‘You wore that for me, didn’t you, Blush?’ he drawls.
I barely manage to tear my gaze from his as I look down at my tight black dress. It shows off every bit of my body, leaving nothing to the imagination. He was there when I bought it, and the look on his face at the time told me everything I needed to know.
‘Yes.’
He groans, pressing his forehead into mine, his hand tangling my hair. ‘This is for you.’ He pulls out a small velvet box from his pocket and places it in my hand.
Flipping it open slowly, a sharp gasp leaves me when I see a silver ring sparkling up at me. Removing it, I spin it slowly, reading the wordAlwaysengraved on the inside. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I try not to burst into tears.
‘Mase,’ I breathe through a watery smile. ‘I love it so much.’
‘You do?’ He grins, looking thrilled.
‘So much.’ Sliding it on my finger, I beam up at him. Stepping onto my tiptoes, I move my mouth towards his. He presses his forehead into mine, breathing heavily.
‘We can’t do this.’
‘You’re not with her anymore,’ I whisper.
‘It’s never been about that,’ he says, and then immediately winces. ‘I didn’t mean for any of that to happen. To hurt you. To drag her into it ...’
‘I know.’
‘You’re Zayden’s baby sister,’ Mason murmurs, twirling a piece of my hair around his finger.
‘No,’ I say, so close now that our lips lightly brush. ‘I’m Anya fucking Stark, your friend.’ I exhale. ‘I’m more than your friend.’ Moving my gaze upwards, I fight the coy smile off my lips. ‘I’m eighteen now, and I still want you.’
Growling, he closes the minuscule gap between us, claiming my lips hungrily with his. I tilt my head back, allowing him to kiss me deeper. I sigh into his mouth. I’ve wanted this for so long, my mind can’t process that it’s actually happening. This is it. The moment I’ve been waiting for. We are going to give in, and we are going to be together. Everyone will know he belongs to me, and I belong to him.
His lips move messily from my mouth across my jaw, as his strong hands push my dress up around my waist. When his hands skim over my bare backside, a sound I can’t quite describe escapes him.
‘Anya,’ he groans, voice low, raspy and a little tormented. His thumb possessively strokes my hip bone, bordering the area that has greedily wanted his touch for as long as I can remember.
My pulse jumps. ‘Please,’ I breathe.
He knows what I want. The pace of his breathing increases as he presses closer, his tongue making a pattern across my neck, making my thighs clench. The ache building between them is unbearable.
‘Blush ...’ He exhales. It’s partly a warning, but murmured in a tone of longing.
‘No one has to know,’ I whisper, pushing my hips into his. ‘Not right now.’
‘Fuck.’ His hand slides across my skin and I shiver, white-hot desire pulsating through me in waves. ‘If your brother ever finds out, he will kill me.’
‘It’ll be our secret, until we’re ready.’
His thumb runs across my slit and I moan. He slips his fingers inside me and lets out another curse as my wetness coats his fingers.
‘You’ll be the death of me,’ he chokes out hoarsely, before sliding a finger over my clit. I throw my head back, hitting the wall, my eyes closing. His finger moves tantalisingly slowly before he enters me again.
My grip tightens around his shoulders, bunching his black shirt under my fingertips. I shamelessly grind into his hand as his finger slides in and out of me, a faster rhythm with each stroke.
‘We can’t do this,’ he whispers. ‘Can we?’
I slide my hands up his neck and pull his face to mine, kissing him hard and passionately, letting all the pent-up feelings I’ve harboured for so long pour between us. We moan into each other’s mouths as he glides another finger in, simultaneously adding pressure to my clit.
‘We can,’ I answer breathlessly. ‘Me and you.’
‘Always.’
