“I need to…okay, I can’t discuss this from three thousand miles away. “I told you sohas to be face-to-face. More importantly, you’re right. Mase, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
Before Mason had a chance to respond, Jude jumped in. “That’s right. You shouldn’t have.”
“Do you mind?” Mason said, a little irritated. “This is between me and Doug. Doug, I accept your apology even though you were rude as fuck. I’ve been working really hard to show you I’m not a screw-up anymore.”
Doug’s eyes glimmered. “I never thought you were. No matter what you thought, I was always in your corner.”
“I didn’t make it easy, though.”
“The best things don’t come easy.”
It took everything inside Mason to refrain from looking at Jude, but Doug was right. He felt like he’d reached the apex of the mountain.
Doug wasn’t finished. “So with Jude’s ringing endorsement, Ilana and I are going to extend our trip. If you don’t mind, Jude, we’re going to take a detour to Greece after Italy.”
“I have no issue with it. We’re well covered here. Enjoy, and stay in touch.”
They finished their call, and Mason collected his computer and tablet. “I’m glad it worked out and Doug wasn’t too mad.”
“He’ll get over it.” Jude hesitated, then closed the door he’d just opened. “I meant what I said. I’m impressed, and I think you should plan on staying here permanently if it’s what you want.”
“I-I don’t know what to say except thank you and yes. I won’t let you or Doug down, and I promise to—mmph.” His words were cut short by Jude’s mouth descending on his. He sighed, loving how hard Jude held him by the shoulders, taking control and pushing his hot, slick tongue into his mouth. As quickly as it happened, Jude pulled away.
“I shouldn’t have done that, but I wanted you to know I don’t think of you as the Mason I used to know. You’re so much more, and I’m glad you decided to come home.”
If Jude had said “I love you,” Mason couldn’t have been more surprised, and it left him shaken.
“Thank you. I’m a little overwhelmed. All I wanted was to be taken seriously.”
“I think we’ve established that I’m pretty serious about you.” He blinked, vulnerability shining from his eyes.
God.Was Jude aware of how fucking hot he looked when he said something so damn sweet?
“Me too.” Mason kissed his cheek. “I’d better get back to my office and write up my notes from this afternoon’s meetings. See you at the apartment later.”
* * *
“Tell me about working for Warren Colchester.” They were finishing their takeout dinner of shrimp and pasta, and Jude set down his fork.
Any mention of Warren set off warning bells inside Mason and put him on the defensive. Coming from Jude, he knew the question was innocent, and he gave the sanitized answer he’d practiced before returning from Fiji.
“It was a dream. He’s tough and demanding…like some other people I know.” He snuggled next to Jude on the sofa and drained the rest of his beer. “Why do you want to talk about that? It’s boring. Let’s go to bed.”
But Jude wasn’t ready to be dissuaded. “I’m interested, that’s why. You built a life there and stayed away for years. Something must’ve kept you from coming home.”
“Who wouldn’t want to live on a superyacht? It was fascinating to see how the really rich lived. I’ve never been in an environment where no matter what you wanted, all you had to do was ask, and it would show up.”
“I can’t imagine. Unlimited money must make a person very demanding and have unreasonable expectations. Rich and powerful people aren’t known for their forgiveness if they don’t get what they want and aren’t satisfied.” Jude pushed aside his plate. “How was Colchester as a boss? What did you think of him?”
Every word hit Mason like a fresh cut to the skin. He’d satisfied Warren, all right. So much so, that when he’d first started hinting about leaving, Warren had given him a twenty-five percent raise on top of his already hefty salary without mentioning anything to him.
“Working for someone like Warren gave me a view into a world most people will never see. Most of it was good. I got to travel, meet the leaders of industries, and even several world leaders. He taught me about perseverance and how to talk to people to make them want to do business with you.”
“So that’s how you and Pryce get along so well now?”
“Partly.” Mason didn’t want to reveal too much about his initial mistrust, especially since they’d been getting along. “I learned organizational skills and time management. Warren had specific ways he wanted things done, and he expected perfection. Mistakes were not an option. They could cost him millions.”
“You obviously satisfied him, or he wouldn’t have kept you for so long.”
