Part 29 (1/2)

Mason pulls me into his arms. ”Please, for my sanity, don't do that again. I can't lose you.”

I wrap my arms around Mason's waist. ”You won't lose me,” I rea.s.sure him.

Mason pulls back his head and I do the same. When our eyes meet, I can see the worry and love he holds for me in the depths of his eyes.

”If I ever lost you,” he says, his voice low, ”I think I would lose myself. I don't think I would want to go on living.”

”Don't say that,” I tell him, cupping his face in my hands. ”Don't ever say that. We don't know what will happen in the future and if something does happen to me, I need to know you would be able to go on. Promise me you would find a way to live a full life.”

”I can't make that promise to you,” Mason says, the s.h.i.+mmer of tears in his eyes. ”Because I truly believe my heart would stop beating if yours did.”

I feel tears of my own spill down my cheeks and I bring Mason's face down to mine in a desperate kiss, one filled with a need to let him know how much I love him. Mason deepens the kiss, ravaging my mouth with his.

We quickly shed our clothes needing to feel the other without any obstructions in our way. Our love making is filled with a quiet desperation to prove we're still alive. The world might be on the brink of disaster but one thing will remain steadfast in the face of everything, our love.

Afterwards as we lay on the couch spent of our energy, Mason cradles me in his arms and plants small, tender kisses filled with love all over my face, making me smile.

He then kisses my lips just as tenderly before bringing my naked body even more firmly against his.

”Can we just stay like this forever?” I ask, nuzzling the inside of his neck planting small kisses of my own against his tender flesh, loving the taste of him.

”I wish we could,” he sighs, rubbing my back with one hand and letting it slide down to my hip to rest possessively there.

We're both silent for a moment, basking in each others warmth, reveling in the feel of being utterly and completely loved by someone else. I can tell Mason wants to ask me something. He opens and closes his mouth twice before finally spitting it out.

”Did you mean what you said to Lucifer?” He finally asks.

I lift my head off his arm to meet his eyes. ”Which part?”

Mason's forehead creases as he says, ”About there still being good left in him. Did you mean that?”

”Yes.”

Mason shakes his head and closes his eyes but he doesn't say anything else. There's no need really.

I know he doesn't understand how I can believe such a thing is possible. I feel sure he thinks I'm deluding myself by even entertaining such a possibility. I rest my head back down on his arm and against his chest. Knowing the history between Mason and Lucifer, I know the love of my life would never be able to completely understand what I see in my strange friend. I no longer feel that it's Michael's influence which makes me have a little faith in Lucifer. I know it's me who has the desire to see Lucifer rise above what he's allowed himself to become.

And I'm willing to risk my life to prove I'm right.

Chapter 19.

Mason ends up having to leave early the next morning but not after giving me a completely satisfying goodbye.

”I need to help Joshua and Nick finish moving everything to the new house,” he tells me while I watch him stuff the bottom of his b.u.t.ton down s.h.i.+rt into his slacks and b.u.t.tons them.

I can't help but sigh. I much prefer Mason naked and preferably in bed, any bed.

”When will you be back?”

He shrugs. ”I can't say for sure.”

”Well can you at least come back and take me to Zack after I get dressed? He and I didn't get to talk much to one another yesterday. I feel bad for just leaving him the way we did.”

”I'm sure he understood. Rafe probably told him what was going on.”

”I know but I feel like I should be there for all of them. I need to see him this morning.”

Mason walks over to me and gives me a kiss.

”Call me when you're ready,” he says. ”I'll take you to him.”

It doesn't take me long to get ready, less than an hour.

Just before I call Mason to come and get me, I get a call from Faison.

”Have you seen the news?” She asks me.

”No,” I say, not understanding why she's asking me such a question.

”So,” she says, taking a deep breath, ”the world seems to think you're engaged to Chandler Cain.”

”What?” I say quietly, sure I misunderstood her. ”Why would they think that?”

”There's a picture of you and him in his suite in L.A. being splashed on every gossip site on the internet showing the 10 karat diamond you have on your ring finger.”

”c.r.a.p,” I say, remembering Deon looking at it suspiciously but not saying anything at the time. ”Mason's going to go ballistic.”

”Who do you think told the news media?”

”I think I know,” I say. ”I'll handle it. Chandler and I might just have to have a break up sooner than we thought. I'm not putting Mason through this unnecessarily. We'll just have to find Chandler another cover story besides me.”

When I get off the phone with Faison, I decide to text Mason instead of calling.

I have some bad news...

Your texting...not calling... it must be bad...

I sigh. He knows me too well.

Apparently one of Chandler's entourage took a picture of me while we were in his suite the other day. With the biggest diamond in the world on my ring finger, that same world is now under the impression he and I are getting married...

I wait...and wait...and wait for a response. Since I don't get one, I text him again.

How mad are you?

Still no response.