Mason:Inked Reapers MC(49)

"Fine," Kait conceded, "no hospital. But please let me take you back to my place and patch you up a bit."



Jasper looked hesitant at her offer.



"Please, it's the least I can do."



For a moment, she thought he was just going to walk away, to slink in to  the shadows and never look back. And even though she was still a  relative stranger, the thought of him just leaving like that caused  knots to form in Kait's stomach. To her relief, he walked slowly around  the car and climbed in the passenger side.



"I guess it wouldn't hurt to get cleaned up," he announced as he buckled  his seat belt. Smiling, Kait started the car's engine and pulled  forward.



"I really appreciate what you did for me," she told him as she steered  around the tight bends in the parking lot towards the exit, seeing no  signs of the men who previously assaulted her.



"It's no problem, really," Jasper told her humbly, clearly not relishing his new role of hero.





Chapter 2





"Well, this is me." Kait pulled up outside the apartment building where she lived. Lights glowed within numerous windows.



"Nice," Jasper gave a brief nod of approval before climbing out of the  car. Kait noticed how he wrapped an arm around his chest and winced  slightly as he moved.



"I'm on the third floor," she told him apologetically. "And the lift is out."



Jasper tightened his jaw and gave another brief nod.



"No problem."



Kait used her key fob to open the main doors to the building. It was too  warm inside. Kait felt hot before she'd even reached the internal  staircase. Her landlord clearly still hadn't fixed the issue with the  heating within the building, yet another reason why she was desperate to  leave her apartment and buy a house of her own where if there was a  problem with anything, she'd fix it in a prompt and timely manner.



"Jeeze, it's sure hot in here," Jasper commented as he followed her up the stairs, his footsteps slightly laboured.



"I'm sorry," Kait turned back to face him as she reached the first  floor. "The heating has been broken for months. There are currently just  two settings: Mediterranean or arctic."



"Sounds … intense."



Kait moved purposefully up the staircase, passed the second floor, and  carried on towards her own floor. Jasper continued to flank her, his  breathing steadily growing heavier.



"Okay, we're here," Kait fumbled nervously for her keys as she pushed  open the door to the third floor. Running a hand through her golden  hair, she tried to appear casual as she approached her apartment, but in  her mind she was aware that it had been quite some time since she'd let  a man cross the threshold, yet here she was inviting a relative  stranger inside. A stranger who had saved her life though. A stranger  with deep, dreamy eyes and bulging biceps …                        
       
           



       



Shaking herself back to her senses, Kait put the key in the door and  opened it up. The heat from the hallway continued through to her  immaculate apartment. The décor was minimalist, and everything was tidy.  The few pictures which were scattered about were of Kait and her  mother.



"You keep your place nice," Jasper commented politely as he followed her inside.



"Thank you." Kait just hoped he wouldn't clock the over flowing laundry basket residing near the kitchen area.



"You live alone?" Jasper asked casually as he looked around. Kait felt  her heart skip a beat. Was he asking if she were single? Did he care? Or  was he just making polite conversation? With a disappointed sigh, she  decided it was probably the latter.



"Yeah, it's just me," she admitted as she kicked off her shoes and  approached the kitchenette which was adjoined to her living and dining  area.



"I've got a first aid kit somewhere," she mumbled to herself as she began opening cupboards. "Can I get you a tea? Or coffee?"



"Tea please." Jasper smiled at her as he nervously sat down on her  pristine cream couch with carefully placed turquoise scatter cushions.  The curtains in a matching rich shade were open, revealing the lit up  apartment building on the other side of the parking lot. It was hardly a  scenic view. Yet another reason for Kait's eagerness to move. She  yearned to open up her curtains in a morning and see rolling green hills  and vast open skies instead of endless cars and street lamps.



Kait smiled lightly to herself at Jasper's request. For some reason, she  had him pinned as a coffee man. Tea seemed more … refined a choice. She  liked that he was able to surprise her.



As the kettle boiled, she found the first aid box. It hadn't been opened  since she'd grabbed it at a supermarket several years earlier. Breaking  the seal, she peered inside. There was some gauze, bandages, sterile  wipes, and anti-bacterial hand gel. Not much of use really, but it was  all she had.



Kait made them both a tea and carried the mugs over to where Jasper was sitting, the first aid box nestled beneath her arm.



"I still think you should consider going to hospital," she told him  cautiously as she handed him the hot drink. "This is all I have." She  perched on the coffee table across from him and showed him the plastic  first aid box.



"That'll do," Jasper shrugged casually and began removing his t-shirt.  Kait tensed as she spotted the sculpted ripples on his chest. The man  was like a living, breathing piece of art. With his t-shirt removed, the  cut across his perfect chest was glaringly obvious. The sight of blood  snapped Kait back in to the moment.



"I can't believe they stabbed you," she muttered as she began rummaging nervously through the contents of the first aid box.



"Seriously, they only grazed me," Jasper insisted bravely. "I've suffered far worse injuries than this."



Kait eyed the wound and wondered what sort of injuries Jasper had  suffered before. This one looked pretty nasty, though thankfully, on  further inspection didn't appear too deep. Ripping open a sterile wipe  packet, Kait tentatively came and sat beside Jasper. His chest was  rising and falling with each breath he took.



"This might sting a little," she warned.



"I'll do my best not to scream," Jasper smiled teasingly at her.



Kait pressed the wipe against his strong chest and saw his jaw clench  and his eyes glisten. But he didn't cry out. Carefully, she wiped away  the blood and cleaned the cut. Then she went back to the first aid box  and sourced a sterile bandage large enough to adequately cover it.



"Here," she pressed the bandage across the wound. He was so irresistibly warm beneath her touch.



"This should do you for a day or two, but then you'll need to change the dressing."



Kait lingered beside him a moment too long. He smelt amazing like  cinnamon and strawberries. She wanted to stay beside him, soaking in his  scent. But she remembered herself and went to lean back, but Jasper's  hand was suddenly above hers, holding it in place.



"I - " Kait looked up in to his dark eyes which still glistened, but the  tension in his jaw was gone. She felt like she could easily get lost in  his gaze. Jasper moved towards her, and Kait let her instincts take  over. He kissed her, and an explosion of fireworks was released in  Kait's body, causing her to tremble with desire.



As the kiss intensified, he expertly parted his lips and pressed his  tongue against hers. Kait forgot all about her sore ribs and his wound  as she let him guide her on to his lap where she straddled him. They  kissed as Jasper's strong hands ran up and down her body. Kait pressed  herself against him, desperate to take things further. Jasper understood  and responded. He scooped her up in his powerful arms and walked her  towards the door which led to Kait's bedroom. Her heart was pounding  madly as they continued to passionately kiss.                       
       
           



       



With a sexy flourish, Jasper threw her down on the bed. Kait hurriedly  removed her stockings and pulled down the zipper on her dress. She'd  never felt this sexy or alive. Her whole body felt heated with desire,  every nerve alert and on fire.



With her dress removed and in just her underwear, Jasper pressed his  body against hers, letting her legs tangle around him as they kissed.  The voice of reason in Kait's mind which would scream that they were  taking things too fast couldn't compete with the heated intensity of the  moment. Her concerns were drowned out by her own passion.



Jasper's lips landed upon her neck, and Kait groaned and writhed beneath  him. She could feel how hard he was through his jeans. Leaning back,  Jasper stepped out of his jeans and came back to her. They kissed some  more before she gasped in delicious delight as he entered her.