Damaged & Off Limits Books 5--6

by C. C. Piper

  He was the one behind the wheel this time, and at my question, he frowned as he glanced at me. “If Andy didn’t either turn me into an eunuch or murder me outright, you mean?”

  I flinched at the thought. “He might get mad, that’s true.”

  “And that’s not even considering your dad. If Bryant found out that I stole your virginity…”

  “You didn’t steal it,” I corrected him, irritated. “I gave it to you.”

  “Immaterial. Your family’s old-fashioned. Your brother would be pissed, and your father would probably toss me out of the firm. To him, I’d be the villain who debauched his innocent little girl.”

  “I’m not a little girl, Mason.” I scowled at him, even though he was only giving voice to my family’s errant perceptions of me.

  “No, you’re a grown-ass woman, and I love being with you. I don’t want to let you go, B.C. I don’t.” That made me feel better. “But if we’re not careful, this could blow up in our faces, you know? I could lose everything. Your family’s respect. Your brother’s friendship. My partnership and maybe my job. And worse of all, I could lose you. Please promise me you won’t tell them. At least not yet.”

  “I wasn’t planning on telling them. Don’t worry. I was just wondering if we could ever quit hiding.”

  “Let’s focus on keeping what we already have, okay?”

  “Okay,” I said. But deep down, a sliver of fear took root within me. What if that time never came? Would we continue on behind the scenes, or would we have this long-drawn-out breakup that simply fizzled into nothing? As deep as my feelings toward him, I had no reason to believe that he felt that way toward me. What we had was fabulous. Did I really want to take a chance that might mean we’d have to throw it all away?

  Inwardly shaking my head at myself, I tried to put myself back on cloud nine like I had been. Mason’s hand was in mine, we’d had a lovely weekend, and that would just have to be good enough for now.

  So, I’d make it be. Or die trying.

  14

  Mason

  My outlook when I came to work Monday was nothing short of sunny. I had a spring in my step and love in my heart, not to mention feeling loose and relaxed after receiving a healthy helping of sexual gratification. Life was good. Better than good. On top of all that, as I looked over my agenda for the day, I’d seen a name in my rolodex that I’d forgotten.

  Liddell Industries was the huge tech conglomerate down in New Orleans where Trevor Keller used to be employed. The current head of the company was none other than his lifetime best friend Jaxson Liddell. I’d sent Trevor a thank you email for his suggestion to hire the Wish Maker to set me up. Having Alaina in my life romantically – even while it meant I had a complex set of variables to deal with – was still the best I could’ve hoped for.

  Trevor had remarked that his former employer was looking to invest in young startup ventures as long as they received a small percentage of the profits. So I’d sent over Alaina’s plans and credentials, anxious to ascertain if Liddell Industries might consider her handbag business to be an apropos candidate. If they would, I would surprise her with the good news. I would’ve fronted her business herself, if she’d let me, but I knew she wouldn’t.

  She didn’t want money from her parents or any of her friends, but she’d applied for that grant at her university. I hoped that meant a business associate who might be convinced that her idea was marketable and formidable would be acceptable to her. Now, all I had to do was get all the pieces into place.

  I’d been so excited to see Alaina again that when I went to the Williams estate for dinner, it took me a moment to comprehend how bizarrely awkward it felt. I sat down with Bryant at the head of the table and Andy right beside me knowing that I’d basically spent two days having earth-shattering sex with their daughter/sister. It was almost unbearable. Alaina and I sat across from one another, mostly mute.

  We couldn’t be with each other like we wanted to be, yet I felt this need to be around her, no matter who else might be in attendance. It’d been tense, but at least I’d been able to steal glimpses of her lovely face.

  Tuesday, the two of us had another meeting of the minds – i.e. make-out session – after everyone else left the firm that day. After checking to be sure she was ready for me, I’d unzipped my pants, jerked down my underwear and plunged into her, right then and there. It had been amazing, and the reunion reassured me that our weekend hadn’t been a fluke, we were incredible together even outside of that Tacoma hotel room.

