Mark: BWWM Romance (Members From Money Book 11)

by Katie Dowe

  "I've had a long day, Mom. I just want to put my feet up."

  "Another date?"

  She knew him so well.

  "You could say that."

  Brooke was silent for a moment. She knew about Jason's frequent change of dates and Jason knew she disapproved. But Brooke knew better than to curb Jason's behavior; she had decided a long time ago that the best thing to do was let Jason carry on and figure things out for himself.

  "What's the woman's name?"

  "Carla. She's a journalist." Jason found himself smiling. "I met her when she interviewed me earlier in the week. It was at our first date that I was hit over the head."

  Brooke's eyes widened.

  "Oh, poor woman. Was she okay?"

  "She was fine. She's the one who patched me up." Jason touched his head and winced when his fingers brushed against his cut. It was still delicate. "We went on another date today to the high wire center in Boca Raton. But she never said she was scared of heights." He rested his head back against the cushions. "She scared me when she had hysterics at the highest point."

  "God. I hope you didn't tease her about it."

  Jason explained what had happened and what he did. Even now he could remember Carla trembling in his arms as she sobbed into his shirt. For someone who came across as strong it was startling to see her that terrified. He had wanted to hold her and not let go.

  "Sounds like a disastrous date." Brooke mused. "I suppose she's going on the pile with all the other dumped women."

  Jason flushed from the remark.

  "I actually want to see her again."

  "Wow, that is impressive coming from you." Brooke's eyes glinted. "And I bet you haven't slept with her yet."

  "Mom!"

  "Come on, if you had slept with her you would've dropped her already. I know you well enough to know what you would do." His mother tilted her head to the side and regarded him thoughtfully. "From what you're saying she's a little bit special, yes?"

  Jason knew he couldn't lie to his mother. His father was easy to lie to; Chang Liu thought the world of his two sons and didn't believe they could do any wrong. Brooke knew otherwise. He sighed.

  "Yes, she is. Rick thinks I'm nuts."

  "It's human nature. Your father was a lothario. How I managed to snag him and keep him faithful after thirty-five years I have no idea but I did it." Brooke played with the solid wedding band on her finger. "He saw something in me that he said was special and he wanted to hold onto me. Womanizer that he was he wasn't stupid to let something good go."

  "So are you saying I should hold on to Carla because she's good for me?"

  "Well, the look on your face when you mention her says you do think she's special." Brooke grinned.

  "But she's a journalist, Mom. I hate journalists. Ow!" Jason cried out when his mother thumped his shoulder with her fist. She was still very strong even with sixty around the corner.

  "What did I teach you when you were growing up? Don't tarnish with the same brush." Brooke paused. "But make sure you get her checked out. You don't want your instincts to be wrong."

  "Already in the works. I'll know in the next few days."

  "Good." Brooke ruffled his hair and then stood. "Come on, I'm taking you out. The buffet at your favorite Chinese should still be going. I could do with something to eat."

  Jason laughed as Brooke patted her flat stomach. At a trim one-twenty-five pounds, Brooke could eat like a horse and barely gain any weight. She was the envy of other women with the way she could eat large meals and still look good.

  "Then you can tell me all about Carla."

  "Mom!"

  *****

  "Thanks for seeing me during your lunch break, Danielle."

  "No problem." Danielle sat opposite, a takeout cup of coffee in her hand. "Mr Liu told me to accommodate you and you've been very nice to everyone here."

  "I'm glad you think so." Carla grinned. "Do you always do what Mr Liu says?"

  "Ninety percent of the time." Danielle took the lid off her cup and took a sip. "When I do call him up on something, and that doesn't happen often, he does comply and back off. Then we make a compromise. He's very good at that."

  Carla had her iPad on the table between them, the recording app open. She was tired after interviewing people all morning but sitting with Danielle felt like a breath of fresh air. Young, Hispanic with long black hair, Danielle was a lovely looking woman. Her bouncy, lively attitude was infectious and Carla found herself getting upbeat along with her.

