Devour

by E. K. Blair

  I slid a hand to his cheek and cupped it. I wanted him. I moved my lips so they brushed against his as he spoke.

  “She wanted me. She had him and she thought I’d want her. I don’t know why. I’d never given her any reason to think that, but she thought she could have two brothers instead of one. I called him. I let her try and seduce me and I let him hear the whole thing. It didn’t take as long as it seemed. I saw when the call ended. Three minutes, that was all it took. Logan came around the corner with his phone to his ear. She saw it and looked at me. I held mine up and told her he’d heard the whole thing.”

  A tremor wracked through me.

  He kissed my ear, my cheek, my neck. He whispered to me, “She tried to come between me and my brother. That’s why I hate the bitch, but he still loves her. That’s why he has a soft spot for her.”

  “Mason,” I breathed out, holding on tight. I grabbed his face and held him still. I pulled back and met his gaze.

  They were cloudy with desire, much like my own. Satisfaction surged through me. I affected him the same as how he affected me. It went both ways.

  And then he killed the moment when he turned to the side. A ruthless emotion came through, thick and heavy, when he clipped out, “Have you been watching? This is why I’ll never do what you have to do. I have her. I won’t have to dream about her.”

  Everything stopped in me. A cold shower went over me and I was sputtering in the harsh reality.

  ***

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Adam stormed off.

  We were alone.

  Mason slowly lowered me so I could stand on my own and he stepped back. He watched me as if I were an animal, waiting to attack. He was ready.

  He’d been hot and heavy, or so I thought, but he’d really been cold and calculating the whole time. That same unreadable mask was over him now.

  “You’re an asshole,” I said softly.

  He nodded.

  “Why’d you do that?”

  He didn’t respond. It took another beat before he looked away and ran a hand over his head. “Don’t get all girly and shit on me. That was a show. You performed well and he bought it.”

  My eyes bulged out of my head. I couldn’t believe this was where he was taking it. “Are you kidding me?”

  Something flashed in his eyes. It was gone in that next instant. He shook his head and lifted his shoulders. “What do you want from me?”

  “You played me; you pulled all the right strings.”

  A cocksure smirk came out. “Like you said, I’m an asshole. That’s what we do.”

  I took a deep breath. Something cold started in the pit of my stomach. It grew with each word he said and each second I was away from his touch. I hated how he affected me, the power he had and he knew it as well. He was fully aware of the power he had over me.

  Chills broke out over me. I had to get away from him. I just had to. “I have to shower.”

  He jerked his head in a nod and started to leave.

  My feet wouldn’t go. My mind was yelling at me to leave, but my body wouldn’t go. It didn’t want to go. He had power over me...but I was pretty sure I had power over him too.

  He stopped as he was about to go down the stairs. “What’s wrong?”

  I turned and locked eyes with him. I didn’t know what he saw, but it worked. His hand clenched on the banister, his shoulders jerked upright. He sucked in a breath. I watched as his chest rose higher and higher.

  I choked out, “Was that all a show?”

  Desire was thick in his eyes. He narrowed them, licked his lips, and jerked his head in refusal.

  Something flared throughout me and my legs moved now. I caught his hand and pulled him with me.

  “This way.” He pulled me a different way.

  My heart was pounding as I held onto his hand. I was blind in my need. I could only focus on him. He led me through a myriad of stairs, through some doors, and finally he pulled me through the last one. I had no idea where we were, I hadn’t cared to pay attention, but I knew we were far away from the party.

  Mason dropped my hand and gazed at me. His room was dark. The shades were pulled so the morning light filtered through, but we were still in shadow.

  He was watching me with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. Fear froze me. I stumbled out, “I need to shower. I reek.”

  And then he reached forward and wrapped two arms around my waist and raised me off my feet as he walked to a bathroom. The shower was turned on and he stepped underneath. The cold water splashed down on me and I gasped. I surged forward in reaction and pressed my chest against him, but his mouth landed down on mine.

