Page 165 of The Young & the Sinner

I let out a sigh, wondering how things got so messed up. Perhaps we should have told Max from the very beginning, but we got caught up in the moment, and the longer we waited, the harder it got to tell him.

I set my keys and purse down on the wooden console table near the doorways and walked further into the house. Already, it smelled like Mason.

I couldn’t get enough of it.

On my way to the kitchen, something colorful caught my eye. I paused, then slowly took a step back to the familiar painting hanging on the wall.

My breath caught.

It was the hummingbird painting by K.H. Knight that I had given Mason a couple of months ago. I never did ask him what he’d done with it. When I didn’t see the painting in his apartment, I had assumed he placed somewhere else. And now, here it was, hanging proudly by the family room, where anyone could see.

I couldn’t believe it.

Warmth spread even further through me, and my smile was so wide that my cheeks were starting to hurt. This was only a small gesture, and some people might think me silly for reacting this way, but I couldn’t help it. I loved that he did this.

My fingers carefully traced the “K” of the artist’s signature, my mind running a million miles a minute.

“Do you like it, Livie?”

I turned around at the sound of his voice. I took him in hungrily, from the hard, slightly scruff-covered jawline, to those bright blue eyes filled with heat that had my thighs clenching, and the casual clothes he was wearing—his standard fitted black tee and dark blue jeans. His feet were bare, and yes, I realized it might be weird that I was admiring his feet, but I couldn’t help myself. Everything about this man turned me on.

“I love it,” I answered after a beat. The glimmer in his eyes told me he knew I had been checking him out.

He moved closer to me, and my heart raced in anticipation of his touch. God, I needed him to touch me. Had there ever been a time when I didn’t crave his touch? It had only amplified since we made love for the first time, right here in his living room floor.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked me, his eyes flickering with something potent.

I shot a small half a smile. As if he didn’t know. I never made any effort in hiding my thoughts or reactions from him. I couldn’t even if I tried. I was never good at hiding my emotions, I knew that. It was something I had always viewed as a weakness, but I was beginning to realize it was only a weakness ifI gave other people that kind of power over me.

But when it came to those that I trusted… I didn’t mind so much.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him in close. When I buried my face in his chest, his arms went around me.

I kissed the bare skin near his collarbone, and he shuddered in my arms. I smiled against his skin. I wasn’t the only one affected by our closeness.

“Take me to bed,” I whispered to him. It was still early yet, but we weren’t going to be sleeping. I needed to feel him close to him; as close as possible. And that was only possible when he was inside me.

I pulled his hips closer to me, until I felt his erection pressing against my hip. I let out a small moan.

“God, Olivia. You drive me crazy,” he grunted, right before he pulled me up in his arms.

I let out a small squeal when I found myself draped across his shoulder and carried up the stairs. I grabbed onto the back of his shirt, laughing a little, and Mason slapped my ass.

“Hey!” I said, reaching back to rub the tender spot. “That hurt.”

He laughed. And when we finally reached the master bedroom, Mason flung me onto the bed. I bounced a little and glared at him. Though I didn’t hold that expression for long.

Mason was stripping out of his shirt and, like every time he stripped, I was dumbfounded by all that golden tan skin on display.

My mouth watered, and Mason smirked.

“Strip, baby. I want you naked by the time I’m done.”

I could only nod. My hands shook a little as I removed my shirt. Then my bra. Mason’s eyes started to smolder, and I had to suppress a slight shudder.

By the time I got my jeans and panties off, Mason was already naked, his erection straining. I licked my lips and Mason groaned. Then he grabbed the head of his cock and squeezed, way harder than I ever dared to squeezed.

“Lay back down on the bed and spread your legs for me. I want to see your greedy little cunt.”

---