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  As Mason kissed me, I explored the toned planes of his chest. He was amazing and I couldn’t keep my hands off him. Soon, he was tugging at the hem of my top and had it off in one simple movement. I should have been self-conscious in my bra but I wasn’t. Desire had ahold of me and I craved more of Mason.

  Somehow, we managed to stand ourselves up, not once breaking our kiss. He quickly walked me backward toward my bedroom and I gladly let him. I couldn’t believe this was really happening. It was going to be my first time, but I wanted it. Mason was somehow different than Jameson and I knew I wouldn’t regret this night.

  Between the alcohol roaring through my veins and walking backward with a bum foot, I managed to lose my balance. I desperately grabbed ahold of Mason, but the fall caught him off guard and we tumbled to the floor.

  Once I assessed that we weren’t hurt, I started giggling. “That would only happen to me,” I mused. “At least my foot managed to avoid further damage.”

  “I actually think your accidents are cute, especially the way you blush when they happen.”

  Mason was on top of me and I felt his hardness pressed against me, proof that he wanted me too. He kissed me again right there on the living room floor with my bare flesh against the cool wooden floor.

  I was feeling brazen and desperate for more of him. My hands wandered as I felt him grind into me. I hadn’t a clue if I could handle waiting any longer, but I didn’t want to find out.

  My hands traveled down his chest, across his six-pack, and stopped at the button of his shorts. I flicked the button open and started to unzip them, brushing against his length. I kissed him with a need I didn’t recognize in myself.

  The moment shattered when he pulled away and groaned. “Damn, Lexi, I want you more than I can stand it. You are amazing in every way and sexy as hell.”

  I tried to pull him down again, but he wouldn’t budge. I frowned, confused as to what had just happened.

  “I want you too, Mason. I’m ready and I don’t want anyone else.”

  He looked pained and for a minute I thought he was going to give in. “You deserve better than this. We’re drunk and I want our first time together to be special. I won’t take that away from us. I don’t want to chance you regretting it in the morning.”

  “I won’t change my mind. I want you and that’s not the alcohol talking.”

  “Just humor me then. Let’s cool down for now, tomorrow is another day,” he said.

  Reluctantly, I nodded in agreement. His point was a valid one, even if I didn’t want it to be. “Fine, but will you at least help me up? The floor is a little cold and I’m not sure I can get up on my own with my injured foot.”

  He grinned at me and managed to pick me up. I was surprised, but he didn’t hesitate as he carried me into my bedroom and laid me on my bed. His lips briefly met mine in a kiss that promised more to come.

  “Goodnight, Lexi May. Sweet dreams.” Then he turned and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

  In a daze and high on Mason, I slipped off my shorts and bra. Then I crawled into bed, skipping my shorts and tank. I relived every single moment that just happened with Mason, getting goose bumps at the thought of him pressed against me. We were so close and I couldn’t bring myself to regret a single moment of it.

  Soon a veil of blackness descended and the world disappeared, my thoughts of Mason turning fuzzy and then swimming into oblivion.

  MY EYES LAZILY opened just long enough to see the sunlight streaming through the window’s sheer curtains. Ugh, it was morning and I had a massive hangover. It had become obvious there was too much drinking going on last night.

  Then I remembered how brazen I was with Mason. Oh gods, did I really try to coerce him into having sex with me? How humiliating. I could already feel my cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

  I groaned and tucked my covers up over my head, hoping to sleep a little more of this hangover off. It was then that I heard my door fling open and someone bounced onto the side of my bed. When I peeked over the edge of the covers, I was greeted by a smiling Elena.

  “Go away before I hurt you. It’s too early and I have the hangover from hell.”

  Clearly ignoring me, she grasped the edge of my covers and flung them back. Her eyes widened as she realized I was practically naked. Pulling the covers back up, I glared at her.

  “Lexi May, what did you do?”

  “Chillax, I stripped because I was too drunk and lazy to put my tank and shorts on. It’s not at all what you’re thinking.”

