Fucking asshole.
But Jude couldn’t help the smile tugging at his lips.
* * *
They’d agreed to arrive at the office separately so as not to draw suspicion, but since they were usually the first two in the office anyway, it hardly mattered. And though it seemed childish and silly, Jude liked seeing Mason wearing his shirt and a flowery tie he’d gotten as a Secret Santa office gift a few years earlier but had hated and never worn.
Mason shut Jude’s office door behind him and pushed him against it, his tongue sweeping inside Jude’s mouth, their kiss so filthy and deep, Jude’s head spun. He cupped Jude’s crotch and massaged his bulge.
“This has to hold both of us all day,” Mason said. “Think of me wearing your boxers and all that soft fabric around my dick. Every time I see you, know I’m hard as a rock in my pants, and all it would take is one touch for me to come.”
Jude allowed himself another taste of Mason’s lips before stepping away. “You’re a little shit, you know that?”
“And you like it,” Mason responded with a cocky smile.
Jude pulled at his tie and kissed Mason one last time. “Yeah, I do. Now get that ass to work.” He moved behind the safety of his desk and scrubbed his face.
Mason opened the door. “We have a meeting with the new client, and then you have an afternoon of phone calls.” He pulled out his phone. “I’m going to work on Mojo.”
“Good. You and Pryce getting along okay?”
Leaning his long body against the door, Mason straightened his tie. “Yeah, I was surprised, but he turned out to be really nice. I think it’ll work out. I guess I should stop assuming things about people. Especially now.” He flashed that cocky grin again as his gaze raked over Jude with such thoroughness, Jude felt stripped naked.
“I need to do that as well. Here I thought there was nothing more to you than the party guy from ten years ago, the one Doug and I had to constantly help wiggle out of trouble.”
“Which you didn’t. You let my ass sit in jail overnight.” Mason rolled his eyes. “Teach me a lesson. I remember.”
Jude smirked. “Did it work? I think so, because I don’t recall Doug getting another two a.m. call that you were arrested. And you managed years away from home without getting into trouble, although I’m sure a man like Warren Colchester kept you on a short leash.”
Eyes dark, Mason kicked the floor, the mood shifting to serious. “I’d like to think I’ve grown up since then. We all make mistakes, Jude. I’m sure even you.” Mason opened the door. “I’d better go. Talk to you later.”
Staring after Mason as he shut the door to his office behind him, Jude wondered if this was one of those times when he said something wrong unintentionally. He shook his head, feeling like he’d missed a conversation he hadn’t been a part of.
Chapter Fourteen
The minutes ticked by, but Mason made no attempt to start any of the numerous projects awaiting him. Nor was he thinking about the incredible time with Jude, where in one night he’d discovered more about the enigmatic man than he’d ever imagined he’d be made privy to. And, Mason sensed, there was more to be unearthed if only he were allowed entry to delve beneath the surface.
He stared at his laptop screen, thinking about Jude’s words, knowing he’d meant it as a joke, but sometimes truthwasstranger than fiction and a whole lot less funny.
Mason had never lacked for lovers. Once he’d left college, he’d preferred to avoid one-night stands, but over the years, he’d had several months-long relationships built mainly on sex that eventually fizzled out when they’d grown tired of each other. Warren was the first older man he’d ever been with, and though Mason had laughed at the contract he’d signed—which, among other things, acknowledged them as exclusive sexual partners—he’d known Warren took it seriously.
“I don’t want to have to worry that on your day off you’ll be running to shore, looking for a hot fuck boy. When you work for me, you’re mine.”
And Warren did demand a lot of him but in return, treated him with kindness and respect. Did he wish he could’ve worked for Warren without having sex as part of their arrangement? Of course. Technically, although he’d never looked into it, it was likely against the law. But which law? Warren was a British citizen, Mason was an American, and he had no idea what country the boat was registered to.
Besides, he was an adult and fully capable of making his own decisions, stupid or not. The benefits of being Warren’s assistant far outweighed the obligation to have sex with him or dealing with snide, ignorant comments and leers from people he’d never see again.
Now that he and Jude were beginning to take tentative steps toward each other, Mason didn’t need to upset those tenuous, fragile-as-a-spiderweb bonds being woven between them. Plus, it was a chapter of his life he considered closed, and he was not a fan of rereading. He was all about turning the pages forward.
At the knock on his door, he thrust the past aside. “Come in.”
Pryce poked his head in. “Hey. Have a few minutes? I’ve got some questions for the influencers, and then maybe we can sift through responses and start talking budget?”
“Yeah, sure. Where? Your office?”
The door opened wider, and Pryce leaned against the frame. “If you don’t mind, since I have all the files and stuff there.”
“Not at all. Lemme grab my laptop.”
