He was going to make love to me out here. Out in the open.

“I know I said I was gonna just play, but you’re soaking wet and smell like sweet cream. I need inside of you.” His voice was deep but gentle.

His hands grabbed my waist, and he slowly sank into me as I moaned his name. Being filled with Mase was incredible. I yearned for this feeling all the time. Every time he gave me that sexy smirk or I saw his muscles flex under his T-shirt, I daydreamed about his muscular arms holding himself over me, flexing as he pumped in and out of me.

One of his rough hands caressed my bottom. “Love this,” he groaned.

I couldn’t agree more. The only thing I loved more than this was the man himself.

Mase

Over the next week, I got very little work done on the ranch. When I wasn’t spending every second I could with Reese, there was Aida, who always seemed to need me for one thing or another. Because Reese had insisted I go, I took Aida horse-back riding to her favorite spot down by the lake. Then, on another day, Aida had wanted to go to the cattle auction with me. Although I had intended to take Reese, she had said she would rather stay at the house and read so I should take Aida.

I knew Reese was trying her best to get Aida to like her. It was why she was constantly pushing me to do things with my demanding cousin. I just wasn’t sure Aida was appreciating it the way she should. Every chance she got, she complained about Reese or the time I spent with her. I was growing weary of defending Reese all the time to her. Aida was going to have to change her attitude about Reese, or I wasn’t letting her near Reese again.

If Aida thought this was a competition, she needed to know she had already lost. Aida was my cousin. She had been competitive with Harlow one time when her visit overlapped with Aida’s. Giving Harlow all my attention hadn’t gone over well with Aida then, either. But we’d been kids, and I had simply ignored her. We were adults now, and she was acting insane.

My biggest concern was that Reese was going to get bored being at the ranch all the time, so when I got the call from Harlow to invite us to Lila Kate’s first birthday party in four days, I was relieved to have an excuse to escape with Reese. It was past time Aida went home.

Blaire and Rush Finlay were hosting Lila Kate’s party at their backyard pool, and since their house was practically on the beach, Harlow was doing a luau theme. I hadn’t even realized I’d been an uncle for a year already. The time had flown by.

Reese was excited about going back to Rosemary Beach, which only worried me more. She had nothing to do here in Texas. When I wasn’t with her, she was alone. I hated the idea of her being lonely or sad. I had to fix this. Maybe get her back into classes and encourage her to keep working on her GED.

Although I preferred not to rely on my father—the biological one, that is—my sister wasn’t always so cooperative. Slacker Demon’s private jet was scheduled to pick us up and take us to Florida in a couple of days. Our father’s rock band still went on huge tours all the time, so the private plane was a necessity for them. Not for me. I could argue with Harlow, but I knew she’d end up winning. The jet was already stopping in Dallas to pick up a guest of Blaire and Rush’s so she wanted Reese and me to take advantage of it.

I got things tied up and taken care of so that Reese and I could fly out the day before the party. We were also planning to spend a few extra days in town afterward; I knew Reese wanted to see her friend Jimmy. He had been her closest friend, and she spoke with him at least once a week on the phone.

When we landed in Florida, Harlow had a silver Mercedes waiting for us at the airport for me to drive the rest of the way into town. I knew this had to be our father’s doing, but it was more for Harlow than for me. Harlow was the only one of Kiro’s three kids—including me and Harlow’s half sister, Nan—he’d had a hand in raising, so Harlow actually thought of him as a dad. He loved her the most, but then again, she was easy to love. Hell, I had loved her the most, too, until Reese walked into my life. The only person who was ever bitter about this favoritism was Nan.

Reese touched the butter-colored leather interior of the Mercedes and smiled. “Wow. This car is something,” she said in awe. She had been in awe all day. The jet had made her jaw drop for a good five minutes. Just watching her walk around and explore the cabin with childlike wonder had made the experience worth it, even if it was courtesy of Kiro.

“I’m sure this is from Kiro, too,” I explained. “If I’d been paying for this, we would’ve been driving a Dodge truck.”

“W-will, uh, will he be there? At the party?” she asked, almost with caution. As if asking would upset me.

I nodded. “He wouldn’t miss his granddaughter’s birthday for the world. At least, any granddaughter Harlow gives him. And this will be the only one. Harlow can’t have any more kids. She almost died giving birth to Lila Kate.”

“So Harlow is his favorite?”

I laughed. That was an understatement. “Harlow is the only child his beloved wife, Emily, gave to him. He adored Emily. He still does, even though she suffered brain damage in an accident years ago and can’t speak or do anything on her own.”

Reese frowned. “What about Nan?”

I sighed. “We didn’t even know Nan was our sister until a few years ago. Kiro didn’t claim her, and her mother lied about who her father was. It was a clusterfuck. And Nan is a mean viper. You know that. You’ve dealt with her. She hates Harlow because our father loves her. It’s not a good family situation.”

“That’s sad,” Reese said simply.

I glanced over at her. “What’s sad?”

She looked up at me with eyes full of sorrow. “To be told your father was someone he wasn’t and finding out the father you do have doesn’t want you. That would make anyone unhappy. Then to see that father adore another daughter while he barely acknowledges you. That has to cut deep. I imagine she has suffered from a lot of emotional wounds in life.”

Was she really making excuses for Nan? No one had an excuse for being evil and cruel. Yet here Reese was, feeling sorry for her, even after working as Nan’s housemaid for a short time and experiencing her ugliness firsthand. Reese was being understanding of why Nan was the way she was.

“You might change your mind after you’ve spent more time with her. If that ever happens.”

“Won’t she be at the party?”

I doubted it. “Before Grant met Harlow, he had a thing with Nan. When Grant fell in love with Harlow, that didn’t help Nan’s hatred for her. The fact that Nan donated blood to Harlow when she was giving birth to Lila Kate made a huge difference and at least showed a little humanity. But I doubt that’s enough for Grant to invite her to his daughter’s birthday. Besides, Kiro and Nan don’t get along. Every time they’re in the same room, it usually ends in screaming.”

Reese didn’t ask me anything else, but I could tell her wheels were turning. She was trying to put this all together so that it made sense. Problem was, nothing with this side of my family made sense. Kiro had fucked it all up years ago. Harlow and her daughter were all I cared about on this side of my family. And Grant, at times. He’d proven worthy of my sister, but I was still watching him. I’d kill him if he ever hurt her.

Reese

I had cleaned fabulous houses before, but none of them compared to this one. The Finlays’ place was massive and gorgeous. It sat directly on the water, and expensive cars filled the driveway. We were staying with Grant and Harlow, but they had left early to get things ready. We had offered to keep Lila Kate, but Grant said she’d get fussy if he wasn’t close by. Mase said it was more likely that Grant would get fussy. Watching Grant Carter with his daughter, as she wobbled around, trying to walk, was adorable. He hovered over her constantly, ready to catch her if she fell at any moment. The few times she did fall, he reacted lightning-fast, swooping her up and checking her out while kissing her little chubby knees.