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Y es, please . The words stuck in my throat along with most of my air and all my common sense.

I’d tried to forget this version of Reece because I was embarrassed about the way it ended, but also because I didn’t want to torture myself with memories of an experience I’d never have again. He flirted with me relentlessly, but it always felt playful, as if he were teasing me.

But this… this was pure fire.

“Satisfied?” he asked.

“Not in the slightest.” Like the first time I’d seen him, a part of me deep inside whispered he’s the one and pushed me to do something reckless.

So I did.

I curled my fingers into his shirt, leaned forward, and brushed my mouth against his. Barely a kiss, but I couldn’t make myself go farther. He should have pulled back. He should have reminded me we were only meant to be for show. By all accounts, including his own, he never let anyone close twice. Instead, Reece kissed me back.

His arms banded around me, and we both shuddered as the tension snapped. He kissed me like he meant it, like he had no intention of ever letting me go, like he’d been dying to touch me since I walked in the door. The intensity hit me hard and fast, left me aching for more even as I wondered if it was all in my head.

“Let me in,” he breathed against my lips.

Against my better judgement, I opened for him. Any hopes the first time had been a fluke were dashed. I didn’t have a lot of experience—didn’t have a lot of confidence—but kissing Reece felt absolutely right.

His hand cradled the back of my head, gently tugging my hair, and sending electricity shooting down my body. I wanted that feeling everywhere, until every nerve ending buzzed like a live wire.

In a burst of desperation, I slid his hand from my hair, down my throat, and over my breasts. With a grin I could feel against my skin, he dragged his thumb across my nipple.

“You want me to touch you, little thief?” he murmured.

I swallowed and nodded slightly.

“Then tell me.”

I’d never had to verbalize my needs before, mostly because no one had cared up until now. Embarrassment battled with building hunger as he teased me with quick little touches. With anyone else, I might have given up, but with Reece, I felt like I could do anything.

“I want your fingers inside me, your mouth, anything. I’ve never messed around somewhere we could be caught, so this is definitely on my list—which you said you’d help me finish. So… help me finish. Like you promised.”

“Item number one, right here on the couch?” he asked silkily.

He was testing me, pushing me to acknowledge the risqué nature of our actions which was way outside my comfort zone. For once, I was ready to be a little naughty.

“Right here, right now.”

Reece smiled, never breaking contact as he kissed his way to my neck. He flicked me with his tongue then sucked hard, forcing a gasp out of me as pleasure shot in a line from his mouth to my pussy. All the while, his deft fingers plucked and played with my nipples.

Encouraged by my newfound boldness, I pushed him back on the couch and straddled his lap. He groaned when my weight settled on him. His fingers tightened on my hip, holding me in place as he ground up into me.

His workout shorts did little to hide the solid length of him, and I suddenly wished I’d worn a skirt. The tiny movement was enough to remind me I hadn’t had an orgasm in weeks—not since him—and sex had been even longer.

I whimpered and rolled my hips, frustrated I couldn’t find the right angle. If I didn’t get some relief soon, I might explode. My nails dug into his shoulders as I tried to hold myself steady, but it was a lost cause when he caught my mouth again. I buried my hands in his hair and let him take over.

“Up,” he whispered, unbuttoning my shorts.

I lifted enough to give him the space to slide his hand inside.

“Show me what you like, Kenzie.” He’d said something like that before, and I still reeled at the idea I could simply tell him what felt good and he’d do it.

With enthusiasm.

I tilted my hips until he hit the right spot and gasped. His low, rough chuckle sent shivers down my back. With a little guidance, he figured out exactly the way to bring me to the edge. Reece was playful and a little dangerous, and I was lost.

“Like this?” he asked with a grin.

“A little harder. God, right there.” I wasn’t sure what else I muttered as a wave of pleasure threatened to drown me.

No one had ever touched me the way Reece did. The rhythm, the pressure, the whispered praise between kisses. His breathing became labored, and through it all, he told me how much he loved it.

He loved it. No hint of martyrdom or frustration. The freedom to simply respond without questioning if I was being selfish took me out of my head completely.

