“What videos?”
I tossed the camera over, and Nate caught it. He began looking through the videos and swore under his breath.
After a minute he handed it back over. “If you release those videos, you have to crop out the girls. Their identities have to be protected.”
I nodded. They would be. “I will. I gotta show this to Sam too.”
They both nodded.
A moment of silence passed as the three of us looked at each other. This was it. Nate would take the girl—or so Adam thought. I would take his reputation. The money would be worked out later. But there was one thing left.
Logan looked around the room. “So, just to be perfectly sure about this, we’re not torching the house. Right? Because we could. I’d be up for that.”
I laughed. “We can’t.”
I wanted to. The old Mason would’ve, and he was still inside of me, but I had changed. I was becoming better. Slightly.
I held up the camera. “This is enough.”
“You’re sure?”
I gave my brother a look. I heard the hopeful tone in his voice. I shook my head. “Apparently I have that STD called maturity too.”
Logan cursed. “That’s the worst of them. Such a shame.” He smiled, though.
Nate laughed. “Let’s get going in case Quinn tripped some alarm. You never know with him.”
Adam was still unconscious, and we left him where he was. We were in the vehicle and leaving the driveway when Nate hit the brakes.
“Wha—” I looked up to see why he’d stopped.
Sam and Taylor stared back at us.
SAMANTHA
Logan leaped from Nate’s car and hurried over to ours.
He flung my door open. “Let’s switch. I’ll go back with Taylor.”
I was slow to release my seatbelt. “What did you guys do?” I asked as I stood.
“Nothing really.” He cast a worried glance over my shoulder, to the road. “But we gotta go in case any alarms were tripped. It’s not good if we’re seen here.”
He took my seat, and I jumped in next to Mason, who moved over behind Nate. Taylor reversed her car, and we pulled out after them.
I waited a few minutes before asking, “Do I want to know what happened?”
Nate’s eyes flicked up and met Mason’s in the rearview mirror. Mason’s jaw clenched, but he handed over a camera from on the floor by his seat. “You can see for yourself.”
The first video disgusted me.
The second had my stomach churning, but the third actually made me retch. I grabbed for the door handle, but Mason was there. He caught my hands and pulled me back to his chest.
“Hey, hey,” he soothed. “It’s okay.”
The vomit was still coming. I shook my head. I couldn’t say anything to alert him.
He stuck a bag in front of me, and I let loose.
I saw enough to know there were more girls on the camera, but it was the video of Becky that sent me over the edge.
As I threw up more, Mason ran a comforting hand down my back. He’d picked up the camera and was clicking through the ones I’d looked at when I heard him say, “Oh, man.”
“What?” Nate asked.
I looked up, feeling all sorts of disgusting.
Mason looked at me first, his eyes clouded. “I didn’t know. I didn’t see that one.”
I closed my eyes and leaned back against him. His hand curved around me as he spoke over my shoulder. “I didn’t look through all of the videos. There was one . . .” I felt him turn to me, though I still didn’t look. “It was Becky.”
“Oh.” Nate quieted. “Shit.”
“I’m sorry, Sam,” Mason added.
I shook my head, but my stomach was better. It was empty now, and I tied the ends of the bag together. “We should drop this off somewhere.”
Nate nodded, and he pulled into a gas station not long after that. I went inside to clean up a little, buying some toothpaste and a toothbrush. Taylor came in as I was finishing in the bathroom.
She ran a hand through her hair, looking harried. “Are you okay?”
I didn’t want to tell her about Becky.
I didn’t even want to tell her about the videos.
She knew Becky and Adam from the summer, though not like I did. Maybe it was ridiculous, but I wanted to protect her a little bit.
I just nodded, rasping out, “I got carsick.”
“You get carsick a lot?”
“No. Hopefully it was just a one-time deal.” I tried to smile, but I knew it didn’t meet my eyes, and Taylor didn’t look convinced.
She bit her lip and followed me back outside. Logan was jumping around Nate, while Mason lounged against Nate’s vehicle. All turned toward us as we crossed the gas station to them.
Logan stopped jumping, a shadow coming to his face. “You okay, Sam?” He glanced to Mason, the unspoken question there of what happened.
Mason nodded.
Logan’s whole demeanor shifted to pity. “Ah. I’m sorry, Sam.”
I pressed a hand to my stomach. “Me too. Getting carsick sucks.” I held his gaze, wondering if he’d get my unspoken message.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Carsickness sucks ass.”
Mason smiled. “Let’s get back. I think I went right from being sober to being hung over. I need to sleep a little.”
It was nearing six in the morning when we staggered inside. No one spoke as we ventured to our own rooms, but the sleep would be short-lived. Tomorrow/this morning was our first day of classes. Worst timing ever.
