by Tijan
affection.
He shrugged. “You know what I mean. All the sexing you guys do. I remember when we moved into Nate’s parents’ house. We heard moaning and groaning at all hours of the day.” He leaned closer and hissed in a whisper, “Sickening, I tell you. Sickening.”
“Didn’t stop you from hitting on her every chance you could.”
He paused. “She’s my stepsister. That’s gross, Mason. It’s called joking.”
I rolled my eyes. “She’s your stepsister after today. That was three years ago.”
“Was it three years? I thought it was four? Like this wedding—it’s taking for-fucking-ever.”
James shot us a look. “Shut up. Both of you.”
Logan leaned around me. “Fine. I’ll just go back to ogling my girlfriend.”
“All eyes are supposed to be on the bride.”
I gave our dad an incredulous look. Did he realize the door he just opened for Logan?
Not even a second later, he added, “Don’t respond to that.”
Logan groaned. “You give me that opening and then take it away? On this day? Analise Manning Day? Come on, Dad.”
“Logan, just…” James sighed, turning back and smiling as the first bridesmaid came to the front. “Be nice for today. Please? I’ll owe you.”
“What’ll you owe me?”
“Are you kidding me?!”
I shook my head. “You know better, Dad.”
“Fine,” he hissed out of the side of his mouth. “What do you want?”
“I want to use your private plane.”
“Done.”
“For a month,” Logan added.
Our dad shot him a look. “Are you joking?”
“One full month, or I can be a complete ass to your new wife without blinking an eye. It’ll be my pleasure.”
James gave me pleading eyes as if to ask for me to step in. No way. I shook my head and moved back slightly so I wasn’t right in the middle. This wasn’t my fight.
“Fine,” our dad bit out.
Logan added one more item. “And you’ll cover all the expenses that go with it.”
A low growl sounded before the fight left our dad. He refolded his hands in front of him. “Fine, and I swear, Logan, that’s the last thing you get to demand. If you’re not nice to Analise, I will rescind everything. There’ll be no deal.”
I could almost feel Logan’s happiness. “I’ll be so nice, she’ll think she adopted me. Don’t worry, Dad. Perfect charmer here. That’s me as of right now.”
The second bridesmaid arrived, and then the music changed. Everyone else stood with us, and it wasn’t long before Analise started down the aisle.
“Oh, whoa,” Logan said under his breath.
Despite her being a bitch of a mother, and someone who hurt her daughter more than she helped her, I understood what he meant. Analise was beautiful. But as she came toward us, I didn’t really see her.
I saw Samantha in the way her black hair was swept up. I saw Samantha in the graceful slope of her neck. I saw Samantha in the way she walked, her petite shoulders set in a timid line, like she was taken aback by all the attention and felt self-conscious about it. And lastly, I saw Samantha in the love in her eyes. She looked at my father like he was her lifeline and she would drown without him.
I looked to the second pew where Sam sat, and was struck deep inside. If Analise was beautiful, her daughter was absolutely stunning.
Sam wore a similar-style white dress. It had the same straps, but not all the extra lace and other stuff Analise’s dress had. As my gaze dipped to her neckline, I could see she wore a necklace similar to her mother’s, too.
The look had been coordinated. Had that been her idea?
I made a mental note to ask about it later, but in the meantime, I couldn’t tear my eyes off of her. Even when the pastor asked us to face forward, I shifted sideways.
She was the most goddamn amazing person, thing, creature—whatever word should be put there. Sam was it.
I was going to marry her.
We’d never talked about it, but I knew.
“Hey.” Logan nudged me in the back with his arm. “Snap out of it, loverboy. You’ve got the rings, remember.”
“Yeah.” But I remained where I was. I paid attention to the ceremony and knew the time when I had to hand over the wedding rings, but I kept looking back at Sam.
It seemed too long before the ceremony was done. Analise and James were officially Mr. and Mrs. Kade, and Logan and I had our first official stepmom. Once it was over, I waited in the crowd until Sam was escorted out. As she stepped out of the sanctuary and was about to greet our parents, I grabbed her hand and tugged her behind me.
“Mason!” She grabbed my arm in surprise. “What are you doing? Where are we going?”
