“What is it, mate?” Harris asked me as we walked towards the nurses’ station.
“I can’t play the fucking guitar for four fucking weeks. How the fuck are we going to get our album finished if I can’t play?”
Harris looked at me and for a second. I saw pain in his eyes, but he smirked at me. “You aren’t the only guitarist we know. We can either have someone else fill in, or Lewis will just need to play the whole number.” I glared at him and his smile dropped. “Look mate, we nearly fucking lost you today. We can survive four weeks without finishing our album. I know the boss man’s a bit of a dick, but rumour has it, he’s gonna be off sick for a few weeks so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
I punched him in the arm. “Ha, fucking, ha. I’m not taking time off. I’ll be back in on Tuesday. I need to organise Cassie’s funeral…” I swallowed hard against the lump, and my eyes filled with tears. Harris clapped me on the back, tears in his own eyes as he nodded at me.
“Can you take care of everything while I’m out?” I asked him, already knowing he would.
He smiled at me. “Did you really need to ask that? Of course I will man. If you need any help with the arrangements, just call or text me and I’ll get on it.”
My mom bustled over to me, carrying the bag with my prescription. I signed my insurance documents and followed my family and friends out of the hospital. Mark was already at the door. Once I was gone, he was going to give a press conference. He’d thank the staff and assure everyone that I was alright.
Once I made it home, I moved up the stairs and met Amber in the corridor where the rooms were. She moved past me with a smile. Her arm accidentally brushed my chest, causing fire to burn through me. My dick twitched in my pants. Then she spoke and her voice was low. It made all the right parts of me tight and wanting.
“Hey Mason, would you like a coffee?” I wanted more than a coffee from her, but the nurses warning sounded in my ears.
“No, Amber. I’m beat.” My voice was hoarse as I tried to rein in how much I wanted her.
“Okay. No probs.” Her reply was soft. I watched as she nodded at me from the top of stairs before making her way down.
My thoughts vacillated between how I needed to calm the fuck down about her and how I wanted to get her into my bed. I moved along the corridor, slowly peeking into the babies room, checking that the kids were alright. I decided I did need a coffee and strolled back downstairs. That’s when I heard, through the door of the kitchen, Amber and Helena, shouting at each other, “…I’ll lay your ass out…” was all I heard. My temper reared its ugly head. I stormed into the kitchen, furious at Amber for threatening my sister, and shouted, “ENOUGH!”
Both girls paused and Helena watched me with apprehension.
“Helena, I told you to leave it. Now fucking leave it. Go upstairs now.” She knew what I’d said about speaking to Amber tomorrow. As she moved towards me, I caught the smirk in her eyes.
I was so angry with Amber for threatening my sister I could barely see straight. She had her head half turned away from me as I spoke. “Don’t you dare threaten my sister. You are my employee and nothing more. If you so much as look at her the wrong way again, you’re out.”
She spun round, her face blotching. Now I could see the angry red handprint with scratches on her cheek. Helena darted out of the door as I took in the marks on Amber’s cheek. Fuck, I’d gotten the wrong end of the stick. Helena knew it. I was going to throttle her if I got my hands on her. My stomach dropped like a lead weight as I took in the pain in her eyes. She moved and spat out at me, “don’t worry. If your sister lifts another hand to me, I’ll be fucking gone anyway.”
As she moved towards the door, I knew I couldn’t let her go. I had to apologise. I reached out and grasped her arm, ignoring the longing to pull her into me and tuck her into my side. Shivers ran up and down my spine as I looked at her. My whole body thrummed with need and want. But I couldn’t go there. I wouldn’t go there, ever again. Employees were forbidden fruit, but damn if I didn’t want her more because of it. I took a breath and spoke in a low voice, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know she hit you. I’ll have a word with her.”
She blinked and I watched, fascinated, as a tear rolled from her eye. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and wiped it away. She froze a second and looked into my eyes. I could see the same longing in them, but it wasn’t going to happen. As she turned away, my heart thudded painfully in my chest and my breathing was hard. When I heard the door to the kitchen swing back, I went to move towards her. I wanted to hold her, comfort her and fuck her senseless. But I couldn’t. “FUUUCKK,” I muttered, hitting the door of the cabinet with my right hand and taking in a deep breath.
