“OK,” I whispered.

He picked me up and held me closely to his chest as he walked me to his room, my legs wrapped around his waist. His mouth covered mine in a hungry kiss before he laid me down gently on the king-size bed.

I stared up at him, letting my legs fall open as I held my hands up for him. I wanted him covering me. Completing me.

Mase fell into my arms immediately.

“I love you,” he said fervently as he kissed my neck. “I love you so much I can’t breathe. You are my heart, Reese. My life.” He continued to kiss a trail down my neck until he was nibbling at my collarbone.

“Mase,” I moaned, lifting my hips. I wanted more. I wanted him inside me. Filling me.

He slipped a hand between my legs, and his finger slid inside. “So fucking wet. Damn,” he groaned. He took that same finger, slipped it into his mouth, and sucked on it before lowering himself until I felt the tip of his hardness press against me.

This was what I needed. This connection.

He slowly sank into me, stretching me with his size. The muscles in his arms bulged, and he closed his eyes tightly. I watched his beautiful face. The tight clenching of his jaw and the vein in his neck. All of it made me hum with pleasure.

When he was finally deep inside me, his eyes opened, and he met my gaze. There was so much emotion in them that I felt my own eyes start to tear up. He didn’t have to tell me how he felt about me—I could see it. He bared it all to me in that moment, and I knew it.

“Wrap your legs around me,” he said in a hoarse whisper as he lowered himself even further. His mouth brushed my ear.

I did as I was told.

“So good,” he said, whispering his praise.

I held on to his shoulders, ready for him to move inside me. I knew it would be so incredible—more than incredible, really; there was no way to describe how I felt during sex with Mase.

“Keep those legs open wide, baby. Let me love you until you can’t remember your name.”

With those words, he nearly brought me to the brink of an orgasm. Was that even possible?

“Sweet, just like that. Let me make you feel good. I want you to reach heaven the way I do when I’m buried inside you.”

I started to assure him I was there, that I knew what he was feeling, but his hips rocked, and I lost all thoughts and the ability to breathe as I held on tight. He made growling sounds of pleasure as he sent sparks of heat through me.

When the first orgasm crashed over me, he scooped me against his chest and whispered how beautiful I was and other sweet things I couldn’t quite remember—his words and the steady rhythm of his movements were already bringing me to my next orgasm. Quickly. I held him close, clinging to him for dear life.

By the time the third one hit me, Mase roared and cried out my name as his body shook with his own orgasm. He pressed his face into my neck as he gasped for air.

Feeling him fall apart over me made me tremble with pleasure once more, before we collapsed together, our hearts thudding wildly.

The sound of knocking broke into my dreams as I forced my eyes open. I looked around in the darkness of the room, Mase’s warm body pressed against mine as I lay wrapped in his arms. After the third time we’d made love last night, we had both passed out.

Mase groaned and blinked his eyes open. “What the . . . ?” his sleepy voice asked.

“Mase!” a woman’s voice called out. I recognized it. Aida was here. “Open up. I brought food.”

“Shit,” he growled as he eased out of bed. He walked over to the closet and grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. When he turned back to me, he gave me a pleased grin. “You hungry?”

I was sleepy but hungry, too. It looked like we had slept past dinner. I nodded.

“I’ll get your suitcase. Take your time getting dressed. I’ll fix your plate,” he said, bending down to press a kiss to my lips.

Mase left the room. I lay there, tucked into blankets that smelled like him.

I could hear Aida at the front door as her voice filled the house. “What took you so long? I brought you food. I’d think you’d be more grateful.”

“Thanks,” he said flatly.

“Where you going?”

“Bringing Reese her suitcase,” he replied as his footsteps made their way back to the bedroom.

“Jesus, Mase. You could’ve at least picked up her underwear before you let me in,” Aida said in an annoyed tone. She didn’t like me. I wasn’t just imagining that.

He didn’t respond. When he opened the door, he rolled his eyes and grinned at me. Our discarded clothing was tucked under one of his arms as he carried my suitcase with the other hand. “Ignore her.”

He tossed our clothing onto a chair and winked at me. “Get dressed and come eat.”

When he walked out this time, I sat up, worried about how to face Aida.

I didn’t want his cousin to dislike me, but I wasn’t sure if I had any control over that.

Mase

Momma had sent over enough food to feed an army. I reached to get two plates out of the cabinet. “Tell Momma I said thanks for this. Reese is probably starving.”

Aida was standing on the other side of the counter with her hand on her hip. “You only got two plates. Is Reese not eating with us?”

Us? Shit.

Aida wasn’t leaving. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy hanging out with her when she visited, but I didn’t want her hanging out with us right now. I just got Reese back. I wasn’t ready to share her yet.

“Uh, I figured you had already eaten.”

She looked hurt. “No, I wanted to eat with you. We always eat dinner together.”

Damn. This wasn’t going to be easy.

I saw movement from across the living room and glanced up to see Reese standing there in a pair of cutoff sweats and a T-shirt that hugged her body just right. I wanted to be alone with her, but Aida was here, and I couldn’t hurt her feelings.

I smiled at Reese. “Come eat. I’m getting you a plate ready now.” She glanced at Aida then back at me nervously.

“She can’t fix her own plate?” Aida asked in a snarky voice I didn’t like.

“Yeah, she can. But she doesn’t have to. Not when I’m here.”

My reply seemed to annoy Aida, but she didn’t say anything else. What was her deal? No wonder Reese looked nervous. Aida wasn’t being her usual bubbly self. Reese was seeing a bad side of her.

“I don’t mind. I can do it,” Reese said as she moved toward me. She seemed eager to please. This was the Reese I’d met. The one who was unsure of herself and shy. Aida wasn’t going to bring that out of her again—I wouldn’t allow it.

“I got this, baby,” I assured her.

She walked toward the cabinets. “I’ll fix the drinks, then. Aida, what would you like?” she asked.

I looked over at Aida, who seemed even more annoyed before she saw me looking at her. Then she smiled. “I’d like sweet tea, please,” she replied. Her smile didn’t meet her eyes. I was going to have a talk with Aida. Something was off with her.

“Momma sent tea, too,” I told Reese, sliding the gallon of tea across the counter to her. “I’ll take some, too.”

Reese smiled up at me, relieved about something, and began pouring three glasses. “I love your momma’s sweet tea,” she said.

And my momma loved Reese. I was surprised she hadn’t brought the food over and had sent Aida instead.

I slid a plate over to Aida before I picked up Reese’s and walked over to the table to set it down. Reese was setting the glasses of tea at each seat. I pulled her to me and kissed her.

“Eat a lot. You need your energy,” I whispered in her ear, then walked back over to fix my own plate.

Aida was frowning at me. “Do you have to do that with me here?”

“My house, Aida. I can do what I want in it. You don’t like it, you can eat at Momma’s.” I was tired of her snarky attitude. She was never like this. I didn’t know what had gotten into her.