“Kinsey, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He adjusted himself again as he moved to put more space between us. “I’m too old for you.”
“Mason…” I started to protest—we were both adults, both single, and we clearly wanted each other. Suddenly, all the reasons I knew we shouldn’t be together rushed out of my head. I longed for this.
“No, don’t say anything. I made a mistake. It won’t happen again.” His face closed down, and he opened the door for me. “I didn’t hire you for this. I apologize for my behavior. I will see you in the office.”
Chapter 10
Kinsey
A door slammed somewhere down the hall, and the sound bounced off the walls and echoed through the glass and steel offices. Sitting in my comfy ergonomic chair, I jumped as my hand flew to my chest. I was staying late to tie up on some last minute details. I wanted to finish up my first week filling in for Mary without any mistakes. I’d thought I was alone.
Looking up from the computer screen, I blinked owlishly, my eyes taking a minute to adjust to the dusky gloom of the quiet offices. Peering through the glass walls I spotted Mason striding down the hall towards me from the elevators. My breath hitched as I took him in. He was magnificent even in a sweat-soaked t-shirt and jogging shorts.
He must have just come from his private gym two floors down. Entries in his calendar blocked out two hours every weekday, either early morning or late evening, as his workout time. Admiring him as he came closer, I could see his muscles rippling under the tight workout clothes. His biceps strained against his shirt sleeves, and the thin cotton outlined his broad chest perfectly. He really was a magnificent male specimen. My heart skipped a beat remembering the kiss in the limo.
No, wait! I’m still pissed at him! How dare he say that kiss was a mistake?!
“What are you still doing here, Kinsey?” He asked me, toweling off his hair as he walked by my desk without even looking at me.
I frowned, but he didn’t see it. “I wanted to figure out how to sync my calendar to yours so all the appointments transfer over.” Turning to follow him with my eyes, I told myself he was my boss—only my boss.
I was still having trouble with a few programs on the computer, but I didn’t want Mason to think he’d made a mistake hiring me. We hadn’t spoken since he’d ended our shopping trip with that amazing kiss and that awkward apology. I didn’t want to give him anything else to regret.
Tossing his sweaty towel over a chair, Mason went to stand behind his desk. He muttered something as he rummaged through his files, but my attention was caught by the messy black hair standing up on one side in wet spikes. I wonder what it would feel like to run my fingers through it. I had gone to sleep every night replaying our kiss, and woke up every morning with a smile.
I had to mentally shake myself to escape that fantasy before he caught me staring. “Can I help you with something?” I asked.
“I’m looking for the Mao Fang file,” Mason mumbled, still digging through the stacks. “There’s a problem with the factory in China.”
“I have it right here.” I straightened my skirt, walked over to his mailbox, and fished the thick manila folder out of the jumble piled inside. “Mr. Lu Feng’s secretary called this morning to schedule a phone call with accounting.”
As I pivoted on one 3 inch heel, I found myself teetering. The heel snapped free of the sole, and I stumbled. Before I could fall, Mason reacted, reaching out with his strong hand to grab my arm and steady me.
“Thanks,” I whispered, mortified that he’d had to rescue me yet again.
He stared as he held me until he was sure I was okay. Then he reached over to grab the file I was still clutching. Again, forgetting why we should stay apart, I reveled in his nearness; even his sweaty musk was attractive.
The disappointment crushed me when he walked away without even glancing back at me. “Thanks for finding that,” he called back over his shoulder.
I was sure he wanted me. The kiss in the limo the other day wasn’t a fluke. He was as hungry for it as I was, but he hadn’t made a move since. That kiss had been important to me, and I was pissed when he rejected me, but I was starting to worry I’d made too much out of it.
The more I got to know Mason, the more I realized we had in common, and the more attracted to him I became. But maybe he wasn’t attracted to me. I knew Mason could have any woman he wanted. Self-doubt flooded my mind. Why would he pick klutzy, messed up, disowned me?
