by Sonya Weiss
“Couldn’t sleep either?” She took the milk out of the refrigerator.
Mason said, “We never talked about the childhood memory that makes me laugh.”
Olivia set the milk to warm and sat down across from him. “No, we didn’t.”
“Valentine’s Day when I was six years old, I wanted to give every girl in the class something but we didn’t have any money, so I went out with Cole and we caught eleven garden snakes. One for each girl in my class.”
“Oh no, you didn’t.” Olivia cupped her hand over her mouth.
“I decorated some empty shoe boxes, plopped a snake down in each one of them and passed them out. I was awarded in-school suspension.”
“That’s the memory that makes you laugh?”
“Because I never saw a teacher move from standing on the floor to standing on her desk so fast. Those poor snakes just wanted to get away from all that screaming.”
Olivia laughed and moved away from the table to grab the cup. She blew softly on the warmed liquid and regarded him over the rim of the cup. “Is that still your idea of a Valentine’s Day gift?”
He stood to empty the glass and set it in the sink. “Not for you. For you, I’d show you the Seven Wonders of the World.”
“Why choose that?”
“Because I’ve never done it and because I’d want it to be with you. I’d want to be with you just to watch the way that your eyes widen with amazement.”
“Mason…” She set the cup down and took a step toward him. “I don’t know what to think when it comes to you.”
“Then don’t think.”
She took another step, then another until she was close enough to touch his chest. Tentatively, she reached for him.
He inhaled swiftly. “This isn’t going to be easy for either of us.”
“No, it’s not. But some things are worth the difficulty.” She raised her head as he lowered his.
He stroked her back, urging her against him. Olivia could barely stand the onslaught, the gamut of emotions and desire that raced through her. He moved his lips to her neck and kissed her there. The tingle spread through Olivia’s body and she gasped when he reached for her shirt, sliding it up. His hands closed around her bare waist and he drew her closer. His touch sent sensations racing through her body as if she’d received a thousand electrical shocks. Olivia’s breasts ached for him.
He nuzzled her, gently whispering her name as he left a trail of kisses along the side of her neck.
She reached around behind her body and unfastened her bra, letting it fall to the floor. Mason lifted his head and slowly ran his gaze across her breasts, then looked into her eyes. He swallowed, then scooped her up into his arms to carry her into her bedroom.
In the room, he slowly lowered her and reached over to turn on the light. “I want to see all of you.”
Olivia stood for a second, trying to calm her racing heart.
“If you’ve changed your mind, now would be a good time to say something.”
She reached for the button on his pants. “I want this. I want you.”
He kissed her deeply, his hands sliding up to cup her breasts as he urged her backward onto the bed. Once he was over her, he stopped. “I’m clean, but I don’t have any protection.”
“I’m clean, too, and I’m on the pill.”
“Thank God for pharmaceuticals.”
Olivia laughed and arched her breasts up into his chest. “You have on too many clothes.”
“So do you.” He undressed her and then undressed himself. “I’ve imagined being with you in so many ways. Dozens. Hell, hundreds.”
She shifted her position. “That many?”
“Those were just the teenage years.” He raised himself up to support his weight on his arms. “Look at me, sweet Olivia.” He eased into her.
Olivia gasped at the fullness and cried out, “Mason…”
He kissed her, keeping his mouth over hers as he moved in her.
Moaning against his lips, Olivia shifted her hips, urging him on. She clutched his back, pulling him closer. He drove faster, deeper until he pushed her over the edge and she dragged him with her.
Afterward, Mason moved to rest beside her, tucking her body against his. When his breathing quieted, he said, “Are you okay?”
“No. I’m more than okay.”
He kissed the top of her head, and that was the last thing Olivia remembered before she fell asleep.
When she woke the next morning, she was in the bed alone. She sat up and the events of the night before rushed toward her.
As quickly as she could, she showered, then dressed in a pair of black capri pants with a wide black belt. After adding a retro blue top with an oversize collar and short sleeves, Olivia felt somewhat human again.
Winding her hair up into a loose bun, she secured it and made her way to the kitchen. The coffee was already waiting. Thanking Mason profusely in her mind, she poured herself a steaming cup and held it in her hands, inhaling the delicious scent. With a little coffee in her system, she could handle life. Whatever got thrown at her, she could—Mason walked in wearing a pair of blue jeans and a shirt that he’d apparently sprayed on because she could see his nicely muscled torso perfectly.
“Something wrong?” he questioned.
“Not at all. Thank you for making the six-pack…um…the coffee.” She lifted her cup in a small salute.
“You’re welcome. You need to step on it. We’re due at the television station in fifteen minutes.”
“What?” Olivia lowered her cup. She searched his face. He hadn’t mentioned last night and she wasn’t sure if she should. If it had meant anything to him other than release.
“The producer from Channel 10 called wanting an interview. I told them we’d be delighted.”
“Mason! Look at me. I don’t have any makeup on. My hair is still wet. I’m a mess.”