  Oh god.

  My hands curled into his shirt and I could only hold on.

  His lips were hard on mine, a flame exploded inside of me, and I wanted more of him. I needed more. Then he started to move against me. His lips coaxed, nibbled, slid, and whispered against mine. His tongue touched the tip of my mouth and I let him in. I wasn’t allowed not to. My body answered whatever demand he made. The thought of denial wasn’t in me.

  When my tongue touched his and his body trembled under my arms, I realized the power I had. It was addicting. It burst within me and I climbed up him. It was as before, but this time I didn’t wait for him. I slipped my hand under his shirt and lifted it over his head.

  Mason let it slip over and he hungrily already had mine off. My bra was stripped away in the next second and he cupped my breasts.

  I gasped into his mouth when his thumb touched the tip of my nipple. He teased it and laughed against me. I nibbled at the corner of his mouth and then moved back. He caught me with a hand to my back and met my gaze.

  We held each other’s gaze. I couldn’t look away. His eyes were dark, hungry, and they grew darker the longer we stared at the other. Then I lifted a hand and touched the side of his face. I traced the edge of him, his forehead, the corner of his eye, the side of his cheek, his lips.

  He was beautiful.

  His muscles shifted under me and I felt him lower me back to my feet.

  I groaned in protest. I didn’t want to leave him, but he bent forward and caught my lips in a hungry kiss, a long kiss. I couldn’t tear away from him if I had to. Mewling, I pressed against him again and then his hands were under my bare legs. He lifted them again and as I wrapped them around his waist, he came in full contact against me.

  I gasped at the feel of him. He was hard and ready.

  He bent and kissed my neck, on my shoulder bone, and moved around to the other side as he walked backward and pressed me against the wall. When his hands no longer needed to hold me, he started to caress me. One slid over my stomach, up to my breasts, and he stroked them. They were hard and full. I ached for his touch. I wanted him in me, between my legs.

  And then his hand moved down there. He caressed the insides of my thigh and then over my stomach, back down the other thigh. He encircled the area that throbbed for him. And then, as I gasped against his mouth, his finger slipped inside of me. His tongue swept against mine at the same time.

  His other held the back of my head as his mouth consumed me, while his finger started to slip in and out. He went deeper with each thrust. I clung to him, pleading with him for more as my hips moved in rhythm. Then my hand slid down his arm, circled his slim waist, and wrapped around him.

  He gasped against me this time and held still.

  I grinned, intoxicated with power and need. I wanted more. I wanted him and I kissed his ear to whisper that to him.

  With a guttural groan ripped from him, he pulled me from the wall and walked to the bedroom. A second finger slipped in and he curved them deep in me, deeper than before. As he lowered me to the bed, I gasped and arched my back. His fingers pushed further. He didn’t need to move them anymore.

  I felt it building. Spasms of pleasure joined into one long momentous ride and I rode it out. Wave after wave crashed into me. My body trembled from the climax and I lay weak in his arms. When I had set
tled, he grinned down at me.

  I brushed back a lock of his black hair the fell forward and rasped out, “What?”

  “You ready for round two?” He pulled out a condom.

  I groaned and soon he joined with me.

  I watched him as he bent over me. He thrust in me and when he saw me watching, he thrust harder. He pinned my arms above my head and stretched me. My breasts lifted for him and he took one in his mouth. His tongue swept around the nipple, it flicked over it, teasing it. Then his thrusts got harder, rougher. He went as far as possible. When I wanted him to go faster, he held back. He kept a slow pace. It built within me, driving me crazy. I wanted more. I screamed at him, but he only grinned back. Then his tongue dipped to my neck. He licked me and I screamed again.

  My legs clamped around him and rose higher. I wanted him further inside, but then he cupped the bottom of my legs and he held them at the right spot. His penis touched the back of me and another climax ripped from me. I would’ve yelled, but his mouth drowned me out. His trembled along with me as we both went over the edge together.

