Mason’s head swung his way, realizing that forcing her to continue working for him prolonged her finishing her studies. He frowned and kept watching the red Camaro racing towards the finish line.
“If she continued part time, how much longer would it take?”
Michael shrugged. “Probably ten months or so.”
Mason frowned. Ten months did not fit in with his future plans for them. He pulled his phone from his pocket and scrolled to call Jason Green. The discussion was short and to the point and Michael grinned at him.
“What makes you think she will agree?”
Mason smirked at his friend and jumped from the platform to meet Brooklyn slowly driving into the racing pit.
“Oh, don’t you worry, Mickey, she will.”
He assisted her from the car and hugged her as he congratulated her and told her how proud he was of the way she drove throughout the race. Her brow lifted and she smirked at him.
“I did not know I had any other choice. Having a threat of another thrashing hanging over one’s head tends to curb all the fun.”
He laughed at her petulant tone. Michael joined them and Lucas asked tongue in the cheek.
“Have you asked her yet, Admiral?”
Mason glared at him and she looked at him questioningly.
“Asked me what?”
“These two lightweights have challenged me to join the last two races. Would you allow me to race with your car, honey?”
She stared at him, her heart aching. She turned around and ran to the ladies restroom, tears running down her cheeks. The three men stared after her, flabbergasted.
“Now what?” Lucas voiced their thoughts. Michael and Mason looked at each other, both realizing simultaneously what the problem was. Mason cursed and followed her into the ladies restroom without hesitation. He ignored the women inside shrieking as he walked in and thundered.
“Brooklyn!”
He walked down the stalls until the very last one where he heard her sobbing softly. He ran his hands through his hair and rested his forehead against the stall door.
“Honey … open the door.”
“Go away!” She cried tearfully.
“I am not going anywhere. Open up, honey.”
“Leave me alone, Mason!”
He pulled away from the door and warned her softy. “Then you better stand back from the door.” He took a step forward and slammed his shoulder against the door, breaking the lock and the door crashed open.
She gaped at him, her tears forgotten.
“You are a lunatic! I told you to go away!”
He stepped closer and pulled her up and out of the stall from where she sat huddled on the toilet seat.
“Are you walking or do I carry you outside?”
She glared at him and he reached for her, but she skirted around him and stormed outside and did not stop until she climbed onto the Hadley team’s platform. She stood against the railing, staring out to the track.
Mason stopped behind her and slowly stroked his hands up and down her arms.
“I did not mean to upset you, honey. Quite honestly, I am not really sure why you are so upset. If you don’t want me to race your car, Michael will find me another.”
She swung to him, her eyes spitting fire, her voice rough in suppressed anger.
“My car? You know as well as I do it is not my car anymore! It’s not even … even Michael’s car! It’s yours!”
He stood looking at her, anger bubbling higher and higher with every word she spoke. He rammed his hands in his pockets and his mouth thinned. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them. She recognized the anger in his eyes and felt the tears burn behind her eyes again.
“Now you listen to me, Brooklyn and you listen well. I had a speed racer years ago, a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport. Lord, she was a beauty and cost me an arm and a leg, but I sold her when I withdrew from the circuit. I have never had any desire again to own a speed racer, nor do I now. The Camaro is yours, until you once again decide to sell it. The ownership has never been changed.”
“Why? Why did you buy her from Michael?”
“Because you love that car and you two belong together. Now, dry those tears honey. I hate to see those lovely eyes swimming in them.”
She walked into his arms and wrapped hers around his back, hugging him tight. She placed a warm, passionate kiss in the center of his chest just above the opening in his shirt and he shuddered. Her warm breath caressed his heated skin.
“Thank you, Baby.” She lifted her head and her eyes shone with happiness.
“Mason …”
“Yes, honey?”
“Please kiss me.”
His heart skipped a beat and nearly all his anger dissipated with her whispered request. His head lowered and his lips closed around hers. The kiss was so tender and passionate she felt her heart thumb louder and louder in her chest. Her heart bubbled over with love for this man, who spoiled and punished her with equal passion.
The Cleveland project took up a lot of Brooklyn’s time since Mason made her the project coordinator but she enjoyed every minute of it. It was a good thing she was so busy otherwise she would not have survived the past two days.
Mason and Tiaan went to Cleveland to sign the final contracts and she remained behind to ensure al the final documents and controls were compiled and in place in time. She never thought she would miss him so much, a whole lot more than she did when he went to Australia a month ago. Her cell phone rang and she answered without paying attention to the caller id, her attention on the email she was typing.
“Brooklyn speaking.”
“And here I thought you missed me.”
“Mason!”
“That’s better. How far are you with the succession proposals?”
They spend a half hour discussing her proposals and he was very impressed with her initiatives. He sighed; annoyed that he had to stay another day.
“Tiaan is on his way back already, but I have another meeting with the Senior Associates tomorrow morning. I should arrive around four in the afternoon.”
“I see. I suppose I will have to change Wesley’s and my meeting for tonight then.”
