by Ryan Michele
His grip loosens, but not by much. He slides his cock inside of me then clamps my legs together again. In this position, there isn’t much room so when he starts moving, nerves that haven’t fired before start their assault.
Over and over he enters me, pressing me hard into the bed with each thrust. Ecstasy climbs as I crash stuffing my face into the mattress and yelling out his name over and over again.
He stills rooted so deep inside of me and his body gives a jolt as he comes inside of me.
When he collapses on me, I relish the feel of him and turn my head so I can breathe.
He leans over and plants a kiss on my lips. It’s sideways and wonky, but still sweet.
“Now that’s the way to wake up every morning.”
I smile up at him because I agree. It’s one of my favorite parts of the day.
After getting up and dressing, we head to the kitchen. Mason has on a suit and me my jeans from the night before. I’m going to have to remember to pack an overnight bag.
“Tell me about Greg.”
I’ll admit I’d hoped that he would’ve forgotten, but that was just wishful thinking. Mason doesn’t seem to forget anything. He has a keen eye on everything and everyone around him.
“I broke up with him because he cheated on me. We were together for a little over a year and he’s a twit.”
“And he’s been calling you?”
“Yep, but I don’t answer. I don’t even check the voicemails after he calls. I have no interest in anything he has to say.” I chuckle. “But it is quite funny he was cheated on. I have no shits to give when it comes to him.”
“He’s going to be a problem.”
I shrug not really knowing the answer to this because Greg never had any aggressive bones in his body. Nothing like what we saw last night. It was strange, but I didn’t fear him. Not like I did Drake. Maybe it’s the weird way Drake looks at me. But Greg, he just felt like a man that got his ass handed to him.
“You’ll have security, but keep your eyes open. He calls you let me know.”
“Why is all this happening? First Drake, now Greg? I don’t get it.”
He moves over to me and tucks my hair behind my ear. “Because they see what I have. Too bad for them, I’m a smart man and see a good woman in front of me. One I have no intention of letting go of.”
My heart melts as he leans down and kisses me, hard, deep and lovingly.
I carry that kiss throughout the entire day.
Chapter 16
Aiden
“Again?” I ask the delivery man handing me a large vase with twenty-four lavender roses. He’s come to my office every day for the past week. Each time delivering a different color of rose. I never knew they had orange and rainbow roses, but they do. I’ve gotten seven different and unique colors from Mason, and each time I get them a warm feeling settles in my heart.
Twice, I’ve worked late, and twice, he’s walked me to my car and followed me to his place. Mason makes me feel safe and protected, like he’s Superman and can defend me from the world. It sounds silly, but the way he is with me, that protective nature that I can see him trying to restrain at times, only makes me fall harder for the man.
“Yes, ma’am. Where would you like these?” he asks, holding up the beautiful flowers.
I look around my office and note there isn’t a lot of empty places to put them. “Um, how about over there.” I point to the table with a bouquet of white roses and rush over to move them over just a touch so the lavender ones fit. “Here.”
“There ya go,” he says, turning around and leaving. I tried the first day to tip him, but he wouldn’t accept it, saying that Mason had already done that and he was not to take anything from me. After the second day of the same response, I gave up.
“Thank you,” I tell him as he walks out the door.
I grab my phone and dial him. It rings twice before he answers, “Hey, Aiden.” The raspiness of his voice is something I’ll never get tired of hearing. It’s even better when he first wakes up in the morning.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.”
“No, those are flowers. You’re the one who’s beautiful.”
I feel the heat rush up my cheeks and shut the door to my office, sitting in the chair behind my desk.
“I love them, but you don’t have to keep sending them.”
“Did you read the card?” he asks, evading my comment. My breath catches. I didn’t even look for a card. Only the first bunch came with a card, the rest hadn’t.
I jump from my seat and dart out of the room to the lavender beauties. And sure enough, a card pokes out of the bottom of the bouquet.
