"What?" He reached for me again.
I scrambled up as a different emotion raced through me. My teeth started to rattle against each other and my arms started to shake. My knees buckled when I tried to get up so I scooted to the farthest side of the bed.
"Sam? What's wrong?" Concern was thick in his voice.
"I…" I closed my mouth and stared in horror. He held my gaze, but there was no fear. There was no self-consciousness or doubt. That's when I realized that he never questioned himself. He was so strong, on the inside and out. For the first time I was intimidated by Mason Kade and I had no idea what to do about it. So I stumbled out the truth, "I love you."
"I know."
"You know?" I didn't even know.
"Sam, I'm not stupid. You've been on lockdown since you moved in. That's why you go running. Any time you start to feel something, you numb yourself. I get it. Trust me, I do. But I know you wouldn't be with me or done half the stuff with me that you have if you didn't love me."
"But…" I hadn't known. Why hadn't I? A cold feeling took root in my gut.
"Hey," he said in a soft voice and moved so he was close again. He moved on his side and tugged me so I faced him. His forehead rested against mine again. "Everything will be okay. I promise."
I sucked in a tortured breath. And then I surrendered. "I'm scared."
"I know."
"After everything's that happened…" I didn't know I was trembling until he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me tight. The shaking stopped and a sense of safety started to seep in. This time it wasn't a temporary feeling, it wasn't going to leave after he left the bed.
"I'm tired, Mason."
"I know."
We both knew I wasn't referring to sleep.
And then nothing mattered. His lips touched mine and it was tender. He didn't roll me underneath him this time, but lifted so I was on top and then he let me set the pace. After I climaxed and collapsed on top of him, I blinked back tears. It was different. The tears were different. Our love making had been different and the way he held me was different. Or maybe I was the different one?
"Stop thinking." Mason brushed a kiss against my shoulder and laughed. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. Right now, we need to shower. I'm hungry too." And he picked me up, bedsheets and all, and started for the bathroom.
I shrieked, laughing, as I hit his shoulder. "Put me down." I was gasping as he did and danced out of his reach when he pretended to lunge for me again. I felt drunk. I wanted to giggle and smile, and never stop doing both of them. As we showered together, a delicious tingle raced up and down my spine. My heart never stopped pounding and I was lightheaded by the end. Afterwards, he slid on some jeans and started to tug me towards the door. I laughed and dug my feet in. "Let me put some clothes on first."
The corner of his mouth curved up, but his eyes darkened as he watched me.
I sighed. "You should too."
He smirked at me and dropped his jeans to pull some boxers on. He left the shirt and socks behind as he caught my hand. I dressed in a hurry and finished tugging my shirt down when he dragged me behind him and out the door.
As soon as we stepped outside, his demeanor dropped. The standoffish Mason was back in place, but his hand continued to hold mine. A buzzing sensation spread through me when I realized I was grateful for the touch. I missed the feel of his body against mine and knew I was addicted. Then I admitted to myself that I didn't want to kick this addiction. It was threatening to take control of my life and I was okay with that.
Nate smirked at us as we approached the kitchenette and gestured from the coffee maker. "I called in the works. Bagels, omelets, bacon, pancakes." He held out a cup for me. "And coffee."
I inhaled the aroma and groaned. "I just cheated on Mason."
There was a moment of silence before Nate burst out laughing. "Sorry, bud. I think I'm going for your girl."
Mason flashed him a cocky smile and popped some bacon in his mouth. "No worries. I had her primed before we came out."
I shot them both a look and sank down in a chair with my coffee. And then I started to take in the scene around us. A few girls sat at the table with their hair pulled up in haphazard ponytails. They were sprawled in chairs with bags under their eyes. One of the girls narrowed her eyes at me, but stopped halfway. She lifted a hand and let it drop down with a loud smack. "Hi. I'm too tired right now. I'm Natalie."
I nodded and sipped my coffee.
She jerked a thumb beside her. "This is Kate and Parker. We go to school with these dickwads."
Nate laughed as he lifted one of the girls and took the seat beneath her. He held her on his lap, but she never resisted. The movement had been done with an ease that spoke of its history. He'd done this many times with that girl. She nestled back in his chest and gave me a droopy smile. Her eyes shot over my shoulder. "Logan's missing in action, Mason. We're not sure where he is."
He had taken a cup of coffee for himself and lounged against the farthest counter. He lowered it from his mouth now. A scowl took form. "Nate?"
"Relax," Nate hissed at him and pointedly looked at the girls. "It's done."
Mason visibly relaxed. His coffee was lifted again.
And then the door to the suite was thrown open. Logan entered with his arms spread wide and an arrogant smirk on his face. "The deal has been done."
Natalie lifted haughty eyes. "What's done, Logan?"
He winked at her, but crossed the room and pressed a kiss to my forehead. He whispered to me, "Last night was a show. Did Mason fill you in?"
"A show?" I turned hard eyes towards the kitchenette. "Mason."
He held my gaze for a minute and looked past my shoulders in a pointed fashion. A sick feeling took root before I turned. Everything seemed in slow motion and I froze at the sight of Miranda Stewart in the doorway. She wore nothing except for a long white buttoned-down shirt that grazed beneath her bottom. Black lacy panties could be seen and she looked back with wide eyes. I gulped as I saw fear in them. That look doubled when she surveyed the room and I turned as well. All three girls had disdain on their faces and each of them didn't contain a smug look.
Miranda's throat jerked up and down as she met my gaze.