As insecurity bombarded me, he stopped and turned back. “Can you come in to my office for a moment?” he asked.
“Um, sure.” I stuttered. Frightened, I thought of all the work I’d done over the last week. Did I mess up? Is he calling me into his office to fire me?
Mason turned and walked into his office. I stood there, taking a moment to wipe my sweaty hands on my skirt and straighten my hair. I needed to pull myself together before following him. If I was being dismissed, I was going to take it with dignity. With a deep breath, I limped down the hall on my one good heel. When I reached the open door, I stopped and gaped at him.
In the center of his glass desk, a lovely carved chessboard was set up and waiting for players. My heart sang. He remembered!
“Care for a game?” he asked with a smile as he settled into his leather office chair.
“Ah… sure. You still play?” I asked as he crooked an eyebrow at me, a playful gleam in his eye. I took that as a yes and hobbled over to the seat opposite him.
“I don’t play as often as I used to,” he said. “As I recall, you were quite the strategist as a teen. I thought maybe this might be fun.” He pulled his chair up to his desk and steepled his fingers. “Your move.”
Chapter 11
Mason
Leaning against the shower wall, hot water streaming down my back, I groaned as I replayed my dream from the night before. When I’d woken up, it had taken me a minute to realize Kinsey was not in bed with me, that it had all been a dream. A hot, wet, sweaty dream that left me aching for her.
Reaching down, I took myself in my hand. I was going to have to deal with my need; otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate at work. Not with her so close.
Slick with soap, my engorged cock filled my hand. I stroked slowly at first and then faster and faster, imagining the warm wetness was Kinsey. I could almost see her big blue eyes looking up at me, her golden hair spread across the pillow. I wanted to feel myself buried deep inside her as she clenched around me. The fantasy swallowed me, and I didn’t last long.
“Ooooooooh!” I moaned long and loud. Coming in hot spurts, I shot jets of thick cum against the shower wall. Turning, I collapsed against the tiles, water dripping off my nose as I caught my breath. What the hell am I going to do about Kinsey?
Since I’d first bumped into her at Noah’s office, she’d dominated my every thought. I couldn’t escape her awake or asleep. She was all around me, and when she wasn’t, she was inside my head.
I shouldn’t have kissed her the other day. That kiss had only made things ten times worse. I couldn’t even look at her anymore. All I wanted to do was pull her up against me and bury myself in her. I should be focusing on the China disaster! Those problems aren’t going to solve themselves!
Unfortunately, my head was filled with nothing but visions of Kinsey. I hadn’t wanted to let go that day. I had wanted to pull her closer, but instead I’d released her and walked away. At least, I’d tried to.
I collapsed into my office chair. What am I going to do about China?
“Kinsey, will you please pull any emails from the finance department concerning the Mao Fang electronics factory?” I asked over the office intercom as I flipped through the file. I hoped she could find something. If production of our graphics card stopped, we couldn’t provide the part needed to play our best-selling game. No one wanted to play a game that constantly pixelated or buffered. It would be a disaster for our gaming division, which brought in 85% of our revenue.
�
�Anything else? I’m just about done here.” Kinsey swept in, the air filling with the subtle jasmine fragrance of her perfume. My mind temporarily short-circuited as I hid my reaction to her presence behind my desk. That kiss was going to haunt me forever.
“Not unless you know how to get the Chinese to lift the order shutting down our factory.” I reached for the emails she held out and started to skim through them. “We finally got the factory running again after everyone caught that flu, running around the clock trying to fill orders, and then the government decided that since we were paying above minimum wage to the workers, and we could afford to pay everyone while they were off, we must have enough to pay more taxes. They’re asking four times what we pay now.”
Pulling a chair up to my desk, Kinsey sat down. “Who is your contact in the labor department?”
