BRIAN (The Callahans Book 1) (102 page)

“I love you.”
Laura had said it first. Mason slouched back in bed and smiled to himself. He didn’t want to read too deeply into the words, but his heart gave a little leap in the hopes that she really did.

He pulled back the duvet and set his computer aside. He was too amped to sleep and couldn’t lie still. Mason paced the hotel room floor.

The Hotel Vintage was his favorite place to stay when he came to Seattle. His suite was roomy with a separate living room and an ultra-deep soaker tub in the bathroom. The king size bed was more than enough to accommodate two people, and felt cold and barren with just him in it. Mason figured he would have a hard time sleeping that night.

He checked his calendar to see if he really had to stay another day. He itched to go home and be with Laura. They had spent so much time apart that continuing to do so when they didn’t have to sucked.

He had meetings that took him until noon, and then he had to speak from three to four, and then his part in the conference was over. He texted his partner and asked if he wouldn’t mind taking over his speaking engagement the next day. He had been pissing and moaning the whole trip about how bored he was.

His partner text back with a “hell yes”, so Mason would just pack up and go straight to the airport from the Hampton Inn and be home by the time Laura left work.

He called SeaTac and hoped that there might still be a concierge to switch his flight.

“SeaTac, how may I help you?” asked the clipped female voice.

“Hi, my name is Mason Decker, and I need to have a flight switched. I’m supposed to leave Friday morning, but I was wondering if I would be able to get a flight to JFK tomorrow around 1pm.”

“One moment, sir.”

The Muzak clicked on; a saxophone version of “Endless Love” accosted his ears while he waited.

“I only have one nonstop, business class flight to JFK at 12:50am Friday on Delta. The estimated travel time is about five hours and ten minutes. Does the red eye work for you, sir?”

It wasn’t ideal, but it would put him in the air six hours sooner. “Perfect, book it.” Mason gave the woman all of his information, and it took a little hoop jumping, but he somehow managed to sweet talk her into just switching his flight rather than just charging him for a new ticket.

Racing around the room, he collected all of his clothes and stuffed them into his carry-on. After a quick shower, he jumped into bed upbeat and ready for the next day.

Another thirteen-hour day was just beginning, and somehow Laura had already managed to keel over once. She was looking forward to the weekend; 4:00 couldn’t come fast enough, and she was pretty sure Daniel had given her a few new grey hairs.

After a knock, a wild mass of flaming red hair poked her head in the doorway. “Excuse me, Miss Ross?”

“Hey, Tammy. What’s up?”

“May I come in a minute?”

That’s weird.
“Of course. Come on in. What’s the matter?” Laura rose from her desk to approach the nervous receptionist. “Why are you sweating?”

“Because there is a really handsome man out front, and I get a little rattled around the good-looking ones.”

“That’s… good?” There were a number of good-looking guys on their floor, and usually a room full of models shooting on the floor below them. “Is that all you need to tell me?” Laura chuckled a bit.

“Oh, no! Duh. He’s here to see you. He’s the guy you wrote this month’s feature on. Sorry about that. His accent made me a little stupid for a second. I’m a sucker for a British guy.”

Laura’s face lit up.
He’s home early!
“That’s Mason Decker. Send him in!” Tammy left to go show Mason in, and as soon as the door shut she did a little happy dance. She ran to her desk and yanked her compact out of her purse to check her hair and makeup.

“Yeesh!” Her eyeliner had smeared and her hair had gone flat. A quick swipe with a tissue and a few strategically placed pins were about all she could get through before another knock came.

“Miss Ross, Mr. Decker here to see you.” Tammy shrank back out of the doorway as Mason passed by her.

“Thank you, Tammy. I appreciate you showing me the way.” He flashed the flustered receptionist his most charming smile before she scampered out of the room.

Laura couldn’t contain herself. Like a lovesick schoolgirl, she rushed him, throwing herself into his arms, and planted an urgent kiss on his lips.

Mason wrapped his arms around her in a squeeze and lifted Laura off of her feet. “I’m happy to see you too, love.” He set her down and kissed her again, gentler, but no less needy. He dropped a bag, and he cupped her face in his hands, his stubble rasping against her skin as he claimed her mouth with his.

When they separated, Laura was breathless and weak-kneed. She wound her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest. “Next time take me with you. This week sucked.”

“It did for me too. Do you have time for coffee?”

Laura nodded into his chest.

Mason untangled himself from her and got the door. The pair exited down the hall hand in hand, Laura quickly abandoning her need for discretion and privacy. She was too over the moon to care what her officemates thought.