  "He doesn't back down because of your father, does he?" Carla didn't want to ask the question but it had to be asked. Danielle was Jesse Taga's daughter, after all.

  Danielle snorted.

  "No way. Daddy stays out of my business, especially when it comes to my job. I've just inherited his outspoken behavior, only I know when to rear it back."

  Carla knew that all too well. Her father had been in the military and while he hadn't completely left it behind when it came to discipline and running the house he always knew when to draw the line. He was a strict but loving man. Carla had been devastated when he had died of cancer three years before.

  She forced thoughts of her father away and focused on the interview, sipping at her third cola of the morning.

  "How long have you worked for Mr Liu?"

  "Eighteen months now. I came here straight out of college."

  "It must've been amazing that you got this job straightaway."

  "I did think at the start that Daddy had a hand in it - it was very well paid and for someone with more experience than me - but Mr Liu said he has never spoken to Daddy and I believe him. I got it on my own merits." Danielle looked down at her coffee cup. "I nearly had a disaster when a few months later I found out I was pregnant by my ex."

  "Ah. Not good."

  Carla knew the job world. Maternity pay was barely there for women and it made it harder to get back into work unless you were very lucky. She was glad she didn't have any kids.

  "You'd think that but Mr Liu was brilliant when I told him. He made sure I was able to get to all my pre-natal checks and I went to my scans. He also made sure my maternity pay was secure and that I would have a job to come back to. I worked right up until I went into labor and he even drove me to the hospital while he made sure my family was there when we arrived."

  Carla stared. She knew Jason was attentive and caring when it came to women in distress but this was something most men wouldn't do, especially to women who was having someone else's baby. And he was her boss.

  "Sounds like more than an attentive boss." She commented and felt the jealous stab in her stomach. She rubbed her tummy to try and make it go away.

  "Oh, nothing's happened between us. He's a sweet guy but not my type. And I've got a baby to look after." Danielle made a face. "Not exactly something to put you in the mood."

  Carla laughed.

  "I can imagine." She had her iPad but Carla was used to making notes by hand. She doodled on her pad. "Is he a slave driver?"

  "He works you hard but you get better results if you work hard." Danielle shrugged. "That's fair enough, isn't it?"

  "More than." Carla agreed. She grinned at the younger woman. "You know, you've got a very strong work ethic for someone so young. You remind me of a college student who works in my office. She's so efficient you forget how young she is."

  Danielle grinned.

  "Thanks." Then she looked over Carla's shoulder and waved. "Hello, Mr Stevens."

  Stevens. That would be Richard Stevens, Jason's best friend. Carla turned and saw a huge muscular man wearing a light gray suit coming towards them. Dear God, the guy was handsome. But Carla felt nothing. She just saw a good-looking man and nothing happened. No butterflies. No heart pounding.

  Nothing.

  She was in trouble.

  "What's going on here, Dani?" Stevens joined them, ruffling Danielle's hair. "Gossiping again?"

  "Very funny." Danielle jerked her head away and smoothed her h
air down as she made the introductions. "This is Richard Stevens, our financial boss and co-CEO. This is Carla Romaine."

  Stevens turned to look at Carla, his eyebrows raised.

  "Ah, the journalist. You're the one who has Jason all in a quiver."

  "I wouldn't call it a quiver." Carla grunted.

  More like the other way round.

  "I would." Stevens winked. "I can see why now." He glanced at Danielle, his smile still in place. "Would you mind if I have a word with Carla alone, Danielle?"

  "We're in the middle of an interview, Mr Stevens."

  Carla looked closer at Stevens and saw the expression in his eyes. He was concerned about something. Stopping the recording app on her iPad, she stowed it away in her bag with her notepad. She gave Danielle a smile.

  "That's okay. I'll come and find you later. And I'll bring some donuts to say thank you for being patient."

  Danielle chuckled.

  "Make that brownies and you've got a deal." Danielle stood. "I'd better get some lunch. I'm due back shortly."

  Stevens waited until Danielle had walked away before turning back to Carla, his smile now gone.

