They flew open, and the need I saw in his gaze was enough to break me. Another of my walls crumbled as I arched into him. I called out Mason’s name as I came, clutching him with a desperation that should’ve terrified me. But I couldn’t find it in me to care. I was his, and he was mine. And I wasn’t letting go.

36

MASON

Anna let out a sleepy little moan as she burrowed deeper into my hold. “Too early, turn it off.”

I hit the button on my alarm, silencing it, and pulled her so she lay on top of me. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” she grumbled.

“Sore?”

Her cheeks pinked. “In a good way.”

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Long bath for you today.”

“I wish I could play hooky.”

“Maybe we both could…” I could think of a million ways to spend the day.

“I have a meeting I can’t cancel, and the staff has already been pulling more of my weight than they should.”

“It’s okay to take their help, you know.”

Anna scrunched up her face. “You sound like Kennedy.”

“She’s a smart woman so I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

She rolled her eyes but then kissed the bottom of my chin. “You going to call Juliette today?”

I sighed and trailed a hand up and down her back. “I am.”

“Good—”

“But—”

“But what?”

I tickled her side. “If you’d let me finish, I’d tell you.”

Anna pinched my stomach. “Two can play this game.”

I rolled her onto her back, holding her hands over her head and taking her mouth in a slow kiss. “That’s better.”

Anna nipped my bottom lip. “Finish what you were saying.”

I released her and sat up against the pillows. “The way things are between Juliette and me isn’t working.”

“Okay…”

“I need to make some calls and change that. She won’t be happy.”

“Mason…”

I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I thought a lot about what you said yesterday.” I’d been up half the night thinking about it. “It’s time for some better boundaries, but I’ll make it clear that I’m her brother, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Anna absentmindedly traced a pattern on my chest. “As long as you’ve thought it through.”

“I have.” I lifted her chin so our gazes met. “But none of what Juliette does or doesn’t do is on you, okay?”

Anna took way too much of the weight of other people’s actions onto her shoulders. Jules might pitch a fit, but that wasn’t Anna’s responsibility. “Okay,” she whispered.