He pulled me against him, wrapping his arms around me, and he held me there. His head dipped to my shoulder and he pressed a kiss there. I shivered at the sensation. Then his hands left and grabbed under my legs. He hoisted me up in one movement. My legs opened, wrapping around his waist in one movement and I felt him walking further into the clearing. When he got to the middle, he knelt down, and laid me on the ground. Holding himself above me, he brushed some of the hair behind my ear and smiled.

There it was again. His love. I saw it and everything clicked back into place. Closing my eyes, I knew he was leaning down to kiss me. I didn’t see it. I didn’t feel it, but I knew he was going to, and when he did, when his lips touched mine, everything fled away.

It was the two of us. Once more.

His lips opened over mine and I answered. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I drew him down to me. The need to be with him was being fulfilled, but I was starving for more. I would always need more of him.

It was later when we realized where we were. The tall grass had kept us hidden, but we heard a group of runners going past us. They were laughing and shouting at each other. Mason laughed in my ear, his chuckle quiet and low. He raised his head and glanced at them. When they were gone, he sat up, but kept his back against the trail so I was shielded from any last stragglers going by.

Adjusting my clothing back into place, I gave him a rueful grin. I couldn’t stop myself—my face slipped into one of those dreamy looks every girlfriend gives her boyfriend when they’re in love. That was me. I was back to being cheesy again. Then I rolled my eyes at myself. An hour ago, my world had been shattered. Now it was back in place again.

My fingers kept catching on my bra as I was trying to pull it back into place. It was rolled together and I needed to straighten it. I cursed under my breath, but Mason leaned over me. His arms went around me and he brushed my hands aside. He smoothed it out and ran his hand down the rest of my spine, trailing all the way down to my underwear.

I held my breath, feeling the tingles from his touch, and he grinned at me, sliding his hand inside my underwear. His hand flattened and his other gripped my hip. He lifted me in one movement. My legs went around his waist again and I laid my head down on his shoulder. He carried me all the way back to the car.

I shivered, feeling the drugged addiction I had for him reawakened and doubled. As he walked with me in his arms, I knew I could never leave him again. Nothing could pull me away now.

EPILOGUE

When I asked what happened the night I left, when Mason came home and Logan learned that he’d been manipulated, neither of them told me. James had to order new furniture for the downstairs media room and a new television so that gave me a good idea of what happened. Logan never talked about his feelings. If he had them for me or not, it was a conversation that was never discussed again. His actions never indicated anything either.

I was cautious the first couple months, but then I relaxed. Both of them were right. If he did, that was his decision for when or if we would handle it. The only indication that there had been anything wrong between Mason and Logan was that Logan yelled at Mason. He yelled a lot, and he yelled about everything. If Mason got the wrong food, Logan would wink at me and then start yelling. Mason was sent back for the right order or anything Logan wanted. That went on for three more months until Logan yelled at Mason about a fork. He hadn’t given Logan the right size.

Mason got up from the table, grabbed a fork, and came back. He stared down at Logan, who waited with his hand held out, but Mason gripped the fork like it was a knife. He leaned over and stabbed it into Logan’s steak. Then he turned, still leaning over his brother, and said, “That’s enough.”

Logan laughed as Mason went back to his seat. “Wondered how long you were going to let me go.”

“Yeah. Until now.”

I got another wink from Logan and he leaned over his plate to eat.

Mason nudged my plate over. “Eat, Sam.”

I did. I was happy to do so.

Analise had been watching the interaction and when I began eating my pasta, she ducked her head down. Her hand lifted and she wiped at a tear, then she rolled her shoulders back and started eating herself. James frowned, glancing around the table, but then he sighed and followed suit.

I never moved back in with Analise and James. I lived with David. When his relationship deepened with Malinda Decraw, I moved with him into her home. We were across the street from Mason and Logan. The first month, Mason snuck in at night. After we kept getting caught, he just blatantly came over to spend the night. There’d been a meeting between the parents how to handle the situation, but nothing came from it. Malinda returned to the house that night irate at my mother.

No one blamed her.

Malinda never approved of Mason sleeping over, but she said they were both welcome at any time, any day, and any moment. That was followed up with a gruff, “Take that, Analitch,” under her breath and went to her bedroom.

Garrett took a job in a law firm. Bella was promoted to the head chef at the country club. Because I stopped going to the country club with the Academy Elite, I didn’t see her anymore. The only interaction I had with Garrett was through a phone call. He called David to ask if I wanted to come for dinner.

I didn’t go. He had his wife move back in and disappeared from my life before. I wasn’t ready to handle my biological father. There was an open invitation for me to go any night for dinner. All I had to do was tell David when I wanted to go. He would let Garrett know, but I hadn’t gone. I would someday, but that day hadn’t come yet.

As for my future, it was up in the air. Mason convinced me to transfer to Fallen Crest Public School, so I assumed it would be with Kate and her friends. Things escalated at the last party where I saw them. Kate called me a whore, and I slapped her. We were separated right away, but I knew they would be a problem.

That was the next thing for me to handle.

“Sam?” Mason called, coming down the stairs.

My door was open and I rolled over on my bed. “I’m in here.”

He appeared in the doorway and paused there. His eyes darkened with promise. “Is Mark here?”

I shook my head, a grin teasing the corner of my mouth. I knew what he was thinking.

He came inside and closed the door. “Malinda and your dad weren’t upstairs either.” He locked it next.

I rolled to my back and said, “Turn the lights off.” I wanted to enjoy just the feel of him.