Right as they hit the elevator Laura remembered something. “You go ahead. I almost forgot my purse.” She hurried back to her office to gather her purse and the final magazine layout to show Mason.

She was digging for her cell phone when she bumped smack into Frank. “Oh, hi! I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“No harm done. So the hot office gossip is that you’re banging a billionaire now. Is it true?”

Wow. That took all of five minutes.
“Not that it’s anybody’s business, but I’ve known Mason since we were teenagers, and yeah, I am seeing him.”

Frank shook his head. “So,
he’s
the ex-fiancé, huh? I wouldn’t have pegged you for one of the limey groupies.”

“Excuse me? You cut that out.” Laura was fuming. In one sentence he had used a derogatory word and he called her a slut. Great.

“Mason fucking Decker,” Frank chuckled. “Welp, I certainly hope his money keeps you warm at night. Take care, Laura.” He walked away, mumbling under his breath. Laura stared at his back, mouth open. She caught the words “whore” and “gold digger”, but was too blown away by that brief interaction to chase Frank down and tear him a new one.

“Asshole,” she muttered as she turned to leave. Some guys just couldn’t handle rejection.

***

Laura stepped onto the sidewalk from the lobby and found Mason’s driver waiting to get the door for her. She nodded and slid across the black leather next to Mason; she was still fuming over Frank’s utter idiocy.

“You okay? Because you look like something happened in the last five minutes.”

She contemplated answering honestly, but decided it wasn’t worth it, so she just went halfway. “Office gossip has already started. I can’t wait to hear what it’s going to sound like in the morning when everyone’s had a chance to check their email.”

Laura removed her jacket and pinned her hair up in a loose twist. The air conditioning felt wonderful on her neck and helped to calm her temper.

“Let them talk. Shit like that tends to settle pretty quickly anyway. Besides, anything they cook up won’t be nearly as good as the truth.” Mason leaned in and playfully bit her neck.

Laura squealed as his stubble tickled the tender skin. “I just want to be mad, okay?”

Mason put the privacy divider up and then continued to attack her neck. The kisses and playful nips both felt arousing and tickled. She was left both giggling and sighing as she fell into his lap.

She laid her head on his thighs and closed her eyes as Mason smoothed the hair off of her face. His touch was soft and tender, soothing her frazzled nerves and washing away all traces of Frank and his disgusting remarks.

“So, while I was waiting for you to come to the car, my assistant texted me to let me know I had received a reminder about a big fundraising event at The Met next week. Would you like to accompany me? It’s some stuffy, black tie affair, but I figured I’d ask.”

“Black tie? So, I can dress up and be all girlie and get my hair done?”

“Yeah, one of those.”

“I’m down. I’m sure Daniel will let me have the afternoon off if I tell him I’m fishing for a new story while I’m there.”

“Great. I always feel like such a twat at those things. I’ll be happy to have company. And the most beautiful girl in the room,” he smiled. “You do have something cocktail appropriate, yeah?”

Laura thought for a moment, going through her mental inventory. Most of her closet was work related or workout clothes. The fanciest thing she owned was the lone pair of Manolo Blahniks she’d splurged on five years earlier. “Crap! No, I don’t have anything. Never mind then. We can go do something else.”

“Nonsense. I’ll take you shopping this weekend. Try and figure out where you want to go, and we’ll make a date of it.”

Laura snuggled in closer. The hum of the car’s engine and the head rub started making her drowsy.

Mason was nudging her as the car pulled up to the curb. “Wake up. We’re here.”

Laura lifted her head. The ride had been way too short for her rundown body, but she was instantly boosted when she saw the sign for the Doughnut Plant. “Oh, baby!” she exclaimed. She could practically feel the sweet sugar buzz already.

Laura climbed over Mason to get out.

“Hey! Really?” Mason stepped out of the car and smoothed the wrinkles out of his grey wool trousers.

“Sorry, but you move too slow, and I have to get back!” Laura sped off towards the shop. An espresso and a carrot cake doughnut were just what the doctor ordered.

“Oh, you spoil me, Mason.” Laura nearly drooled on the bakery case at the decadent selections in front of her. It had been too long since she had acquainted herself with a doughnut.

They both placed their orders then took a seat to wait. Laura kept looking at her watch. She had only a little time to play with. She had to get back for a meeting to organize the next issue.

“Relax. I’ll get you back in time.” Mason reached out and rested his hand on hers, the warmth of his hand quieting her anxiety.

“I know. I’m just wound up. I get this way whenever a new issue is set to print. I get anxious and a little nuts from the lack of sleep. I promise I’m not usually this loopy and emotional.”