He was silent for a while, having forgotten that he was going to be at the house tonight for their final task in their assignment. He actually liked him, and they were clearly very good friends, but he still didn’t want her alone with him.
“I am sorry, honey. Why don’t you arrange with Michael to come over and stay with you tonight? I know you have a time limitation on the assignment.”
“Maybe we should just meet at Michaels’ and I’ll stay with him tonight.”
“Thank you, honey.”
“For what?”
“Reminding me about Wesley.”
His heart warmed at the knowledge that she respected his feelings so much so that she was willing to change her arrangements. He missed her more than he thought possible and needed to hold her in his arms.
Brooklyn made the arrangements with Michael and Wesley and settled back behind her desk to compile the gap analysis she still needed to complete.
It was mid-afternoon when the landline on her desk rang and she answered the phone with the usual, “Mr. Sheppard’s office, good afternoon.”
“Put me through to Mason, dear … quickly now.” The sultry voice grated on Brooklyn’s nerves and Iceland was in her voice when she answered coolly.
“I’m afraid he is unavailable at the moment.”
“Come now … I know the drill. Just tell him it is Clarisse and he will take the call.”
“As I said, he is unavailable. Do you wish to leave a message?”
“Mason will not like it if you don’t at least tell him it is me on the line. I suggest you go to his office immediately.”
“Mr. Sheppard is not in the office at present, he is on a business trip. I will be sure to tell him you called, Clarisse …?”
“Barrows. Clarisse Barrows. Tell him I am in New Yor
k for the week and would love to … re-visit our last … ehm … activity.”
Brooklyn slammed the phone down, her whole body trembling in anger. Clarisse Barrows! A dainty and exquisite redheaded actress! She hated her very first introduction to the women Mason has had in his life. She was so upset; she cleared her desk and slammed her office door closed behind her.
“Revisit their last activity! Over my dead body! Can you believe the audacity of the woman?”
She ranted at Michael where she was slumped on his couch a little while later.
Michael watched in amazement as another spoonful of chocolate ice cream disappeared in Brooklyn’s mouth. She always indulged in ice cream when she was upset, and the fact that the one liter tub of ice cream was already a quarter ways empty were testimony of how upset she was.
She pointed with the spoon in his direction and frowned at him, clearly expecting an answer on what he assumed was a rhetorical question.
He threw his hands in the air and opened his eyes and searched for the correct answer. He knew how quickly she got annoyed when she was upset.
“Very audacious, yes.”
She dug the spoon back into the tub and another lump of ice cream was crammed into her mouth.
“Are you humoring me, by any chance, Michael?” She mumbled with a full mouth. “You should not humor me! You should tell me I have nothing to worry about!”
Her cell phone rang and she snorted when the caller id showed Mason’s name. She threw the phone on the coach next to her and stuffed more ice cream in her mouth. Michael chuckled, reached over to grab her phone and answered the call.
“Michael? Why are you answering Brooklyn’s phone? It’s only just after four.”
“I guess she decided she’s had enough for one day…”
Michael watched Brooklyn rise and shook his head when she disappeared into his kitchen and returned with a bag of Oreos. He sat forward, his elbows on his knees, watching in amazement as she spooned ice cream on top of a cookie and crammed it in her mouth.
“Clawhofa bloofy Bawhows!”
Michael couldn’t contain himself any longer and burst out laughing and had to duck when she threw an Oreo Cookie at his head, mumbling about an insensitive jerk.
“Michael! What the hell is going on?”
“Did you know about Brooklyn’s tendency for ice cream when she is upset, Mace? Buckets and buckets of ice cream.”
“Why is she upset?”
“Chocolate … it has to be chocolate.”
Brooklyn threw him a murderous glare and spooned more ice cream on the cookie in her hand.
“Bee, sis … don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
She glared at him and deliberately pushed the cookie in her mouth.
“Michael! Why is she upset?”
“And wouldn’t you know it; usually she buys only a small tub. She’s already halfway through a liter tub!”
“God dammit, Mickey!”
“And she’s added Oreo cookies to the mix too.”
“Oreo cook … I am going to murder yo …”
“Yeah … almost halfway through that packet too.”
Brooklyn swallowed and said loud enough for Mason to hear. “My habits are none of his business! Liqueur … yes … do you have chocolate liqueur, Mickey?”
She rose and walked towards his bar and he jumped up to run after her.
“Bee … no … you are going to be as sick as a dog already from all the ice cream and cookies! Brooklyn put that bottle down! Bee … ah shit!”
“Michael Hadley, if you don’t tell me what the hell is going on right now …”
She toasted the glass in Michael’s direction and he heard Mason’s curse when he heard her say, “Bottoms up, Baby! C’mon Mickey, drop that phone and drink with me!”
“Let me talk to her.”
Michael held out the phone to her and she snorted, stuffing another Oreo in her mouth and washing it down with another shot of chocolate liqueur. Michael felt a shiver running down his spine, just thinking of all the sugar she’s just consumed.
“Sorry, Admiral, she doesn’t want to talk to you.”
