All For You (Rocktown Ink #5) by Sherilee Gray (world of reading .txt) 📕

a breath, as much of a laugh as I’d heard from him since he’d been back in Rocktown.

Jimmy barked, ran out of the water, spun in circles, then tore back in.

Mase glanced my way. “You shouldn’t be out walking on your own before light.”

Could he tell I’d been crying? If he did, he didn’t say anything. “I’m a big girl. I’ve been looking after myself a long time. And FYI, not a big fan of being told what to do.” Out of bed, anyway.

The sidelong look Mase gave me, the flash of heat in his eyes, said he was thinking the same thing. He rested back on his hands, his biceps flexing “I’m a cop and a big brother, worrying about people’s safety is what I do.”

“I’m not your sister, Sheriff Parker.”

His nostrils flared, gaze dipping to my lips. “Oh, I know that, kitten.”

“Mase…”

“So why are you out here on your own?”

Right, so we were just going to pretend he hadn’t just gone there? Fine with me. “Couldn’t sleep. I have some decisions to make, walking helps. But sitting by the lake works best.”

“I’m a good listener,” he said. “Maybe I can help?”

He was a great listener. He was also an extremely talented kisser. I dragged my eyes away from that sensual mouth. “I wish. Unfortunately, it’s a decision only I can make.” I glanced out to the water, at the sun dancing against the surface. “I have an appointment with the bank today. I’m trying to decide if I’m going or not.”

I looked his way and caught him studying me. I’m not sure why I told him that, it just slipped out.

“What happens if you don’t go?” he asked.

“I pick a spot on the map and hit the road…” I swallowed and looked back out to the water. “Well, eventually. But I’ll be doing that whatever the outcome is today, sooner or later.”

He was quiet several long seconds. “And what happens if you go to your appointment?” His voice was deeper, rougher than before.

“I possibly get a loan for a small bit of land I’ve been eyeing up for months. A client owns it. When I asked about it, he said it’s mine if I could get the money together. I’ve saved enough for a deposit.”

“What do you plan to do with the land?”

“Park my trailer on it while I’m here, use it as a home base. I’ve never had one, and I…like the idea of having a place that’s mine, you know? A place that will always be there for me, of knowing that wherever I am, whatever happens, if I need it, it’s there.”

He leaned closer, and the heat of his skin warmed me through his shirt. “I don’t see what the problem is? You want the place, you should have it. It also makes good financial sense to invest in property.”

I nodded but couldn’t look at him because my eyes were stinging again for some stupid reason. Why the hell was I so emotional about this?

“Trixie?” he said gently. “What’s going on?”

I swallowed several times. “I’m not sure my gran would approve. I think…she’d be disappointed in me. She thought people who bought into all that stuff were cowards, and I don’t…I don’t want to…”

A solid, warm hand hooked the back of my neck and massaged. “Christ, Trixie, you’re smart, talented, beautiful, funny…” He carried on massaging my neck, and I was close to melting against him. “I didn’t know your gran, but I can’t see how she could ever be disappointed in you.”

No one had ever said anything like that to me before.

I blinked and a tear escaped, sliding down my cheek. I quickly brushed it away with a watery chuckle. “That was…thank you, for saying those things. That was really nice of you. Just ignore me, I’m just…I’m scared. I’ve never had a permanent home. Gran and I made money painting and decorating while we traveled, just cosmetic stuff. That’s how I learned how to do it. But we never lived in any of those houses; we never stayed anywhere longer than we needed to. Not knowing how she’d feel about this massive decision in my life, not having her here to talk to anymore, it’s messing with me.” Seems I couldn’t make myself shut the hell up.

Another tear slid down my face, and then another. And now I was going to cry all over him. Awesome.

Mase tugged me into his side, his strong arms going around me. “I wasn’t just being nice, you know me better than that.” He chuckled softly. “I was being honest. You gotta do what’s right for you, kitten, no one else. When you ignore what you need, it messes with you, it chips away at you, believe me on that. You want that place, you should have it.” He pulled back and slid his fingers under my chin, tilting my face up to his. “That’s what living free is really about, right? Living your life the way you want. Your gran lived the way she wanted, yeah? Now it’s your turn. If you start putting expectations on it or letting guilt sink in, then you’re not really living the way you want. That’s not living free.”

His voice was soft again, and rough, his gaze locked with mine, full of sincerity.

“Yeah, you’re right.” It came out a whisper, and he leaned in a little more, his gaze dipping to my mouth. “Thanks,” I said.

“Didn’t do anything, kitten.”

“You really need to stop calling me that.”

“Your note said you were mine, my kitten. You can’t take it back now.”

His fingers slid around into my hair, and there was no missing the heat in his gaze.

“Mason?”

“Yeah?”

“What are you doing?”

His Adam’s apple slid up and down his throat, my words sitting heavily between us.

He drew in a rough breath. “Shit, sorry. I ah…better get going—”

I leaned in and pressed my lips to his, unable to resist. He was so goddamn gorgeous and sweet and everything I needed in that moment.

He froze for a