  On Friday, I heard back from Liddell Industries. Jaxson had read over the deets of her proposal and found it to be deserving. Thrilled, I’d texted her.

  What would you think if I told you I might have another company willing to invest in your startup?

  Depends. Would they want anything in return?

  Only for you to provide proof of making a profit within two years, then they’d want ten percent of those profits over the following five years.

  She sent back: That should be doable.

  So, is that a yes?

  Yes. Yes, yes, yes!

  I couldn’t wait to see her Monday to celebrate, but that day went to shit within five minutes of me walking through the door. Why? Because of my best friend.

  “It’s only fair, bro’. We can’t let your big two-nine go by uncelebrated. Shit, I still can’t believe you blew off our annual birthday beer bash for some stupid speaking gig.”

  “Andy, I don’t feel like going to the country club this weekend.”

  Once upon a time, these types of shindigs had been right up my alley. Between all the scantily-clad debutantes looking for a good time and the divorced hot-to-trot cougars hitting their sexual peaks, the pickings for any wealthy single guy on the prowl were far from slim. But since one-nighters no longer appealed to me, I knew such a night would only prove to be uncomfortable. The only woman I wanted to spend my nights with now was Alaina.

  Not that I could admit that to her brother. I needed to come up with some viable excuse not to go, but every time I so much as glanced at Andy, all I could think of was how I’d spent two solid days having the best sex I’d ever had with his sister.

  Typically, I could think on my feet more rapidly than this. But after indulging in the delights of our lovely little getaway, recalibrating my brain back into work mode had proven more of a challenge.

  “I need time to rest this next Saturday. That trip really took it out of me.” True. But I sure as hell wasn’t explaining the phrasing of that.

  “Dude, shut up, okay. I’m not taking no for an answer. I’m annoyed that you agreed to such a thing in the first place. We’ve partied together for every birthday since before Alaina was born. Where’s the love?”

  My heart seized up at the mention of his sister. So he couldn’t see what was likely the guiltiest expression ever, I purposely kept my back to him to watch the office Keurig drizzle coffee into my mug. I couldn’t seem to come up with a single solution that would get me out of this. Maybe on Saturday I’d come down with some mysterious flu or something. For now, I’d just have to agree to go.

  “Fine, man. Whatever you want.”

  “Yes.” My best friend pumped his fist and cackled, making several heads in the breakroom twist in our direction.

  Fuck my life.

  The rest of the workday grated on my nerves because Andy kept popping in and saying things like, “Yay, Saturday, bro’!” and “Gonna get you some,” and “Better late than never, dude,” while swiveling his hips and making spanking motions with his hands. By the end of the day, I was so on edge that when Bryant stopped by to take his leave of me, I spun in my chair too fast and knocked my coffee to the floor, spilling it everywhere.

  “Jesus, son, maybe you should go easier on the caffeine,” the patriarch of the Williams family said, chuckling.

  But caffeine was the least of my worries. I’d already told Alaina I would be there at the family dinner that night, but now I had to inform her of this new obsta
cle her brother had placed in our path. I couldn’t imagine this being a pleasant conversation. Still, I had to tell her so she wouldn’t be blindsided.

  Can you get away for five minutes before dinner?

  Should be able to. Where?

  At the library? There was a library branch a block from the Williams estate.

  Sure. Everything okay?

  Hopefully. I’d sent her back.

  But then, ten minutes before I was supposed to meet her, she texted me again.

  WTF???

  Uh oh. I sent her a question mark.

  ?

  Andy’s downstairs bragging about what an awesome time the two of you are going to have at the country club this weekend “picking up cougar chicks.” His words. Care to explain yourself?

  Well, shit. That’s why I wanted to meet you at the library. I’ve been trying to talk him out of it, but you know how he gets.

  So you’re going to go?

  Not if I can help it.

