Monthly Bonus Content #1—'Embrace, Coffee, Wind' (Mason's Autumn Scenario Special)

The wind whips a chill grasp about me, but I stubbornly push against it, the scent of bitter, rich coffee swirling out from the stall where Haley is serving her famous apple-infused lattes with raisin muffins.

As the line of people shuffles forward a few more inches, a figure joins me in the queue.

“It’s fucking freezing,” Mason announces through chattering teeth, as though I’m not aware of the brisk autumn air that makes my nose and my cheeks sting with the cold.

I glance over him with a brow raised. “Maybe wearing more than a t-shirt and leather jacket would help you stay a bit warmer?”

“I didn’t exactly plan to be out here long, but I’ve been searching all over town for you,” he replies, shoving his hand into my jacket pocket and twining his ice-cold fingers into my warm ones.

I shiver at the sudden cold as the line moves another few paces forward. “Do you want me to buy you a coffee? It’ll help warm you up.”

His nose wrinkles. “No.”

“Are you sure?” I can’t help teasing as I lean into him a little. “Your highly sensitive taste buds don’t enjoy the thought of something so fragrant and deep with a twist of fruit?”

His grimace gives way to pensive thought. “You actually make it sound tempting.” His lips curve upwards. “Though you can make anything sound tempting.”

I chuckle, grasping his hand a little firmer in my pocket to help warm it quicker. “So, is that a yes?”

“I’ll have a sip of yours,” he states.

I almost balk, blinking at him as I rock back on my heels. “Wait, are you serious? Are you actually embracing the spirit of the season and indulging in some autumnal goodies?”

He shrugs. “I want to share experiences.”

My teasing drops immediately. “…You what?”

He shifts on the spot, his fingers twitching in my pocket as though about to pull away before they relax, and he glares ahead. “You make the mundane shit seem…you know.”

“I mean, no, not really.”

He growls out a groan so loud it makes the people in front of us look around with concern.

He stares them down until they turn back around and then mumbles, “You make things better. Normal things I’ve done for centuries are new now.”

I remain silent, my breath catching in my throat.

…I’m not even sure how to respond to that.

So, instead, I let the smile that wants to warm every inch of me show on my lips as I step forward in the line as it moves.

Mason side-eyes me before frowning. “Don’t look so damn smug about it.”

“I can’t help it,” I admit, throwing him a grin.

He sucks in a breath, pulls his hand from my pocket and wraps his arm around me instead to draw us close.

When we finally reach the front of the queue, Haley glances between us before smiling.

“Two apple lattes and muffins?” she asks, her wisps of hair curling out from beneath the wide brim of a patterned wool hat.

“No,” I reply with a shake of my head, curling my arm around Mason in return. “We’ll be sharing.”