Night Is Darkest by Jayne Rylon (books recommended by bts .TXT) 📕

“That’s what you thought.” She scowled at him. “You don’t think girls talk? Cindy was my best friend and you screwed her older sister, Theresa, ten ways to Sunday. She told us all about the things you two did to her when I was still in middle school. At night I dreamed you were doing them to me instead. But when I turned eighteen and you still wouldn’t have me, I knew it was time to let go. Time to find someone who would teach me about my desires. I thought maybe then you’d want me.”

She paused to collect her thoughts while they stared in shock, then continued. “I’d heard rumors about fancy bondage clubs and I wanted to know what it was like. Except, where the hell do you find something like that in our ho-hum town?”

Tyler looked like he was about to rattle off a suggestion or two but he opted to keep his mouth shut after he caught the death-ray glare Mason aimed at him.

“So I did something incredibly stupid and trusted this guy. Jackson. He seemed so normal and understanding. We met in person for drinks. He was charming, but I think I had too many martinis. Everything got foggy. Next thing I knew, we were in…that place. He changed the second he had me locked up.” She shuddered. “He flipped out and started yelling at me, cursing, telling me I was a whore to want such nasty things. That he was on a mission. And, well… You see how it turned out. I got lucky someone passing by heard my screams and kicked in the door. I was such an idiot.”

Mason reached for her then. He cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“I don’t ever want to hear that bullshit from you again. You were young and inexperienced but you didn’t deserve that. No one deserves that.” His ocean blue eyes darted to the screen, causing his nostrils to flare. “Where is this fuckwad today?”

“Turns out this wasn’t his first offense. Rob made sure he went to jail but he’s up for early release due to good behavior. The hearing is in a few weeks.” She’d been dreading facing Jackson alone at the parole hearing but felt selfish for considering something so trivial so soon after losing her brother.

“Little one, can I ask you something?” Ty ran his hands up her back, down her arms, then over her thighs as though reassuring himself of her health. Exhausted after the retelling, she rested her head on his chest and soaked in his comforting touches. When she didn’t object, he asked, “You’ve stashed all those pictures but you were a virgin. Are there still things you want to try in real life, or did this attack steal your curiosity?”

She winced at the reminder of her innocence but she’d come this far, she might as well go for broke. Staring straight into his eyes so he couldn’t discount her sincerity, she confessed, “I still want it all. I just didn’t trust anyone to give it to me except you.”

Her gaze shifted to Mason. “And you.”

“Everyone has secrets,” she whispered. “Now you know mine.”

Chapter Nine

Mason clenched his jaw as he faced off against Tyler. “This changes nothing.”

“It changes everything! Why can’t you man up and admit she needs everything we do? This can’t be about her anymore. It’s all about you and your hang-ups. For all you act like a certified Casanova, you’re letting your preconceptions blind you to what’s right in front of your ugly face.”

“Tone down the emo, will you?” A muscle in his jaw ticked but Ty kept right on going.

“Tell me you don’t want to be waiting for her the moment she finishes collecting herself in the bathroom. Swear you don’t need to take her to bed and erase all the lingering memories I saw lurking in her eyes. Convince me, and I’ll drop it.”

Mason stalked the hallway outside Lacey’s bedroom, where she’d retreated after her declarations. “How will you feel when we get lost in the moment and take things too far? You can’t suppress your nature forever, Ty. What if you grab her wrists to pin her instead of caressing her? What if you slip up and kiss me, beg me to fuck you? What are you going to do if she looks at you in horror? How are you going to feel when someone attacks her for her ‘deviant behavior’?”

“Are we talking about me…or you?”

“Fine, douchebag. Me. Maybe you can keep things sweet and tender but we both know I can’t. What if instinct takes over and I want more than she can handle? How do we know she’s ready for a threesome?” He evaded the hand Ty extended in his direction. If they touched now he’d go up in flames.

“I’ll be there, Mason. I believe to the depth of my soul that you would never hurt her but I’ve got your back. I promise I won’t lose my head or let the scene get out of control. It’ll just be the three of us, making love, forgetting about all the bullshit in the background.”

“If I were to do this, I’d have some ground rules.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Ty always teased him mercilessly about his need for order.

“Don’t bust on me or I’m out of here. I’m not joking around with her safety.” The fight leached from the other man as he slumped against the wall.

“Let’s have it then. Christ, just hurry. I’ve never been so hard in my life.”

“I don’t want to hear it. You got some this evening. I’ve been suffering for days.”

“Really? You suffered? You could have had me anytime until you kicked me out.”

“Shh. That’s first. We take things slow. Both of us need to concentrate on her.” Mason cleared his throat. “I don’t want you distracting me with your tricks.”

“Son of a bitch! You make it sound like I rape