“Don’t promise that. I like you a little unstable.” His eyes crinkled as he laughed. He enjoyed getting a rise out of her.

“Thanks. I’m glad my sleep deprivation is so entertaining for you.” She stuck her tongue out at him. The barista called for them to pick up their order, and Mason excused himself. She watched him walk up to the counter and made a mental note to send his tailor a thank you letter.

“Here you go.” He set her bag and coffee in front of her and reclaimed his own seat.

Laura popped the lid off of the to-go container to let her latté cool and dug into her doughnut. She made pleasure noises as she chewed. The cream cheese filling was heavenly. “You should have ordered one of these. Their doughnuts are amazing.”

“No thanks. I’m perfectly happy watching you enjoy yours. In fact, if you don’t quit moaning you won’t make it back to work.” He felt himself stir and tried to tamp the arousal down. Besides being in a very public place, she prided herself on her professionalism, and he wouldn’t dare take that away from her, no matter how selfish he wanted to be.

Laura giggled. “Sorry. Here have a bite.” She reached across the table so Mason could sample.

He ran his tongue over her finger before moving to take a bite. “You’re right. It’s fantastic.” He licked a crumb from his lower lip.

Laura felt the pang of excitement that was becoming all too common for her in recent days.

“So, Laura. You’re mine for the weekend. I’m going to send a car for you after work. What time do you think you’ll be finishing up?”

“Likely 4:30, but I’ll need to pick up my clothes. I didn’t bring an overnight bag with me. Will your driver take me all the way to Brooklyn?”

“He would, yes, but don’t worry about that. I promised to take you shopping for the gala next week; we’ll just pick up a few necessities then. Besides, I don’t plan on spending a whole lot of time needing clothes.”

She could feel herself blush. At this point she was nearly drunk on the idea of spending a naked weekend with him. “I’m not sure I’m super comfortable with that bit. The dress is one thing, new underwear is most definitely another. You don’t have to.”

“No, I don’t, but I’d like to. I’m planning on making a date of it in the morning. The only time I’m planning on being with you outside of the bedroom. I think we need to be going. I don’t want you to be late.”

4:15 changed to 4:16. The last half hour had been dragging and making her crazy. Her leg bounced, and she tapped her pen against her blotter. She had been working out ideas for her next piece, but she couldn’t focus her attention.

The anticipation was becoming overwhelming. She hated the idea of delayed gratification and usually would just go after what she wanted. She silently thanked Mason for suggesting she go right over to his place rather than pick up her things. She never would have made it.

For the hundredth time since she had come back from coffee, she opened her drawer and fingered the box with the collar in it. Did she tempt her luck and not wear it in the hopes that her punishment would be as delicious as she thought, or should she play by the rules and guarantee she was getting into something amazing?

As if he were actually commanding her, she decided to just go with his request and be a good girl. “That is so weird,” she whispered to herself.

With five minutes to go, she gathered her things and tucked the pearls in a hidden pocket inside the lining of her purse.

The car was just pulling up when she walked out of the building. She motioned for the driver to stay put and let herself in. “Thank you. I’m meeting Mr. Decker at his apartment.” The driver nodded his understanding and pulled away. The traffic was getting heavy, so she had some time to get ready per her instructions.

She raised the privacy window and set about undressing herself. She had removed everything, and as she went to take off her underwear, she thought better. She had no desire to have her bare ass exposed to a draft and potential witnesses. Mason could deal with that last remaining shred of modesty.

She slipped her coat on and thanked God the weather report had predicted rain; otherwise she’d have left her overcoat at home. The silky lining felt cool on her bare skin, and the navy-colored wool blend was heavy enough to make her feel like she was mostly fully dressed.

The car pulled up to Mason’s building just as she finished rolling the rose oil behind her ears. She stepped onto the sidewalk and waved goodbye to the driver.

The short walk outside was exciting, but also made her a little paranoid. The doorman tipped his hat in greeting to her with a warm, friendly smile. Being so aware of her near nudity made Laura feel like the doorman and every other person that gave her so much as a passing glance knew she was basically naked.

The front desk notified Mason that she had arrived and let her in on the elevator. She clasped the collar around her neck and adjusted the gold ring that hung to her collarbone. Her arousal ramped up as she stepped off the elevator and knocked on his door.

He once again answered the door smiling, sexy, and relaxed, wearing the same worn jeans she had seen him in the week before and a black t-shirt made grey from too many trips through the washing machine.

“Come on in. I ordered dinner. It should be here any minute.” Mason noticed the shimmer of the collar around her neck. He was impressed she’d followed his directions. “Do you want a glass of wine?”