“You are, and always have been, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Her heart beat faster at his compliment. Their eyes locked and everything around her disappeared. All her instincts screamed at her to run. Her heart, followed by her body, begged her to stay.
Olivia pressed a hand to her hair and looked away from him, breaking the hold. “Thank you.”
“Olivia?”
“What?”
“Last night…I want you to know that it’s never been like that for me. I didn’t want the morning to arrive.”
Relieved, Olivia smiled. “Me either.”
“You should get ready. You don’t want to be late for the interview.”
Olivia’s smile faded. The station doing an interview would be another great publicity move. The faster her business continued to grow, the more money she stood to make. Once the agreement between them was finished, she could return home, back to her life, and leave Mason to his. She should feel ecstatic at the thought, but she didn’t.
Chapter Nine
On the Monday after their return from Texas, Mason was in his office going over the latest financial records when his secretary announced the arrival of his attorney. As soon as Scott entered carrying a thick manila envelope along with a folder, Mason could tell the other man had something important to say.
His body tensed. He’d instructed Scott to dig into the background of Olivia’s father and into the events that happened the night of the fire. This wasn’t the first time he’d had members of his team looking into Chief Carter’s background, but no one from the past had been willing to talk until now.
“You’re not going to like this.” Scott tapped the envelope.
“Put it on my desk.”
The other man did as instructed, then said, “The furniture Olivia needs in order to get set up in that building you leased has been delivered. A group of suppliers was contacted and is waiting to take any orders for materials she might need.”
Mason knew that Olivia would likely blow a gasket that he’d intervened in her life and set everything up for her after she’d
said not to, but when it came to business, time was money. He wasn’t about to sit around and watch her struggle to work in the bedroom space at his home when he could make a phone call and have everything she needed arranged. They hadn’t discussed it further since he’d told her over the phone while she was in Texas that he’d found a place. Maybe she’d hoped he would change his mind. He had no intention of doing that, but the thought of Olivia just being a means to an end to get his revenge didn’t sit as well with him as it once did.
“Did you take care of everything else?” he asked when he realized the other man was still standing there.
“It’s all here.” Scott placed the folder on top of the envelope. “The invoice for the BMW you leased for her is waiting for your signature. Credit accounts in your name with her on the account as a signer have been opened in all the major clothing stores.”
When the other man hesitated, Mason waved his hand. “We’ve known each other too long for you to hold back. What’s on your mind?”
“From the way that you’ve described her, I don’t get the feeling that Olivia Carter is the type of woman who’ll appreciate you taking over her life.”
“I’m not taking over. I’m helping. It would take her several months to accomplish what I’ve done in one day. She’ll have a nice place to meet with her clients, privacy for phone calls, and if she gives it a chance, she’ll see that I did a good thing for her.”
“I know, but—” Whatever Scott was going to say was interrupted by Bonnie informing Mason that Olivia was there to see him.
Seconds later, his office door flung open and Olivia was there. Today she had on a short black skirt and a white button-up shirt that hinted at the fullness of her breasts. Mason’s body stirred.
Backing away from the desk, Scott said, “I’ll stop by your office before I leave for the day. Olivia, good to see you again.” He nodded a greeting at her and then quickly left.
Olivia slammed the door shut behind him and the sound reverberated around the richly furnished room. With her eyes narrowed, she advanced. “I know that we put on a good show for the television station. They, as the world does, believe that you and I are, how did the interviewer phrase it? Ah, ‘a couple fated to be together,’ that’s what she said.”
Her hands fisted tightly, Olivia said, “Let me tell you something about your fate if you don’t stop butting into my life. I agreed to this situation because I have no choice.” The anger in her voice lessened. “But that does not mean that I am Mason Parker’s property and my life is yours to do with as you please. Is that clear?”
She sounded worried, and he wondered why. “Good morning, Olivia. You look stunning as always.” His eyes took in her wind-tossed hair and the way her clothes wrapped around her body in a sensuous call to his. The fact that she challenged him at every turn was more of an aphrodisiac than her gorgeous body was. He liked that she was a strong woman, and he enjoyed their verbal sparring.
“Damn it, Mason, I mean it.”
“You don’t like your shop space?”
“It’s perfect and you know it.”
“Then we don’t have a problem.”
Olivia crossed the room and smacked her hands down on his desk, leaning across it toward him. “We damn well do have a problem. I told you that I didn’t want it and you’re going to undo everything you did concerning my life.”
Her position gave him a bird’s-eye view of her cleavage. Mason put his hands on the desk and leaned toward her. “Or what?”
“Or…you’ll forever lose your chance to get that land because I’ll leave and take my chances with you outing me.”
“Most women would be grateful they no longer had to deal with the inconvenience of working out of the bedroom space and the financial pressure. Look at the upside. You get a building in an area that most businesses only dream of getting. The car I ordered for you is top of the line and the accounts I had set up will allow you to take care of not only your personal needs but whatever you need for your business as well.”
“I made it clear before we ever left Texas I would take care of myself.”
