by J. S. Scott
Honestly, I’d never really planned on doing it myself.
“Do you think you’re irreplaceable?” Carter said with more than a little snark.
I glared at him, but I didn’t answer. Did I think Lawson Technologies would falter if I was out of the office more? Not really. That probably wasn’t why I was driven to be here all the time.
Obviously, the company still needed me, Carter, and Jett at the helm, but…
“You were the one who told me that the company wasn’t going to fall apart if I took time off,” Carter said in a calmer tone. “When I wanted to go away with Brynn because she needed me, and we needed to get away, you encouraged me to go without feeling guilty.”
“And your point is?” I questioned.
“My point is that I want to see your stubborn ass out of the office for at least a week. More if you can handle it. I’m thinking you might end up having withdrawals. But we made a deal.”
“I just…agreed. There was no deal. I wanted you and Jett to take some time off. You’ve already spent enough of your adult life cooped up in your offices.”
Carter crossed his arms over his chest obstinately, which I knew was never a good sign.
I had a different relationship with Carter than I did with Jett. You could say it was more…confrontational. Maybe because we were closer in age.
“Yeah. Well. That’s bullshit. We all needed some time off,” Carter replied sharply. “You just haven’t taken yours…yet.”
“Don’t need it,” I snapped at him.
“I don’t give a damn whether you think you need it or not. If you show up here tomorrow morning, your office is going to be locked. So take a week and catch up on whatever you haven’t been doing for the last decade,” Carter suggested.
Now I was pissed off. “You aren’t locking up my office.”
“Try coming in and you’ll find out that I have done it. I talked to Jett earlier today on the phone. We’re two-thirds of this partnership, and we both agree that it’s time to play the ‘majority rules’ card.”
I looked at him, dumbfounded. “You’d do that to me?”
“Shit! Don’t look at me that way, Mason. We’re doing this because we care. We aren’t just business partners. We’re your goddamn brothers. If you keep on living your life this way, you’re going to kill yourself.” He paused before he added, “You could spent some time with Laura. It’s pretty obvious to me that you’d like to get to know her better. I’m not blind, brother.”
“I’d like to get her into my bed,” I corrected.
Carter shot me a shit-eating grin. “Then make it last a week. You’ll come back to the office smiling.”
“We’re having dinner tonight,” I admitted reluctantly. “Dinner isn’t going to last a week. What in the hell am I going to do if I don’t work?”
“Yeah, I used to wonder about that, too,” Carter shared. “But you’ll eventually figure out that there’s more to life than work.”
“I doubt that,” I replied. “But it seems as if I don’t have a choice since you and Jett have decided to gang up against me.”
Damn, it hurt that my two brothers were conspiring to kick me out of my offices.
“This isn’t a damn takeover, Mason,” Carter said hoarsely. “It’s two brothers worrying about whether you’re going to make it to your fortieth birthday. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same damn thing if you were worried about the well-being of me or Jett.”
Problem was, I couldn’t really tell Carter that.
Maybe I hadn’t been the most attentive brother because I’d been so busy trying to prove that I was worthy of being a Lawson. However, I’d be perfectly willing to die to keep any one of my siblings safe.
Did I get that this entire scheme was coming from a place of concern? Yes.
Did I have to like it? No.
“I suppose I’d feel the same way,” I finally answered noncommittally. “But you have to understand that I like to work.”
Carter raised a brow. “No, you don’t. I’ve always believed you’ve been driven to work as hard as you do. I’ve just never known exactly why.”
“Dammit! I want to make Lawson a household name,” I said, frustrated.
“Done,” Carter retorted. “It’s a brand that’s already known worldwide. We’ve already made it, Mason, just in case you missed that. Time to take a vacation. Take Laura along with you. You’ll never miss any of us.”
“I won’t miss you, anyway,” I grunted, irritated that I was going to have to be idle for an entire week.
Carter grinned at me, completely unfazed. “I think you really need to get laid.”
“Why do you keep saying that?”
“Because it’s true, isn’t it?” Carter was a little more serious.
I seethed for a minute before I answered. “No!” And then I said, “Okay. Probably. But I’m not like you, Carter. I can’t just charm some woman into bed in one night.”
He chuckled. “My whoring days are over. The only woman I want to get close to is Brynn.”
“But you used to be able to screw any woman you wanted,” I reminded him.
“I did. Before I met Brynn. Once I saw her, I didn’t want anyone else, and never will.”
“I kind of feel the same way about Laura,” I admitted. “I can’t just go find a woman to have sex with, even if I wanted to do it, which I don’t. It has to be her.”
“Feeling a little bit obsessed?” Carter asked lightly.
“Ridiculously so,” I revealed reluctantly.
“Then go after what you really want,” he encouraged. “For fuck’s sake, you’re obnoxiously stubborn when it comes to everything else. And you aren’t going to find a better woman. What’s the problem?”
“I have no idea how to be Prince Charming,” I muttered.
Carter snorted. “I doubt she’s looking for the perfect guy.”
One guy.
Laura said that was all she wanted.
