Mason (Carter Brothers #2) - Lisa Helen Gray Page 0,15

park for a bench or something, but they’re packed with families.

“What’s wrong?’’ Mason asks standing back up next to me.

“If I do manage to get down there, I don’t think I’ll be able to get back up,’’ I tell him slightly embarrassed.

He chuckles, “Come here.’’ He holds his hands out to me and I take them and use his strength to sit down on the blanket. Once I’m sitting on the blanket, I can already tell it’s going to be a nightmare when I need to get up every two minutes for the loo.

“Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a local tribute band up first called Mini Mix....,’’ a man booms over the microphone. I look over to the stage just as five girls around fifteen come out on stage, going straight into Little Mix’s song ‘Wings’. I flipping love that band. I spent thirty quid the night of the X-Factor finals for them to win. My favourite has to be ‘Little Me,’ it is so soulful, so truthful, and so beautiful.

“I love this song,’’ I cry out, hearing amused chuckles around me.

“You love all songs,’’ Max fires back.

“Hey, ‘Living on a prayer’ is the tune, my man,’’ I tut scowling at him. He’s also had it out for me when it comes to the music I listen to. The one time I was singing, ‘I Need a Hero’ by Bonnie Tyler and Max literally laughed in my face over my choice in music.

“You said the same thing about Miley Cyrus’s song ‘Wrecking ball’ until you watched the video for it and said it put you off the song,’’ Mason pipes in.

I turn to him, shocked that he remembered that which is really sweet. I’m about to say something sassy back now I’m starting to feel comfortable around them, but just then, the girls on stage go straight into the next song ‘Move’ and I squeal loudly, clapping my hands and wiggling my hips.

A sharp kick to my stomach has me groaning and bending forward.

Shit that one hurt little man.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong? Is it the baby? Are you okay?’’ Mason rushes out next to me just as another kick lands in my stomach.

Seems like someone’s awake.

Wanting to give him a reassuring smile I turn towards him, trying to sit up straighter, but I’m taken back when I find everyone looking at me with concerned expressions and Mason looking pale as a ghost.

Still short of breath from the kicking I’m enduring, I grab Mason’s hand, trying my hardest to ignore the spark that zaps through me when I touch him. I place his hand low on my stomach just in time for the baby to give me another powerful kick.

Mason’s head snaps up, looking at me bewildered and in complete awe. I give him a smile knowing exactly how it feels to feel it for the first time.

“Does it hurt?’’ he whispers, his eyes drifting away from where his hand is resting on my stomach to my face. When his eyes reach mine they’re brimmed with tears and it takes everything in me to stop myself from crawling into his lap.

“No,’’ I whisper back, too lost in the moment. Too lost, that when I hear Maverick’s voice sounding rather close to me, I jump.

“Can I feel?’’ he asks hesitantly.

Maverick is the largest out of the brothers, he’s also the oldest, so him asking to do such a thing as to feel my baby kick is making me want to cry. He hardly talks and when I first met him I thought it was rude, but once I came to know them all better I realised he just carries a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and a whole world of pain.

I nod my head ‘yes’ and grab his hand. I know Mason heard the conversation, I felt his body tense when Maverick asked to touch, but he hasn’t moved his hand from my stomach.

“Mason, Maverick wants to feel,’’ I whisper, melting at his behaviour. Tough, rugged, man whore Mason is whipped by an unborn baby and it melts my heart to see him like this.

“Not for long,’’ he says gently, but gives his brother a warning glare before reluctantly removing his hand.

Placing Maverick’s hand on my bump, I smile at encouragingly. He gasps when the baby kicks my stomach hard, making me wince for a second.

“Definitely a boy. Feels like he’s playing football in there,’’ Maverick gushes, looking like the proud uncle.

“I wouldn’t know, you’re hogging the belly,’’ Mason