  When I was able to move again, I shivered as I remembered what we’d done.

  I grew wet again and Mason lifted his head from my chest. He gave me a lazy and slow smile. “Already?”

  I laughed huskily and shoved him out of me. His penis slid out. I missed it as soon as it was gone. Something was missing.

  I shook my head at that yearning. “I have a feeling we’ll be going again if we don’t get some distance.” Then I fell back again and laughed. He rose above me and cupped the side of my face. When he turned me towards him, my eyes met his.

  They were narrowed and somber.

  I was breathless again. My chest wanted to rise and fall, but it was frozen in place.

  Then he leaned down and touched his lips to mine. It was a soft kiss, tender. As he pulled away, he pressed another to my forehead before he stood up. I sat up and watched as he strolled to the bathroom. His body was made of contour and muscles. He was sculpted as a statue. The added comfort he had with his body, which he didn’t give a damn if he were naked or wore clothes, took my breath away.

  I climbed out of the bed and followed him to the shower.

  He opened the door, but I shook my head and climbed onto the counter. I leaned back against the mirror and watched him shower. When he realized what I was going to do, his eyes darkened and the corner of his mouth curved up, but he finished washing himself. He left the door open and as he was done, he leaned over me to reach for a towel.

  His chest rubbed against my breasts.

  He held himself across me. I looked over, he must’ve had a towel by then, but his lips caught mine. He’d been waiting for me. After a long and hungry kiss, he pulled back and strolled to the bedroom.

  I tipped my head back and groaned. Everything in me was mush. My legs were jelly, but I managed to push off the counter and went into the shower. The water cooled me down. When I went back to the room, Mason was on the edge of the bed. He had pulled on a pair of jeans that rode low on his hips. As he reached for a shirt in the closet, he glanced over. “Do you have any clothes?”

  “In my room.” I fell back on his bed with a towel wrapped around me.

  My whole body tingled with awareness. I felt alive. It was like I’d gone for another three hour run. And then his question penetrated and I jerked upright. “I don’t have any clothes!”

  He chuckled and sat beside me. His thigh brushed against my bare one. “That’s why I asked. You want me to go and get you some?”

  “How far away is my room?”

  He grimaced. “Logan assigned the rooms and he put you on the opposite side of the house.”

  I glared at him.

  He grinned. “Logan’s way of a joke.”

  I groaned. “I can’t believe this.”

  Mason flicked me on the shoulder and stood. As he lifted his arms above his head and stretched, he remarked, “Chill. I’ll go get you some clothes.”

  “And if someone sees you?”

  His arms dropped to his sides and he chuckled. The genuine sound of it sent another burst of tingles through me. He shrugged. “Who cares? I can always pull the sister card if I have to.”

  I groaned again.

  He went to the door and glanced back to wink. “Not that I gave a shit about that before. I’ll be back.” He tapped the door twice and sent me a farewell grin before he disappeared behind it.

  And I was left alone.

  Alarm shot through me. What had we just done?

  And then I remembered. The images of us flashed in my mind. A shiver from desire came over me and I melted into his sheets.

  I wanted him again.

  As more images flared through me, I rolled over and let loose a yell into his pillows. I knew that I’d want him for a long time.

  What the hell was I going to do?

  It wasn’t long before the door opened again and he threw some clothes at me. They landed beside me and he held my gaze. My body reacted, my chest started to heave, my pulse picked up, my hands got clammy, and the need throbbed between my legs.

  His eyes darkened and then he cursed as he slammed the door behind him.

  I met him halfway, but he carried us back to the bed.

  ***

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  When I woke later, I rolled over and looked down. Two more condoms had joined the first one on the floor and then I heard his chuckle behind me. His hand rubbed at the bottom of my back and massaged its way up to my shoulders. He sat forward, landed a kiss on my shoulder bone and scooted to the backboard. “You think I’d forget those puppies?”

