Page 26 of The Spare (The King Dynasty #2)

"Mason, let her get her own apartment." Hendrix eyes me with nothing short of patience. Having a kid has really mellowed him.

I narrow my eyes, curling my lip as that familiar twinge of sibling rivalry fills me. "No, and fuck you for continuing to try to dictate how I live my life. No one tried to control how you got Isobel."

"Mason, she's-"

"A legal adult." I finish for him. I sit back, placing my drink on a coaster next to my hip.

I square him with a look and arch an eyebrow.

"Look, I did everything that was asked of me.

I became legit. I got a real job, I solidified myself as a major contributing factor in the King Dynasty business and carved my own sector out for myself.

I haven't touched her, haven't fucked her.

I haven't so much as even kissed her this entire time you've asked me to wait.

" I pause, seeing a flash of surprise mar his features.

"Yeah, I bet you didn't see that coming, did you? "

That resentment I work so hard to keep under check swells within me, threatening to break through.

"I'm very proud of you, Mase," Hendrix says, looking at me with, in fact, brotherly pride. I stare back, almost afraid to acknowledge it. "You've done us all proud."

My lips tighten as I take another sip. "Yeah, well, I know it took long enough."

"Can you give her one more year?" he asks me, tilting his head.

My answer comes back fast and with a quickness, "No. No, I can't."

He sighs, clearing his throat and goes to say something else, but he's interrupted by the doorbell ringing. "Are we expecting someone else?" I ask, standing up and tossing back the rest of my drink.

"Yeah, Melody is having a friend over," he says, but I'm already on my way out the door to see what's going on.

I meet up with Melody, who's making her way to the foyer and grab her elbow.

"Hang on, sweetheart, let me go first." I tell her, pulling to slow her down.

I wave Johnson away, getting to the door and opening it to her too-blonde, big-boobed, plumped up roommate Karissa. Who has two younger men behind her.

I pause, tucking Melody further against my side. "Who're you?" I say, but Melody pulls out from my side and reaches out and grabs Karissa, pulling her inside.

"Thank you for coming!" she gushes, pulling her in for a hug.

I frown and step aside, making room for the two men to come in behind her. Irritation like I haven't felt in a minute rises inside me, and I visibly bristle. What's worse, I can't even help it .

"Hey, man." The dark-haired man steps forward with his hand outstretched. I ignore it, turning away from him to close the door dismissively. His hand lowers, and he trades a glance with the other man. A blonde who is looking a bit too hard at Melody for my liking.

Karissa's head snaps to me, and her eyebrows raise, her eyes go wide, and her face breaks out in a big smile.

"Hi," Karissa says, stepping into me before I can react and throwing her arms around me. "It's so good to meet you!" I stiffen as she squeezes hard and rocks me, and I keep my hands to myself, not really knowing what to say. My nose scrunches up as the smell of her overly processed hair hits me.

Uncomfortable, I tilt my head back, pulling away from her.

I throw a look at Melody, who's currently shaking hands with the blond. "It's good to meet you too," I say tightly. I feel the old Mason coming back, and I bite the side of my cheek trying with everything in me to keep my attitude in check.

The brown-haired guy named Brian throws an arm around Karissa, and she tilts her head up at him, placing her hand on the side of his face.

The blonde man's name is Leo, and he looks like what the fuck you'd think a Leo would look like, too.

He's got blue eyes, dark blue jeans with a polo shirt and converse.

My lip curls, seeing how he's smiling at Melody.

And when she leans forward to shake Brian's hand, he tilts his head, checking out her ass in her too-short dress.

The way he's looking at her has my irritation spiked to unreal heights.

My lip curls, "Get your-"

Right as I'm getting ready to lose my temper, another voice sounds out. "What's going on?"

I turn at the sound of my brother's voice .

Hendrix walks into the foyer, and immediately the other guys straighten up and all the fun sucks out of the room as usual when Hendrix comes around. I've learned by now that he just can't help it. He walks in a room and commands it.

"Hello, sir. I'm Leo, and this is Brian." Leo steps forward, holding out his hand. Hendrix takes it, shifting his eyes to me.

I stand to the side, leaning a shoulder against the wall and just watch. His eyes slide to Melody, who is blushing harder than I think I've ever seen her do before.

"Melody, you didn't say your friend was going to be bringing friends," Hendrix says smoothly, ignoring the men.

"I-I didn't know she was going to," Melody stammers, biting her lip. "Is that okay, Hendrix? They drove all this way."

My eyes narrow, getting ready to kick them out, long trip be damned, but Hendrix turns his blue eyes back on Melody and nods once. "Stay in the den or the dining room, please. No wandering the house. And sign this."

I narrow my eyes at him as Jefferies steps forward and gives them all an NDA to sign.

They all proceed to follow him out the foyer, but I hang back to see what my girl is going to do. Just as they reach the doorway to the den, her steps falter, and she looks back over her shoulder, meeting my eye. I stay right where I am and watch her carefully.

For one long drawn out moment, everything falls away, and it's just me and her.

My heart beats heavily in my chest watching as she half turns, the tassels in her dress swaying with her movements. The muscles in her legs stand out as she pivots easily back around to face me.

