CHAPTER SEVEN
MASON
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Striding through the office, past Ms. Grant—as I refer to her now because it’s much better than the hottie I want to fuck one or two more times—I say good morning and keep walking.
“Morning, Ms. Grant,” I say, as I have every day this week.
“Good morning, Mr. Kinglsey,” Lexi replies coolly.
It’s not sexy hearing her use my surname anymore; it’s irritating. Especially with the underlying tone she uses that tells me she’s mad at me.
Why I care, I don’t know.
One minute I’m satisfied that I stopped Lexi leaving the engagement party with Craig, the next I’m wondering if we can move past this and have her do all that annoying, delicious flirting again.
There’s been no innuendo.
No buttons undone on her blouse.
No glances across the boardroom.
It’s like she’s lost complete interest.
Which is good. Unless it’s a ploy to slip underneath my defenses. I’d tell her to give up that plan if it is. After losing my friend to an obsidian viper, I’m hardly going to get sucked in by a girl whose best friend is marrying a billionaire.
I understand why she’d want to do the same.
It probably looked easy from back in London.
Lexi flies in, spends one night in New York, then the next day Sebastian proposes. In reality, it wasn’t that simple. The two had been through a lot in a short time and...well, I think they were made for one another.
Anyone can see that.
They are madly in love.
Lexi and I share a sexual desire for one another. There’s nothing more than that.
And it could be past tense from her side of things.
Lexi’s doing an excellent job of appearing completely unfazed—nonchalant even—and carrying on with her life.
Good.
That’s what I want.
For her to do her job and not fuck Craig, Terrance or...
Or anyone else.
I step into my office, tug off my blazer and hang it on the hanger.
If Lexi stays working for me and remains in the US, she will meet someone. She’ll start dating or sleeping with someone. Probably someone I know, given we socialize in the same circles.
Wriggling my jaw, I circle my desk and sit down, then stare out at the city.
Why don’t I like that idea?
I got what I wanted, didn’t I? I fucked her. Sure, it would have been good to spend a little more time enjoying that hot body and dirty mouth of hers. But here we are.
It’s Friday, and I’ve just returned from having breakfast with the other four guys. Our conversations jumped from discussing the markets to gossip to talking shit like we’re still in college.
Sebastian feigned disinterest in his upcoming wedding, but you could tell he’s excited.
Colt is having some renovations done at the Obsidian Club and spent half the breakfast on his phone.
“Are you sexting?” Zander asked, leaning over his shoulder, and squinting.
“Dude.” Colt slammed the screen against his chest. “Confidential matters.”
Sebastian snorted while Zander shot me a grin.
I was curious about what was on his phone.
“What?” Colt snapped at Seb.
“How confidential can the IP in a sex club be?”
“AI sex rooms?” Drew grinned, then shoveled food into his mouth.
“Jesus. That terrifies my dick.” I shook my head and took a large sip of my coffee.
“Actually, there’s a lot of things going on in the AI space for the industry. But I don’t want to offend Mason’s delicate cock, so I’ll keep the IP—thank you very much Sebastian—to myself.” Colt slid his phone into his pocket.
“Nothing at your club offends my cock. But if you install robots who want to suck me off, I might be washing my hair on Friday nights from now on.”
Zander chuckled.
“At least robots won’t kill us for our money.” Drew shrugged.
“Yet.” Colt pulled his phone out, smirked, tried to cover it up, then slid his phone back into his pocket.
What the hell?
Zander and I shared a quick glance. Our friend was up to something interesting, and it didn’t look like it had anything to do with creepy sex robots.
“Hey, were you joking about firing Lexi?” Sebastian asked.
Every face turned to me.
“Ah...yes.” I don’t know the proper answer to that, but it’s the only one acceptable.
Everyone loves Lexi.
I was almost certain Drew, Colt and Zander would love to invite her to the Obsidian club and spend a few hours playing with her.
I was equally certain that Lexi would enjoy every second of it.
And I would fucking hate it.
“I saw you drag her outside at the party. What was that about?” Zander asked. “About Craig?”
Nothing got past him.
Ever.
“Work thing,” I replied.
“He fucked her,” Sebastian said simultaneously.
“Inevitable.” Colt nodded.
“Saw that coming.” Drew sipped his water.
I put my coffee down and glared at them. “Excuse me. I don’t go around fucking my employees. It was not inevitable. These are extenuating circumstances.”
Zander started laughing.
“What circumstances? Her tits?” Colt lifted an amused brow.
Well, yes, those and...
“I shouldn’t have hired her. I wanted to fuck her the moment we shook hands. But I needed her specific set of skills—”
“I bet you did.” Zander bit into his bacon and grinned, chewing.
I glared at them.
Not helping matters, my gray matter decided to invite all the images and sensations of the two of us in the supply closet. Lexi’s skirt tugged up, her panties flying. The feel of her tight, moist pussy sucking my cock deeper inside.
“I’m not going to fire her, but she can’t stay. She’ll likely quit.” I sighed loudly.
“Why?” Sebastian frowned.
“Come on, think about it. Her best friend is marrying you. Girls...talk. You don’t think Lexi is expecting the same thing it happen between us.”
Crunch.
“Didn’t look like she was fawning over you, buddy.” Drew crunched down on his toast again.
My temperature rose before I could catch myself.
“No—”
“Why did you step in between her and Craig Templeton? I mean, I know he’s a playboy, but that’s what condoms are for.” Colt shrugged.
“Oh, nice. So, I should let a girl we care about leave with a guy who might give her gonorrhea?” I shook my head, leaning back in my seat.
“It’s none of our business who she sleeps with.” Drew challenged. “Unless...”
“Unless nothing. She is my employee. If she catches crabs, she’ll take time off.”
Zander snorted.
And on that note, if Terrance comes upstairs to the executive floor to fix one more fucking thing this week, I really am having him fired.
“Puzzle me this. Why did she come to the interview with Emily? Who brings a friend to a job interview? Don’t you think they might have manufactured this whole thing?” I leaned forward, pointing with my fork.
Did the two of them know about the software? The job had been advertised previously.
A bit of searching on the internet would have revealed that.
Why did Lexi suddenly quit her job in London?
I realize young people do wild things, and should, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to blindly trust her.
My dick was in charge initially.
Now I’m being wary.
Very wary. Some might call it paranoid.
My words offended her, and in some ways, they were designed to do that. I needed to make it clear that this is not going to be chapter two of the Princess fucking Diaries or whatever romantic billionaire dream these girls have.
“That’s the mother of my child you’re talking about,” Sebastian warned.
“Also, the same woman who came up with a terrible plan to help you with community protestors and the Sheikh.”
He concedes reluctantly with a wave of his fork.
“Don’t you think she might want her friend to stay in the US.”
“If she asked for my help, I’d make it happen.”
“But this is Emily and Lexi we are talking about,” I challenged. “All I’m saying is that after Jack and Sandy, we agreed to stay vigilant.
“Vigilant, not paranoid,” Zander said.
“Same, same.” I waved him off.
“Well, you can’t fire her because you slept with her,” Sebastian added. “Anyway, Lexi hasn’t said a word to Emily.”
I stiffened, then groaned.
“Christ, what did you say?”
“I just asked how Lexi was enjoying working with you.” Sebastian took a sip of his coffee. “Em said it was nice how everything had worked out.”
Zander choked on his bacon as I dragged my glare back to Sebastian. “And you said?”
“It’s fine, don’t worry. She doesn't suspect a thing.”
“Seb!” I cried.
“She knows.”
“She knows.”
“Yup, Emily knows.”