I rode his hand with abandon while his thumb played havoc with my clit, and when he grabbed a handful of hair to kiss me deep, I lost it. My whole body stiffened, and I gripped his forearm, unable to let go, as a bright light exploded behind my eyelids. The air built in my chest, then rushed out as I collapsed, my muscles reduced to a fine goo.

I dropped my head to his shoulder while I caught my breath, but I couldn’t help peering up at him. Reece met my eyes with a wicked grin as he withdrew his fingers and licked them clean. My inner muscles clenched, and aftershocks rippled through me.

“You know,” he drawled. “It occurs to me it’s not a repeat hookup if I’m helping you check things off your list.”

I snorted out a laugh. “Purely business?”

“I did promise you we’d do it together. Out of curiosity, how many things on your list are sex-related?”

“Way more than there should be considering I was in a long-term relationship.”

A gleam of challenge sharpened his expression, but before he could expound on his idea, a deep, unfamiliar voice had me leaping back to my spot on the couch while pulling my shirt back into place.

“Reece, you have a room. We’ve talked about this.” A giant, tattooed man sporting only a frown and a pair of gray sweats stood by the basement stairs. The annoyance stamped across his face seemed focused on Reece, but I still felt like I’d been caught doing something wrong.

Reece adjusted his shorts and sent me an apologetic look. “Kenzie, this is my basement-dwelling roommate, Mase.”

I sent him a feeble smile, praying he couldn’t see my intense discomfort. My chest heaved as I tried to draw in air and disappear at the same time. I shouldn’t have bothered. Mase gave me a distracted nod then scowled at the couch.

“I don’t need to see your naked ass again,” he muttered.

Red hot mortification heated my cheeks, and it took me a second to realize he was talking to Reece. A very long second in which I considered diving out the closest window.

Right when I planned to stammer out an apology and call a car, Reece met my eyes with a clear plea. Stay. Without meaning to, I relaxed, and he wrapped his long fingers around my wrist, anchoring me in place.

Guess I was staying.

He gave me a squeeze then stood up, blocking my view of Mase. The action felt protective, but also weird because why would he need to protect me from his roommate?

“You could make more noise if you didn’t want an eyeful.”

“I’ll make sure to wear a bell next time.” I could hear the eye roll in his voice, but Reece stayed between us as he moved into the room.

Belatedly, I realized my shorts were still wide open. I cursed under my breath and made sure nothing else was out of place before I resolved to not fall back on my usual position of pretty decoration. After meeting an entire house full of people, I’d only really spoken to Eva.

No more quietly standing in the background waiting for my boyfriend to speak for me.

Reece glanced down at me when I came to stand next to him, then surprised the hell out of me by linking our fingers together. He drew me in front of him and used our joined hands to hold me close.

Front and center, I found my voice. “It’s nice to meet you.”

I nearly winced at my own dull conversational attempt. Okay, so my voice was lame, but I’d work on it. Mase didn’t seem to notice as he stepped farther into the room searching the floor for something.

Reece squeezed my hand in a show of support. “Mase, this is Kenzie, my girlfriend .”

The last word finally earned me direct eye contact. “My condolences. If he’s holding you against your will, blink twice.”

Reece coughed out the word dick, and I laughed. For a split second, Mase’s lips curled into a half-smile, then I blinked and he was back to what I assumed was his default scowl. Even grumpy, he was attractive with sharp features and a strong chin. Like a superhero who mostly hated people.

I couldn’t blame him. I mostly hated people right now too.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Reece stage-whispered to me. “He knows who you are. He’s just being an ass. As usual.”

When Mase narrowed his eyes, Reece addressed him instead. “Shouldn’t you be sleeping in your coffin right now? The sun’s still up.”

Mase shrugged broad shoulders covered in tattoos as he walked past us toward the kitchen. “Your vampire obsession is becoming concerning. Where’s Sunny?”

“Where else? Upstairs with Cole and Henry. Everyone else left to eat. I didn’t expect to see you again until tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I mistimed my entrance. Thought you’d be upstairs. Sorry for interrupting.” He didn’t sound sorry, but I didn’t particularly care.

