For five solid seconds, we just look at each other, waiting for the other to say something.
I jump in. “So?—”
“I—”
“Oh god.” I chuckle. “Sorry.”
“You go first,” she tells me, nodding her head as if it’s what she wants.
“So, I guess you’re going to be around here—the office, for a while…”
“Yeah, I like it here. It’s… good.”
“That’s good.” God, this is too much. “Look, Jasmine, I’m going to be super honest here. I have a lot going on in my own liferight now, and I know from what Mason has told me you do too. I don’t feel ready to explore this.” I gesture between us in a weird unnecessary way and quickly grasp the coffee with both hands to stop myself from looking any more of an idiot. “Sister thing,” I add, hoping I don’t sound like a complete bitch. It hasn’t come across well at all, I can tell by the drop of her shoulders.
“Me too! I can’t… like it’s not that I don’t want to know you but…”
“No, I get it!” I smile at her, instantly relieved that we’re on the same page. “Maybe we could grab a coffee at some point, once things aren’t so…”
“Sure.” She nods, pursing her lips so as to stop her smile from widening.
“Nina.” My head turns at the sound of Mason’s voice. He has a wide grin lighting up his beautiful face as he stalks towards me.
“Hey!”
He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my temple. “This is a nice surprise.” He eyes the coffee cup in my hands then flicks his eyes back to mine with a wicked look on his face. “For me I presume?”
“I thought I’d bring you some more shit coffee.”
“You couldn’t get me some of the other that I like?” My eyes bug out at him. I look at Jasmine who thankfully thinks we are talking about coffee. At least she doesn’t let on if she knows her boss is a sex fiend. “Excuse us,” he tells her, taking my hand and leading me into his office.
“Where’s Ellis?” I ask, taking a step towards his deskbefore his hands snake around me and I’m dragged back into his solid body.
“With Elliot,” he hums, his lips running up the length of my neck. “You really do taste delicious, angel.”
I tap his arm playfully and step out of his hold. “That’s not why I came here! You’re obsessed.”
“I am.”
“Go get our son, Mason. We came here to give you your coffee.”
“Fuck the coffee.” He tries to pull me back to him, but I push him away.
“Mase, go and get him!” I laugh.
“Fine.” He rolls his eyes and leaves the room, returning a few minutes later with Ellis who now has a perfectly positioned bow tie around his neck. “Look at this champ, Mummy!”
“What’s George done to you?” I follow Mason around the desk and stand leant against his office chair when he sits down with Ellis on his lap. The second I’m close enough, his hand slips down to glide up my inner leg, grasping me just above the knee.
“You came to see me,” he says, looking up at me with a boyish look on his face.
“We missed you. You left without saying goodbye this morning.”
“I didn’t want to wake you both.”
“Always wake me,” I tell him, smoothing my fingers through his ruffled hair. “It was odd waking up at the penthouse.”
“Odd how?”