  I waited for a couple of minutes to see if she’d say anything else, but she didn’t. So as I padded into her family home, I had no idea what I was in for.

  The first person I saw was Caroline. “Mason, come on in. Tonight’s main course will be almond-encrusted salmon.”

  “Sounds great,” I told her while surreptitiously looking for Alaina.

  “Andrew told us about your plans for the upcoming weekend. Do me a favor and make a note of the decorations. We’re using someone untried, and I want to make certain they’re up to snuff.”

  “No problem.” Though why I said that I couldn’t tell you. I was going to do my damnedest not to be there.

  Bryant appeared next. “Over your jitters?” he asked me, chuckling to himself for a second time and not waiting for a response. “Having salmon tonight.”

  “Great,” I said again, not giving a single fuck about whatever was on the menu. I prayed that Alaina would be the person I saw next, but she wasn’t. Andy sauntered over to me and clapped me on the back.

  “Saturday’s gonna be epic,” he proclaimed loudly as he led the way into the dining room.

  No knowing how else to reply, I offered him a half smile. And that was when the woman I loved came traipsing up to the table. She stood there as rigid as one of the dining room chairs, glaring at me any time her brother glanced away.

  “You know, I’ve decided I need to be more social. I think it’s high time I started putting myself out there again. I don’t want to be single forever,” she declared, and while Andy and I both sent her unhappy looks, it was Caroline who spoke.

  “I hear the CrossFit gym over on Minor Avenue is excellent. Since you’re eager for prospects, toning up might be a good idea.”

  Fury clawed through my gut, and not only because Alaina’s mother had made such a thoughtless comment, but because a lightbulb had lit up over my head. Alaina had admitted to me that she’d struggled with bulimia in her teens, and here was Caroline, trying to convince her that she was at best, out of shape, and at worse, undesirably flabby.

  What the actual hell?

  Alaina was tall, voluptuous and the sexiest woman I’d ever had the fortune to meet, yet her mother treated her like she was one of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters.

  And that wasn’t even addressing the whole Alaina-wanting-to-date thing.

  “You can’t go Saturday,” Andy told her.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you can’t,” he waved his hands in the air. “It’s invitation only. Besides, this is bro-time for me and Mason.”

  “Sorry to have to inform you of this, big brother, but I can go wherever I fucking want.”

  “Alaina!” her mother cried out, her hand flying to her collarbone. “You will not use such language, especially at the table.” Her daughter stood, throwing her cloth napkin on the tablecloth in disgust. Then, she pivoted on her heel and raced up the stairs. “Alaina? Alaina, you’re embarrassing me. Come back here this instant!”

  But all we heard after that was a door slamming somewhere upstairs, and the only thing I could think was that whatever happened this Saturday, I was screwed.

  15

  Alaina

  I’d moved back into the estate for convenience’s sake, and I’d intended to stay until my business took off, but now, I knew I couldn’t wait that long. Even though I had only three months left until my degree would be complete, I couldn’t tolerate living under the same roof as my mother. I was done. Finished. Finito.

  I just couldn’t take it anymore.

  For three years I’d essentially been granted a reprieve from her, and my tolerance level for her bullshit was at an all time low. It was as if the woman lived to destroy my confidence. I’d spent my entire life attempting to please her, to be the daughter she wanted. But nothing I did was good enough. And now, I finally understood why. She didn’t think that I was good enough.

  And in her eyes, I never would be.

  It felt as if all the foundations of my life had been built on unstable ground. I wanted to be with Mason publicly, to feel sure that he was as invested in this thing between us as I was. But instead, I had to stand by and hear about how he and my brother would be on the prowl for whatever skanks – and trust me, skanks were skanks, no matter how big their checking accounts were – might show up at this stupid party.

  Also, Liddell Industries was apparently interested in funding me, but nothing formal had been finalized between us. Mason had put all those wheels into motion, but what if he changed his mind? What if he met some woman this Saturday and lost all interest in us? What would that mean for my business? What would that mean for me?