“I’m opening it now.”
“I’ll wait.”
I lift the thick paper of the envelope and pull out the card. It reads:
You’re cordially invited to the Rose Gala.
Mason
Rose Gala? Roses. It all clicks into place. “You want me to go with you to a gala?”
“Absolutely. I’d be honored to have you on my arm.”
“I’ve never been to one before.”
“Good, then I’ll be your first.” His cocky tone still makes me wild, but thoughts drift to what I’d wear to something like this or what I’d do or say. I’m good at talking with people, but how will being with Mason be? All these questions run through my brain on rapid fire. “Aiden?” he asks, and I move back to my office shutting the door.
“What do I do there?”
He chuckles. “You come with me. We talk to people, and I try not to fuck you in the first coat closet I find.”
It’s my turn to let out a small laugh. “No, that’s not going to happen, Mason.”
“We’ll see. So will you go?”
“You know you could’ve asked me one of the nights we ate dinner together or in bed.” Even after I say the words I want to smack myself because this is pretty great of him, and I really do love how he’s showing me he cares.
“And miss all the fun.” I hear his humor, and I love that we can do this. The banter is still there, but times like these, when he’s being sweet I eat them up.
“I’ll be happy to go with you. When is it?”
“Saturday Night.”
I pause. “Mason, that’s only a few nights away. I can’t find a dress by then.” Hell, I’m going to have to Google exactly what to wear to it.
“I’ll have my shopper pick out some dresses, shoes, and accessories for you. All you have to do is come home and try them on.” The way he says home so freely like I actually live in his space doesn’t terrify me or even make me want to halt the brakes. Is it fast, yes it is, but it’s making me happier than I’ve been in a really really long time. And not once has he given me any reason to doubt his trust, and that’s the biggest thing for me.
“You have a shopper?”
“Yeah, it’s one thing I splurge on. I hate shopping.”
“Well yeah, everyone has to buy clothes.” I sit in my chair and rest my head against the soft cushion.
“Baby, I have more important things to do and one of them is you.”
That melty feeling takes over my heart and if I were butter, I’d be a puddle on the ground. He does this to me quite often. My voice is softer than I want when I respond, “I like it when you do me.”
His inhalation of breath is sexy as hell. I love it.
“Keep it up, and I’ll be at your office bending you over the desk.”
I look to the files scattered all over and the laptop to the side. All of it easily removable, but not right now. “I’m only letting you do this for me because I don’t have a lot of time. Normally, Mason, I like to pick out my own things. How will your shopper know what will fit me?”
“He’s the best at what he does.”
“He?”
“Absolutely. Randolph is the best.”
“Well, this’ll be fun. It’s almost like I’m Cinderella.”
“You’re too beautiful to be Cinderella.”
/> Warmth spreads through me, and it’s time I get my work done or I’m going to end up begging him to actually come to my office and do what he says. “Okay. I have to go. I’ve got a full lineup that needs to be accomplished today. Dinner?”
“Best part of my day besides waking up to you.”
My smile hurts my cheeks, but it’s a great pain. “Bye, Mason.”
“Bye, beautiful.”
“Darling, what do you have on?” Randolph, a very good looking man with and impeccable designer clothes, says as I enter the room. His hair is absolute perfection. Blond and styled over to the side in a way that is modern and unmovable.
Remembering what I have on—jeans and t-shirt, my normal attire—I quirk my brow. “Clothes.”
“Honey, those are not clothes. With that body, you need to have flash!”
Oh lord. “I don’t do flash. Only for tomorrow night.”
“Oh, do I have some dresses for you!” He claps his hands excitedly and bounces on the balls of his feet. He really does look excited and in his true element.
He begins to hold the dresses up, and my breath leaves me. Stunning. Gorgeous and totally not me. I really will be Cinderella at the ball. Holy shit.
“So, which one first?” he asks excitedly.
“I don’t even know,” I whisper.