Reece did though. “You should be sorry. We were?—”

I elbowed my mouthy fake boyfriend before he could say something else to make me blush. “It’s fine. I’m glad you came up so I could finally meet you.”

Mase stopped and turned to face us with his brows drawn low. “Finally?”

“Reece talks about you. About all of you really, but mostly you.” I chose to ignore the warning playing in the back of my mind. Reece did talk about all of them, and while I didn’t intend to embarrass him, I wasn’t sad about the faint flush on his cheeks.

Mase hummed a noncommittal answer and returned to foraging through the cabinets. While Mase’s back was turned, Reece gave me a wide-eyed look of betrayal. I shrugged and smiled. Reece and his roommates were obviously close, so I knew he was playing up the drama for my benefit.

His eyes narrowed at my pleased expression, and I saw retribution in my future. With Reece, I was pretty sure I’d enjoy it.

Mase pointed a banana at us. “You going to tell her about Kane yesterday?”

“I was getting to it, but all you clowns keep getting in the way.”

As if on cue, Eva burst through the door in a whirlwind of energy. I’d never met anyone quite like her. Tiny and blonde, she looked like she should be sweet and accommodating, but Eva got shit done. In the little bit of time I’d known her, everyone had deferred to her leadership.

I was both fascinated and terrified. There were enough people trying to make my life hell—I didn’t want to get on her bad side and make the situation exponentially worse.

She tossed her pink-streaked hair over one shoulder and propped her hands on her hips, skewering me with a pointed look. “Were you aware Tobias Kane is claiming you’re unstable and using Reece to get back at him for an imaginary slight?”

My lips parted, but I wasn’t sure how to respond. She sounded sort of pissed, though I couldn’t tell who she blamed.

Reece scoffed. “Kane is a lying asshat who needs to stop running his mouth.”

Eva’s gaze shifted to him, and I felt him stiffen next to me. “Oh, I heard all about your role in the conversation.”

My fear of Eva faded as I turned to stare at Reece’s guilty face. “What role?”

He pressed his lips together, sending Eva one last glare. “He was talking to some of the younger guys on the team at practice yesterday. Basically saying what Eva told you with a couple more insulting comments thrown in. He made it sound like you’d tried to rekindle your relationship—and that’s saying it nicely—but he couldn’t trust you not to hurt him again.”

The comments shouldn’t have surprised me, and they definitely shouldn’t have caused the wave of hurt I felt knowing the guy who’d cheated on me was spreading lies. What was wrong with me? He wasn’t worth a single moment of my time, but I couldn’t seem to separate my sense of worth from the overwhelming stupidity I felt falling for his bullshit for so long.

Mase slammed a cabinet door shut, making me jump. “Should have punched him in the face. Hard to talk shit when your mouth is swollen shut.”

I’d legitimately forgotten Mase was standing there, but his immediate defense helped me see not everyone believed Toby’s lies. “Thanks, Mase.”

He nodded, and Reece pulled me against his side, rubbing my arm. “You and I are on the same page there, but I’m trying this new thing where I’m mature.”

Eva snorted behind us. “Tell Kenzie how mature you were.”

Reece winced. “I may have used you to verbally eviscerate him. I also may have inadvertently made it sound like I was with you because I wanted to one up him.”

I raised a brow. “I thought you were good at talking?”

“In my defense, I was imagining running him over with Mase’s truck, so my mind was a little preoccupied.” He took my hands, his expression sobering. “I’m sorry. I might fuck it up once in a while, but I will always defend you.”

I squeezed his fingers where they held mine. “I know. Thank you.”

Reece kissed my hands, and a moment passed between us that had nothing to do with our audience. He was on my side, no matter what, and I believed him. It was a relief to know Toby hadn’t ruined my ability to trust.

“Why my truck?” Mase muttered.

“I didn’t want to deal with repairing any of the cars when his hard head bounced off the hood. Your truck is basically a tank.”

“Fair enough. Keys are on the rack.”