“And the trapeze artists? What was your issue with them? It would’ve been cool, and I know Doug and Ilana and everyone else would’ve had a blast.”
“Again, what if they fell and the net broke? Why are you making things so difficult? Don’t you understand?” Exasperated didn’t even begin to express the gamut of emotions running through him while talking to this man.
“Sometimes you need to take that leap into the unknown, Jude. Fly without the safety of a net beneath your wings. It can be exhilarating. And for the record? I’m not blasé about sex. At all. I take who I let inside my body very seriously.” Mason picked his backpack up off the floor. “I’ll meet you at the office.”
Jude watched him stroll away and shook his head. People like Mason didn’t understand the meaning of responsibility, not only to themselves, but to others. Jude couldn’t take off when the mood struck and do whatever he wanted. People relied on him—the business, Ilana…his mother.…It had started when he was a teenager, and then he’d been the only one capable of helping her once she got so sick. He rubbed his face.
It was going to be one hell of a long month.
Chapter Four
Fuming, Mason strode out of the Peninsula hotel and into the oppressively hot air of a mid-July heat wave. He strode down Fifth Avenue, his good mood from watching his brother marry the love of his life already seeping away, thanks to that stuffed shirt, Jude.
For years Mason had tried to put Jude Staubman out of his mind but had been unsuccessful—his brother’s best friend had always been a shadow in the background of his life. Doug was fun and popular and had tons of friends, but for reasons Mason couldn’t fathom—still couldn’t—he’d stuck by Jude and refused to listen to Mason’s complaints.
“You don’t know the guy, Mase. Yeah, he’s a little uptight. But Jude’s also the kindest person I’ve ever met and would give you the shirt off his back. All you see is him being tough and doing cleanup when you’ve gotten in trouble or I’ve asked him for help.”
Mason sure as hell hadn’t been the beneficiary of that kindness. Jude had been the one who’d convinced Doug not to bail him out, leaving him to spend the night in jail when he got arrested for being drunk and disorderly and jumping the turnstiles. Mason had been seventeen at the time.
So, yeah. He didn’t have the best memories of Jude Staubman.
Except for last night.
Thathe never wanted to forget.
But at the moment he needed this job way more than he needed sex, so he ignored the delicious aches from Jude’s manhandling and focused on the task at hand. He had one month. One month to get Mr. Uptight to unclench his ass and see Mason could be an asset to The Company.
He ran down the subway steps and emerged twenty minutes later in SoHo, several blocks from the office. First, he stopped and bought himself a suit, shirt, tie, and shoes. God, he hated the damn things.
“These were made for you.” The salesman’s admiring glances didn’t slip past Mason’s notice, and normally he would’ve flirted with him, but he was on a mission, so everything else had to be put on the back burner.
“Thanks. I’m starting a new job, so I need to put my best face forward, you know?” He handed the man his credit card. “Can you take off all the tags, please? I need to wear it right now.”
“Sure, and good luck.”
“Thanks,” Mason said grimly, tightening his lips. “I’m going to need it.”
Mission Remove Stick from Jude’s Ass had begun.
He accepted the receipt and the shopping bag with his shorts, T-shirt, and sneakers from the salesman, and didn’t mistake the lingering brush of his fingers.
“I wrote my name on the receipt, so if you come in again, you can ask for me.”
Mason picked the paper out of the bag. “Nice to meet you, Joey. And your telephone number?”
Joey’s grin grew brighter. “In case you need me for anything else.”
Mason laughed. “Thanks. I’ll make sure not to lose it.”
Flirting with a gorgeous guy always made him feel better, and he swung the shopping bag back and forth as he walked down Broadway. The guard inside the entrance of The Company’s offices stopped him.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m meeting Jude Staubman.” Mason gave his most winning smile, but the guard wasn’t Joey the salesman and didn’t return it. The nametag on his uniform readDennis. “I’m starting work for The Company. Nice to meet you, Dennis. Doug Reiner is my brother.”
That thawed him a bit.
“Okay. I can see it now. You look a little alike. Mr. Staubman’s not here. The offices aren’t open today.”
