I’d been so damn worried.

He was safe. They were both safe. My heart kept pounding as the relief washed over me, replacing the desire from moments ago.

Then I peeled myself from him, just enough so I could get answers. “What did you guys do?”

“Nothing bad.”

“Mason.”

He flashed me a grin, took my hand in his and led me to the bedroom. I checked the door and saw it was locked, but then he bent down and lifted me in his arms. I was upright in his arms as he walked us the remaining few steps to the bed. He placed me onto it so that I remained standing while his hands kept me upright. They gripped my hips, and he tipped his head back. A soft smile gracing his features.

My hand lifted on its own volition and went through his wet hair. He closed his eyes, and I could tell he savored the small caress. My fingers grabbed a fistful of his hair and I pulled with enough force so he’d open them. When he did, I asked again, “What did you guys do?”

A slow grin appeared, and his arms tightened around my legs. That was all the warning I got before he flipped me in the air and caught me again. One hand cradled between my shoulders, and the other gripped my ass. He lowered me to the bed and then climbed on top of me in one fluid movement. It was as if he didn’t even move and he was above me, holding himself up with his arms and legs.

His eyes roamed over me as he answered, “We went to Kate’s.” He dropped a small kiss on my throat. “Everything was still there, so we took it.” Another kiss an inch higher. “Then I stuck around and watched the fireworks.” The hand on my hip slid around my waist.

My heart started pounding again, and I held my breath.

The hand moved down and pushed underneath my shorts. There was no restriction. They were made of soft fabric and clung to me. As his fingers moved even further down, he slid two fingers deep into me. He moved further up until he was directly above me. His lips were so close to mine again. Watching mine, he murmured, “Kate almost spilled her plans, but her friends were too stupid to let her.”

“And then?”

His fingers began moving. Oh god. He pressed another kiss to the underside of my chin.

My heart spiked, and a burst of pleasure rushed over me. I was tempted to say, “To hell with the questioning” and pull him down to me, but I couldn’t. This was important. “And then?” I asked again, almost panting now.

“And then.” His other hand moved to hold mine. Our fingers slid against each other as he linked our hands together. Then he lowered his body slowly, inch by inch, until he was resting on top of me. He fit between my legs, in just the right spot as his fingers kept thrusting in and out.

I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from moving down. My lips fell open and I gasped, but I kept it silent. I had to. My heart was beating so loud now. “Mason,” I groaned, “just tell me.”

“Tell you?”

“You like torturing me.”

A corner of his mouth curved up. The grin was cruel, but his eyes hadn’t moved from my lips. “Maybe.” They had already darkened, but they grew black now. “Maybe you torture me, too.”

I was ready to start praying for patience. “You’re beginning to piss me off.”

“Am I?” He moved his hips into me in rhythm with his fingers.

I gasped out loud. Lust and pleasure were rolling through me like a riptide on repeat, over and over again. My hands found their way to his shoulders, and my fingers dug in. Then he moved again. I was pushed further away from consciousness. Desire for him was making me blind. I lifted my heavy eyelids and looked at him. His gaze was transfixed on my lips, and he licked his own, thrusting against me at the same time.

“Mason,” I whimpered.

I felt his silent laughter; his chest tightened and jerked before he pulled away, still grinning, but it had softened on the corners. His eyes caught mine and held them. They narrowed, and I caught a spark in them, one that I recognized. He was thinking.

“Mason, tell me.”

“They’re planning something, said it was supposed to be for next week, but it’s going to happen at the end of this week instead.”

The heat from my desire lessened. It made room for a chill. “What do you think it is?”

“Honestly?” He pulled his fingers out.

I nodded, a lump was in my throat now.

“I think they’re going to hurt you. Physically.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?” He frowned and lifted his thumb to my mouth. He rubbed it over my lips, tugging the bottom down before his hand fell away. “You’re not surprised?”

I shrugged. “Not really. I mean, that’s expected. Kate’s never struck me as the real smart type.”

“Well, she is.” The lust in his eyes moved to caution. He warned me, “You have no idea what she can do. Beating you up isn’t good, but I’d be a lot less worried if I thought that’s all she was going to do.”

“She’s been texting Heather a bunch.”

His body stiffened on top of me. “Saying what?”

“She needs to stop being my friend. Heather said there were threats to her and to her family, too.”

“When did this start?”

“The first day of school. She came over and made a big show about warning Heather away. That was when Tate tried to intervene.”

“Against you?”

“No, against Kate. She told her that going up against you isn’t worth it.” I frowned. The sexual intensity was gone, and he seemed deep in thought. I reached for him, curving my hand over his shoulder to his jaw. His gaze had moved past my shoulder, but I touched his jaw. “Hey. What are you thinking?”

“That I’m starting to figure out what else Kate is doing.”

“What do you mean?”

“With Tate.”

“What?”

He was off the bed in a flash and pulled on his sweatpants. The bed had only settled when he disappeared through the door and hollered, “Logan!”

“What’s up?”

Grabbing one of Mason’s sweatshirts, I pulled it over my head and ignored how it covered my pajama shorts. It looked like I wasn’t wearing anything underneath it.

Logan smirked at me as I came to the doorway. “You cold, Sam?”

“Shut it, Logan.”

Mason asked, “Where are you going?”