Page 148 of Bang

"Because," I said, "you could've been killed."

"Me? Nah. I'm indestructible."

This wasn't true.Mason mightlookindestructible, but he was made of flesh and bone like anyone else. Still, he was the most breathtaking thing I'd ever seen as he stared down at me with something that looked a lot like love.

With another laugh, I fell back into his arms and said, "But seriously, why on Earth would you do that?"

His reply was a long time in coming. But when itdidcome, quieter than I might've expected, it hit with all the force of a hammer. "For Willow."

I blinked. "What?"

"Willow," he repeated. "If anything happened to you…"

He didn't bother finishing the sentence, because after all, he didn't need to.

And me?I'd made a total fool of myself.

Again.

Chapter 53

Mason

Cami stiffened in my arms. "Oh."

Shit.It would be easy to say that I'd misspoke.But I hadn't.And yet, those words hadn't been my first choice.

I'd almost said something else, something a lot more dangerous, because it was something I didn't believe in.

I'd almost told her that I loved her.

And more.

But now, I said nothing.

Instead, I held her tight, soaking up the feel of her as the blizzard raged around us. Even now, I felt a primal urge to protect her body with my own, to keep her warm and safe, and to shelter her from anything that might hurt her.

Including me.

But abruptly she pulled back. She stared up at me for a long moment as I drank in the sight of her. Her hair was wild and flecked with snow. Her face was flushed, and her lips were parted, like she had something she wanted to say, but didn't know how to put it.

In the end, all she said was, "Well, this is awkward."

"Cami—"

"Forget it." She moved back until we were no longer touching. "It's fine." With a shaky laugh, she said, "I mean, thanks for the rescue. It was, um, really something."

And now, she looked ready to cry.

I moved toward her. "You're upset."

She backed away. "Of course I'm upset. I was just car-jacked. I mean, that's enough to upset anyone, right?"

It was a lie.

I could see it all over her face.

It wasn't the car-jacking that had upset her.It was me.