“Damn right, I don’t!”
“Mace, I am sorry, but I have to go. I have to try and save what I can. She’s already overdosed on sugar.”
“Michael, I want to know what is going on!”
“Chat later, buddy.”
He threw the phone down and ripped the liqueur bottle and half full glass out of Brooklyn’s hands. He cursed when she reached for another Oreo and he slapped it from her hand as well.
“Enough Bee! You are going to make yourself sick!”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You are not my keeper, Mickey!”
“You damn well need one!”
Her face went white and she bent over and clutched her tummy. “Oh Lord!”
“Serves you right!”
“Mickey! No fair! It’s Clarissa Barrows! Do you know what she looks like! And that … that …oohh … sultry voice of hers!”
“Hmm … I know. It makes a man think of all kind of things …”
“Michael Hadley! You see … even you …” she wailed and stroked her tummy. She stiffened and sat up, glaring at him.
“You … you’ve met her! You … he … she … oohhh!” She screamed in rage.
Her phone rang again and she grabbed it, stabbing at the screen.
“You Mason Sheppard … and you Michael Hadley … are … are … ooohh, I can’t even find the words!”
She threw the phone at Michael, bent over in agony and then with a tortuous cry jumped up and ran down the passage. Michael winced when she started hurling and he closed his eyes at her pitiful cries of pain.
“Mace … I er … have to go and help her.”
“Would you just please tell me what the hell I’m supposed to have done wrong!”
Another cry sounded from the bathroom even Mason heard it and he sighed.
“Go and help her. Give her some lime juice in water or peppermint oil. I’ll phone again.”
Brooklyn slouched on the couch feeling very sorry for her, when Wesley arrived a little later. The lime juice helped to settle the nausea, but she was too scared to move for fear of hurling again.
The doorbell rang again and it was the pizzas Michael ordered. She groaned when she caught the smell and curled into a little ball. Michael shook his head and he forced her to eat a slice.
“It will help to counter all the sugar, Bee. Just one slice.”
She did feel better afterwards and even started working on the assignment with Wesley. She ignored the phone when it rang again, knowing it would be Mason. Michael mumbled about being the middle man, but answered the phone.
“How is she?”
“Better. A lot of it came out and they’re busy on the assignment now.”
“I suppose she still doesn’t want to talk to me.”
“Nope.”
Mason sighed in frustration. “So, are you going to tell me what is wrong?”
“Not what my, friend. Who.”
Brooklyn swung to him. “Michael! Don’t you dare!”
“Who?”
“Yeah … a person.”
“I got that, dammit! Who?”
Brooklyn jumped on his back and tried to grab the phone out of his hand, but he avoided her groping hands and shouted in the phone he held up in the air so she could not reach it.
“Clarissa.”
“Who?”
“Oh, this is priceless! Clarissa Barrows. Don’t you remember?”
Brooklyn froze, Michael’s amazement registering through her anger.
“The actress? What about her?”
“She phoned your office this afternoon.”
Mason was quiet for a long time and frowned, trying to understand why that would upset Brooklyn and then he remembered the one time he took her out.
“Oh shit! But that was ages ago! I have not spoken or seen her since that one night �
� What did she say to Brooklyn?”
“I’ll leave it up to her to give you the message when you’re back.” He chuckled at the expression on her face and Mason’s curse in his ear.
“It is not funny, Mickey!”
“You have to look at it from my perspective, buddy. It is actually hilarious … ouch!” He groaned when Brooklyn slapped him on his back. He held out the phone to her.
“I don’t want to talk to him and tell him not to call again tonight!”
She went back to Wesley and they managed to finish their assignment by eleven. She took a quick shower and got into bed, hugging the pillow against her chest. Her phone beeped and she picked it up to read the message.
Honey, I miss you in my arms and can’t wait to be back.
She groaned, but was still too upset to appreciate his message. Her fingers flew over the screen and she replied, biting her lip.
Baby, I am sure there are a few Business Associates … and actresses … that would love to have your arms around them!
Mason cursed when he read the message, but grinned at her obvious jealousy.
You are very generous, honey. Does that mean you give me permission to sleep with one of them?
She gritted her teeth, anger bubbling inside her.
Do you want to?
When he didn’t respond immediately her shoulders slumped. When he did eventually respond a tiny smile hesitated on her lips at his obvious irritation.
Don’t answer a question with a question, Brooklyn. Do you want me to sleep with other women?
She bit her lip and thought about how upset she was, just knowing the type of women he has slept with in the past. Clarissa bloody Barrows for goodness sake!
NO!
He sighed in relief at her answer.
Good, I have no desire to either! I need to talk to you, honey! May I phone you?
She hesitated, needing to hear his voice, but did not want to talk about the redhead.
Only if you don’t ask any questions about your actress.
Her phone rang almost immediately and she answered it huskily.
“Are you feeling better, honey?”
“Yes, Michael’s muti helped.”
“So, you have a love for chocolate ice cream? Should I stock up our fridge?”
The Tycoon and his Honey Pot Page 14