“We’re finished, right? I’ll clean up.” Uncomfortable, Mason couldn’t look Jude in the eye and used the dirty plates as an excuse. He stood over the sink and loaded the dishwasher.
The first time Warren had initiated sex, Mason hadn’t been surprised. He’d expected it after the expensive gifts arrived at his room, and then the dinner solidified it. When he turned Warren down, it was because he didn’t want Warren to think he needed to buy him things to get him into bed.
“If I sleep with someone, it’s my choice. No amount of money or expensive presents will change my mind.”
“So I still have a chance?”
Candlelight flickered between them, catching the silver of Warren’s hair and the gleam of his smile.
“Yeah.”
It was three more nights before Mason took him to bed, where Warren proved to be a pleasant lover, but nothing more.
A week after they’d begun their affair, they were lying in bed one evening, and when Warren asked him to be his personal assistant, Mason knew what the deal would be.
“If I take the job, I want to work and learn. One day I plan to go home, and I’d like to prove to my brother I’m not a fuckup.”
“Oh, you’ll work, all right. By nighttime you’ll be so tired, you might wish you’d stayed a bartender. I’m demanding but fair, and if you decide to take the job, I’ll make sure when you eventually do leave, you’ll be ready to take on anything you want to do.”
“And this…between us? I assume it stays the same? The job comes with certain benefits?” He smiled so Warren would understand he wasn’t offended. That he understood what he was agreeing to.
“The benefit will be mine, I assure you,” Warren said, his hand trailing down Mason’s naked stomach. “You’re very beautiful, very young. I’d count myself lucky to have a lover like you.”
Mason was many things, but a fool wasn’t one of them. He and Warren both knew it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“What’s wrong?” Jude murmured into his neck, and Mason leaned into his strong arms. “You got so quiet.”
“Nothing, really. I don’t like reliving the past. It’s an exercise in futility.”
“Why? We learn from past mistakes and how not to make them again, or from wins and try to replicate them and go beyond.”
“Maybe.” He turned and rested his head on Jude’s shoulder. “But I’m not the person I was even when I first decided to get my business degree. I’m much more focused and sure of what I want.”
“Yeah?” Jude nuzzled into his neck, and Mason’s body throbbed. “Tell me what you want.”
“You. Me. Us. Together. Just like we are now. Locked away and forgetting everything else.”
“I didn’t forget what Doug said. I’m sorry he upset you.” Jude massaged his shoulders. “He was being an ass.”
“Thanks for standing up for me. It was nice to hear you say those things.”
“I meant them.” Jude gazed straight into his eyes. “I’m never going to sugarcoat the truth to make you or anyone feel better.”
“Good thing I don’t suck, then.” Mason grinned and raised a brow.
Jude slid an arm around his shoulder. “Are you sure about that? I seem to recall something different this morning. Or maybe it was someone else.”
Mason pinned him against the kitchen island. “Yeah? Are you saying I’m forgettable?”
Jude touched his face. “Anything but. You’re impossible to forget.”
Words danced on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn’t sure—he’d never said them to anyone. So he said, “But maybe you need a refresher?”
He kissed Jude and sank to his knees.
Chapter Nineteen
Mason woke up with a runny nose, sniffles, and an all-around miserable face. He buried his head under the covers and moaned. “God, I can’t breathe.” He flopped on his back and sniffed. “Blergggh.”
