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."