CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
MASON
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I don’t like this one fucking bit, and it’s my goddamn fault.
Seeing Lexi behind a bar, in what has to be the smallest children’s-sized T-shirt in history, is bringing out a side of me I didn’t know existed. One who wants to speak to the fucking owner right now and buy this damn establishment.
Then kick every asshole out.
“Wait, you have a bar?” Lexi asks Colt.
Oh, hell no!
There is no way she’s going to work at the Obsidian Club. If I’m losing my mind seeing her work in a relatively nice SoHo bar. There’s no way I’m standing back while Colt offers her a part time position in his sex club.
No fucking way.
Everyone stares at me.
I quickly order drinks, and Emily is arguing she doesn’t want water and starts ordering some pink something-or-other when a familiar voice sounds behind me.
“See you Wednesday, Lex.”
You have got to be fucking kidding me!
I slowly turn and find myself face to face with my IT manager. Bloody Terrance.
“Oh, hey, Mr. Kingsley.”
“Terrance,” I mutter and face Lex again, lifting a brow.
The little liar.
She said they weren’t dating, but it appears they’re seeing one another regularly. Does he drink here often? Or did he pop in to see her?
I should have stayed home.
I shouldn’t fucking care what this woman does. But after leaving her apartment the other night, she’s all I’ve been thinking about.
I don’t like her working here surrounded by men who can’t be trusted and might be a danger to her.
This is SoHo; don’t be ridiculous.
Pulling out my credit card, I’m about to pay for the drinks, which Lexi has made no attempt to pour when some idiot decides to open his mouth.
“Looks like those tits of yours are working well for you,”
Fury roars inside me.
“Fuck me,” Sebastian groans.
“What did you say?” I push past Drew and Colt to face the asshole.
“Mase,” Drew grabs my upper arm, but I shake him off.
“Let him go,” Zander says. I’ll wonder why later, but right now, this motherfucker needs to take back what he said.
“Come on, man, you were looking at them, too.” The drunk laughs.
That’s not the point.
“Mason, leave it,” Lexi pleads. “Just ignore him. He’s drunk.”
“Then he should leave. After he apologizes,” I reply, getting up close.
I never do this. I’m not a thug, but I’m not leaving while I know there are assholes like this taunting her.
A room full of them.
She needs to quit.
I’ll fucking hire her again.
She can...sit at home and do nothing. I’ll pay her to go shopping or whatever it is she wants to do.
There’d be no way she’d accept that, but I’m not letting her stay here.
Next minute, the little pocket rocket is around the bar and standing between me and the drunk. Gone are her high heels I see her in at the office, and she’s so damn short I want to scoop her up and take her somewhere safe.
My bed.
Would she be safe there?
Big green eyes glance up, her palm lands on my chest, and I’m momentarily frozen by the impact it has on me. A blast of arousal rockets from my chest down to my balls as I seize her hand, keeping it right fucking there.
“Apologize,” I demand of the drunk.
“Mason,” Sebastian rasps behind me.
I ignore him while the man chuckles and tosses back the rest of his drink.
“Looks like you’re getting lucky. You should thank me. I’ll try my luck with her tomorrow.”
The fuck he will!
“Mason,” Lexi pushes harder as I start to move her. “Jesus, stop. Please.”
“No.” My eyes dip. If she thinks I’m going to stand back while this jerk talks this way and plans to assault her tomorrow, then she is crazy.
No fucking way.
“Get your things,” I order, and her brows fly up. I lower my face. “Lexi, get your fucking things. We are leaving.”
The drunk disappears toward the restrooms, chuckling and wobbling.
Fall over, asshole.
Lexi takes a step back. “No. You have to leave. All of you. Please. I need this job.”
No, she doesn’t.
She can come and live with me. She won’t need to work. I’ll take care of her and make sure no more men stare at her tits. Her ass. Her gorgeous face. Or her knees.
Knees?
That’s right. I don’t want any man on earth staring a single inch of her beautiful skin. Whatever that means. I don’t care. I’ll work it out later, but right now she is leaving.
“Lexi,” I warn.
Drew steps closer and places his hand on my arm with pressure. A warning. “Come on, buddy.”
Her eyes don’t leave mine as I realize I need to get control of myself. I watch her throat swallow; her gaze roams my face.
“Mason,” she whispers.
“I am not leaving.”
