“I’m sorry.”

I nodded. “I know.”

Then Logan left. He grabbed a case of beer on his way out and I knew he’d find a different girl to be with for the rest of the night. It was how he dealt.

I turned to Tate. My full attention focused on her now. This was how I dealt. “Really? You thought that would work?”

She lashed out at me. “Shut up.” Suddenly she was standing on her own. She wasn’t backing down. Nate didn’t have to hold her up anymore. Her eyes were clear. Her shoulders were back, and she raised her chin up. “I still love him—”

“You never f**king loved him.”

She stopped.

“You wanted me.”

She looked away and I saw that she still did. I laughed. That was rich. “Are you serious? You were hoping to f**k my brother when you still think about me?”

She didn’t answer. When she remained turned away, I knew it was true.

“You’re unbelievable.” I shook my head. I had more to say, but none of it would’ve made a difference. She was going to keep going after him and I wondered if she thought she could still keep trying for me. Then I glanced over and saw Kate. She’d been watching and listening the whole time. When my gaze met hers, she straightened from the wall. I saw the hunger in her eyes. She wanted me too. I asked her, “You want me?”

There were no pretenses. Kate didn’t care who heard. She was like me in that way. She nodded. “Yes.”

“Make her life hell and we can talk.”

Kate nodded. “I will.”

I looked at Tate, saw the wariness in her eyes, and shook my head. “You should’ve stayed away from my brother.”

She knew what was coming her way, but she held my gaze for a moment.

In that second, I realized I would never understand Tate. I had no idea why she wanted me, why she tried to be with Logan, why she endured Kate and had put herself in a position to endure her again. Then I stopped caring. I remembered Logan as he sat at my computer and had watched the tape of her. I remembered the broken look in his gaze.

I said to her, “I want you gone. If they don’t push you to leave, I will. I don’t care what I have to do. I want you out of our lives.”

I left. Kate took over and for once, I was thankful to her. Then I went to get drunk. Nate went with me. It was guys’ night now.

14

MASON MEETS ANALISE FOR THE FIRST TIME

“Mason,” the girl moaned as I kissed down her throat. Sweeping a hand up her shirt, I grabbed her breast and felt her body buck under me. I grinned. One touch, one little caress, and this girl was ready to unzip her pants for me again. When my hand curved around her hip and slid underneath her jeans, her elbow jerked and slammed against the horn.

“Shit!” she gasped and looked at me with wild eyes. Her hair was messed up. Her top lip was curved up in a lustful grin. “Hey.” She reached for me, to pull me back down.

I shook my head and straightened away. We were in her car. We’d been at a party and she wanted to hook up so I left with her, but I hadn’t felt in the mood to go back to the party so I had her bring me home instead. I flashed her a grin. “I’m going to head in.” I paused, frowning. “I had fun, though.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. The daze she’d been in left immediately and she snapped, “Do you even know my name?”

I laughed. “How cliché is that?” I didn’t remember her name, but I knew her reputation. She didn’t sleep around. That was important to me whether I explained that to them or not.

She folded her arms over her chest. “I mean it. What’s my name?”

I rolled my eyes, then tapped her work identification tag that she had hung from her rearview mirror. “You mean it’s not Pam?”

She flushed. “Oh.” Her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. “That’s all I get? A wham bam thank you ma’am thing?”

“What else did you want?”

“How about some protection at school? Do you know what your girlfriend’s going to do to me?”

I snorted. “That’s your problem and she’s not my girlfriend.”

“She’s still sniffing around you.”

Flashing her a cocky smirk, I got out of the car. “I can’t help being irresistible. Thanks for the ride. Both of them.” I heard a groan from her. “God, why he’s so hot—” Then the door was shut and I waved goodbye before heading inside. I had her drop me off in the back so I went inside through the basement. I hadn’t gone far when I heard my dad.

I stopped on the stairs.

It was years later, but it didn’t matter. My stomach still rolled over itself when I heard him bring his women here. It would always churn. This had been my mom’s home. Every time he brought one home, it was like he was spitting on their memory. She had given him the house in the divorce settlement, but f**k that, this was my home. Logan’s home too. But he never cared. As I headed up the stairs, more and more anger built and then I saw them at the door. She was saying goodnight, then laughed as my dad kissed her again. I heard a husky moan next and my jaw tightened. Thank god Logan was still at the party. He’d been getting lippier lately and I knew he would’ve wanted to launch into an attack. As I went up the stairs and through the dining room, past the kitchen, and stood at the end of their hallway, I stopped.

Shit. They were right there. No lights were on and I wasn’t hiding. Her head went back with another moan, exposing her throat, and my dad placed kisses there. Her dress had been pulled down and he was cupping her breast with one hand. As he kissed his way down to her breast, his other pushed her against the wall and she groaned again.