She deserved more from me. I needed to give her a real apology. She’d had the day from hell. She’d been assaulted, then found out her fiancé had cheated on her for over a year. She’d started her new job here, where my sister had made it her mission to make her feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. If she lasted beyond tomorrow, I’d be really surprised. If she left, I knew she didn’t have anywhere else to go. She’d told me as much herself.
I made my way upstairs, wanting to apologise again when I met Helena in the hallway. She paced back and forth with a furious glare. Her eyes narrowed as she watched me move towards her. “Helena, don’t fucking hit my staff again. That’s not acceptable behaviour. Mom would be pissed if she knew.”
“If I knew what dear?” Mom asked, coming out of the nursery. Helena’s face turned stony and my mom moved towards us.
Helena answered before I got the chance. “Just what Mason has planned as a thank you for all your help over the past year, Mom. I think it’s over the top, and you’ll be annoyed at how much he’s spent, but Mason didn’t want to ruin the surprise. “
I smiled at my mom, nodding along and all the while wanting to kill Helena. I knew I could pull off anything, but still she’d dropped me right in it. When she was the one assaulting my staff. She knew I’d never tell my mom though and she smirked at me.
“Mason, you don’t have to spend your money on me. Lord knows I don’t need any more thanks than knowing that those two babies are safe. I’ll talk to your dad, I promise. I’ll bring him around. He won’t want to miss out on Sophia. Whatever you have arranged, you cancel it. Your dad won’t like me taking things from you anyway.” She frowned as she said it. Although it was an innocent enough comment, it hurt as much as if she’d punched me in the gut.
I nodded and watched as she linked arms with Helena, walking them both downstairs. It took me a minute before I could move, but I made my way along to Amber’s room. I knocked softly on the door. She didn’t answer, so I pushed the door open and walked over to the window seat. I heard the shower running. I’d always loved this seat. It looked out onto the back yard and the woods just beyond. I loved imagining when Sophia was bigger and I could make up stories about fairies and elves.
I heard an intake of breath and looked up to see Amber standing there in just a towel. My cock sprung to attention. My whole being shook with the longing to take her to bed and fuck her until she screamed for mercy. That thought always amused me, screaming for Mercy. I wanted her to scream out my name as she came hard and fast. But I couldn’t want it. As we stared at each other, the desire was tangible in the room.
I gazed at her in fascination and cleared my throat before speaking. “Sorry,” I croaked at her, my voice tight with desire, “I just wanted to say sorry about my sister. I really didn’t know she’d hit you.”
I wanted to say more, but her standing there in a towel while I fought to contain the wood in my pants, really wasn’t the best time to say anything else. I moved towards her, pausing a foot away from her. I froze as I watched a droplet of water roll from her neck down her chest. I fought the impulse to lean over and pull her into my arms, so I could lick it off of her and see if her skin tasted as sweet as it smelled. I turned and rushed from the room because my hand twitched at my side and I almost reac
hed out for her.
I walked out into the hallway and leaned back against the wall, breathing hard. I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t have her here every day and not touch her. Her creamy skin called to me and I wanted to sink my cock into her soaking wet pussy, all day and night. Thinking of how good she looked in that towel, standing there vulnerable and sexy, turned me on in ways that no woman ever had before. But I couldn’t want her. She was an employee, and after what had happened today, I’d need to be nuts to let her into my head and into my bed. It wasn’t going to happen. Plus I couldn’t have sex for four weeks so I needed to control my urges. I walked to my bathroom, and my boner was rock solid against my trousers. Fuck I was never going to be able to stay away from her. How was I going to survive this? Fuck I needed a drink, badly.
As I stood over the sink and splashed water on my face, I knew I needed to go back in there. I had to make sure she was okay. She hadn’t asked for any of the shit that had happened today And I needed her. I didn’t want to admit it, but it was the truth. I needed her. My mom was leaving in the morning and I had no one else. Helena was heading back to Yale and I was going to be alone because my dad couldn’t get his head out of his ass long enough to see what a blessing Lucca was.