  Elena smirked. “That must be why I found you and Mason’s shirts lying on the floor in the living room. Come on, don’t hold out on me!”

  “There’s not much to tell. I tried to seduce him and failed.”

  “No way, he’s a guy and they don’t ever turn down sex. BTW, I thought you two were mad at each other.”

  “Everything was just a misunderstanding and we worked it all out. He did turn down sex, saying we were drunk or some crap like that as an excuse,” I replied.

  I went on to tell Elena everything that happened the night before, leaving nothing out. In return, she told me about her night with Tate. It went exactly as I expected: sex on the beach and sex in the ocean. I knew Elena entirely too well.

  She left the room and I wondered where she was going. I hoped it was not to get the guys given my state of undress. I didn’t have to wait long before she slipped back into my room.

  Elena handed me water and several pills. “Here, these are Excedrin. They will help with the headache and the caffeine will perk you right up.”

  Nodding, I chased the pills with a few sips of the cool water and flopped back down on the bed. “What are we doing today?”

  “Actually, we’re going shelling first and then we are getting some sun for the afternoon. I’m not sure we’ve thought the evening through yet. Now that you and Mason have made up, maybe Tate and I can go on a date tonight,” she suggested hopefully.

  “All of that sounds perfect. My foot is feeling better today and I think I can get away with just a small wrap on it. Now get out of here so I can make myself presentable.”

  “Fine, but be downstairs in thirty minutes. Tate’s being sweet and attempting to make us ladies some pancakes. It’s really adorable.”

  Finally, Elena left the room and I yanked the covers back. Running to the shower, I hoped for a few minutes of solitude before facing everyone.

  My time was entirely too short thanks to Elena banging on the bathroom door. She insisted I hurry, the pancakes were getting cold. I shot her a peeved look as I opened the door in a towel. Ignoring her, I went to my bag and rummaged around until I found something to wear.

  “Shoo, I need to get dressed. Just give me five minutes and I promise I’ll be down.”

  She nodded, apparently satisfied with my answer. As soon as she was out of the room, I shut the door and went about putting my red bikini on. On top, I tossed on a pair of frayed jean shorts and a simple tank in red to match my bikini.

  I thought the red was too bright and the suit a little too revealing, but Elena had assured me it was perfect before she left. Dressed, I tossed my hair up in a messy bun and carefully tended to my foot. It looked worse than it felt. There was quite a bit of discoloration from the impact, but the cuts were scabbed over now. My foot was still pretty sore, but I could walk on it if I kept most of the pressure off of it. I wrapped it once over with gauze and slipped on a pair of black flip-flops.

  Finally ready, I opened the bedroom door and headed toward the kitchen. Laughter filled the air and I walked in to find Elena sitting on Tate’s lap, trying to feed him pancakes.

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head, but it was kind of cute. “Get a room, you two.”

  “Mm; no can do, Lexi May, we’re going to the beach as soon as breakfast is finished. Trust me, I’ll give him a rain check, though,” Elena said, grinning deviously.

  When I finally turned my attention away from the spectacle that was Elena and Tate
, I noticed Mason. He was looking at me with hooded eyes, visually devouring every inch of me.

  He didn’t bother to hide his appreciation and butterflies took flight in my stomach. I still didn’t understand these feelings Mason evoked in me, but I definitely enjoyed them. I was like an addict, craving my next fix.

  Trying to shift my focus, I grabbed a plate of blueberry pancakes and drowned them in syrup. Sitting down next to he who made my heart beat a mile a minute, I began eating my breakfast.

  Not even five minutes into eating, Mason chuckled and moved toward me. I sat there, eyes wide, like a deer in the headlights. I had no clue what he was going to do.

  He sat close to me and swiped just above my lip with his index finger, then slowly leaned down and kissed the place he had just touched. I must have had syrup there. When he pulled away, he quirked a smile and winked at me. He winked at me!

  My heart was racing, no, galloping, in my chest. The whole thing felt so intimate and erotic. It wasn’t until Elena spoke up that the moment shattered.

