Page 115 of Taint My Soul

“Goddamn, baby.” He’s so breathless, it’s beautiful. “I could stare at you forever.”

“I don’t mind at all.” I grin at him just as the doorbell rings.

“Delivery is here.” I remind him.

“Stay. I’ll get it, and I’ll set up the dining table.”

“Alright. I’ll lie here and relax while you do all the heavy stuff.”

“Right.” He gets off the couch and drops a kiss on my chest.

“Oh, and you were a jerk for making me beg.” I yell at him as he circles the couch to the foyer.

“But you fucking loved it when I asked you to.” He retorts seductively, and a soft laughter rumbles in my chest.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

SAINT

Mason enters the dining room and halts in his tracks when he sees what I’ve put together. The space is set in the cool golden glow of candles. My expression softens as he walks over with a grin. “This looks really pretty.” He hums, and I pull out a chair for him. He settles in and looks up at me before I join him. We dig into the plate of steaming jollof rice and fried chicken. While we eat, I can’t help but revel in the radiance he exudes and the focus he has while eating.

I never expected that my night would end with him by my side, but fuck that, I don’t regret that either.

And while we still had some things to deal with, I’d rather be in the moment right now. Father can come later. Those motherfuckers who hurt him can come later. They won’t ruin this moment for us. We eat so quickly that we finish in less than forty-five minutes.

“Do you want some more?” I ask him.

“I’m full for now.” He says and takes a sip from the glass of water.

“Alright.” I clear the dining table, leaving the unwashed plates in the sink, then I put the unfinished food into the refrigerator.

“Can we sit outside for a while?” He asks.

“Yes, whatever you want, baby.” I grin at him. “And I’ve got just the perfect equipment for that.” I move toward him and press a kiss on his forehead. It doesn’t take long to find what I’m looking for.

We both walk out of the house to the compound. There’s a perfect spot between two trees. “Come on, help me.” Mason scurries toward me and lends a hand. We secure the hammock together at both ends of the tree and make sure it’s tight enough to hold our weight. Then we both jump in.

“Come here.” I grunt and pull Mason closer so that he rests his head against my chest. His hand circles my waist, and he presses a kiss on my shoulder. Above us, the moon hangs at the edge of the sky, casting its silver glow across the compound.

“It’s a beautiful night.” He whispers.

“Even more beautiful that I have you in my arms right now.”

He flushes and giggles while I tighten my hold around his lean-muscled body. I press a kiss on his forehead, and he inches closer to me.

Silence settles over us gradually. This time, it isn’t something I want to run from. I have always been the type of man who took what he wanted and carried on with my day. But here I am wrapped up in the most beautiful man I have ever seen. I never imagined that a time like this would come. And god have mercy, I’m so fucking scared that I’ll lose it all. Not just because of my homophobic father, but everything that’s happening with Mason as well.

I’m placing a bet on my brothers to find these men who have been terrorizing him for months now. Once I have them in my clutch, they’re fucking done for.

“You seem tense.”

“I am.” I reveal to him.

“Talk to me. I want us to tell each other things when we are bothered.” His hand rests on my jaw and tilts my gaze down to him.

“I’m thinking about it all. My father. The people in your life.”

“Saint, you give me hope…”