Broad shoulders. Every muscle defined, all the way down to his abdominals and obliques. Even the muscles in his legs bulged and shifted as he bent low to dry the rest of him. A trim waist. Angular cheekbones. Luscious eyelashes that covered his emerald eyes and lips that a girl would die for. Not me. I just died to touch them and feel them against mine.
I let out a deep breath. I was addicted to him.
He grinned as his eyes darkened. He knew exactly what I was thinking or feeling. He asked, “Are you going to get ready?”
“Sure. When my legs can work again. What was that?”
“That,” he moved closer, pulling the towel from me, “was the best way to start my last semester.”
I flinched as if a cold bucket of water was dumped on me. Those words left me cold. Plucking the towel from him, I hopped off the counter and shoved past him to the bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” He followed me.
“That was the best way to start your last semester?” I dried myself off and stopped to glare at him. Seriously? He was an idiot. “Screw you.”
The corner of his mouth curved up. “You just did.”
“Not funny, Mason.”
He frowned and narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re leaving.”
“Just to college. I’m not going forever.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my back. Says you, you big ass. Just to college. It’s not that simple.
“Wait, are you really mad at me?”
Ignoring him, I grabbed some underwear, jeans, a bra and a shirt. Stopping once, I glanced in the mirror to make sure I looked presentable—I’d do. My dark hair hadn’t been cut so it fell below my shoulders. I’d twist it up in a braid later, but the jeans and shirt were snug. Good. I didn’t care if every inch of me was on display. The jeans were washed out, but clung to me and my shirt was a simple long-sleeve white shirt. The front dipped low, giving a good view of my cle**age, and my black lace bra showed through the thin material, but I didn’t care. Mason was just going to college, my ass. Still ignoring him, I grabbed my backpack and purse. Stuffing the purse inside of the bag, I brushed past him and headed downstairs. As I got into the kitchen, Logan was just putting the coffee pot back on the burner. He turned and stopped. Seeing me when I entered, his eyes went wide and a low wolf whistle came next.
“You’re smoking, Sam.” He gave me a wicked grin. “Mason must’ve pissed you off, huh?”
“I know I look pissed.”
“Nah.” He shook his head, his brown locks had been gelled to perfection. “You’re smoking hot. I know you’re mad because you got that cold as ice look in your eye you always get when you are, but that’s not what I meant. You only come out looking hot as hell when my big bro’s pissed you off.” Checking his watch, he whistled again. “That was fast because I just heard you two going at it like wild animals.”
Oh. Jeezus. Flushing, I ignored his comments and gestured to the coffee pot. “Are you going to start that?”
“Nope. It doesn’t work.”
This morning went from great to crap. “Oh.”
Grabbing his keys, Logan dangled them at me. “But if we leave now, we can stop at The Quickie. I need to get gas anyway.”
“Sold.”
Mason was coming down the stairs as we moved past them. He was pulling his shirt down, and I tried not to watch the movement of his abdominals or how his jeans rode low on his narrow hips. He paused when he saw us. “Where are you guys going?”
My lips were pressed tight together, and Logan smirked from behind me. He shook his head. “Whatever you said must’ve been good. You pissed your woman off. Not a good move, not on the first day of the semester.”
Wincing at how close his words hit the target, I gritted my teeth and shoved out the door.
Mason called after me, “Sam.”
“What?”
He looked ready to say something else, glanced at Logan and closed his mouth.
It didn’t matter. I didn’t want to hear it. “The coffee pot’s broken. I’m going with Logan to get some. Did you want some too? I can serve it to you, another thing to add to the ‘best way to start your last semester.’” A ball of anger rolled over me.
“Come on …” An apology flashed in those emerald eyes of his.
“You said that?” Logan chuckled. “Dumb move, dipshit.”
Moving closer to the door, Mason flashed a warning at his brother. “Give us a minute.”
“What if I don’t?”
He bared his teeth at him. “Not a request, dipshit.” Then he shoved him and stepped closer to me. His hand fell to my arm, but he added to Logan, “March. I’ll bring her.”
Logan smirked at him. “We’re going for coffee. Besides,” he gestured inside the house, “you’ve gotta wait for your other girlfriend. His car’s still blocked in from the party last night.”
“People are still here? Where is he?”
He shrugged. “Nah, they all got rides home, but their cars are still here, and as for your girlfriend, I have no idea. Check his room. I think I heard Parker down there.”
“Parker?”
“Yeah. Pretty sure I heard her voice from downstairs. I was headed down to see if he knew how to fix the coffee pot.”
Mason cursed under his breath and twisted around. His hand fell from my arm. “He agreed to the exile.”
“Guess it starts later today for him.”
“Not helping.”
“Not trying to,” Logan sniped back.
“What is your problem?”
“With you? Nothing. With your other girlfriend, figure it out.” Logan’s eyes darkened, letting his anger show.
I held my breath. There hadn’t been a lot of times when the two bickered, but I could tell that Logan was fed up. Not that I could hold it against him. I was getting fed up as well, but I knew that Mason hadn’t let his friendship with his best friend affect our relationship. Not yet. As the two glared at each other, I stepped in between them. Softening my tone, I gestured to Logan’s Escalade. “Let’s go and get coffee.”
Logan turned on his heel, his jaw rigid as he went to his vehicle.
Mason caught my wrist and held me back. “Are we okay?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. I had already melted as soon as I saw his regret earlier. “It just sucks, Mason. You’re leaving. You. Leaving. As in you’re not going to be here on a daily basis anymore. I’m not the only one bothered by that.” I jerked my head over my shoulder, where Logan had started the car and was waiting for me.
