The Tycoon and his Honey Pot (8 page)

“Good
evening.  No woman as beautiful as you should be sitting here alone.  Mind if I
join you?”

She
looked up in surprise at the deep voice next to her. Her eyes widened at the
golden Adonis standing confidently next to her.  He was lean with blond hair
and very tall with an engaging smile on his mouth. She shook her head.

“Thank
you for the compliment, but I am waiting for someone, who I have to warn you,
won’t appreciate finding you here with me.”

“Don’t
blame him.  I am David Carver, here on a business trip, originally from New
York.” 

He
held his hand out to her and short from being openly rude she had no choice but
to shake his hand.  He had other plans however and clutched her hand in his,
refusing to let go.  She glanced towards the elevators and glared at him.

“May
I have my hand back, please?”

“A
very beautiful hand … are you sure I can’t convi …”

“No,
you can’t and if you know what’s good for you; release her hand and make
yourself scares!

Her
eyes lifted and she drew in her breath at the flashing anger in Mason’s near
black eyes; his voice harsh and hard.

David
let go of her hand and lifted both of his in the air.  He smiled at her.  “It
was an honor to meet such a beauty.”  Mason growled and with a cocky grin the
blond Adonis turned and sauntered away.

Mason’s
eyes met hers and they glowed like midnight embers. His breath froze in his
throat when his eyes moved over her and remained glued on her breasts straining
against the dress only half covering the honeyed globes.  His mouth drooled;
she was pure sin, a temptation that no man could resist.

Their
eyes met and his was sensual and scorched hers. She breathed deeply as the air
around them seemed to thicken.  Her nipples ached and pressed against the tight
dress, her insides slowly started to shimmer with heat.

He
took the two steps that separated them to pull her in his arms and his mouth
closed around hers … all in one motion.  She wrapped her arms around his neck
and everything tilted around her when he deepened the kiss, urging her to
submission.  She moaned and his tongue roamed freely inside her mouth before
grasping hold of hers, toying, seducing and feasting greedily on it.  She had
no defense against his intense and sensual assault on her mouth.

He
ended the kiss slowly, lifted his head and looked down at her heavy lidded,
passion drenched eyes.

“God,
you are so beautiful … and more tempting than any woman should have the right
to be.  I don’t know if I will be able to contain myself through dinner!” 

He
pressed his hard shaft against her stomach and she moaned at the heat rushing
to her core.

“But,
I promised you dinner and if it is going to kill me … I will give you dinner!” 

He
wrapped his fingers through hers and held her close against his side.  He
speared a dark blue flame at her when he opened the passenger door for her.

“Do
you know how close I was clobbering that white rat when I saw you holding his
hand?”

“I
was not holding his hand!”

He
leaned into her and kissed her tenderly on her lips.  “I know … but I didn’t
when I walked off the elevator!”  He walked around and got in behind the
steering wheel, giving her a sensual smile.

“Pity
… I would have really enjoyed punishing you for flirting with him tonight.”

“Exactly
what type of punishment would that be?”

“Might
be better for you not to know … hopefully you’ll never find out.”

The
rest of the evening was sublime.  The food was top class and in between the
courses he pulled her into his arms and they danced on the small dance floor. 
It was absolute bliss to sway in his arms holding her close, his cheek resting
against her temple, his breath warm and caressing.  He kissed her … often …
passionately and deeply … right there on the dance floor.  He looked deeply
into her eyes, his full of sensual promise.

A
sharp flash nearly blinded her causing him to mutter a curse and he sighed. 

“I
guess our secret is about to be splashed on the tabloids, honey.”

“Good
… hopefully all those models, celebs and heiresses will get the message and
stay away from you.”

“You
don’t mind?”

She
thought about it and shrugged.  “Why would I?  It’s not if anything they say
can have any impact on my life.  You’re the one that interest them, not me.”

“Oh,
that is where you are wrong, my love.  As beautiful as you are … you are about
to become the most talked about non-celebrity or heiress in the country!”