I scrambled up as a different emotion raced through me. My teeth started to rattle against each other and my arms started to shake. My knees buckled when I tried to get up so I scooted to the farthest side of the bed.
"Sam? What's wrong?" Concern was thick in his voice.
"I…" I closed my mouth and stared in horror. He held my gaze, but there was no fear. There was no self-consciousness or doubt. That's when I realized that he never questioned himself. He was so strong, on the inside and out. For the first time I was intimidated by Mason Kade and I had no idea what to do about it. So I stumbled out the truth, "I love you."
"I know."
"You know?" I didn't even know.
"Sam, I'm not stupid. You've been on lockdown since you moved in. That's why you go running. Any time you start to feel something, you numb yourself. I get it. Trust me, I do. But I know you wouldn't be with me or done half the stuff with me that you have if you didn't love me."
"But…" I hadn't known. Why hadn't I? A cold feeling took root in my gut.
"Hey," he said in a soft voice and moved so he was close again. He moved on his side and tugged me so I faced him. His forehead rested against mine again. "Everything will be okay. I promise."
I sucked in a tortured breath. And then I surrendered. "I'm scared."
"I know."
"After everything's that happened…" I didn't know I was trembling until he wrapped an arm around me and pulled me tight. The shaking stopped and a sense of safety started to seep in. This time it wasn't a temporary feeling, it wasn't going to leave after he left the bed.
"I'm tired, Mason."
"I know."
We both knew I wasn't referring to sleep.
And then nothing mattered. His lips touched mine and it was tender. He didn't roll me underneath him this time, but lifted so I was on top and then he let me set the pace. After I climaxed and collapsed on top of him, I blinked back tears. It was different. The tears were different. Our love making had been different and the way he held me was different. Or maybe I was the different one?
"Stop thinking." Mason brushed a kiss against my shoulder and laughed. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. Right now, we need to shower. I'm hungry too." And he picked me up, bedsheets and all, and started for the bathroom.
I shrieked, laughing, as I hit his shoulder. "Put me down." I was gasping as he did and danced out of his reach when he pretended to lunge for me again. I felt drunk. I wanted to giggle and smile, and never stop doing both of them. As we showered together, a delicious tingle raced up and down my spine. My heart never stopped pounding and I was lightheaded by the end. Afterwards, he slid on some jeans and started to tug me towards the door. I laughed and dug my feet in. "Let me put some clothes on first."
The corner of his mouth curved up, but his eyes darkened as he watched me.
I sighed. "You should too."
He smirked at me and dropped his jeans to pull some boxers on. He left the shirt and socks behind as he caught my hand. I dressed in a hurry and finished tugging my shirt down when he dragged me behind him and out the door.
As soon as we stepped outside, his demeanor dropped. The standoffish Mason was back in place, but his hand continued to hold mine. A buzzing sensation spread through me when I realized I was grateful for the touch. I missed the feel of his body against mine and knew I was addicted. Then I admitted to myself that I didn't want to kick this addiction. It was threatening to take control of my life and I was okay with that.
Nate smirked at us as we approached the kitchenette and gestured from the coffee maker. "I called in the works. Bagels, omelets, bacon, pancakes." He held out a cup for me. "And coffee."
I inhaled the aroma and groaned. "I just cheated on Mason."
There was a moment of silence before Nate burst out laughing. "Sorry, bud. I think I'm going for your girl."
Mason flashed him a cocky smile and popped some bacon in his mouth. "No worries. I had her primed before we came out."
I shot them both a look and sank down in a chair with my coffee. And then I started to take in the scene around us. A few girls sat at the table with their hair pulled up in haphazard ponytails. They were sprawled in chairs with bags under their eyes. One of the girls narrowed her eyes at me, but stopped halfway. She lifted a hand and let it drop down with a loud smack. "Hi. I'm too tired right now. I'm Natalie."
I nodded and sipped my coffee.
She jerked a thumb beside her. "This is Kate and Parker. We go to school with these dickwads."
Nate laughed as he lifted one of the girls and took the seat beneath her. He held her on his lap, but she never resisted. The movement had been done with an ease that spoke of its history. He'd done this many times with that girl. She nestled back in his chest and gave me a droopy smile. Her eyes shot over my shoulder. "Logan's missing in action, Mason. We're not sure where he is."
He had taken a cup of coffee for himself and lounged against the farthest counter. He lowered it from his mouth now. A scowl took form. "Nate?"
"Relax," Nate hissed at him and pointedly looked at the girls. "It's done."
Mason visibly relaxed. His coffee was lifted again.
And then the door to the suite was thrown open. Logan entered with his arms spread wide and an arrogant smirk on his face. "The deal has been done."
Natalie lifted haughty eyes. "What's done, Logan?"
He winked at her, but crossed the room and pressed a kiss to my forehead. He whispered to me, "Last night was a show. Did Mason fill you in?"
"A show?" I turned hard eyes towards the kitchenette. "Mason."
He held my gaze for a minute and looked past my shoulders in a pointed fashion. A sick feeling took root before I turned. Everything seemed in slow motion and I froze at the sight of Miranda Stewart in the doorway. She wore nothing except for a long white buttoned-down shirt that grazed beneath her bottom. Black lacy panties could be seen and she looked back with wide eyes. I gulped as I saw fear in them. That look doubled when she surveyed the room and I turned as well. All three girls had disdain on their faces and each of them didn't contain a smug look.
Miranda's throat jerked up and down as she met my gaze.