  “I think it’s you guys who need to get a room.”

  I rolled my eyes at her and chose not to respond. Truth was, if I had that choice, I would take it, hands down. Being with Jameson was nothing like this and I never craved him like I did Mason. There was no way I was letting him go in a week without making the best of our time together.

  Done ruminating in my thoughts and finally finished with my pancakes, I stepped away from the table and cleaned my dishes up. When I turned around, three sets of eyes were staring at me.

  “What, do I have something on me?”

  Elena got up and took me by the hand. I followed her lead as we entered my bedroom, shutting the door behind us.

  She flopped down on the bed and busted up laughing. Oh man, now what embarrassing thing had I done? I had no doubt it was bad, because she was laughing like a hyena and normally my ‘moments’ didn’t affect Elena anymore.

  “Are you having fun at my expense?”

  “That confused look on your face is priceless. It’s all the more funny because you have no idea. Come here,” Elena said.

  I frowned at her, crossing my arms over my chest, and that just made her laugh harder. Then, I realized what was wrong and my cheeks must have turned cherry. No, this was beyond embarrassing.

  At some point while I was cleaning up my dishes, most likely when I bent down to load the dishwasher, my tank and bikini top had shifted. One of my girls was on display, nipple and all.

  “Jiminy cricket, Elena, why didn’t you tell me? I just paraded through the kitchen with a major wardrobe malfunction!”

  “Yeah, but at least you did it on accident, unlike a certain celebrity at the Super bowl that one year.”

  I readjusted my top and tank to cover up once more. The whole situation was mortifying. I would never be able to look Tate in the eye again, for sure. Mason, well, it was too soon to tell how that would play out.

  “Maybe I should just change,” I suggested.

  “Don’t you dare, Lexi May! You look hot and Mason can’t stop looking at you.”

  “Yeeah, that’s probably just because I was walking around showing off my flesh. Any male would be watching that.”

  “No, Mason is absolutely into you. Even if you didn’t lose your V-card last night because you both had been drinking, there is always tonight. I’m positive he wouldn’t turn you down a second time.”

  “Knowing my luck, he would. How do you put yourself out there like that? It’s scary and unsettling, the thought of rejection. It would have stung worse last night if he hadn’t been right.”

  “It’s always a little scary, but it gets easier. Besides, you want your first time to be with someone who cares about you and will make it special. Mason clearly does and respects you enough not to take advantage of you drunk.”

  I sighed. “Thanks for the advice. I guess it’s time for me to go face the music and further humiliate myself. Such is my life.”

  We were interrupted by a knock at the door. Our heads swiveled toward it and we both said “come in” at the same time, causing us to giggle.

  It was Mason. “Hey, Elena, do you mind if I talk to Lexi for a minute?”

  She nodded but made no move to leave.

  Mason spoke up again. “Can I speak to her alone?”

  That snapped her out of it. “Sure, I’ll just go find Tate. We’ll meet you at the end of the walkway. That’s where we’re going to leave our stuff in the sand while we collect sea shells.”

  She grinned at me, gave me two thumbs up, and shut the door behind her.

  Once we were alone, it suddenly felt like all of the air had been sucked out of the room. The butterflies, no, more like a flock of birds, took flight inside me again. It was ridiculous how much he affected me.

  He silently moved forward, as if he was scared to startle his prey. I stood completely still and let him come to me.

  Before I could spit out a single word; his hand came around the back of my neck, cradling my head. He swooped down and pressed his lips to mine. Soft and moist, I molded my lips to his, completely absorbed in the feelings he brought to the surface.

  Mason was gentle and I couldn’t stand this need bubbling up. I wrapped my hands around his waist, trying to get closer. His need was evident as he hardened against me. Inexperience didn’t stop my moan for more.

  The groan only spurred him on and he slid his hands down my spine, causing me to shiver in excitement. Soon, his hands found my bottom and lifted me up until I was wrapped around his body.

  I wanted him very badly. The desire to become one with him was so strong, I didn’t know where he began and I ended. Nothing but mere scraps of fabric was between us.

