Mason shook his head. "You sure? That bitch—"

Nate stopped him. "I'll take care of it, okay?" As I stepped closer, he smiled and pulled me in for a hug. "It's good to see you. I'm happy to hear about you and Mason. He'll treat you good. I promise."

Mason tugged me back and lifted me so I wrapped my legs around him. He held me in place, but spoke over my shoulder, "You'll make sure he's okay? This is important, Nate."

"I know. Chill. I'm not an idiot. I know what I'm doing."

"I don't want problems between me and my brother—"

"Would you stop acting like this is my first job? We've been doing this crap for years. It's not like I don't know how to handle Logan, you know. I am friends with him."

Mason's hand started to rub against my bottom and he kissed my shoulder. Then he added, "I know. I'm worried because of—"

"He's over Tate. He knew you were being a good brother." Nate shook his head. "For my sake, take her in the back and get happy. Both of you. Everything will be sorted out. Logan will be his normal self tomorrow."

I twisted around. "How are you going to do that?"

Nate gave me a smug look and a chill went over me. A flash of memories washed over me then.

"When Nate and Mason team up, they always do something."

"He's bad news, like really bad news. I heard him and Kade are not a good team together."

My own mother's voice on the phone, 'I'm sure he's not that bad of a boy. Mason seems very sure of himself.'

I never asked, but I was sure she'd been talking about Nate and now I started to wonder what they meant. Nate had been kind to me, but I saw a different side of him as he answered me. "I'll get him to bang the queen of your school. He already started the groundwork and she bit, she bit hard."

"Miranda Stewart?" A sick feeling started in my stomach. "She's dating Peter Glasburg."

Nate's eyebrows furrowed together. "Because that always means she won't cheat, huh?"

I flushed and buried my head in Mason's neck. His hand rubbed up and down my back. "Fix it, Nate."

"I will."

I felt Mason nodding. "Thanks. And thanks for coming."

Nate laughed on a carefree note. "Yeah, it took me longer than I thought. Never knew I'd be thankful for some pirate movie they're shooting in Brazil."

"Your parents are strict."

"Yeah, well, we gave them reason to be."

Mason's body shook in laughter. "Yeah, we did." He nodded once again and then took me to a back bedroom.

As he sat me down, he flipped the lights on and locked the door. A king size bed was in a corner with a couch and kitchen area on the other side. A small bathroom was attached and I spotted a Jacuzzi inside. A fleeting thought passed through me, I would've thought people would've found this room before now.

"I had a key card to it. No one could get in here."

"Oh." I hadn't realized I'd spoken out loud.

Mason regarded me for a heartbeat before he sat on the edge of the bed. He bent forward and raked his hands through his hair. His elbows rested on his knees and he stayed like that as I crossed the room to sit beside him. I took one of his hands in mine and he looked up. There was a haunted look in him and I gasped. I knew it'd haunt me now as well. I lifted a hand to smooth out the lines in his forehead and asked, quietly, "Why am I a little scared of you right now?"

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against mine. He breathed out, "Because I'm a jerk."

I swallowed painfully as my heart was pounding. My breathing picked up and it became erratic. "Why do I feel sorry for Logan right now?"

"Because I'm hurting him."

A piece of bark formed in my throat. "How are you doing that?"

He whispered against my lips, "Because you're the second girl that he's wanted and I got."

My heart picked up its pace. A herd of elephants were stampeding in my ear, but I asked the question I never considered it until now, but I had to ask it. "Does he love me?"

With our foreheads against each other, he looked up and met my gaze. His eyelashes touched mine and I felt his breath against my lips. "I don't think he does, not in that way."

My heart was beating so fast now. It was a continuous beat. I was breathless as I opened my mouth. "Do you love me?"

His hand encircled the back of my neck and he lifted my face as he adjusted on the bed. He peered into my depths. And then he moved so he was below me and I straddled him. His hands slid to my back and he ground me against him. I gasped as I pressed down harder. I couldn't get closer. I needed to get closer. I was starting to become blind with the need.

As he touched his lips to mine, I heard him whisper, "Yes." And then he rolled me underneath him and I was lost. Again.

CHAPTER FORTY

I wasn't sure what time it was the next morning when I woke. I had knocked the clock off the nightstand at some point and a jolt of warmth rushed through me at the memory of it. Mason was sprawled out on the other side of the bed. I blinked at the sight of his tight butt. The sheets had slipped down to his thigh and I was tempted to run a finger up the backside of his leg and over his cheeks. They were tanned, muscular, and itching for my touch.

"Don't even think it," he mumbled out of the corner of his mouth. One of his eyes opened enough to see me with his face pressed into his pillow. A half smile spread over him and then he tugged the sheet across my lap. It was wrapped around my legs and I was soon pulled into his arms.

He nuzzled my neck and pulled me over so I was across his chest.

When he started tickling under my arm, I pulled away, breathless. "Stop it!"

He chuckled and gave me a quick kiss. "You have morning breath."

"So do you." I kissed him back and soon he rolled us to our side. Our legs and arms were wrapped around each other and it wasn't long before I felt him harden against my stomach. "How long do you have the suite?"

He ran a finger down my arm and grinned as goosebumps poked up. "For as long my mom's around. Logan and I didn't want to stay with her so we got this one. He'll probably keep that other suite for the day until everybody's been kicked out."

I shivered when he started to plant soft kisses under my jaw. "Will he be okay? You know…about me and stuff?"

His mouth lingered at the corner of my mouth before he pulled back and settled on his side. He propped himself up on his elbow. "Yeah, he'll be fine. Logan's not an idiot. He doesn't really want you, but that bitch pushed his button."

"And that is?"

He groaned and fell to his back. "Ever since Tate, Logan's never forgotten that she wanted me. He loved her, but she wanted me and worked her way through him to get to me."

"They were together for two years."

"Yeah." He gave me a rueful look. "I'm not exactly welcoming to girls."

"But I saw you with that girl at the house when I caught Jeff."

He shrugged. "She'd been on me for awhile and I never pushed her away. I had an itch to scratch, but she was too drunk. We didn't do anything."

"You said that you had some girlfriends before?"

"Awhile ago, when I was young and stupid. I haven't had to work at getting sex for a long time. If I want it, I can pick the girl. Basically."

"And me?" I grinned down at him and he gave me a knowing smirk.

"What do you think?"

"Am I just for sex? I am convenient."

He tugged me down so I was sprawled over him again and lifted his hips against mine. "Does that feel convenient to you?" His voice was breathless as he cupped my head and turned my lips to his. He brushed against them. "You've been on my mind ever since that damn gas station. I couldn't shake you and then when you moved in, it's been torture. I get hard the second you walk in a room."

"So you're saying…" I opened my mouth and his tongue swept in. He took control of the kiss and I tasted his desperation. I pulled back as I realized it was for me. The hunger in him was insatiable.

"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.