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I shook my head with a laugh and headed for my quarters. Jackson and I worked on the rewiring enough so I could at least manually close and open the door all the way, though locking it was still out of the question.

I’d barely stepped through the door when my father caught me and fell into step at my side.

“I’m too tired for this,” I said, staring longingly at the couch. Making up with Alyssa had taken all my emotional energy, and in doing so, I’d realized it wasn’t her I was angry at. The blame lay on one person alone, my father.

“Sit down. When was the last time you got enough sleep, Sam?” he asked, guiding me to the comfort of the cushions.

“I don’t know,” I admitted, leaning back with a groan.

“I want you to know that I will get us all out of here and back up to your mother.”

Tears burned my eyes, but I fought not to release them. I couldn’t trust myself to speak.

“I owe you an apology. I should have insisted we skip this vacation. I was selfish, and it was wrong.”

Tears turned to fury as I stood, prying myself from the cradle of the sofa. “You finally realize you were selfish?”

He stayed still as I released my tirade on him.

“Which part was selfish, Dad? Was it when you cheated on Mom? When you proposed to Alyssa while Mom might be dying? Or was it when you worked at Bennet Systems night and day, buried in your work and avoiding your family?”

He stood his ground, swallowing hard. The color drained from his features. He didn’t hold back the tears like I did. He allowed them to flow down his ashen face, weaving crooked paths. At first satisfaction flooded me, but it was quickly drowned by regret at the way I was handling things.

I flopped back onto the couch and pressed a hand to my forehead. “You’re right. I’m exhausted. You should go get some rest as well.”

“Of course. Don’t worry about going back down to Engineering until you’ve gotten enough sleep.”

I pressed my eyes shut and opened them again only to find Mason standing where my father had been.

“What time is it?” I asked, not feeling as though I’d had any sleep.

“Eight. Dinner, remember?” He slid the door shut behind him. Without another word he sat behind me on the couch and began to work on my shoulders and neck, untangling each knot he found with his expert fingers.

I leaned back and made a sound of appreciation.

“I’ve learned from the best,” he said over my ear. “We’ve had a family masseuse and chiropractor for as long as I can remember.” He chuckled. “Nicole was pissed when she found out they couldn’t come with us. Not even her personal assistant, Becky.”

I laughed, then blinked, and suddenly empty plates were on the coffee table.

“Were those there before?” I asked, pointing and scooting backward into the cushions of the couch.

“You mean just now? Like while we ate?” Mason furrowed his brow and set down a wine glass I didn’t remember him holding. Hadn’t he just been massaging me? He tucked a hair behind my ear. “I think you need to get some sleep.”

Tears crept close to bursting through my carefully crafted barrier, and I sucked in my lower lip. My entire life was becoming a kaleidoscope of moments, the blackouts taking over more often than not, and it terrified me. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to admit it. Saying it out loud to Mason felt like risking the end of the one beautiful thing I’d found beneath the sea. Besides, it hadn’t helped when I’d told Travis the truth.

“I want to spend more time with you,” I said in place of all the things swirling through my mind.

“We can do more tomorrow.”

I started to protest, but he lifted me off the couch and carried me to the bed, where he sat me down, removed all of our clothing, and slid in beside me, pulling me into an embrace. I sighed contentedly, surrounded by the warmth of his body. Instead of wanting to sleep, my insatiable libido awakened. I didn’t know how long I had with Mason once he found out the truth about me, and I wanted to take advantage of every moment possible.

I rolled so I faced him and pressed up against him, running a finger down the center line of his chest.

“Sam, you’re supposed to be sleeping,” he said, voice thick with desire.

“You promised. Besides, maybe I need a little extra help falling asleep,” I said, reaching to stroke the length of him. I watched his eyes roll back as he thrust his hip in rhythm with my hand.

“Sam, I’m supposed to be taking care of you,” he protested.