  "Let's take a walk outside."

  Carla nodded and stood.

  *****

  It was warm outside but Carla shrugged into her jacket, zipping it up to her neck before pretending to check her phone. While Stevens wasn't looking she found the recording app on her cell and turned it on. This may be a confidential conversation but Carla wasn't taking any chances.

  Stevens led her to a bench across the forecourt from the building and urged her to sit, sitting beside her and leaning forward on his knees with his elbows.

  "I'm sorry we had to leave the office but walls have ears. I don't know who would be listening in."

  Carla snorted, shifting her body so her bottom was perched on the edge of the bench. She wasn't sure if she needed a quick exit.

  "I doubt anyone would be interested in what I had to say." She said.

  "Don't be so sure."

  Stevens rubbed his hands over his face and sighed heavily. He sounded exhausted.

  "What's wrong, Mr Stevens?"

  "Rick, please." Stevens lowered his hands and gave her a pained look. "I'm worried. Jason's been acting strange lately and I don't know what to make of it."

  "How do you mean strange?"

  "You've been on a dates with him. What do you think?"

  Carla felt herself blushing. She didn't think Jason talked about his dates.

  "I didn't sense anything untoward." She admitted.

  "Date him much longer and you'll notice it." Stevens shook his head. "He's been off his game, distracted somewhat. I don't know what to make of it and he won't talk to me. He's very secretive now when it comes to things in the office. And I know he's not sharing everything with me."

  This was sounding strange. Carla wasn't able to connect the man Stevens was talking about to the man she had known. Maybe Jason wasn't showing all his sides to her.

  "How do you know he's been keeping things from you?"

  Stevens reached into his pocket and retrieved a scrap of paper.

  "I sneaked into his office yesterday and swiped this from a locked drawer in his desk."

  Carla took the paper. She wasn't about to tell him what he had done was stupid; that would make her a hypocrite. She squinted at the address scribbled in black marker.

  "That's a place down by the beach. For tonight."

  "Exactly. No one meets on the beach at night unless there's something going on they don't want anyone to see."

  Carla glanced up. Stevens looked absolutely convicted in his thoughts. She thought about the rumors that were meant to be going around.

  "You really think these rumors about money laundering are true."

  It wasn't a question.

  "I don't know." Stevens sighed, looking miserable. "I don't want them to be. But I have a feeling that something's seriously wrong. Jason's in deep and I don't know how to get him out of it."

  Carla could feel the alarm bells ringing. But not with Jason's actions. With Stevens. Everyone else had a glowing report about Jason. Nothing bad was said about him. Jason was the consummate boss. Stevens was the only one with any concern at all, giving Carla what she had been looking for.

  Almost like it was what she wanted to hear.

  "Why are you telling me this, Rick? I write for a living. I'm not exactly helpful."

  "But you can be. The pen is mightier than the sword and all that." Stevens gripped her arm. "If you did an investigative report into money laundering and do some surveillance then you'd catch him in the act. Then I can show him the proof and tell him he needs to get out of it now." The grip on her arm tightened. "A wake up call is what he needs and I don't want him to go to prison. He won't survive it."

  It sounded ludicrous. But it also sounded desperate.

  "You really think confronting him with what he's doing is going to make him see what he's doing is wrong?" Carla queried slowly.

  "I don't know but he's my best friend. I don't want to lose him to this greed." Stevens looked desperate. "Please, Carla. Can you help me? You care about Jason, I can tell. Please."

  Carla didn't know what to believe. She was still sure that Jason was innocent and Stevens' bizarre explanation and plea for help was making her lean towards her opinion even more. But, then again, if she didn't explore every other angle and Jason was involved she was going to get into trouble for not covering all the bases. She nodded.

  "Okay."

  *****

  The day was going very well for Jason. After a late-night meal with his mother, Jason had gone to bed deciding that Brooke was right and that he should hang on to Carla. His feelings for her were stronger than any other woman he had been with and he wasn't about to let her walk away.