Startled by her question, I stared for a moment before I could answer. “Lu Fan is our overseer in the department of labor,” I finally said. Stopping for a moment, I thought about how much to tell her. “I am supposed to meet with the US Ambassador to China tomorrow, but I don’t know if I can get everything ready in time to fly to Beijing in the morning.”
“Ambassador Williams?” Kinsey asked excitedly, suddenly looking very pleased with herself.
“Uh, yes. We’ve only talked over the phone, but he’s going with me to meet Lu Fan.” I felt like I should know more than I did. Why did she look so happy?
“Wonderful! What do you have put together? He’s going to want a copy of everything.”
Why did I feel like she knew more than I did? It was a rather unsettling feeling for me. “I’ve got the financial stuff from my meeting today and these emails, but I’m going to be here all night putting the presentations together since Mary is gone.” I eyed her curiously. “Do you know the Ambassador?”
“Of course! He’s great friends with Dad! He comes over for dinner every time he’s in town. His son Hugh is here at the university in one of my chemistry classes, too.” Kinsey acted like it was normal to dine with foreign dignitaries all the time. I guess for a Hendrix, it was. She continued, “Give me the data. I can put together your presentation packets.”
I held up what I had, and Kinsey took it and started back to her office. I stared after her. Who is this woman?
“Kinsey?” I called after her. An idea was forming. I was either brilliant or insane. “Would you like to go with me?”
Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I peered at the clock on my computer. It was just past six in the morning. We were finally done with just enough time to head to the airport.
China was 12 hours behind us, so we would arrive early in the morning, right before all the government offices opened. Standing up and stretching, I gathered up the files and stuffed them haphazardly into my leather briefcase. Looking around for Kinsey, I found her asleep at her desk
“Kinsey?” Bending over her, I gently shook her shoulder to wake her up. “Kinsey? It’s time to go.”
Her blonde hair had fallen loose from the tight bun she wore at work to keep the long strands contained. They flowed across her desk and spilled over the edge in a golden waterfall “Wha?” Blearily, she raised her head, blinked her eyes, and stared at me with a vacant expression.
I was caught like a deer in the headlights, trapped in her sleepy gaze. Even waking up, her head pillowed on her arms, sitting at her desk in yesterday’s wrinkled clothes, she was beautiful. There were creases on her face and ink smudges on her cheek. It had been a long, busy night and she had been a trouper. She had more than exceeded any expectations I’d had. A fully-trained temp from an executive agency couldn’t have done better. It really was amazing how my spur-of-the-moment offer of employment had worked out so well.
“We have to go Kins,” I said gently, “our flight leaves in a little over an hour.”
“What?” She asked, her brain finally kicking into gear. “I fell asleep! I haven’t packed! I’m not ready! Did you finish the last report?” Her eyes darted back-and-forth frantically.
“Calm down. We have just enough time to swing by your apartment for a few things. We’ve just got to hurry.”
“Then let’s go. What do I need to take?” She jumped up, grabbed her high heels from the floor and her purse from the chair. “I’m ready.”
Standing there, barefoot, her golden hair wild around her shoulders, the sun shined behind her like a golden halo. A button had come undone on her blouse, and her skirt had risen above her knees. She looked like a warrior, fierce and determined. This was a side of Kinsey I had never seen before.
I loved it.
Kinsey
Waking up to Mason was just as wonderful as I thought it would be. Only, I had never pictured myself with messy hair, drooling, and wearing last night’s crumpled clothes… in the office. Oh My God! I need to brush my teeth! I could smell my own dragon breath.
Yawning and stretching, I stood and gathered my things. I wondered, do we have time to stop for coffee? I’m not sure I could survive a long overseas plane ride on half a soda and some peanuts while squished into a tin can with 300 of my closest friends. Will Mason spring for first class?
“Ok. I’m ready.” I walked out of the office to the elevator with purse slung over my shoulder. I finger brushed my hair in an effort to look presentable.