Once we were in our bedroom, I gazed up, my hands resting against Mason’s chest. “I’m tired.”
“I know.” His hand cupped the side of my face, and he leaned down. “Are you mad at me?”
I knew what he was asking. My hand covered his. “I was mad that you left. I was mad when I realized where you were going, but I’m not mad at you in a way too. I’m furious with Adam. I’m livid at what he did to Becky, and I didn’t ask what you guys did to him, because I don’t know if I’m going to be mad about that or not. And I know none of that makes sense.” My hand slid around his shoulders and my other arm wrapped around his neck. I pulled his mouth down to mine. “But I also don’t want to talk about Adam right now because I really, really just want you.”
He groaned softly before his lips descended to mine, and all the same flutters started. I sighed into him, letting my body dissolve. It was a gentle nip at first, then another, then he stopped and opened his mouth, commanding the same from me. I just held on and did as he wanted. My body heated up, and pleasure swept through me.
“Sam.” He breathed my name, bending down to pick me up.
I moved with him, lifting my legs to wrap around his waist.
I felt him hold me, all of me, and his shoulder muscles contracted. He didn’t lay me on the bed right away. He kept holding me, kissing me, and I knew this wasn’t going to be anything quick. Even his kisses—he slowly dragged his lips over mine, like he was stealing a touch from me and relishing it.
Then he moved one step toward the bed and lowered me down. My back rested on top of the covers, but he still didn’t do anything else. He bent over me, my legs and arms wrapped tight around him, and he just kept commanding my mouth.
I felt like he was trying to feel inside of me, all the way to my soul.
“Samantha,” he whispered again, lifting me and scooting me farther up on the bed. Then he sank down, letting me feel all of his body weight. He pushed himself against me, our jeans rubbing over each other, and held himself still, poised right there. I felt his back muscles trembling from the strength it took.
It just made the ache rise.
A small whimper left me. I couldn’t stop it, and I moved my hips. He was there, and if there hadn’t been clothes, he would’ve pushed inside already. I was wet. I was ready, but I heard a soft chuckle, and he lifted his head to peer down at me.
“No, no. I’m taking my time tonight.” He bent and pres
sed a kiss to my jawline, then my neck, next my shoulder. “I remembered tonight when he tried to take you from me.” A kiss. “And I felt it all over again. How you’re mine.” A second kiss. “How you’ll never be someone else’s.” A third kiss. “How I’m yours.”
He lifted heated eyes to mine. I saw the lust swimming in his depths. Shifting so he was resting on an elbow on the bed, he laced his free hand with mine and pressed it next to my head, pinning one of my arms in place.
“I wanted to claim you all over again,” he said. “I wanted him to remember.”
My throat was swollen. Loving, wanting, needing—that was all I was feeling.
“I think Adam got the memo a long time ago.”
Mason shook his head. “Maybe. But I can’t help but feel everything else was an excuse to come after you again.”
I lifted my head, trying to concentrate. His thumb rubbed over my finger, and that caress alone was driving me crazy.
“If it was, I’m sure you reminded him again tonight.”
Mason’s eyes were so dark. The green was almost gone, and he pressed into me.
I sucked in my breath, my free hand falling to his hip. I licked my lips. His eyes fell there, and he groaned, dipping his head back down, and I felt him take another kiss. I’d give him any kisses he wanted, but there was something else I wanted. I undid his jeans and slipped my hand inside.
I felt his warmth first, then moved farther and caught him. I held him in my hand, but he was already hard.
He closed his eyes, resting his head on my shoulder as I began to stroke him.
“You felt the need to claim me, didn’t you?” I whispered.
“Mmmm-hmmm.” He could hardly answer. “It’s not the first time, you know.”
I paused, looking up. “What?”
He opened his eyes, watching me as I held him in my hand. “The first time I needed to claim you. There was another time.” His grin grew lustful, and his eyes were almost simmering. “The shower.”
My hand tightened, just a slight bit. My heart skipped a beat. “The shower?”
“Before we turned evil on your mom.” He gave me a knowing look. “You remember.”
I did.
The memory came back to me.
I was in the doorway and Mason was just turning on his shower. He was naked, and he didn’t care who saw.
All the same confidence he had now was just so much more pronounced back then. He knew I was there, and he didn’t care.
I grinned up at him now. “You asked me to join you.”
He laughed, his voice ending on a moan as my hand moved down his length. “Uh yeah. I did.”
But there’d been more.
I wanted to go to him. I had. I took a step inside, then the cockiness left him and his eyes had been smoldering, like he was waiting for me, like he’d been waiting the whole time for me.
“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.