"Are you coming?" she asks .

I push off the wall and stalk towards her, stopping when I'm by her side. I turn my face to look down at her, seeing her eyes light up, like she's so innocent. But I know better, we both do.

"You keep your hands off Leo," I say, "Or I swear to God, Melody."

Her brow arches as a disbelieving look crosses her face. "Or what, Mason?"

A muscle twitches in my jaw as her eyes narrow at me.

I lean forward, snatching her by her wrist and taking her in the opposite direction of the den.

I ignore her soft protests as her heels click loudly on the marble floor as I work to lead her down the hallway and to the opposite side of the house where we won't be disturbed.

Opening the door to a random sitting room, I pull her through and close the door harshly behind us. "You know what," I growl, my eyes flash as I spin around to face her. My patience finally snapped. "You know what the fuck you do to me."

There's a tense moment of silence where she breathes hard, staring at me. It's like a key sliding into a lock and her eyes narrow. "Mason, what are you t-talking about-"

"I want you, Melody," I say harshly, my heart pounding against my ribcage.

An awkward silence ensues as my words echo throughout the room. Her eyes widen, and I take a step forward, effectively breaking her from her spell.

"If you want me, then do what it takes to have me, Mason," she snaps. Her usually soft voice is firmer, but I know her. It's also laced with hurt.

"I do want you," I stress, taking another step forward.

Her eyes well up with tears. "No, you don't!"

I grab her by her elbow, pushing her the few feet to the door behind her. Her back hits it with a thump, and a gasp escapes her lips as I crowd her space. I press myself into her body, catching a groan in my throat at the feel of her curves against me.

"Enough," I rasp, looking down into her eyes and feeling a muscle jump in my jaw as I clench my teeth hard. "I've been driven crazy for as long as I've wanted you-"

"No, you don't," she hits back at me, narrowing her eyes. "If you wanted to you would have-"

"Melody, stop fighting this!" I exclaim harshly. "The rest doesn't matter anymore. I want you, and I know you want me; don't try to hide it." Her breathing becomes labored, and she stiffens against me as I tilt her head up with a finger under her chin.

"Mason..." Her breath hitches as the anger melts from her eyes, instead becoming hooded with desire, and I swipe my thumb over her trembling bottom lip. Finally so close to what I've coveted for so long. "Mason, we sh-shouldn't. They're all waiting for us-"

"No. I've waited long enough…," I say quietly. "So they can wait, too."

Melody's hands come up to my chest and fist my shirt in her slender fingers while I move my hand to her nape and grip her tightly. Desperately. Forcing her head to tilt up so I can stare in her eyes for a few drawn out seconds before lowering my head, and brushing my lips against hers. Finally.

Her lips move against mine, whisper soft, our kiss hesitant and slightly unsure.

Heat blooms inside of me so hot that I have no doubt she feels it too. My entire being lights up at the feel of her lips.

I pull back, catching her eye, seeing her desire mirroring mine.

My heart pounds even harder, and I flick my tongue out to lick her bottom lip before covering her mouth with mine, slanting my mouth against hers and deepening our kiss.

Melody moans, her lips parting to allow my tongue to sweep along hers.

My skin tingles as she shivers against me, her nipples distending and pressing into my chest, sharpening my desire to a ruthless edge.

My fingers tremble against her. Almost four fucking years I've waited for this moment.

Groaning, I tighten my fingers, tilt her head to the side and lick even deeper.

God, she tastes amazing. We kiss for what feels like forever, our bodies pressed tightly together, rocking against one another as we explore each other's mouths greedily.

My hands sink into her hair and hers grip my neck as we strain together. Trying to get closer.

It isn't until my hand slides from her hair to cup her left breast, and she lets out a needy whimper that I come back down to earth. Cognizant we've been alone for an unusual length of time, I pull away and wait patiently until her eyes open. She blinks almost sleepily, like she's in a daze.

I place my forehead against hers, exhaling a deep breath, squeezing her plump flesh in my hand, and feathering my thumb against her distended nipple.

"You taste like heaven, but God knows you're built for sin," I say roughly.

"It's about fucking time," she whispers, looking up at me with complete trust. "What took you so long, Mase? I thought you didn't… didn't want me like that."

I fill with shame. The admission that she wanted me as much as I wanted her all this time throws a dark cloud over our first kiss.

"I'm sorry." Bringing my hand from her breast, I stroke my knuckles down her cheek and implore with my eyes for her to forgive me. "I'm so sorry. I wanted you more than anything. However, you can thank my brother for why I haven't made you mine yet. "

She gasps, and much like when Hendrix walks in a room and sucks all the fun out, all the arousal she was just feeling disappears in a nanosecond. The heat between us becomes non-existent.

At least from her end, and I know I just fucked up.

Big time.

Her eyes scrunch together, and her head recoils slightly. "What do you mean?" she says shakily, her eyes flickering between mine.

"Hendrix forced me to not take you when I wanted you," I say. "It's because of him I haven't had you sooner. And I've wanted you a long, long time, Melody. Since the moment I met you."

And just like that, I watch all the passion drain from her face as a new understanding drapes her features.

Fuck.