“Red. Let’s start with red. With your coloring and that hair of yours, I see you in beautiful red.”
“So, what did you pick?” Mason asks after Randolph leaves his house. The whirlwind that is Randolph still ticks in the air in a strange way, giving off his excitement to all of us.
“I’m not telling. You get to be surprised.”
He pulls me into his body, wrapping his arm around my waist. “I like that.” His lips come to mine in a sensual kiss that makes my knees weak and my body crave him like a drug. His lips never lose contact, and he never takes the kiss any further. But I love when he does this. Makes me feel cherished and cared for as if I’m precious to him, and he wants to soak up everything that is me.
Beeping comes from the kitchen, and Mason pulls from my lips. “Dinner,” he whispers just as my stomach growls. Damn.
“Let’s eat.”
Dinner is pot roast with potatoes and carrots. He’s damn good in the kitchen because the meal is divine, and it’s not my thing. We’re just finishing up when the doorbell chimes then there’s a tap on the door.
I look over at Mason who’s loading the dishwasher. “Expecting someone?”
“No.”
Mason wipes his hands on a kitchen towel and tosses it to the island. I take over what he was doing. Whoever it is, didn’t come to see me, but with the open floor plan, I can see the door from where I stand. And no doubt hear it, too.
“What do you want?” Mason says instead of greeting whoever is on the other side of the wood, pulling my attention from the dishes and to him. I can’t see anything but Mason and the door, but my curiosity is itching.
“You act as if I haven’t been here before, Mason.” A woman’s purr of a voice comes through the room, and instantly chills pop up all over my skin and my blood starts thumping.
“You need to leave.” Mason’s tone is deep and demanding, but not in the sexy way he speaks to me in the bedroom. No, this is angry, controlled, and a bit scary.
The woman steps forward, reaching out a hand to Mason who steps back away from her touch. Holy shit. It’s the woman with the honey blonde hair from the elevator at his building. She’s still gorgeous with not a hair out of place, makeup perfection, and clothes pristine. But why the hell is one of his employee’s here and has such a close relationship with him.
My feet lead me forward until I’m standing a few feet away from the both of them. The woman’s head swings to me, and her eyes penetrate me up and down as if she were checking me out to see if I’m worthy of being in her presence. It’s the same feeling I had before in the elevator.
“Already have someone to play with I see.” Her condescending tone has my spine stiffening, all the starch coming back hard and fast.
“She’s not a plaything, Elizabeth. I don’t have playthings. You need to go.”
“And what, not meet her? Hi, I’m Elizabeth,” she says coyly, but her snarl is there as well. She likes Mason—a lot, and having me in his space is not making her happy.
“Aiden.”
“Aiden, isn’t that a boy’s name?” she asks then laughs to herself. “Oh, of course, all those new names out there.”
I’m not sure what the hell this woman is smoking, but she’d better lay off before she goes totally nuts.
“Aiden, this is Elizabeth, an old friend,” Mason says coldly, and I do a fine job at hiding the bile that rises up my throat from the thought of Mason with this woman. Touching her. Kissing her. Hell, loving her. I only nod.
“I can see she doesn’t talk much.” Elizabeth dismisses me, turning back to Mason. “You usually don’t bring your playthings to your home.”
“Elizabeth,” Mason growls low, “I told you she’s not a plaything. She’s staying in my home, but as for you—you’re leaving.”
So much was said in that statement. One, that Mason didn’t bring a lot of women here, which I appreciate. But two is, that he did bring Elizabeth here. She looks comfortable in the space, like she’s been here often and could go in the kitchen and make herself a cup of coffee then relax on the couch. A couch where Mason and I have been.
I’ve never been the jealous type. I’ve always rolled with the punches, but that was before Greg cheated. Now, I feel this twist in my gut that she has part of Mason that I’ll never have. That she means something to him in a way I won’t understand. That there is more going on here than meets the eye. All of it is a pill too big to swallow. But I refuse to back away. I refuse to let her dismiss me.