She
sighed dramatically.  “The trials and tribulations of dating a hotshot tycoon!”

“Dating? 
Honey … we skipped the whole dating scene the first day we met.”

“We
have?”

“Yes
…” his eyebrows rose, “… or did you miss the significance when I told you I
will never let you go?  I highly doubt that dating someone signifies
permanence.”

She
felt her heart beating so hard and her breathing increased when his eyes bored
into hers.

“Permanence?” 
Her voice was husky and rasped roughly.

He
frowned down at her, took her hand and led her back to their table.  Once they
were seated he took her hand in his.

“I
warned you to tell me if you don’t feel the same, Brooklyn.  I want it all I
from you, nothing less and I am afraid it is way too late to pull away from me
now. I won’t let you go … ever.”

“I
… are we not rushing things, Mason?  We don’t even know each other!”

“I
am thirty five years old, Brooklyn.  You are twenty seven.  I know what I want
and so should you.  I don’t need to date you for years to know that I want you
by my side always.”

He
lifted her hands to his mouth and placed a warm kiss in the palm of her hand.

“I
believe deep inside you also already accepted it.  We have a lifetime to get to
know one another, my love. I am not going to waste time … dating you!”

She
opened her mouth, knowing this would the ideal time to tell him the truth, but
before she could utter a word, another flash blinded her and she had to blink a
few times to get rid of the purple spots caused by the bright flash.

Mason
was annoyed and glared at the photographer who slinked away with a smile on his
face.  Mason paid the bill and they were soon on their way back to the hotel.

That
night Mason made love to her so passionately and tenderly she cried.  He could
not get enough of her.  He kissed her until her lips were puffed and swollen as
he drank long and deep from her.  He needed her … to touch her, to taste her
with such intensity he hugged her tight against him to hold her and never let
her go.

Brooklyn
flowered in his arms and her body was on fire as he aroused her even more than
he ever has.  It felt as if her body belonged to someone else.  She was just as
greedy, as if she was a hunter that just found the biggest price.  She ran her
fingers all over his smooth torso and smoothed her palm down his satin steel
shaft.  She took his arousal between her lips and drew tortured moans from him.

They
fell asleep in each other’s arms hours later; Mason still deeply imbedded
inside her body.

Brooklyn fell
asleep on the airplane on the way back to New York and only woke up when the
plane landed.  She rushed to collect her things and walked down the stairs,
intending to take a cab back to her place, but Mason called her back.

“Zita,
it is already quite late.  Graham will drop you off at your place.”

“Thank
you, sir.”  He sighed and just shook his head, not even bothering to reprimand
her on the ‘sir’ again.

“I
scheduled a meeting for tomorrow morning at nine with Tiaan and Jason for
feedback on this trip.  Please prepare the analysis and project forecast we
discussed today at the meeting before then and bind it in packs together with
the project profile.  I, unfortunately have to go to Australia to assist my
father with property dispute he has a problem with.  Graham and I are leaving
as soon as he returns.  I depend on you to give them proper feedback and
assistance with the start-up of the project.”

She
nodded and smiled briefly, handing her bags to Graham and watched him load it
in the back of the SUV.

“Not
a problem, sir.  I have done some research myself and have a fairly good idea
what is required after the meetings we’ve had with them.  How long will you be
gone?”

He
frowned.  “I am not sure. I only spoke to my father briefly over the phone.  It
might be a week or two.  I will let you know as soon as I have an idea.  I’ll
call every morning for an update and instructions.  I will still work from
there.”

She
turned away with a heavy heart and got into the waiting vehicle. Mason waved at
them and walked over to the private hanger where his helicopter was parked to
go and pack for the unplanned and undesired trip.

He
was not happy when Brooklyn told him that morning she won’t be able to meet him
tonight. Now he probably won’t see her for another week or two.  Hopefully he
would be able to sort the problem his dad had with the ownership dispute over
his ranch in Australia sooner rather than later.