“You did, and I chose not to listen.”
She straightened. “I hope you enjoy the shop, the car, and the accounts. I told you I would pay my own way and I meant it. I won’t take a dime from you.”
He came around the desk. “Why can’t you simply accept my help?”
“Because it makes me feel like you’re trying to buy me, especially since we had sex, and because I’m afraid.”
The admission shocked him. “Afraid? You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid that something like this will expand to other areas of my life. That you would overshadow what I want, and second, I’m afraid because I have a feeling your help comes with strings attached.”
She was right. There were strings attached. He was willing to spend whatever he needed to, do whatever it took, to soften her up in order to get that land. But he hated that he liked doing things for her. Hated that he wanted to make her life easier any way that he could. The struggle not to get emotionally involved with Olivia was one of the biggest battles he’d faced since making love to her. It made him feel vulnerable, and he wasn’t a man who let himself be vulnerable. Opening his arms wide, he said, “What do you want? Me to put in writing that all these things are gifts and I expect nothing in return? I can do that, because it’s the truth.”
“I can’t accept them.”
“Because you’re stubborn.”
She shrugged and he walked toward her.
“What is it about you that makes it hard to think straight when I’m near you?” He kept walking toward her until her legs backed into a sofa against the wall.
“Probably the same thing about you that makes it hard for me to think straight when I’m near you.” She skirted him to stand in front of his desk before she faced him. “There’s a logical explanation, though. It had been too long since I had sex. I get around a member of the opposite sex and of course my radar goes off. That’s what happened between us.”
Mason narrowed his eyes, not buying it. “Any man would have done, is that what you’re saying?”
“I’m sorry if that bruises your ego.”
He came to stand in front of her and leaned toward her. She pulled her body backward toward his desk. Putting his hands on either side of her thighs, he said, “You’re lying. You wanted me. You cried out my name because you wanted me.”
“It’s not you,” she said loftily. “Simple biology was at play then as it now. The male and female species were meant to procreate in order to ensure the survival of our kind.”
“Then by all means, let’s make sure we do our part for survival and you can scream my name while you’re…surviving.” Through her shirt, he could see the thrust of her nipples, and Mason’s body tightened, his hardness straining for release. With a flick of his fingers, he undid the buttons on her shirt and flung the material down her arms, away from her shoulders, exposing her black bra to his gaze.
“So beautiful.” He touched the swelling mounds above the cups of her bra and the lotion she used clung to his hand, the scent wafting every time he moved his fingers to massage her breasts. Pushing her legs open, he stood between them, shifting his weight to allow his hardness to press against the thin material of her silky underwear.
Sliding his hand beneath her skirt, his fingers touched the lacy edge of her underwear. Wrapping the other arm around her waist, he lifted her up, laying her across his desk. When she moaned and let her head fall back, Mason knew Olivia would be his again.
“Mr. Mason, your appointment is here,” Bonnie’s voice sliced through the tension and Mason wanted to fire everyone in the goddamn building.
…
She’d failed. She’d intended to push him away emotionally. When she’d found out what he’d done, she’d realized that Mason had never given an indication that he cared about her. She couldn’t be one of his flings. Olivi
a couldn’t believe she’d almost had sex on Mason’s desk. Her breasts throbbed and her body ached with unfulfilled desire. Taking the edges of her shirt, she started pulling the ends together, trying to concentrate enough to fasten the buttons.
“Let me.” Mason brushed aside her hands and began to smoothly slip the buttons into their rightful place. When he was done, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips. The gesture made her want to weep. She craved him. How she craved him, but she wanted more than just sex. But with him bent on revenge, whatever developed between them wouldn’t be real. For him, it would only be a means to an end. She had to get out of here with what dignity she had intact. Before she asked him what the chances could be of their relationship going from fake to real.
She put her hand out on his desk, intending to gain some leverage to push herself down onto her feet. Breathing in short raspy breaths, Olivia pressed down with her hand and knocked a thick envelope onto the carpet. She bent to pick it up, freezing when she saw her father’s name. Her fingers tightened as she slowly rose.
“Mason, what’s this?”
“I’m not sure what’s in the report. I haven’t read it yet.”
She ripped open the clasp and yanked out the pages. As she skimmed them, she said, “You had my father investigated for misconduct?”
“Yes.”
Bunching the pages together, she slapped them against his chest. After being together, she’d thought that maybe it was possible he would begin to care for her, but it was obvious that he didn’t. “Enjoy your reading.” She marched toward the door, her body throbbing, her heart aching. What an idiot I am. Starting to feel too much for someone who only wants to use me.
Mason caught her wrist, swinging her around to face him. “Are you afraid that you might learn the truth? Or are you just grasping at straws to find something to drive a wedge between us so that we don’t continue what we’ve already started?”
“There’s already a wedge between us because of your need for revenge. I think that I could easily learn to hate you all over again, Mason.”
“Was it your hate I felt when you kissed me back?” He released his hold.