“I’m not even close to perfect,” I said morosely. “Hell, I don’t even know how to date anymore. It’s been a long time.”
“Where are you going for dinner?”
I told him, and watched his face form into an expression of disapproval.
“What?” I asked. “They have great food.”
“Maybe. But it’s a place where you take businessmen to dinner. It’s not very unique,” Carter replied.
“What exactly would you suggest?” I asked, my jaw tight.
He was quiet for minute, and he looked like he was thinking before he answered, “How about taking the Bainbridge Ferry? There’s some good restaurants on the island.”
“I don’t take the ferry,” I informed him.
“You should,” Carter decided. “I think Laura would love it.”
“You think so?” He’d gotten me interested in the idea. If Laura really would love it, I’d take the damn ferry.
He nodded. “Definitely. Even though she and Brynn both watch their weight because of their modeling assignments, they’re both foodies. And Laura is adventurous.”
“Too adventurous at times,” I agreed. “She’s been all over the world alone.” For some reason, it really bothered me to think about Laura being all by herself in a foreign country. Traveling solo wasn’t always safe, especially for a female. It left her way too vulnerable.
“Don’t think about that too much,” Carter advised. “It will make you crazy.”
It already did, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Carter.
“So let’s just say that I took your advice. Where should I make reservations?” I questioned.
He shrugged. “Depends on what kind of food you want.”
I brought up my computer and named off several places. Carter helped me choose the best one, and I called for a reservation myself.
“Try to have fun for a change?” Carter suggested as he strode toward the door to get back to his own office.
“I’m not sure I even know how to do that,” I mumbled.
“You’ll figure it out. I have faith in you,” Carter joked.
“Get out of my office,” I demanded irritably. “It’s still mine until I leave today.”
“Don’t be pissed off, Mason. Please.” Carter’s voice was sincere. “And it will always be your office. You’ll just be unavailable for a short time. You can thank me for this later.”
I wasn’t feeling all that gracious at the moment. “Leave.”
“Call me tomorrow and let me know how the date goes,” he requested.
“I might,” I said noncommittally.
Carter didn’t say another word as he left and shut the door behind him.
Laura
“This has been amazing,” I told Mason as we sat in a local place on Bainbridge Island for dinner. “How is it that I’ve been here for two years and never gotten on the ferry before?”
So far, my dinner date with Mason had been full of surprises.
He’d shown up a little bit early with a beautiful bouquet of roses, and he’d looked delicious enough to be on the dinner menu in a dark-gray polo shirt and black jeans.
Since I hadn’t known exactly where we were going, I’d opted for a cute sundress. Not too dressy, but good enough if we landed in a nice restaurant.
To say I was surprised when we boarded the ferry was an understatement since Mason had never seemed like an adventurous type of guy.
However, he had seemed to enjoy himself on the ride over.
He shrugged. “I’ve been in Seattle a lot longer than two years, and I’ve never been on a ferry, either.”
I wasn’t terribly surprised about that. I set my utensils on my plate. The fish had been really fresh and delicious, but my belly was full. “What exactly do you do for fun?” I questioned. There had to be something he was passionate about except work.
“Nothing,” he answered morosely. “My schedule is set every single day. I get up, work out in my gym at home, go to work and deal with everything that entails, and I go home late and go to sleep. Rinse and repeat the next morning.”
“You don’t meet up with friends to do anything?”
“I have business acquaintances, not friends. I have a few I keep in contact with from college, but they’re on the East Coast.”
My heart squeezed, the pressure so tight that I felt like the organ was going to burst. God, how could anybody live that way? Yeah, I worked a lot because it was creative, and I loved it. But it wasn’t healthy for anybody to work every waking moment of the day. “That’s not good for you,” I told him firmly. “You need to take some leisure time to recharge.”
“And do what, exactly?” he asked.
I was silent as the waitress returned with Mason’s credit card and thanked us both for joining them for dinner.
We’d both passed on dessert because the portions and appetizers had been so huge.
“Mason,” I said with a sigh. “You’re in Seattle. It’s an amazing place to live. There’s water, mountains, nightlife, incredible museums and exhibits, theater… there’s almost nothing you can’t do here.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll probably be doing some of it since my brothers decided to boot me out of my office for a week,” he said tersely.
I looked at him in surprise. “They what?”
“It seems that they feel the same way you do, and they took the majority rules stance today. The bastards,” he rumbled. “They’re locking me out of my office for a week.”
Oh. My. God. “They didn’t,” I said. “Did they?”
“Yes,” he said through his clenched jaw. “But I don’t think they realize that I can just work from home. I have everything I need there.”
Because I knew Jett and Carter were just forcing a vacation on Mason in the most demanding way possible, I had to bite back a smile. “Don’t hate me for saying this,” I warned. “But do you really think they haven’t covered those bases? Jett is one of the most talented technology guys in the world. I don’t know all that much about computers, but it can’t be all that difficult for him to change your password or something.”
“I’ll kill them both if they did,” he answered in a cantankerous tone.