I let out a deep breath. I was addicted to him.
He grinned as his eyes darkened. He knew exactly what I was thinking or feeling. He asked, “Are you going to get ready?”
“Sure. When my legs can work again. What was that?”
“That,” he moved closer, pulling the towel from me, “was the best way to start my last semester.”
I flinched as if a cold bucket of water was dumped on me. Those words left me cold. Plucking the towel from him, I hopped off the counter and shoved past him to the bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” He followed me.
“That was the best way to start your last semester?” I dried myself off and stopped to glare at him. Seriously? He was an idiot. “Screw you.”
The corner of his mouth curved up. “You just did.”
“Not funny, Mason.”
He frowned and narrowed his eyes at me. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re leaving.”
“Just to college. I’m not going forever.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my back. Says you, you big ass. Just to college. It’s not that simple.
“Wait, are you really mad at me?”
Ignoring him, I grabbed some underwear, jeans, a bra and a shirt. Stopping once, I glanced in the mirror to make sure I looked presentable—I’d do. My dark hair hadn’t been cut so it fell below my shoulders. I’d twist it up in a braid later, but the jeans and shirt were snug. Good. I didn’t care if every inch of me was on display. The jeans were washed out, but clung to me and my shirt was a simple long-sleeve white shirt. The front dipped low, giving a good view of my cle**age, and my black lace bra showed through the thin material, but I didn’t care. Mason was just going to college, my ass. Still ignoring him, I grabbed my backpack and purse. Stuffing the purse inside of the bag, I brushed past him and headed downstairs. As I got into the kitchen, Logan was just putting the coffee pot back on the burner. He turned and stopped. Seeing me when I entered, his eyes went wide and a low wolf whistle came next.
“You’re smoking, Sam.” He gave me a wicked grin. “Mason must’ve pissed you off, huh?”
“I know I look pissed.”
“Nah.” He shook his head, his brown locks had been gelled to perfection. “You’re smoking hot. I know you’re mad because you got that cold as ice look in your eye you always get when you are, but that’s not what I meant. You only come out looking hot as hell when my big bro’s pissed you off.” Checking his watch, he whistled again. “That was fast because I just heard you two going at it like wild animals.”
Oh. Jeezus. Flushing, I ignored his comments and gestured to the coffee pot. “Are you going to start that?”
“Nope. It doesn’t work.”
This morning went from great to crap. “Oh.”
Grabbing his keys, Logan dangled them at me. “But if we leave now, we can stop at The Quickie. I need to get gas anyway.”
“Sold.”
Mason was coming down the stairs as we moved past them. He was pulling his shirt down, and I tried not to watch the movement of his abdominals or how his jeans rode low on his narrow hips. He paused when he saw us. “Where are you guys going?”
My lips were pressed tight together, and Logan smirked from behind me. He shook his head. “Whatever you said must’ve been good. You pissed your woman off. Not a good move, not on the first day of the semester.”
Wincing at how close his words hit the target, I gritted my teeth and shoved out the door.
Mason called after me, “Sam.”
“What?”
He looked ready to say something else, glanced at Logan and closed his mouth.
It didn’t matter. I didn’t want to hear it. “The coffee pot’s broken. I’m going with Logan to get some. Did you want some too? I can serve it to you, another thing to add to the ‘best way to start your last semester.’” A ball of anger rolled over me.
“Come on …” An apology flashed in those emerald eyes of his.
“You said that?” Logan chuckled. “Dumb move, dipshit.”
Moving closer to the door, Mason flashed a warning at his brother. “Give us a minute.”
“What if I don’t?”
He bared his teeth at him. “Not a request, dipshit.” Then he shoved him and stepped closer to me. His hand fell to my arm, but he added to Logan, “March. I’ll bring her.”
Logan smirked at him. “We’re going for coffee. Besides,” he gestured inside the house, “you’ve gotta wait for your other girlfriend. His car’s still blocked in from the party last night.”
“People are still here? Where is he?”
He shrugged. “Nah, they all got rides home, but their cars are still here, and as for your girlfriend, I have no idea. Check his room. I think I heard Parker down there.”
“Parker?”
“Yeah. Pretty sure I heard her voice from downstairs. I was headed down to see if he knew how to fix the coffee pot.”
Mason cursed under his breath and twisted around. His hand fell from my arm. “He agreed to the exile.”
“Guess it starts later today for him.”
“Not helping.”
“Not trying to,” Logan sniped back.
“What is your problem?”
“With you? Nothing. With your other girlfriend, figure it out.” Logan’s eyes darkened, letting his anger show.
I held my breath. There hadn’t been a lot of times when the two bickered, but I could tell that Logan was fed up. Not that I could hold it against him. I was getting fed up as well, but I knew that Mason hadn’t let his friendship with his best friend affect our relationship. Not yet. As the two glared at each other, I stepped in between them. Softening my tone, I gestured to Logan’s Escalade. “Let’s go and get coffee.”
Logan turned on his heel, his jaw rigid as he went to his vehicle.
Mason caught my wrist and held me back. “Are we okay?”
“Yeah,” I sighed. I had already melted as soon as I saw his regret earlier. “It just sucks, Mason. You’re leaving. You. Leaving. As in you’re not going to be here on a daily basis anymore. I’m not the only one bothered by that.” I jerked my head over my shoulder, where Logan had started the car and was waiting for me.