  I glanced back. “I did.”

  He grinned and stretched with a big yawn. “Those things are like putting on pants. I’d have to be drugged to forget ‘em.”

  My shoulders sagged forward when I heard his sentiment. Some guys wouldn’t agree, but I was relieved to hear his viewpoint. Then I yawned as well. “What time is it?”

  He shrugged. “I could sleep the rest of the day. Good sex does that for me.”

  A different tingle shot through me at his words, but I frowned. I didn’t want to dissect any of it and then I glanced at the clock. My eyebrows shot up. “It’s six o’clock. Oh my god. I have to get out of here.” I started to throw back the covers to scramble out.

  “Why?” His hand caught me around the waist and pulled me backwards. His body curled behind me and he wrapped both arms around me.

  Warmth and a frenzy of desire were starting to build again, but I clamped my legs shut and turned over. When he gave me a lazy grin, I smoothed a thumb over his forehead. Then I leaned close and kissed both of his closed eyelids before I whispered, “We have to get up or everyone’s going to know.”

  He chuckled. The sound of it teased against my collarbone. “Everyone probably does.”

  I groaned and pushed him away. Then I did scramble out of his bed. “I hope not.”

  “What are you doing?” He patted the empty spot next to him. “Come back to bed.”

  I grimaced, though I wanted. I wanted badly, but I shook my head and threw my top over my head. “For my sake, I can’t.”

  “Your sake?” He sat up again and frowned as he ran a hand through his hair. “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m your stepsister. I’m sleeping with you. Do you realize what kind of a reputation I’m going to get?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and I averted my eyes when his chest muscles protruded out. Heavens, that boy...

  “I didn’t even think about that.”

  “Yeah, well, think about it.” I gave him a short wave. “I have to go.”

  When I shut the door, his laughter followed behind and as I soon realized I had no idea where I was, he had reason to laugh at me. Three doors later, four hallways, and another two sets of stairs I pushed my way through a last door to find myself beside an indoor pool. Who had an indoor pool? My goodness. And then I looked up and the incredulity of the situa
tion died down.

  Logan sat on the other side with some of his friends and Mark Decraw.

  My inner claws came out.

  “Hey! How did you get there?” Logan waved me over.

  Everyone else looked up. Most of the guys were friendly. Most of the girls’ weren’t, but it didn’t matter. As I drew closer, I ignored the knowing smirk on Logan’s face and studied Mark’s reserved one instead.

  “Where have you been all day?”

  “Huh?” I looked down.

  Logan rolled his eyes. “You’ve been missing in action since this morning. Most people took naps, but they didn’t sleep the whole day away.”

  I shrugged. I couldn’t peel my eyes off of Mark, whose eyes were directed anywhere but at me. “I don’t even know where I slept. I never found my room.”

  He whistled. “Are you serious? I was sure I saw Mason showing you.”

  My hand clamped down on his shoulder and he winced, howling under his breath. “Remove the claws, Sam. Seriously.”

  I forced a laugh from me. “Ha ha...ha, Logan.”

  He rolled his eyes again. “Your friends are on the bottom patio outside. I know that’s where you’ll be the rest of the night.”

  I gave him a thankful grin and started forward, only to stop and look back. “How do I get there?”

  Mark stood and pointed through a doorway. “You go through there, up the left stairs and the door will take you to the kitchen. The patios are out from there.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. Why was he being helpful? Did he not know of his mother’s intentions? I knew I should’ve thanked him, but I clipped out, “How’s your mom?”

  He frowned. “She’s fine...Why?” His eyes seemed wary.

  I shrugged. “No reason.”

  Logan’s gaze had been skirting between us with a frown on his face. A look of frustration passed over him. “Where’s Mason, Sam?”

  I jumped. “Why would I know?”

  “You saw him last?”

  I looked away and cursed when my face went in flames. “I have no idea. I’ve been asleep the whole afternoon.”