“Mason, why are you fighting this so hard? If it helps, I own Lawson stock, and as a stockholder, I totally approve.”
He looked taken aback for a second before he responded. “You’re invested in Lawson?”
I nodded. “Stock tip from Brynn when we were still modeling full-time. We both bought when you first went public. I’ve gotten an incredible return on my investment,” I answered. “The last thing I want is a burned-out owner at the helm.”
“I am not burned out. For fuck’s sake, I am only turning thirty-six, not eighty.”
I wanted this time off for Mason, so I intended to fight for it. “What if I take some time off with you? We could do some of the fun things in the city together. I mean, I wouldn’t take up all your free time, but I could use a break. And unlike you, I realize that my management team can handle things now that I have one in place. Most of my work is more on the creative side.”
I had no idea if he even wanted a second date, but I was offering more as a friend than a woman who lusted after him. Maybe Mason was still young, but I could see the dark circles under his eyes when I looked beyond his stern expression, and the signs of stress were definitely there on his handsome face.
He looked uptight.
Always.
“You can take up all of my free time,” he said eagerly. “Jett’s gone, and Carter will be at the office every day since Jett and I are both gone.”
“Are you willing to go along with anything I want to do?” I questioned, folding my arms across my chest. I wasn’t going to let him get away with not going out and exploring to find out exactly what he liked to do. “I’m going to try my best to persuade you to have a life outside the office in the future.” Fair warning.
“Yes,” he said cautiously. “But not the Space Needle and the touristy stuff.”
“Definitely the Space Needle if you’ve never been to the top,” I insisted.
“I can see the top from Jett’s condo, for God’s sake. It’s a tourist trap.”
“But you’ve never seen the view from the top,” I replied persistently. “It’s fun.”
“Maybe,” he said, wavering just a little.
“Tomorrow,” I informed him. “Wear something cool. We might have to stand in line for a while.”
We were in one of the hottest months, and Seattle was incredibly humid.
“I hate the heat,” he argued.
“You’ll get used to it,” I teased.
“I’m sure I can contact someone—”
“No!” I wagged my finger at him. “You absolutely are not allowed to use your influence to get us on and off the top without playing tourist. We’re going to be sightseers. Normal people.”
While it might be tempting to skip the lines, even for me, the crush was all part of the experience. I wanted him to be immersed in what it was like to be…a regular person instead of a billionaire.
“You’ll be recognized if we get into that mess,” he cautioned. “I’m rarely out there for photos, but your face is everywhere.”
“I rarely get bothered in public,” I told him. “People are busy with their own lives, and I look different on the street than I do in complete makeup.”
“I doubt that. In case I didn’t mention it, you look absolutely beautiful tonight.”
I felt my face start to heat.
He’d mentioned how great I looked.
At my condo.
On the ferry ride.
On our way to this restaurant.
Granted, I could never say that Mason was smooth, but maybe that’s why his compliments made my heart skitter. He really meant them.
“Thank you,” I murmured as I glanced at him.
More than my face was getting hot as I watched his eyes caress over me covetously.
I shivered in response. I crossed my legs, uncomfor
table as wet heat flooded between my thighs.
All this man had to do was look at me, and I was a mess. He couldn’t hide the desire in his tumultuous gaze, and when it landed on my significant cleavage, he didn’t look away immediately. It was like he didn’t give a damn if he got caught staring at my sizable breasts.
“Um…Mason?” I said breathlessly. “Do we have a deal?”
If he didn’t stop looking at me like he owned my body, and coveted every inch of me, I was going to lose it.
“You have your deal.” He rose to his feet and held out his hand. “Let’s go.”
I grasped it like it was my lifeline, and let him lead me out of the restaurant.
We didn’t talk much during the walk back to the ferry terminal, but Mason didn’t let go of my hand. He simply loosened his grip and let his thumb slide over my skin.
His actions were subtle, but it also felt possessive, and I hated myself for liking that protective hold so much that it made me want to squirm.
I was almost breathless with the desire to throw myself into his arms and beg him to fuck me by the time we got through the boarding process at the terminal, and found a place at the rail for the thirty-minute boat ride back to Seattle.
“We got the best of both worlds,” I said with a sigh as the ferry got underway. “It was still daylight when we left, and now we get to see all the lights of Seattle on the way back.”
Mason pressed his chest against my back and wrapped his arms around my body from behind. I could feel his warm breath on my neck as he said huskily,. “I won’t see the lights. The only thing I can seem to look at is you.”
I turned until I was facing him, and his hands grasped the metal rails, trapping me between his arms. “Mason,” I groaned, my voice so full of need that I was slightly embarrassed.
His gaze locked with mine, and the chemistry between us was so intense that my entire body tensed up.
Kiss me. For God’s sake, kiss me.
The ferry was windy, but at that moment, not a damn thing could make me feel cold.
I was with Mason.
His body was pressed against mine.
And I burned.
Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck because I needed to touch him.
I’d barely had time to stroke the hair at his nape before he said gruffly, “I’ve been waiting for this all damn night.”