My body seemed to move of its own accord, back towards her room. I raised my hand and knocked. I heard a noise like a muffled scream inside, before her voice called out, “come in.” I opened the door, but froze because her ass was in the air as she lay face down on the bed. I opened my mouth and must have looked like a goldfish, opening and closing it as I got a view of her fine looking ass. She turned to me and scuttled up the bed. I couldn’t remember what I was going to say, or what I was going to do, or anything. In that moment, all I wanted was her.
As she watched me from the bed I swallowed a few times and moved into her room. “Amber, are you okay?” Her eyes widened at my concern. I watched how her gorgeous eyes darkened as they took me in. Her gaze became too much and I glanced around the room, noticing the subtle differences. She’d unpacked and moved some things around, but it suited the place. I turned back to find her watching me. Her green eyes, flecked with brown, drunk me in. She smiled when my gaze lingered upon her mouth. Oh how I wanted to taste it just once. I shook my head and lifted my eyes to meet hers.
“I’m fine, Mason. Are you okay?” She asked with a lilt to her tone.
I was the one who’d gotten shot today, I supposed it was a fair question. “Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a graze.”
She nodded in acceptance. “Do you want to talk about it?” Her fingers laced on her knee. I couldn’t help but notice how long and slender her fingers were. As I looked at them, I imagined them wrapped around my cock, squeezing as she sucked the head into her mouth. I closed my eyes a moment, and had to think hard about what she’d asked. Did I want to talk about what happened today? Not really. Not yet, so I shook my head at her and she smirked. I moved to sit on the edge of her bed to hide my painfully obvious erection.
“Amber,” I spoke, my body turning towards her as I my eyes drank her in. Our gazes turned heated and I wanted nothing more than to crawl towards her and suck her bottom lip into my mouth. She opened her mouth and I quickly spoke again, trying to get the image of her beneath me out of my mind. “I hope you’ll be happy here and that the schedule isn’t too challenging for you. I have to go. I have a million things to do before tomorrow, but I had to check on you. I had to know that you were alright and had settled in okay.”
I stood up from the bed. On the pretence of fixing my trousers, I moved my throbbing cock into the waistband of my slacks. I walked slowly towards the door and heard her sigh. As I reached the door I risked a glance back at her. She was lying with her head against the headboard, gazing at the ceiling. It wasn’t easy for her either. We’d both need to ignore the desire we felt for each other, if she was going to stay on here. I’d make sure to stay out as much as possible. I’d need to change the schedule to make sure that I had time alone with the kids every day and take a full day at weekends. The office wasn’t going to know what hit them over the next four weeks as I hid out there. And at the studio.
Amber
As Mason left my room, I let out a sigh. How could he be so attractive, yet so closed off at the same time? As he’d stared at me, I could sense the desire for me, but I knew on some level that he’d never give into it. My chest hurt at the thought that no matter how much I wanted him, and fuck if I didn’t want him, he’d never let me in enough to have him.
I’d just need to work here until I’d saved up enough money to buy that prick Henry out. Then I’d be gone. If the cars sold quickly I could leave much faster. I couldn’t believe I’d let him worm his way into my mortgage. He’d only paid twenty thousand. If I’d had twenty grand lying around I’d have bought him out long ago.
A loud sound made me jump and broke me from my thoughts. I snuggled down in the bed, feeling tiredness rush over me again. I couldn’t understand how I could still feel tired? I’d done nothing but sleep all day long. After a few minutes, my eyes drifted closed. Through the house I could hear the sound of Mason singing one of Black Mercy’s hits, the words struck a chord with me and I drifted off hearing the words of the song in my head.
If only I could, have,
Just one more minute in time,
With you,
I’d call your name,
Kiss your lips and
Hold you close,
And never let you go.
When you left me,
I fell apart into a broken man,
My heart closed off
And the road map changed…
I didn’t hear much more, but his voice carried me off. I didn’t wake up for a few hours, having the most peaceful sleep I’d had in a long time. Lucca stirring woke me up and I got up and made my way downstairs. His bottle was already made, with a note from Mason.