“Will we make it to wine, then?”

“Absolutely. Come sit with me. I’m hungry and plan on eating dinner.”

Laura followed Mason into his plush parlor. A bottle of wine was chilling in a metal bucket on his glass coffee table. A long black sectional wrapped around the center of the room, hugging the table and area rug. Shades of black, white, and red interplayed with warm mahogany furniture and squishy lounge chairs. The whole vibe of the room was masculine and comfortable.

“Oh my God,” Laura chortled, clasping her hands to her sides. “I can’t believe you still have that thing.” She maneuvered around to a bookshelf covered with pictures and trinkets, where, almost in the center of the madness, there was a beer bong championship trophy Mason had won their junior year of college.

“Of course I do. It’s one of my proudest accomplishments.”

“I remember that night. About fifteen minutes after winning this, you crawled under a bush and made out with a garden hose.” Laura hooted at the memory.

“You nearly drown in several gallons of beer and see what you find attractive after. I’ll have you know that hose broke my heart. She was only using me and refused to commit. It was tragic.” They had to lean against each other to keep from falling on the floor laughing.

Mason’s message alert went off. “Excuse me. The food’s here.”

Laura made herself comfortable while he was gone. She poured two glasses of wine and sipped the sweet, oaky liquid. Leaning back against the arm of the couch, she absentmindedly toyed with the tie of her coat as her mind wandered. Her mind didn’t drag up any memories in particular; she just settled into a quiet headspace, zoned out, and relaxed.

Mason leaned against the doorjamb to admire the woman lounging on his couch. Laura’s long blonde hair rippled over the arm of the couch, her long legs bent with her feet resting on the cushions, her navy overcoat parting to reveal a sliver of her hot pink underwear. She was idly swirling the wine in her glass and was lost in thought.

He was overjoyed to see her calm and relaxing in his home. It was as if time had never passed and she was lounging on his crappy futon in their first apartment. He didn’t want to interrupt her reverie, but his stomach was growling and he really wanted to eat.

“Food’s here.”

Laura righted herself and closed the coat back over herself. The scent of rosemary and sweet potatoes invaded her nostrils, eliciting a very audible response from her stomach. Mason began pulling the takeout containers from the bag and arranging them on the coffee table.

“Turkey?”

“Yeah. I thought a turkey dinner would be pretty tasty and not have all of the smelly side effects of Italian or Indian food.” He planted a swift peck on her lips before continuing, “You can take your coat off if it will make you more comfortable.” Mason flashed a knowing smirk in Laura’s direction.

“Maybe when we’re done eating.” Her mood had shifted from aroused to wanting to reestablish a friendship again. “I’m curious, after all this time, how come you never got married?”

“Well that’s a deep question.” He took a bite of his potato for a chance to think. “I have to think about that. You go first. There had to have been some bloke who wanted to marry you.”

“Honestly, none of the relationships I had really got to that point…and that’s all I’m comfortable saying about it.”

“Fair enough. I only had two long-term relationships after you left. The first was about a year later and lasted maybe two years. She began pressuring me about the marriage thing, and I just wasn’t ready, so that ended. The other one ended about a year and a half ago after being together about a year. I did contemplate marrying her for a moment, but she left her laptop open to her Facebook messages. Turns out she was really excited about marrying my money.” He cut into green beans and speared a few on his fork. “Everyone in between had been glorified bed-warmers. They just wanted to play games, and I wasn’t into that.”

Laura had seen his photo a few times in the newspaper with some busty woman on his arm at an event, or on Page Six with some heiress on a beach in Mexico. She could count the number of times she had seen him in print on one hand, but each time she would toss the offending document in the recycling.

“I’m sorry to hear that, but I am happy and impressed that you managed to do something with your geeky little computer experiments. You’ve come a long way from eating ramen noodles out of a Tupperware bowl.” Laura gave his forearm a squeeze.

She really was proud of him. Mason had spent a lot of his spare time in front of a screen running code and tinkering with his own software while still in school. At the time she hadn’t been sure that he would make something out of it, especially after he pitched a very expensive laptop out the window of their third story apartment.

The pair continued to chat and eat. They were both very careful to keep the conversation about catching up on what they had done and accomplished since seeing each other last rather than hashing out old problems. They had agreed to move forward and start fresh, so the unspoken agreement was to treat the relationship as brand new.

“I’m going to clean up. When I get back I had better find you on your knees and bare-assed.”

Laura felt the uptick in her pulse. Looked like his surprise for her was a lesson in what he liked to do for fun.