I didn’t answer. I led the way through the small crowd at the back of the church and pulled her to the basement, to a back closet. Once inside, I was on her. Mouth to mouth. Hand to hand. As I was kissing her, claiming her, I reached behind me and locked the door.
I had to have her.
It was a primal need, and after a second’s hesitation, she responded in kind.
“Mason.” She groaned, raking her hands through my hair.
I needed more.
Skimming my hand down her arm, I hitched my fingers under her leg and lifted her. I wanted to be right there, and she answered my need. She moved with me, hoisting her legs to wrap around my waist and I was right at her opening.
“What are we doing? Here?”
I was beyond thinking. The door was locked, and it opened in. No one could get to us. I reached down, unzipped my pants, moved aside her underwear, and slipped inside. Both of us paused at the contact. My head fell to her shoulder, and I had to take a moment to breathe.
Goddamn.
I fucking loved this woman.
Then I began to move. In and out. I held on to her. She clamped tighter to me, and I began thrusting harder into her. I moved her from the door, just slightly, and braced my hand against it so I could hold her weight. I didn’t want her to hit the door, but I couldn’t stop, and I couldn’t be gentler.
This was a desperate and almost frenzied need, like I had to claim her right here and now as mine.
“Mason.” She groaned. Her hips were slick, but I kept sliding in and out.
More.
Harder.
Rougher.
Her hips moved along with mine, and then I felt my climax coming. I forced myself to stall. I wanted to make sure she came with me, and I reached down to touch her. I began rubbing, and she gasped, her head falling back against the door.
“Oh, holy shit!”
I kept caressing as I moved inside of her, and when she clutched at my shoulders, I dropped a kiss to her shoulder. “Sam.”
She let out another deep groan, and her body began to come apart in my arms. She convulsed. Her orgasm seemed to rip through her almost violently, and then I started going harder for myself.
God. I came, and it wasn’t until after I’d finished that I realized I hadn’t used a condom.
“Fuck,” I whispered, kissing her neck.
Her legs slowly unwound from my waist, but she couldn’t stand. I held her steady in front of me.
“What?” Her eyes looked drunk. She reached down to adjust her underwear, then tucked me back into my pants and zipped me up. She smoothed a hand over my belt. “What’s wrong?”
“I didn’t use a condom.”
“Oh.” Her hand froze, positioned right over me. “Oh, no.” It fell away.
“You’re on birth control.”
“Yeah, but still.” She bit her lip.
I touched her mouth and smiled. “You know I love it when you do that.”
“I know.” She let her lip go, smiling, but her eyes were still worried. “Mason, what if—”
I shook my head. “Then we’ll deal.”
I tested to see if she could stand on her own, and when her body didn’
t immediately sway to the side, I stepped back an inch, just enough to breathe. Raking a hand through my hair, I looked down. She’d smoothed out everything. Nothing looked out of place.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I should stop in the bathroom for a quick cleanup.”
I nodded. “I’ll wait for you.” We slipped from the closet, still holding hands, and Sam darted into a back women’s restroom. I took position, watching to see if anyone came down the tiny hallway. I knew she’d be fine in there, but it was the least I could do.
I couldn’t believe it. No fucking condom. I was fucking stupid.
“Hey.” Logan came toward me, frowning. “Where’d you disappear to? We need to get to the reception. Nate and Taylor are waiting in the limo.”
“What about Mark?” I gestured upstairs where we’d been standing. “I saw him sitting next to Malinda.”
“Oh yeah. I’ll grab him.” He started to leave, but paused. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Just waiting for Sam.”
The questions still lingered in his gaze, so I added, “She didn’t want to wait in line or deal with other people. We found a bathroom down here.”
“Okay.” He was still frowning, but pointed back where he’d come from. “Anyway, I’ll grab Mark, and we’re in the limo. Hurry up—no quickies.”
I shot him a grin. “You’re going to tell us no quickies? Mr. Sex Machine himself?”
Logan smirked, puffing his chest out. “Well, maybe hold off till we get to the reception. You and Sam can get a room at the hotel.”
“Uh-huh.” My tone mocked him. “Or we can use the king suite you have booked.”
