“I kissed . . .” My voice trailed away. We hadn’t. We stood close to each other, close enough to touch. It’d been before we were together, when Mason’s presence was enough to implode my senses, and that was what he did then. His hand touched my hip, just a small caress there. It was enough. A need for him began to throb between my legs, and I sighed now.

“You scared me.”

“I did?”

Mason was still watching me, intent.

Feeling a euphoric sense of power, I ran my thumb over his tip, and he shuddered. I laughed huskily, remembering the rest. “You kissed me on the forehead. That’s what scared me. I wanted you so much, but it was like I knew if you took me then, everything would change. I wasn’t ready for it to all change, not yet.” I paused and glanced up again. “You said something to me in that shower, but I couldn’t hear you. I never told you that.” I cocked my head to the side. “What did you say to me?”

“Oh.” He laughed, his grin turning wolfish. “You’re holding my dick in your hands and you want to know what I said back then when I was still in high school? I was a young punk.”

My hand tightened again, and he bit out a moan. “God, Sam!”

“What’d you say? I want to know now.”

He groaned. “I told you that I’d fuck you until your legs couldn’t work.”

“You did?” My body reacted, suddenly feverish and aching. I was beyond wet.

He nodded, watching me warily. “I thought I was being a gentleman by offering to make you explode.”

I laughed, breathless at the same time. “Goddamn.” My own grin turned wolfish now. “Maybe I should return the favor right now?”

“Wh—Sa—” He bit off his words with another groan as I began running my hand the full length of him.

“You wanted to claim me, and I feel the same.” I tightened my legs around him, bringing him even closer against me with my hand between our bodies. As I talked, I stroked—slowly, making him groan. “I know other girls want you, but they can’t have you.” Stroke. “You’re mine.” Another stroke. “You’ll never be someone else’s.”

My hand moved a little faster, and I could hear him breathe.

“And I’m going to make you explode tonight.” I drew it out, knowing just how to touch him. When to stop, when to go soft, when to go faster, when to wait, when not to wait. I knew him like the back of my hand and I was showing him right now. I whispered, lifting to kiss his throat. “Maybe your legs won’t work tonight.”

“Fuck.” A guttural growl burst from him, and he adjusted his position, bringing himself back on top of me. My hand was knocked away with the movement, and his mouth found mine as his hand went inside my pants. He must have unbuckled them earlier—I hadn’t noticed. I did now. I gasped as his finger slid in, stretching me. He paused once, then went deeper.

I felt him grin against my lips, and he asked, “You like that?”

God, yes.

I clamped his shoulders tighter, raking my hand down his back.

He arched over me and pushed a second finger inside, stroking in and out. When he brought them out, my hips went with them. I was moving for him, like we were attached and couldn’t come undone. Then he pushed his fingers back in, all the way. He started a rhythm.

I could only lie there, gasping, as I felt the tremors swirl through my body. They kept spreading, building as he worshipped me. He bent and pushed my shirt up, and his lips went to my breast. His tongue swept around it, then sucked, tasted, and his teeth found my nipple.

I cried out, the sensations almost carnal inside of me. I was intoxicated.

Goddamn, I loved this man.

“Mason,” I whimpered. I needed him inside of me. I wanted the feel of his entire body over me. He was mine. No one else’s, and he never would be.

He laughed again, lifting his mouth to grin at me before he went back to teasing my nipple. His fingers were still thrusting.

“Please.” I groaned. I was almost mewling with wanton need.

“No.” He kept plunging his fingers in and out, in and out. His eyes smoldered, gazing back into mine. “I’m going to make you come, Samantha.”

My name, the way he said it, sent tingles through my body.

“And then I’m going to take my time and make sure I explore every part of you.” He whispered those words as he tasted my nipple, then my chest, then my throat. He moved back up to find my lips again, and his tongue slid inside, meeting and tangling with mine.

The only way I could be closer was if it were him moving inside, not just his fingers. I wanted to feel his surrender, and a frustrated growl came from me. He was holding himself back, ravishing me first. I wanted him to lose control. I didn’t want it to be just me.

“Mason.” I moved my hand back between us and caught him, wrapping my fingers around him.

He paused, tensing and catching his breath.

“If you don’t get this inside of me, I’m going to torture you right here and now.”

He had a wolfish look on his face. “What are you going to do—”

I ran my thumb over his tip, and he sucked in his breath again.

“That.” I offered so much promise and warning in that one word. And I closed my hand back around him, holding still.

His fingers kept moving, almost ramming into me, and I felt the climax building. It was rising, increasing. I was just on the cusp of coming, and he knew it. He smirked down at me as I tried to hold him hostage. It wasn’t working.

I opened my mouth, only able to lie there, pant, and stare up at him.

I was right there. And then he slid a third finger into me, pumping it deep, and it was enough.

I groaned as I felt the sensations flood me. I rode over the waves as he watched. He looked smug, and I cursed, feeling my body tremble, but it was payback time.

I managed to keep my hold on him, and then I began rubbing. Up and down. No, that wasn’t enough. I wanted to taste him and I began to shift so I could lower my head.

He was already rock hard. He’d be delicious, but Mason swore he had other plans.

With my body still shaking, he dislodged my hand and pulled his fingers out. He undressed himself and me within seconds, then he was back. I hadn’t even had time to register his absence. His hands went to my thighs, and he spread them wide.

He impaled me in the next second, and he went deep, all the way deep. I felt him in my stomach. He lay on top of me, then with a soft kiss dropped to my shoulder, he began moving, and soon I was writhing all over again.

A little while later I whispered, “What are you going to do about the videos? About those girls?”

“Nothing.” He shifted, tightening his arm around me as he held me from behind. He kissed the back of my neck. “But if Quinn fucks with us again, I’ll do to him what he did to me. I’ll edit that video so those girls’ identities are protected, and then I’ll release it.” He slid his leg up between mine. “Oh.” He gently nipped at my shoulder. “He also thinks Nate is going after Becky, but don’t worry. He’s not. It’s just a bluff.”

I twisted around to him. “What?”

Everyone stared.

Everyone talked.

Everyone knew.

The first day of classes sucked. The second we stepped on campus, all attention was on us. Logan saw Mason and me coming—he’d come earlier with Taylor for some reason—and he came over to throw both his arms around our shoulders.

He hugged us to him with an extra squeeze. “Look, we’re celebrities. Dreams do come true.”

Mason shot him a look. “Thanks for the sarcasm.”

“I charge extra for the attitude. You get the family discount.” His arms dropped, but he bumped me with his hip before falling in line on the other side of me. “You too, Sam. Sista.” He winked.

“Lovely,” I remarked, rubbing at my forehead. A headache had already started. “Let me guess. We’re the Soul Sista Connection?”

“SSC.” He beamed back at me, puffing up his chest. “I had to ask Matteo if we could branch out, but he okayed it.”

Yep. The headache was definitely there. It kept growing the more cheerful Logan became.