“Let’s go,” he said. “You’ve got ten minutes to pack when we get to your apartment.” All business, Mason was in executive mode, single-mindedly focused on getting us to the airport and prepping for his meeting.
We quickly left the building, and I reveled in the plush limo seats, wishing I could catch another quick nap. Unfortunately, the trip to my apartment was too short.
“Ten minutes,” Mason reminded me as we climbed the stairs to my second floor entrance. I was thrilled with the open spaces and great views from my apartment, but the building was old. It had to be antique to occupy such prime downtown real-estate, but that meant the elevators were iffy and there was no central air. That day was a no-elevator day.
Wiping the beads of sweat from my upper lip, I unlocked the door to my apartment and sighed as the first blast of cool air from the window unit hit me and soothed my flushed cheeks.
“Have a seat,” I told him. “I’ll be done in just a minute.” I gestured to my white, overstuffed couch, which sat in front of the AC unit in the living room.
In a rush, I started stripping before I was even out of the room, dropping my blouse and skirt in the bedroom as I continued walking straight to the bathroom. I figured I had two minutes to shower and eight to pack. I beat my time, and was standing in front of Mason, squeaky clean with a packed roller suitcase and a small carry-on bad in eight and a half minutes.
“Let’s go.” I said gazing down at Mason. He had fallen asleep on my couch, head resting on my starfish pillow with my grandma’s crocheted throw across his legs.
For just a moment, when first waking, Mason looked up at me with desire. I basked in the glow, but it only lasted for a moment. As he became more alert, the shutters fell over his eyes, and his lust seemed to vanish. The business man I knew was back.
“Let me carry that for you,” Mason said as he escorted me down to the waiting limo.
We rode on silence the full hour to the airport. I was prepared to dash across the terminal in a race to beat departure time, but instead of heading to the regular check-in and security, we stopped in front of a different door.
“Right this way, sir.” A man in a pilot’s uniform was waiting, and led us down a hallway, handing our passports to the woman behind an unlabeled check-in desk. I was really confused at this point.
“Have a lovely flight, sir,” she said with a smile. It only took her a moment to scan our passports and hand them back. Then the pilot led us out glass double doors, and my jaw dropped.
Oh my God! We’re flying in his private jet!!!
Chapter 12
Kinsey
I gasped as we walked up the steps and into a spacious interior. My eyes took in th
e plush leather reclining seats, a full-sized dinner table, and down the hall, I spotted an entire bedroom through a narrow doorway.
“Welcome.” A woman appeared out of nowhere. “If you will both come this way, breakfast is almost ready.” The way-too-perky stewardess led us to a beautifully-set table with a white table-cloth, shiny silver flatware, and crystal juice glasses. I sat opposite Mason, and after placing the cloth napkin in my lap, the stewardess—I think she said her name was Marie—poured us each a glass of water before she went off in search of coffee.
“Mason, I had no idea.” I looked around with wide eyes, afraid to touch anything.
“What did you expect, Kinsey? How else can I have a business meeting in the US in the morning and be in China in time for a dinner meeting?” Mason chuckled as he leaned back and took a sip of the steaming brew that magically appeared before us. “This plane is a tool just like any other I use to do business.”
Sipping my coffee after a liberal application of cream and sugar, I sighed with gusto as the hot liquid hit my stomach and the heat spread to my chilly limbs. I guess private jets were cold just like commercial planes.
“That makes sense, but Dad always flew us first class. He said private jets were too expensive to maintain.”
“I time-share with two other executives. Luckily, we rarely need her at the same time. I find it worth the boost in productivity. I can’t be in two places at once, but this helps. Plus, I’m well-rested, well-fed, and I can work on the way. Even in first class, I can’t spread out and problem solve like I need too. Besides,” his eyes began to smolder, “I get to be alone with you.”
Blushing, I hid behind my coffee cup as my eyes flew back to the bedroom doorway. Does he mean what I think he does?
Mason: The Lost Billionaires, Book 1 Page 7