  So my worries, in order, were: One, recognizing that the man I’d given my virtue to and who I secretly loved would soon be living it up at a party where he’d probably be tempted by other women. Two, recognizing that he’d basically brokered the deal between myself and Liddell Industries which may mean that if Mason and I broke up, the deal might be in jeopardy. And three, recognizing that I could no longer tolerate my mother’s crap and therefore needed to find my own place sooner rather than later.

  All these things scared me, but as terrible as the last two might be, it was the first one that I feared the most. I didn’t want to believe that Mason would treat me like Auggie had, but I couldn’t help wondering. I hadn’t suspected that my ex had been unfaithful until I caught him in the act. Clearly, I wasn’t the best judge of character romantically speaking.

  Mason King took up so much of my current bandwidth. I knew he liked me, liked having sex with me. We were compatible and shared a similar sense of humor. We were friends. But he wanted to keep our relationship hidden from my family, and that didn’t bode well for us being a long-term couple. When he’d told me he still wasn’t ready for us to go public, all my doubts about ever finding true happiness poked at me like needles.

  Yet, when we were together by ourselves, I felt more contented than I’d ever felt before. Being in his arms made me feel safe and loved. But I was so tired of receiving mixed signals from him. Wouldn’t it be better to come clean to my family on our own terms? His hesitancy to do this made me antsy and unsure. I couldn’t tell where his head was, and it frustrated me to no end.

  He’d texted me on Wednesday.

  Can we talk? We didn’t get the chance Monday.

  For one long minute, I thought it over. He’d probably want me to stop by the office. Was it to discuss the party or just for another clandestine hookup? Not in the mood for another session of what-bam-thank-you-ma’am, my response had been short and to the point. Are you still going to the country club Saturday? And his reply hadn’t exactly soothed the storm thundering inside me.

  I don’t want to.

  Is that supposed to make me feel better?

  Yes?

  Really? I mean, really? FYI, it doesn’t.

  I waited to see what he had to say for himself after that, but I didn’t receive any additional texts from him. The situation was enough to make me seriously consider
banging my head into a wall.

  By the time the weekend arrived, I felt antsy and exhausted. I hadn’t slept well for days and thinking about Mason going out and man-whoring it up with my brother made me want to puke.

  With my mind on my troubles rather than my surroundings, I’d wandered downstairs and into our kitchen, needing coffee and something to eat. I’d just taken a bite of a banana while leaning on the counter, when my mother materialized like vapor behind me.

  “Alaina,” she hissed, and I jumped. “Don’t slouch.”

  It was then that I realized I’d been walking on eggshells through every aspect of my life. I’d always been careful to not rock the boat. Not with her. Not with my dad. Not with my brother. Not, even, it seemed, with Mason. But I was over it. Either I could start standing up for myself or I could continue getting run over like roadkill. It was up to me.

  “Mother, quit telling me what I can and can’t do,” I told her, and for the first time ever, I didn’t leave. Instead, I stared her down, daring her to argue with me.

  For a minute, she remained there sputtering broken syllables as if she couldn’t determine the right thing to say. Then, she tightened her precisely made-up lips into a furious line. Without another noise, she stomped off away from me, and feeling much better about myself, I finished my banana and coffee. I decided that I wasn’t going to take any of the other shit that had been thrown at me lying down either.

  Going back upstairs, I searched my closet for an appropriate gown. I found one that caught my eye at the very back. It was a rich sapphire blue and had off-the-shoulder sleeves. I slipped into it, pulling up the zipper in the back, and was pleased when it fit like a glove.

  Yes, this would do.

  Though I rarely bothered with cosmetics – a fact of endless aggravation to my mother – or doing much with my hair other than leaving it down or putting it up in a messy bun, this time, I went all out. I spent the entire afternoon putting on foundation and powder, blush, eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, and a contrasting shade of fuchsia lipstick.