CHAPTER THIRTEEN
MASON
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I’ve been staring at the same email for the past two hours. That might be an exaggeration, but it’s now been three days since I sent Lexi home, and I’m torn between guilt for not listening to her, anger at myself for not being more responsible, and worrying if she is okay.
Plus, I need a goddamn PA.
The human resources team sent up one of the junior admin ladies, and I’m not sure whether she’s scared of me or flirting. Neither of which I have the time or patience for.
I’m right in sending her home.
If she’s been fired from her previous job, which is an assumption, then it’s better I protect my company.
But we are talking about the woman I fucked on the desk I’m currently working at. The one I was going to take on a date. A date! I date for one reason only—sex. Which, yes, was totally on the agenda with Lexi, except I’m not going to lie, I also wanted to see her outside of work.
To talk.
To laugh.
To smile as she entertained me with one of her stories from her life back in London. With that sexy accent.
Or her recent adventures in Manhattan. I was seeing the city through fresh, excited eyes, and I secretly loved it.
I wanted to walk through the park with her. Take her shopping and buy her all the are-they-insane-priced items she found.
Show her inside the penthouse of one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the city. Mine.
I wanted to see her eyes light up as they did that night on the rooftop bar.
Then...then make love to her and watch her fall apart while my cock is deep inside her.
I want to assume Emily is not friends with some corporate spy, or a thief, or any of the dark places my mind has gone.
When did they meet?
How long have they known each other?
I’m not privy to any of these things.
Last night I met Sebastian for a drink after work, and it was the most awkward hour of our friendship.
“You good?”
“Yup,” I replied, sipping my drink, waiting for him to say something.
Emily and Lexi will have talked, I know they have.
“Markets are doing well.” Sebastian slowly nodded his head, as if agreeing with himself.
“Going off.” I nodded.
Fuck we must have looked like two bobbleheads.
“What’s new? That contract work out?”
“Yeah, should sign tomorrow. Nothing to indicate there’s anything we should be worried about.”
“Nice.”
“How’s Em?
“Good.”
Shit.
“Nice.”
God, it was painful.
“Saw Lexi hurt her wrist,” I said, silently adding if you fucking know something, you asshole, you better tell me.
“Karaoke. What was it, sign language karaoke?”
I choke on my drink and laugh despite myself.
“So, you’ve seen her?”
“Not really.” Seb’s responding smile fades, and he glances away.
He’s keeping his word to Emily and not saying anything. I get it, she’s almost his wife. But, fucking hell, if she is a threat to me or the security of my business, I expect him to tell me.
I drop my glass harder than necessary, and he lets out a sigh. Leaning back, I look at him directly and wait.
“Talk to her,” Seb told me, tossing some cash on the table.
“I want you to tell me.”
“I would like to know myself,” he admits. “But those two have formed a girl band, and there’s nothing I can do about it. Nothing that won’t harm my marriage or the arrival of my child into this world.”
I cursed.
“That’s all you know?”
He finally meets my eyes. “I know she’s triggered their SOS signal, and Emily dropped everything.”
Which doesn’t really mean much.
Emily would drop most things for most people. Her heart is way too big for this world.
But she’s not an idiot.
Do I really think Lexi is some criminal capable of harming my company?
Then why does Mark Harrow think that?
“Fix this, Mason.” Sebastian stood. “Outside of our group and your family, you don’t trust anyone. I get it. But whatever Lexi has done, maybe give her a second chance.”
He doesn’t mean in my world, he means the job.
Because he doesn’t know.
Yet, he was the one who saw through Sandy right from the beginning, so why isn’t he on high alert? Probably because he’s too involved. She’s Emily’s friend, and he’s blinded by love.
So cynical.
Then again, I’m the one who hired the hot brunette with the gorgeous tits without reference checking, so I’m not exactly businessman of the year!
Then last night I headed to the Obsidian Club.
“What has you distracted?” Colt asked, leaning against the bar beside me.
“Nothing,” I snap, then shake my head. “Just a business contract.”
“I thought you were signing it tomorrow,” he replies.
They all know it’s a big contract, but they know none of the details. Not even that it’s a British company, which could link Lexi. Hell, who would have thought?
I tossed back my drink and lifted a finger to order another.
“Yeah, we are. It’s all good. I’ve just got a few other things on my mind.”
“Let me guess, brunette, yea tall and a set of knockers that could increase my bottom line by five percent if you hadn’t hired her first.”
I grimaced at him.
“No one says knockers. And don’t talk about her that way.”
He smirks. “So, you fucked her, and you like her.”
“I don’t like her,”
A lie.
My dream the night before was a blur of her in a cowboy outfit trying to rob me while said knockers were exposed. Trust me, those hard nipples are a good distraction and if anyone was going to start robbing trains again, I’d recommend using women.
She shot me right in the chest while I was imagining my mouth sucking on those nubs.
It woke me up with a hard on.
Who gets hard after getting shot in a dream?
Me, that’s who!
“Then why aren’t you heading over to Kennedy, who has been licking her lips at you for the past forty-five minutes?”
I tossed back my drink and dropped it on the bar.
“Fine, I like her. But just like the rest of the women in this town, apparently she’s after one thing. And it’s not my cock.”
I walked out.
The cold hard reality is, snagging a billionaire is not something most women—or men—would say no to.
Money is security.
We all want that.
Statistically, not everyone is going to have skills to create an income that exceeds their needs. It has never happened and likely never will.
Does that mean I should ask Lexi to return and trust her?
I don’t know.
“See you at the suit fitting,” Colt calls out.
Fuck.
I’d forgotten about that. Lexi, in her bridesmaid capacity, is coming along to make sure we turn up, and the suits are perfect.
Like we can’t fucking do that ourselves.
I probably have an Armani or Tom Ford custom made that would be fine. We all would. Only me and Colt are standing up on the day. To balance numbers with Catherine and Lexi, who are Emily’s bridesmaids.
But it’s a reminder that she will remain in my life forever now that Sebastian and Emily are getting married.
I need to sort this out and do it amicably.
For all of us.
I can fire her, but her contract demands that I give her one month’s notice. Unless Harrow gives me some detailed information today after signing, which would give me cause to terminate immediately.
Otherwise, I can’t just dismiss her.
Well, I could. Then she could sue me.
But one more time for the people in the back...she’s my best fucking friend’s bridesmaid.
She’s also the woman you fucked and want to fuck again.
Yeah, well, there’s that.
Today I’m expecting Lexi to arrive in the office any minute now. I look at her response to my text early this morning asking her to return to the office and meet with me.
Okay.
That’s all it said.
I’ve flip-flopped around a thousand times. She’s guilty. She’s innocent.
Now I’m goddamn mad.
Why hadn’t that hot-headed brunette come storming into my office and yelled at me yet? God knows she’s not shy about anything else.
I need her to tell me I’m wrong...because I want her.
I want this woman.
Jesus, this entire situation is fucking with my mind.