I pressed my lips together, trying to stop the tears.

It was useless. One slid down, making a lone trek to the side of my chin.

Mason caught it, touching it with his finger. He brought it to his lips like it was the most normal thing to do. He slid his other hand up my stomach, lifting my shirt with the motion. Deep flames of lust were licking at me. They were growing more and more, and I bit down on the inside of my cheek. As his hand rested over my breast, my entire body was trembling.

I wanted him to touch me. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted more.

Arching my back, I moved up against his hand, but he pressed me back down. He was firm but so tender.

I felt like my heart was being shattered into a million pieces, but he was putting each of them back together, one by one.

He pressed a soft kiss between my breasts. “I love how you don’t look at my family with contempt, but you could. You have every right to do so. My mom’s a stuck-up bitch who thinks you’re not good enough for me, but she’s wrong.” He lifted my shirt off me and came back down, cupping the back of my neck. He was still poised above me, so he wasn’t lying on top of me or next to me. He was just above me. He dropped down to nuzzle behind my ear as he added, his breath caressing my skin, “She’s so severely wrong because I’m the one not good enough for you, but she hasn’t figured that out yet.”

He was both wrong and right. His mom was a pretentious bitch, but I could never hate her. I got him from her. I wanted to say those words to him, but my throat ceased working long ago. I was helpless, only listening to the very words I asked from him.

Mason reached underneath me, undid my bra, and slid it off my arms. He drew it out, letting the bra act as a caress as he pulled it from me. He watched me the entire time, never looking away. “I love how you fidget with your shirt or your sleeves when you’re distracted or thinking about your mom.”

“I do?” There. I’d managed to get that out, even though my voice was hoarse.

He nodded and moved to his side. He leaned down, and his cheek grazed against mine from the movement. “You think about her more than you realize, and I know you miss her, even though you hate her, too.”

The tears slid down now. I had no idea that I thought about Analise, but he was right. The tears weren’t going to be stopping anytime soon. Grief hit me full bloom in the chest, but it was the good kind of grief. It was the kind that had been holed up there, submerged so deep that I hadn’t known it had taken root. It was lifted now, pulled up to the surface, and I felt it lessen, even just slightly.

Mason whispered, pressing kisses down my throat, “And I really love how you love me. Completely. Irrevocably. Overwhelmingly. Selflessly. Unconditionally.” He lifted his head, peering right down into me. His lips were just above mine. “Because I don’t deserve it, but somehow, I got it, and I will never, ever do anything to lose it.”

I was a mess.

Tears were flowing down my face.

I was smiling, crying, and trying to talk. All at once.

I wanted to reach up and hug him back. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him back, but no words could get out.

Finally, I just wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him down to me. That was all I could do, but I hugged him with all the force I could summon. He wrecked me, but somehow, I loved this man even more.

Mason laughed into my neck. “I have more to say.”

Oh god. I couldn’t take any more. I couldn’t talk with all the emotions swimming through me. I shook my head and pressed my lips to his.

He got the message, and it wasn’t long after that before he slid inside me.

He’d completely gotten the message.

The next day was low-key. Heather, Logan, Nate, Mason, and I went for breakfast. There’d been no tension or awkwardness, but I wasn’t sure if I should’ve been worried about that or not. Either way, Logan and Heather seemed fine with each other. After Heather left that afternoon, I went back to the dorms to study.

It was during my second class on Monday that I got a surprise.

“Psst.” Logan dropped into the seat next to me and poked my arm with his pencil.

“You’re not in this class.”

He flashed me a grin, raking his hand through his hair. “Actually¸ I am.” He grimaced. “I’ve been going to the wrong hour.” He nodded to the professor, who just came into the room. “She informed me last week, so here I am. Correct hour, and lo and behold, who do I see?” His beaming smile gave me an indication.

I kept my face blank. “Batman?”

“What?”

“You saw Batman? No?” Logan started to say something, but I shot a hand up. “Wait. I have more sarcastic answers.”

He was shaking his head, craning his neck backward. “Who are you? What have you done with my future stepsister?”

I winked at him, settling back into my seat. “Oh, come now, Logan. I’ve learned from the master.”

His hand touched his chest, and he tilted his head, his eyes crinkling as he smiled at me. “Moi?”

“No.” I didn’t bat an eyelid. “Mason.”

Logan burst out laughing and elbowed me in the arm. “College is good for you, Sam. You’re funny. You used to mope way too much last year.”

A shocked laugh choked out of me. Mope?

All the reasons last year and the previous year sucked were on the tip of my tongue. My finger lifted in the air as I was ready to list them off, but Logan shut me down when he grabbed my hand and pushed it back to my desk.