  He began to nibble my earlobe, and then placed soft, yet erotic kisses down my neck until he had reached the beginning of my top. My breathing was ragged and there was nothing except us. Well, that was, until a knock on the door startled us out of our lusty haze.

  Of course, the sound of Elena’s voice filtered in from the other side of the door. She had broken the moment and I wasn’t sure if I was glad or disappointed. The middle of the day wasn’t exactly perfect timing, but my body didn’t discriminate.

  “Come on, you two lovebirds! It’s time to head to the beach, we’ve been waiting forever.”

  It only seemed like a mere few minutes. Apparently reality functioned on a different timeline. “We’ll be out in just a minute!”

  As soon as we heard her walk away, Mason winked at me and I could feel that blush that he liked so much rise in my cheeks.

  “Well, Lexi, I actually came in here for a reason other than to kiss those beautiful lips. I was hoping you would spend some time with me alone tonight, like a real date.”

  My eyes met his and I could see the hopefulness there. There was no hesitation on my end. “That would be absolutely perfect.”

  He grasped my hand, twining it with his. “Great, now let’s get out of here before things get out of hand and Elena becomes any more impatient.”

  “Yeah, she’s a tad punctual. I’m sure this is pissing her off.”

  Mason opened my door and we headed for the kitchen. Our towels were laid out on the kitchen table and Mason took them, never letting go of my hand.

  I opened the door and stepped through it, Mason right behind me. We settled into a comfortable silence as we made our way down to the beach, hand in hand.

  By the time we got there, Tate was lying on a towel and Elena was in her bikini, straddling him. It was typical Elena behavior.

  Fake coughing caused Elena to look up. Her face lit up and she climbed off Tate. How she had managed such a compromising position so fast after interrupting us was beyond me.

  Tate took his time getting up and Mason and I couldn’t help but laugh, knowing exactly what his problem was.

  Impatient, Elena broke us apart and started to undress me. “Whoa, what are you doing?”

  “You’re taking forever and I’m ready to go down and look f
or seashells. I was just helping you along.”

  “Okay, you’ve made your point. I can undress myself though.”

  Then I lifted my tank above my head and tossed it onto a towel. I shimmied out of my jean shorts and kicked them over as well. Standing there in my bikini made me feel vulnerable, especially when I caught Mason eying me down with a lusty look.

  Only breaking eye contact to rid himself of his shirt, Mason stood before me, all lean muscle and sculpted planes. I unconsciously licked my lips and blushed yet again. It seemed that I couldn’t control myself around him.

  Impatient, Elena grabbed my hand and tugged me toward the shoreline. I stopped before the water could soak my bandaged foot. My focus had shifted and I was now excited to spend the day at the beach. I loved finding seashells, looking for sand dollars and starfish occasionally.

  The sound of the waves crashing as they drew toward the shore settled me. It was peaceful and I shut my eyes for a few seconds to take in the sounds around me. Seagulls were above me, the waves in front of me, and my friends were chatting behind me. Today would be the perfect ending to the summer.

  After a couple hours, we had collected all our treasures and decided to lie out. Unfolding my towel, I rested on my stomach, hoping to get a nice golden tan. When I looked over, I noticed Mason had lain next to me on his back, his hands behind his head.

  Gah, he was gorgeous. I couldn’t believe he wanted me. My mind swirled with thoughts of our first kiss and I smiled. My mind drifted to all things Mason and, before I knew it, they took me away into bliss.

  At some point Elena rolled me over, but I was in such a state of contentment, I drifted back to a peaceful rest. Only when Mason brushed a soft kiss on my lips did I stir. My eyes popped open to see him smiling, his eyes crinkled in happiness.

  Taking his head in my hands, I pulled him down on top of me and we laughed. I kissed him back with all the desire I felt in that moment. We would have gotten carried away if it wasn’t for Elena interrupting.

  “Break it up, you two. It’s time to go back if we girls are going to get ready for tonight.”