost disappointed he hadn’t joined her in the shower, Cleo dried herself as her eyes fell on her bag. There could be a way to make him take a break. Brushing her hair until it shone, she put on a green satin slip adorned with black lace and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. The color was bright and despite her initial reluctance, went perfectly with her hair. It gave her a fae, almost ethereal, look. With the fluttering of satin caressing her body, she opened the door and followed the sound of Mason’s voice still on the phone.

Most of the lights in the apartment were out, and he had drawn the curtains over the windows. Mason was on his phone, pacing and nodding, and for a moment she watched him as she stood in the corner out of his line of sight.

He had removed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt over his thick forearms. He still sported his holster, and that gave him an air of danger she rarely saw in him. He often smiled at her, but when he was deep in an investigation, it was as if he had a different persona. His intensity made her skin burn. He finished his call and turned, his eyes finding hers and it was like he’d been punched in the gut. His entire body came to a halt and tensed, his eyes turning to embers as he detailed her body.

Heart jumping, Cleo smiled, and without a word, she turned and swayed her hips as she walked toward his bedroom.

As she hoped he would, he followed her. She was turning on the lamp on the nightstand when the door clicked closed, making her heart race with excitement.

Slowly pivoting to face him, she saw Mason leaning against it. ”I thought you’d like to see some of the lingerie you paid for.” Looking down, she cupped her breasts before letting her hands slide over the shiny fabric in the soft light. “It fits nicely, don’t you think?”

When she glanced at the man before her, it was evident her teasing was getting to him.

“I think you look like a fucking fantasy and I’m afraid to wake up.”

Cleo moved closer and put her palms over his heaving chest. “Maybe you’re right; maybe this is only in your head. So, just for the sake of discussion, what would I do in this dream of yours?” She let her hands drag down over his stomach until she hooked her fingers over his belt buckle. “No suggestions? I have an idea or two if you don’t.”

Before he could react, she fell to her knees and undid his pants before pushing them down. His erection bobbed up and with a wink, Cleo licked him from root to tip. The shudder that shook his body made her squeeze her thighs together. Lavishing him with her tongue as he grew harder, Cleo switched it up and swallowed the length of him before he could react.

Mason’s voice echoed in the room as he cursed, and his hands fisted in her hair. “Look at me, Cleo.” The demand was terse, his voice gravelly, making her instantly comply. She’d noticed how his English accent got stronger the closer his emotions were to the surface.

Her eyes didn’t leave him as she lost herself in him. His grip on her hair stayed gentle, only supporting her head as she started to suck. Her hands ran over his legs, enjoying his body, caressing the skin and muscles within reach, even sliding her palm over his abs.

Eyes hooded, full of lust, his body moved to the same rhythm as her mouth.

Determined to make him see stars, she swirled her tongue over him, sensing the speeding pulse, but Mason had another plan in mind. Before she could react, he pulled her up, and taking her in his arms, he tossed her on the bed. Giggling, Cleo bounced as Mason shed his clothes at lightning speed. Gloriously naked, with the expression of a man on a mission, he towered over her with such intensity, she started to slide back, her core tightening in expectation.

Mason grabbed her ankle and pulled her forward. “You’re not going anywhere.” And with his other hand, he pushed the satin slip over her thighs.

Cleo was caught in his hungry stare, widening her legs in a plea, her hips undulating on their own. He’d only touched her foot, and she was ready to combust.