Page 54 of Hidden Obsession

Chapter Twenty-Four

The hot watersluiced over his body, washing away the dirt and grime of captivity, but it couldn’t erase the guilt he felt. Cleo had nearly been killed because of his ignorance and blind faith. Travis was dead—killed because he hadn’t been able to see how his friend was unraveling.

He endured so much grief for the man Travis had been—kind, compassionate, and a good friend and colleague. He had failed him, and he had failed Cleo.

Cleo. Just the thought of her made him feel so many emotions. Love, sadness, relief, guilt, desire, need. But mostly he felt unworthy of her.

He had barely looked at her since they’d watched Travis get killed on the interstate. He had held her so tight wanting to absorb her into his body, to feel her against him, soothing him in a way nobody else ever had. He knew Cleo had sensed him pulling away as they gave their statements to the police. He couldn’t bear to see the look of disappointment in her eyes when she realized he wasn’t good enough for her. Like a coward, he had used the excuse of a shower to escape when they got back to the Agency.

He would have to face her, he knew that, but he just needed more time. Finally, the water ran clean, and he had exhausted his excuse. Stepping from the shower, he draped the towel around his hips and stepped to the mirror in the men’s changing rooms. He looked tired, there were dark circles around his eyes, a testament to how he felt inside. What he needed was twelve hours of sleep, some food, and a cold beer.

He would need to debrief Shane and Emme about everything, but that could wait until the morning. Pulling on some trousers and a shirt, he sat to tie his shoes. After running his hands through his wet hair, he walked toward the exit and out into reception.

It was deserted, and he instinctively looked around for Cleo, wanting to see her face or hear her voice. He followed the sound of low voices toward the conference room, his heart thudding in his chest. He stepped in, and four heads turned to him, but none of them were the one he needed to see. He beat back the disappointment at seeing only Shane, Emme, James, and Caitlin instead of the woman who owned his heart and soul. Maybe this was how it should be, he had been avoiding talking to her, and now she was making it clear she couldn’t be with him either.

“Where is Cleo?” The question was out despite not being ready for the answer and hating his weakness.

Emme smiled as she spoke. “Malco took her and her grandmother home.”

Her apartment. Mason nodded while his heart shattered even more. “Good, she must be tired.” What he wanted to do was punch the wall and take out all his frustrations and anger on something, but he didn’t. “I’m going to head out. Can we do the debrief first thing?”

Shane pinned him with a stare, seeming to read his mood and nodded. “Yes, get some rest, and we can catch up tomorrow.”

Mason walked toward the door, snagging the spare keys for the company truck on his way. He would get Knight to meet him in the morning and retrieve his car. He drove to the nearest burger bar and ordered an enormous burger and fries. He added in a large chocolate shake for good measure.

Back at his place, he put his key in the lock and took a breath, dreading the silence he knew would greet him. He had gotten used to Cleo being in his space, relished seeing her stuff mingled in with his, the small touches she’d added to soften his harsh existence.

Pushing open the door, he almost threw his food in the air when he came face to face with the woman who would forever own his heart. The same heart that was banging out of his chest as if sensing its mate and trying to get to her.

She looked so beautiful, her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail emphasizing her bare face and high cheekbones. It was the bright look of hope and love on her face that made him pause.

“What are you doing here, Cleo?” He kicked the door shut behind him and walked past her to the kitchen, putting his food down and keeping space between them so he didn’t reach for her like his hands itched to do. He felt her eyes rake over him, sensed the nerves in her movements. He could smell the scent she wore as she moved closer to him, and he tensed, waiting for her to tell him it was over. He couldn’t face her and kept his eyes down.

“Mason.” Her voice seared his heart.

“What do you need?” He couldn’t look at her.

“Mason, please look at me.” Her voice was imploring him.

Closing his eyes, he drew in a breath and hardened himself to the pain he knew was coming. Better to get this over with now so they could both move on. To what, he had no clue. He didn’t want to move on from her, knew in his heart he never would. He forced his eyes up, and for a second, he wanted to beg her to forgive him for failing her. “Shane said you had gone home.”

Cleo tilted her head at him as she moved closer. “I am home, Mason. This is my home. Wherever you are is home.”

Mason dared to hope as she moved closer, cupping his cheek with her soft hand. The look of open devotion and love was something he had never seen before. A barrier was down, there was nothing between them except utter truth and honesty.

“How can you say that after everything that happened?”

Cleo positioned her body so there was no space between them, every inch of her was touching him, and he allowed himself to lean into her heat and her strength, taking just a second to garner that for himself.

“I know it was hard for you to watch Travis die. He was a good man once, and I believe he truly loved you, but he got lost along the way. But none of that changes anything between us except making me realize I can’t live another moment without you.” Her eyes were wet with unshed tears, and he felt his heart that had been slowly dying in his chest began to beat again.

“I love you, Mason Bentley. With all my heart, I love you. I never want to wake up without you again. You made me realize running doesn’t solve anything. Staying and facing the fear, taking the biggest gamble, gives the biggest rewards and with you I know I’ve won bigger than I ever thought possible.”

He let his thumbs catch the tear that slipped over and started down her cheek, hating to see her cry. “But I failed you. I let you down. You nearly died because I was so blind.”

Cleo shook her head, her hair whipping back and forth with the force of her movement. “No! You did not fail me. You saved me from Spears, kept me safe and showed me I could have a future that includes loving someone and not just living to work. You gave me back my family.”

He shook his head but held her tighter, not feeling strong enough to push away the woman who had broken through his hard shell. “I don’t deserve you.” She gave him a look that said she was getting pissed, and he smothered a grin. He loved the feisty woman in front of him. “I don’t deserve you.” He put his finger over her lips when she went to speak to stop her. “It’s true, but one thing I’m not is a stupid man. I may never deserve you, but I’m selfish.

“I love you, Cleo, more than I ever thought it possible to love another human being. You make me want to slay dragons for you, to be a better man, a man you can be proud of and I’ll spend every day of my life making sure you know how much I love you, cherish you, desire you.” He watched her eyes go soft, felt the pulse in her neck pound as he trailed his hand over her throat, loving the feel of her heartbeat so strong.

“Does that mean I can stay?”

The question was tentative, and he regretted he had made her doubt herself. If he had learned one thing in the last few days, it was that life was short and could change on a whim or a word. He wasn’t prepared to hold back anything of himself anymore. Cleo was his, and he would spend eternity showing her how much he loved her.

He swung her into his arms, making her giggle and strode toward the hallway determined to show her with his body how much he meant every word. He stopped abruptly as he made it to the hall. “Where’s your grandmother?” He wanted to meet the amazing woman that had cared for his Cleo but not right now.

“Malco took her back to my place. Spears is still out there so he’ll stay and make sure she’s okay. I think he has a soft spot for her. Wolf too from what I got.” The smile on her face matched the one in his heart.

“Good because what I have planned for you will involve a lot of noise.”

Cleo waggled her eyebrows as he threw the door open. ”Oh yeah? Show me!”

And he did—all night long. His food and exhaustion were forgotten. The only thing he needed was her in his arms.