Page 37 of Developing Hearts (Pine Point Fixer-Uppers #5)

Chapter thirty-seven

Mason

Waiting in the master suite was…hard. Mason wanted to jump out there, spend as much time as possible with David exploring the condo. Of course, he was also hoping that everyone else would leave the two of them alone and take the cameras with them, which wasn’t realistic.

So he, Robinson, and Jake all waited there, Jake and Mason in the bedroom proper, and Robinson in the doorway to the bathroom.

Jake clapped a hand on Mason’s shoulder, pulling him into a sidelong hug. “Don’t worry. You two can have the bedroom to yourselves pretty soon.”

Mason rolled his eyes…but he couldn’t rightly deny that was exactly what he was looking for. “I just hope you made the bed frame sturdy enough. In case we toss and turn too much in our sleep.”

Robinson snorted a laugh. “Right. Sleep is the problem.”

“As far as any of you need to know, we’re perfectly chaste. We sleep in footie pajamas with a wall of pillows between us so nothing accidentally gay happens.”

Jake took a step back and looked him up and down. “Is that before or after he sits on your face?”

“After the face-sitting, before the blow jobs. But not in a homosexual way, that’s for sure.”

Before anyone else could say anything, the bedroom door opened.

Mason took a step forward as Robinson sank back into the bathroom.

Bunny and Aras handed David off and Mason took him with a smile.

It was a hell of a thing, seeing the pure joy on his face as his gaze traveled around the room.

Everyone had their own reactions to the results of these jobs, but this one was the closest to unadulterated happiness and excitement that Mason could remember. Or I’m biased. Surely not, though.

David slowed as he entered the room, and when he stretched his neck up to look at the new light fixture—a lotus-shaped pendant that cast curving, overlapping brightness through the room—Mason couldn’t help but look at his throat, think about latching his mouth to David’s neck and sucking until there was a big, unmistakable hickey on it.

David was his, after all. Mason wasn’t typically the possessive type, but it felt like they were so close to finally being together, with no other pressures looming.

He wanted to see what they were like when there was no job pushing in on them. Just the two of them together.

Mason was so caught up in his own thoughts—and in keeping himself from bricking up on camera—that he missed most of the room tour.

Jake was showing him the under-bed storage, which was actually made with angled drawers so they wouldn’t get blocked in by nightstands, and that angel gave Mason a good view of the paintings still hung up above the headboard.

Three paintings. His first time. His first heartbreak.

The guy who wanted to make money off their relationship.

Now that Mason knew the stories behind the paintings—at least in broad terms—he picked up a new depth from them.

Undeniably, they were still erotic. Each of them was clearly a nude male form, no matter how gestural and abstract they were.

But the first one seemed to have more of an innocence to it.

The sweeping lines of the hips were halting, and the penis was only vaguely depicted, halfway hidden behind a stroke of black paint that didn’t appear to be any part of anyone’s anatomy.

The second one, the lines were all angular, and splotches of green and metallic gold peered through.

What passed for a facial expression, in the rough linework, was half moan, half sneer.

The third was done mostly in red paint instead of black, and this face had the most definition of all.

The guy was smiling, his arms spread wide, head tilted slightly back so David could paint in an Adam’s apple and lines of muscle running from the sides.

He was also the most fully on display downstairs, erection very plain.

Plain enough that, even with the more lax content rules for this show, Mason wasn’t sure they’d be able to show that uncensored in the final cut.

An arm around Mason’s shoulders shocked him from his reverie over David’s art, and he only barely caught what David was actually saying. “Well, I’m sure we’ll be very happy here together.”

The air sucked out of the room as Jake stepped back, and Robinson’s shoulders raised up.

Mason nodded. Everyone else was panicked…but what did he care? He pecked David on the cheek. “I haven’t agreed to move in yet. But I’ll sure like the view.”

The room unfroze and, after a couple seconds, Robinson grabbed David to show him around the bathroom.

That was their cue to leave and head up to the rooftop deck.

It was hard to beat a view of the ocean at sunset for a final shot, plus they’d gathered up the other residents of the building to do a big reveal.

Eliza said it would drive home the altruism of the show, since they’d done something for the whole community there, not just David.

Once they were in the stairwell—they couldn’t risk getting stuck waiting for the elevator—Jake started talking. “You good? Seemed like he kind of sprang that on you without warning.”

“He did.” Mason could understand the concern.

“I know that I’m not renowned for my superior ability to go with the flow, but it’s hard to get mad about the truth.

” It would have been better in a lot of ways if David had asked, but it all worked out.

“Part of what drew me to him is that he’s just…

always in the moment. Maybe that means he doesn’t always think things through or make a detailed plan, but as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone… ”

Jake pulled him into another side hug…while they were walking…which made both of them stumble. Mason caught himself on the railing, but Jake tumbled and only just managed to avoid knocking his teeth out on the edge of one of the risers.

Mason squatted down to check on him. “You good?”

“Yep.” He grinned as he rolled over, then grabbed onto Mason’s hand to allow himself to be pulled up.

“I’ll keep my affection a little tamer next time.

” He brushed himself off, although Mason didn’t see any dust, and looked Mason straight in the eye.

“I think you can put some good rails up for him. I’m just really glad to see you happy. I feel like you…well, I just am glad.”

Mason’s instinct was to balk at that, but instead, he nodded as they continued on up the stairs.

“I was happier once we all got back together. But yeah. I’m even happier with David.

” He reached over and pinched Jake’s cheek.

“Doesn’t mean you’re not my special boy too. We just have a different kind of love.”

“I mean, obviously.” Jake propped open the door to the roof. “You’ve never sucked my dick.”

Mason shrugged. “That you remember.”