  He was in meetings all morning and didn't see her at all. But he didn't stop his mood; Danielle had informed him that Carla was in the building still interviewing the rest of the staff. She would still be around when he was finished.

  As he sat in meetings with his agents, clients and sponsors, Jason's mind wandered to how he was going to tell Carla that he wanted more than just a few dates after she had written the article about him. He wanted the real thing. Brooke's wise words reminded him that the real thing was more fulfilling than just filling a void with meaningless sex.

  Jason just hoped that Carla felt the same way. It would break his heart if she walked away from him now but he was willing to find out.

  As soon as his final meeting finished Jason was virtually running out, his employees giving each other confused looks. But Jason didn't care. He needed to find Carla.

  And he found her on his floor making her way to his office.

  "Hey."

  Carla looked up and smiled. God, even her smile had Jason's body stirring.

  "Hi."

  "You okay?"

  That sounded really lame. But Carla did look exhausted.

  "I'm fine. It's just been a long day and it's only midday." Carla rubbed at her eyes. "How were your meetings? Danielle said you had a lot crammed into the morning."

  "Boring." Jason gave in to the urge to touch her. He reached out and took her hand, relieved when Carla turned her hand over and linked her fingers with his. "How were the rest of the interviews?"

  "I've finally finished. I've just got to finish off with Danielle as we were interrupted and then I'm done."

  "And everything's fine?"

  "Yes." Carla grinned, her eyes sparkling. "This is going to be a very positive article for you."

  "I'm glad."

  The touch of Carla's soft palm against his was getting too much for Jason. He had no idea just a simple touch would make him want more.

  And she looked gorgeous in a black blouse buttoned to the neck and a floaty black skirt that went down to her knees. It looked librarian but Jason was finding it to be his favorite outfit.

  He gave up. There was no way he could wait.

&nb
sp; Carla squeaked as he pulled her over to a maintenance closet and pushed her inside, shutting the door behind them so they were encased in darkness.

  "What are you doing?"

  Jason found the light switch and flicked the light on. Finding a broom, he wedged it under the handle to jam it. Then he pressed Carla up against the door, pressing her in with his body as he buried his face in her neck breathing in her subtle perfume.

  "I missed you."

  Carla shuddered, dropping her bag and putting her hands on his biceps.

  "I missed you, too." She whispered.

  Jason let out a shuddering breath, his hands running over her thighs to her backside, filling his hands with her soft flesh. He gave her a squeeze and Carla whimpered, rubbing her hips against his erection. Jason groaned.

  "God, Carla, you make me crazy."

  Carla grabbed his head and brought him up. Jason returned her fierce kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. Her breasts rubbed against his chest and her hips rolled against his erection, which strained against the zipper of his trousers.

  To hell with waiting until they were at his place. He needed her now.

  Carla pulled back with a gasp as Jason brought her skirt up, running his hands along the outside of her thighs.

  "Jason, don't." She was breathing heavily. "We're in a closet! Someone could come in."

  But even as she protested, she didn't stop Jason from palming her breast as he kissed along her jaw. His other hand found her panties and slipped his hand inside, his fingers brushing against her curls. He groaned when he found her pussy was wet.

  "Wouldn't that be interesting?" He murmured as he nibbled at her ear. "Someone coming in and finding us fucking." He heard a hitch in her breath, the way her body tensed against him, and he smiled against her neck. "You like the sound of that, don't you?"

  "I wish I didn't." Carla gasped. She reached down and rubbed her hand over his erection. Jason groaned and pushed against her palm. "But we're not fucking yet."

  "We will be."

  Jason swooped in for another kiss, their actions frantic as their hands went everywhere. He used both hands to pull her panties down, plunging two of his fingers into her pussy and pumping. Carla's gasp was muffled by his mouth and turned into moans as Jason increased the pumping of his fingers. With his other hand he neatly unbuttoned her blouse until it was completely open, her bra the only thing between him and her breasts. Undoing the front clasp, Jason pushed the bra aside and tweaked a nipple, rolling it between his fingers.