“Emily,” Lexi doesn’t take her eyes off me. “Get him out of here.”
“He won’t budge.” Sebastian takes a seat. “He’s like a mule. Everyone, get comfortable.”
“Babe.” Emily preens.
Lexi tries one more time, but after a few more seconds, she shakes her head and walks back around the bar.
I take a seat next to Sebastian as she talks to a man who appears to be the manager. He shoots us an unimpressed look as I wonder how much he wants for the bar.
“You think this place will go for about six hundred?” I ask Colt, while Sebastian shakes his head.
“About that,” Cole nods. “Or I can give her a job, and you can stop the caveman act.”
“I said no. Don’t bring it up again.”
Drew and Zander grab a seat at a table behind us, and a waitress serves them. I feel Emily watching me out of the corner of my eye.
Without looking, I say, “Stop thinking whatever it is you’re thinking. New York can be a dangerous place. I’m just looking out for her.”
“Then hire her a bodyguard.” Drew tosses some nuts into his mouth.
Fuck him.
“Maybe I will. Tonight, I’m making sure no other jerk harasses her, so stay if you want. Or go. But I’m seeing her home.”
Stupid Emily smiles.
––––––––
I’M BORED OUT of my brain and tired as fuck by the time Lexi tosses her towel on the bar and slips out back. She returns with her jacket and handbag, then circles the bar and stops in front of me.
The others left hours ago.
“Come on,” she says like I’m a naughty puppy.
I shoot a text to my driver and grab my jacket, tugging it on.
“See ya, Sam,” Lexi calls out.
“Tell him you quit.”
“No,” she takes my arm, threading hers through, and that same warm glow fills my chest.
We step out into the cold night air, and I remove my arm and wrap it around her, leading her to the car. My driver opens it, and we both climb in.
Lexi collapses back against the soft while leather and lets out a moan.
My dick responds.
“My feet. They have never been so sore.”
“So quit.”
“Not all of us are billionaires, Mason.” She shoots me an annoyed look then closes her eyes.
“Statistically, that would be impossible. Of course you aren’t.” I man spread, just as grateful to be off that fucking bar stool.
“I’m not even going to respond to that.” She lifts her head as we start moving through the streets of Manhattan. “But now that we’re alone and I can chew your ass—”
“Is that a British term?”
“Maybe. Stop distracting me.” She frowns, her eyes roaming my face. I rub my unshaven face and watch her eyes dilate.
God, I want her.
I’ve never stopped wanting her.
“Fine. Go ahead, chew my ass.”
Then I’ll chew yours, and I have a feeling my idea of what that means is a lot different than hers.
“You have a dirty mind,”
“You didn’t complain before.”
Her brow lifts. “Before? You mean the three minutes that we—”
“I last longer than three minutes.” I shoot her a glare.
“But you didn’t.”
“Are you challenging me, Ms. Grant?”
She swallows, and my cock thickens further. “Mase.” Her voice comes out soft, silky, and my god, I’m losing control.
“Lexi.”
“What are you doing?” she gasps as all my control slips, and my fingers are suddenly threading through her hair and my mouth slams down on hers.
We both snap and are on each other like rabbits, our mouths grinding, hands grasping and grabbing as if our lives depend on it.
“Fuck,” I mutter, drawing in a breath before I consume more of her.
I cup her breast under her T-shirt and press my thumb against her nipple.
“Oh god,” she moans, climbing onto my lap, pressing her core against my swelling cock.
She’s wearing legging-type pants that I’m able to slide my other hand inside, and that’s when I feel how wet she is.
“I want you,” I confess. “I want to fuck this soaking wet pussy and watch you come.”
She scrambles for my cock.
“Not here. In bed.” I growl against her mouth. “This time I want to spend hours enjoying this body.”
Not just to prove I can last longer than three minutes.
The first time I might not.
Lexi blinks, and I don’t let her think, pressing my thumb against her clit.
“Jesus,” she arches, as I suck on the silky flesh of her neck.
“My place,” I tell the driver, who is doing a good job of ignoring us and has turned the music up.
“Mason, I don’t—”
“You want to come, beautiful?” I circle her hard nub, biting her lip.
“Yes, god, yes.”
“Then come home with me.”
A few minutes later we pull up in front of my building on Billionaire Row, and I tug Lexi out of the car.
She follows me, drunk with lust, and has never looked more fucking sexy.