“Fuck, no. Where do you think my quickies are going to be? I plan ahead, unlike some of us.” He looked at me pointedly.
“Get out of here.” I heard the door open behind me. “We’re coming right now.”
Sam stepped out next to me, her hand slipped into mine, and she leaned against me. She saw Logan walking away. “What’d he want?”
“They have a limo waiting for us.”
“Oh.”
I knew she was thinking we should go, but we stood together a moment longer. Her head rested against my arm, and I felt her entire body draw in some air.
“I know I should be worried, but what we did felt like the most natural thing in the world,” she murmured. She tipped her head back, her dark and solemn eyes finding mine. “Why aren’t I more worried?”
Because I loved her.
I kissed her lips. “Because we’ll be fine, and whatever happens, we’ll be fine then, too.” My hand wrapped around her, holding onto her hip and anchoring her to me. “You know it’ll all be okay.”
She closed her eyes again, burrowing into me.
I could’ve stood there the rest of the day. I didn’t care if they were waiting for us.
Finally, Sam pulled herself away from me, and she was the one who led me from the basement. Once in the limo, I kept us as far from the rest of the group as possible. There was space between us where seven people could’ve sat, and Logan stared at us, his head cocked to the side. He knew something had happened; he just couldn’t figure it out.
It was none of his business this time, at least until it was ours first.
I pulled Sam onto my lap and held her during the ride.
SAMANTHA
I suppose I should’ve been happy my mother was married.
She looked it. She glowed as she sat at the head table with James and their bridal party, excluding Mason and Logan. The boys sat with me at a table in the back, which also included Mark and Cass, and Taylor. Heather and Channing came for the dinner and were with us as well. James had his two ushers sit in Mason and Logan’s empty chairs.
Drinks and appetizers appeared, and then the dinner was served. The maid of honor offered a touching toast for my mom, and I couldn’t stop watching as she listened to those kind words being spoken about her.
Whoever she was, this woman didn’t know her. They might’ve been in a treatment facility together. And they all seemed demure and perfect, but it was bullshit. I knew that much.
They’d shed a few tears, probably heard each other’s sob stories, but did they hear from the ones they’d hurt? Did they know how my mom had lied to me all my life, let me fall in love with the man who raised me, and only after she left him did she tell me the truth? Or how she’d threatened him and my real father to keep them away? Or how she’d tried to ruin what I had with Mason? Or—I forced myself to calm down.
This woman. I wanted to destroy her. I wanted to hurt her the way she’d hurt me. I wanted misery to come to her, but I also missed her. I could remember the times we’d laughed, the few there were.
And I loved her.
I touched the dandelion pendant hanging from my neck, and feeling the whole storm inside of me, I could only sit and stare at my mother.
She turned, as if feeling my gaze, and she flinched. Her eyes widened and she turned away immediately to pretend she was laughing along with everyone else. The maid of honor had made a joke. Apparently.
I didn’t need to look around my table. No one was laughing. Wait, I heard Cass giggle.
She quickly muffled it and hissed under her breath, “What?” One second passed. “Oh.”
And my table went back to silence again. They all watched me, I couldn’t stomach any of this anymore.
I shoved back from the table, and as the second bridesmaid started to give her speech, I left.
“Sam.”
Mason came after me. I shook my head, not turning around. “Don’t, Mason. I just—” I had no idea. I swept out to the parking lot.
“Hey.” His hand caught mine. “Hey.”
“I can’t, Mason. I just can’t.” My chest heaved.
His hand tightened around mine, and instead of pulling me to a stop, he tugged me to an outside patio area tucked back between a bunch of trees—a little oasis. No one else was there. There were a few tables, and each one had a light sitting on it.
He sat down, but I couldn’t. I wrapped my arms around myself, but then I yanked at my dress. “I can’t stand wearing this now.” Disgust flooded me. I was choking on it. “Fuck this matching shit.” If I could’ve ripped it off then and there, I would’ve. I eyed the stream flowing nearby. The fucking thing would go in there. I didn’t care what happened to it.
“Sam.”
I wanted to punch him. Mason’s voice was so calm and steady. I wanted him to rage with me, and then I remembered the police