Brooklyn
had a prior engagement with Michael.  He was coming over for her to sign the
ownership papers of the Camaro.  For her, it offered the opportunity to get her
thoughts together on how she was going to resign and tell him the truth without
him regarding her as an out and out deceiver. Now, with him leaving
immediately, she had a few more weeks respite.

Michael
already waited for her when she arrived at her apartment and his mouth
tightened when he noticed her still in her ‘work’ disguise.

“I
thought you were going to tell him, Bee.  The longer you wait, the better the
chance that he will find out himself, especially now that you are splashed all
over the tabloids.”

She
sighed.  “I wanted to tell him last night, but the paparazzi chased us away.”

“Come
on, Bee, surely there was time after that?”

“I
know, Mickey!  I planned on telling him tomorrow!”

“Planned?”

“He
is leaving tonight to assist his dad with a problem in Australia.  He said he
might be gone for a week or two.”

“Maybe
you should not wait until he is back, Bee.  Maybe this is the ideal time to
tell him.”

“Not
over the phone, Mickey!  That would be the worst I could do.”

“Postponing
it is the worst you could do Bee!”

 “I
am sorry I pulled you into this, but I promise I will tell him as soon as he is
back.”

“You
better, Bee, because if you don’t, I will.  I refuse to lie to him any longer!”

He
was so upset with her that he didn’t stay very long and left as soon as she
signed the transfer ownership papers, having come to a decision.  He would
allow her grace to tell Mason the truth until the morning after he returned and
then he would tell him if she still procrastinated.  He loved his sister very
much but judging by the pictures in the tabloids Mason has fallen for his
sister … hard. He knew him well enough to know that he would not just accept
her deceit, however much she felt it was justified. 

His
own sense of honor burned inside him since Brooklyn told him what she did and
he could not continue hiding the truth from his best friend.  He only prayed
that the truth would not totally destroy their future together.  Mason was a
hard and ruthless man when crossed and he would retaliate, one way or the
other.  Unfortunately, Brooklyn did not know him well enough to realize it
herself.

Brooklyn
closed the door behind Michael with a heavy heart, more upset about Mason going
away for so long, than she wanted to admit, even to herself.  Her cell phone
rang and she picked it up with a heavy heart.

“Hi
Mason.  Did you have a good flight?”

“Hi
Honey, yes it was fine.  What are you doing?”

“Michael
just left.  Are you home yet?

“Yes
and busy packing again.  I’m on my way to Australia to assist my dad with
ownership disputes on a ranch he owns there.”

She
remained silent not wanting to divulge her upset to him over the phone.  They
met less than two weeks ago and already the thought of not seeing him for two
weeks left a void in her heart.

“Honey? 
What’s wrong?”

“Nothing
… I just … I am going to miss you.”  She decided to be honest about what she
felt and heard his harsh intake of breathe over the phone.

“Not
as much as I you, my love.  Hopefully, we’ll be able to resolve it within a
week, maybe two.  I will phone you every day.”

“It’s
not the same.”

He
groaned.  “Honey, don’t make it harder for me than it already is.  I tried to
postpone leaving until the weekend, but there is a court case already on Friday,
so I have to leave tonight.”

They chatted for
another short while and then he had to go.  Brooklyn felt lost with the
knowledge that she won’t see him for so long.  Good, Lord.  How could it be? 
How could she have fallen in love with him so deeply in such a short period of
time?

The following
two and a half weeks were the longest of her life. She lived for Mason’s phone
calls, especially the ones late at night when they were already both in bed and
he seduced her over the phone.  Guiding her and talking her in touching
herself, groaning when his couching in her ear drew gasps from her as she
climaxed following his instructions to please herself.

She
still breathed hard when he told her he would be arriving following day.

“Really,
baby?  What time?”

