“Jules… this is Nicholas. Nicholas, this is Jules,” I introduce them, just in case either one is wondering.
I stop a foot away from Nicholas, he looks tired, exhausted. If it were any other day, under any other circumstances, I’d be worried about him.
I’d care.
But not today, not after this weekend.
He sighs loudly, sounding more annoyed than apologetic, and stepping to one side he ushers me into my office.
Ushers me into my fucking office.
I give Jules a serious look, motioning for her to stay put, she gives a nod and takes a seat.
At least I can trust one person in this building.
I close the doors to my office gently, and mustering some professional calm, I take my seat at my desk.
From his body language, I can tell Nicholas would prefer to stand.
He has a ‘fire me’ face, which I’ve seen in dozens of people over the years, but something in his features changes, as if he’s just remembered something.
“I’m sorry, Mason,” he says, which has me doing a double-take. In the twenty years, he’s worked for me, he’s always called me Mr. Thorne. Never Mason.
“Sorry?” I ask, staying seated if only to wait for my arousal to simmer down. “Sorry!”
He looks at me impassively.
“You ignore my instructions. You disappear right when I need you the most, then I come home and find you in my office, in my house, snooping,” I snarl, my voice growing louder and angrier by the second.
“Snooping?” he asks and stifles a guffaw, which only makes me angrier than I already am.
“I did come back as soon as I could,” he say, more contempt than anything in his voice. It’s like he’s a different man, like the old Nicholas has been possessed or he has an evil twin.
“I was in your office, arranging things that needed doing, and I only went into your rooms to try and find you. Your phone’s been on silent this afternoon,” he says calmly.
I fish my phone out of my pocket, tossing it in front of me, not buying his story.
Not buying his attitude.
“Why didn’t you email every executive for tomorrow’s meeting like I asked? Why didn’t you forward the purchase proposals through to the investors like I asked? This needed to happen straight away, Nick, not whenever it suits you, and certainly not with you creeping around here when I’m not home. When I’m-”
“Entertaining?” he asks with a sly smile, interrupting my own train of thought.
I feel my eyes narrowing, not wanting to waste any more time playing games.
“Where are we at then? Is the meeting set?” I ask him pointedly. “The investors, are they gonna take the more than generous offer I spelled out?”
He studies me for a moment, looking like good old Nicholas for just a second until that strange look comes back into his eyes again.
“I wouldn’t know, Mason. I forgot to send your emails… and last time I looked, the real estate investors were selling their shares to try and recoup some of their losses,” he adds, trying not to smile again.
“Get out,” I hear myself saying in a low voice. “Leave your keycard on the desk and get out.”
His eyes widen for a moment, not expecting this from me. “Sir, If you could just leave it until tomorrow, maybe the day after. It’ll all look clearer then, I promise,” he says knowingly, but my eyes are past him, on the door and I’m ready to call security to have him thrown out if need be.
After a few moments facing me off, he sighs again, tossing his keycard in front of me and walking out the door.
“You could do a lot better than what’s in there too, Mason,” he murmurs on his way out, stabbing a thumb towards the other room where Jules is.
Once I hear the elevator close behind him, I feel all the air rushing out of me, like I’ve been sucker punched.
Locking my office doors, I make my way back to Jules, feeling nothing but relief when I see her sitting there, waiting for me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Jules
I know It’s only been a day, maybe two, but I’ve never seen Mason so wound up as when he comes back through the door. I have no idea what’s happened, but instead of asking if he wants me to leave, I know that he needs me now more than ever.
I just go to him, I put myself in front of him and wait for him to tell me what he wants or what he needs.
“Let’s just go to bed, Jules. I only want one thing right now and I’m looking at her.”
I want to ask him a million things, but seeing him smile when I let him hold me after he’s kissed me and whispered what he wants to do to me in his bed, I decide to leave it alone and just enjoy the one thing I know we both need right now.
Each other.
I feel a pleasant ache all over when I wake up, the bed is empty but Mason warned me in advance about his early riser habit, so I content myself to snuggle under the covers, breathing in his scent and taking in his warmth which lingers.
I can hear him whistling cheerfully from the kitchen, which makes me smile as I close my eyes, waiting for him to come back.
Knowing somehow, that he’ll have something for me.
I just know he will.
Hearing Mason humming now, getting closer, I have to fight not to squeal out loud, I feel so excited.
I’m picturing him naked… maybe a rose in between his teeth, bringing me breakfast in bed.
Breathing in deep and stretching myself out under the covers, I ready myself for another one of his special climaxes.
I roll over and open my eyes.
It’s Mason, a cup of coffee in one hand and a pressed outfit for me in the other, and a bundle of papers under