Amber,
He should only wake up once during the night at around three am, and it’s only then he gets a feed.
Mase.
I glanced at the digital clock over the cooker, seeing it was three twenty-two am. I touched the bottle. It was still warm, so I made my way quietly back upstairs, humming the song I’d fallen asleep to. I went into the nursery, just as Lucca opened his mouth and started to cry. I picked him up gently and took him to the changing table. I put a clean diaper on him and moved to the nursing chair, opening the bottle as I sat down. As soon as the bottle was in his mouth, he settled down again. Within a few minutes, he’d fallen asleep. I burped him and placed him back down, gently stroking his face as he stirred until he fell asleep.
I was leaving the nursery when I noticed the door to Mason’s room was open. He was writhing about in the bed, whimpering and crying in his sleep. I moved towards him, never for a second thinking that it wasn’t the best idea or that it would be crossing some boundary. I just knew I needed to wake him up, before he woke up the kids.
“Mason,” I paused, “uh, Mr Michaels?” He didn’t answer so I gently shook his shoulder. It was his left shoulder and he grimaced in pain, before grabbing my wrist with his right arm and yanking me clean across the bed. He rolled and was on top of me, glaring down at me with wild eyes. I leaned my hand up and softly stroked my fingers across his face. His five o’clock shadow felt rough on my fingers. His eyes closed as I ran my fingers over his face, speaking softly to him. “Mason, it’s just me. You were having a nightmare.”
The bed where I lay was soaked with sweat and I could see the six pack Mason was rocking. He didn’t have a shirt on and his bare chest was a glorious sight. He had a little blonde hair around the centre of his chest and his happy trail poked out from the top of the cover. I couldn’t see if he was wearing pants, but I wanted to find out. NO, I DIDN’T. I screamed at myself, before YES, I DID, was shouted back. Fuck this was confusing. My hand was still stroking his face and I could feel his body beginning to relax. After another few moments he opened his eyes and gazed down at me with a look
of wonderment on his face.
He leaned into my hand, then turned and pressed his mouth to my fingers, biting down softly on the pad of each finger. I gasped aloud in pleasure and moaned as he rocked his rock solid erection into my core. I had to stop him, before he crossed some invisible line, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to fuck him so badly. My whole body shook with longing. But it wasn’t fair to him. He wasn’t fully awake and he didn’t want this. Not really. Whatever line he’d drawn earlier, seemed to have vanished, but I was awake and in his bed. This would be my fault in the morning.
“Mason, you were having a nightmare.” My voice came out high and breathless. He rocked his hips into me once more, letting me feel how much more turned on he was. His eyes were hooded and he leaned down, bringing his lips to mine. He kissed me softly at first, running his tongue along my upper lip. When I opened my mouth to speak to him, he plunged his tongue in. He wrapped his hand around my head, securing my lips to his as he ground his hips into me.
I moaned into his mouth, loving the feeling of him rocking into me, but it wasn’t right. I had to stop it. If I could just find the willpower to move then I could stop him from doing this. His hand skimmed up my top and plucked at my nipple, causing my back to arch off of the bed. I couldn’t help the groan that came out as he did that.
He bit down gently on my lip, before sucking on it. I thrust up to meet him. I lifted my hands and ran them over his toned back and down towards his ass. I scraped my nails in a line down his back and he made the most erotic sound, pushing harder onto me. My breathing sped and I almost couldn’t remember the reasons that it was a bad idea for us to sleep together, since we both clearly wanted it.
A series of footsteps in the hallway seemed to wake him up more and he opened his eyes and looked down at me in horror. Oh fuck, I thought, what had I done? I shouldn’t have come in here. I should have just ignored it and gone back to my own bed. He rolled off me, still breathing heavy. I moved towards the edge of the bed. I sat there for a moment, trying to catch my breath as my body thrummed with desire for him. Fuck, I’d nearly let him in. I needed to keep myself under better control. I couldn’t let him in, it wasn’t right. I was only his employee. That was what he’d said earlier and I needed to remember that. To him I’d never be anything more than that.
Black Mercy (San Francisco Rock Romance Book 1) Page 12