“You really should go. We just had dinner and need to clean up.”
Elizabeth’s eyes bore into mine, a hint of pure hate behind those brown eyes. “What are you, the maid? Mason, that’s so beneath you.”
I laugh, full out no holds barred, laugh. “She thinks I’m the maid,” I say to no one in particular as I continue.
“What is so funny?” Elizabeth clips as Mason comes beside me and wraps his arm around my shoulders.
Ignoring her, I address Mason, “I’m your maid, Mason. Would you like me to put on my uniform?” Sass, I’m full of it. Instead of letting her see that jealous streak, I cover it with sarcasm.
He leans over and kisses the top of my head, and I hear a huff from Elizabeth. I calm myself from laughing.
“You’re serious about her?” Elizabeth asks Mason.
“One hundred percent, Elizabeth. And I’ll make sure I tell your husband you stopped by.”
To this, I again burst out laughing. “You’re married?” I look up to Mason. “Please tell me you didn’t.”
“No. She wasn’t married, and it was when we were teenagers.” This news surprises me, and I sober up. “She tried after my father asked for a personal favor in hiring her at my company. I refused because you don’t shit where you eat, but my father is tough, and I gave in.”
It does clear up how she seems so familiar with Mason and his house. I still have to wonder.
“Don’t do that,” Elizabeth says. “I’m divorcing him. For you.”
Oh wow. This just turned into a daytime talk show or something. Pretty soon chairs are going to be flying and hair is going to be pulled, and it sure as hell won’t be mine.
“You do whatever you have to do, Elizabeth, but leave me out of it. Aiden and I are happy. You need to accept that.”
It’s like his words sliced a hole inside of her, and all the steam that she had inside dissipated into thin air. Tears prick the woman’s eyes, and I almost feel bad for her.
“You love her,” she whispers.
He gives me a squeeze. “It’s going there.”
“You’ve never…” She trails off, shaking her head.
“My dad told you the same t
hing as me: When it happens, you’ll know. I know.” Warmth spreads through me, and I wrap my arms around the man next to me, holding on for dear life.
Something comes over Elizabeth’s face. She falters a bit but chokes out, “I’ll be going.” She turns and closes the door behind her. I have a feeling this won’t be the last time we cross paths.
I look up at Mason and try to break the tension. “Is this ex-girlfriend thing going to be a regular occurrence?”
He smiles. “That was young and stupid. She’s the daughter of a friend of my father’s. She’s tried for years, but I don’t want her. I didn’t feel this.” He squeezes me and kisses the tip of my nose. “This is what I want.”
“I want it, too.” He doesn’t delay and kisses me.
Chapter 17
Mason
Aiden took Elizabeth on like a champ. Elizabeth can be dramatic and over the top with so much of what she says. I’m actually happy that Aiden was here to see it, just so I could clear up any misunderstandings because she’ll have to see Elizabeth on occasion.
After she left, I took Aiden right there in the living room. Now, she lay against my chest in the bed, her breathing slow and steady. All the while I play with her hair. It’s so damn soft I can’t get enough of it.
“I was jealous,” she whispers. I barely hear it, but she says it. My fingers momentarily still as her head turns to me, her chin resting on my chest. “I didn’t like her here. Every thought I could muster up ...” She closes her eyes.
“Hey.” She opens them slowly, and I push a lock of hair behind her ear. “No one, and I mean no one, in this world hold a candle to you. There is nothing to be jealous of—ever. I’m with you. You’re with me. That’s all we need to have.”
Her smile hits me in the gut. Love. Yeah. Love. Aiden is it for me.
“Mason, you look dashing!” Randolph says in only his way as I adjust my bowtie.
“How is she?” I ask instead of responding to him.
“Beautiful. No, spectacular. No,” he shakes his head. “I don’t think there’s a word for it yet. Maybe you can come up with something.”