“We
are already in the air.”  He smiled at her happy gasp. “Will you wait for me at
the airport?  We should be there around six tomorrow evening.  Will you spend
the night with me?”

“Try
and stop me!”

She
packed a bag immediately and went to bed with a smile on her face.  The
following day dragged by so slow, she sighed in relief when the clock
eventually turned to five and she could leave.  She cleared her desk and rushed
to the airport, where she quickly changed into jeans and a tee with sneakers,
cleaned her face and eagerly went to wait for his plane to arrive.

Mason
stepped off the plane, his eyes eagerly searching for Brooklyn, disappointed
that she was not waiting outside to meet him and then he smiled when she tore
through the one door and ran towards him.  He met her halfway and his arms
folded around her to hug her tight.  His head lowered and his lips slanted over
hers, his tongue surged past her lips and the passion of the kiss they shared
drove them to groan simultaneously as their mouths smashed together.  They
pulled apart and he looked into her beautiful silver grey eyes, smiling happily
into his.

“God,
woman, I missed you!”

He pulled her to the
waiting car and Graham dropped them at the private hangar where the chopper
stood.  That night they could not get enough of each other and Mason spend most
of the night making love to her.  He marked her neck again, harder and deeper
than before.  An ancient medieval desire in him to show the world she was his.

Mason told
‘Zita’ to prepare an update on the progress of the Cleveland project including
a slideshow on the summaries they discussed via a Skype conference with the
Cleveland office the day before. She told Mason she had a very early meeting
with one of the sponsors for Hadley racing and he took her back at first light.
He also had a quick meeting with a lawyer and his Dad so he went directly
there.  Brooklyn arrived at the office just after six dressed in her usual
office wear. 

After
another long chat with Michael the previous day she spent hours contemplating
the best way to approach Mason and still did not know what would be the best
way to tell him the truth. He warned her that if she did not tell him first
thing the next day, he would.  She considered dropping the disguise and go to
work as herself, but decided against it.

She
prepared all the reports and analysis he asked for the afternoon before
already.  Armed with a strong cup of coffee she settled behind her desk and
started compiling the slide show Mason requested as well.  She was so
entrenched in what she was doing she did not notice him standing in the
doorway.

“Did
you sleep at the office, Zita?”

“Mason!” 
She got such a fright she forgot to ‘sir’ him and he smiled.

“Glad
to see you at long last remembered my name.  Since what time have you been
here?”

She
raised the pitch of her voice slightly higher and avoided his eyes.  “Since
just after six.  I just needed to complete the slide show you asked for.”

“I
also said if you had the time.  I did not expect you to spend the whole night
working.  You look tired and pale. Anything wrong?”

She
looked up at him and hesitated when she noticed the tired lines around his
eyes.  Neither one of them had any sleep the night before!

“I
… uhm … there is something I need to discuss with you.”

“How
about a cup of coffee first?”

She
nodded but before she could rise to fetch his coffee, Tiaan and Jason walked
in.

“Mace,
welcome back, big brother!  I just spoke to Dad and he is very relieved that
you managed to resolve the problem with the Browns.”

“Yes,
luckily for us, they never lodged the original claim they were basing the whole
ownership issue on, so it was fairly easy to turn the court order over.”

“Is
everything now legally resolved?”

“Yes,
they have no further claim on the land.”

“I
know we are slightly early, but is it possible to have that meeting now?  I have
another meeting that I can’t get out off at twelve.”

“No
problem brother.  Are you ready, Zita?”

She
nodded and gathered all the prepared packs, her laptop, notebook and pen before
following them into his office, emitting a loud sigh.  Whether in frustration
or relief that the discussion she needed to have with him had been postponed.

Brooklyn
found the meeting extremely stimulating and even participated with some
suggestions that everyone was very impressed with.  It was during a debate in
regard to the timeline for the changes discussed during the Skype conference
that Mason looked at her and froze when he caught her profile.  His breath
caught in his throat and a tight band squeezed around his heart, crushing it
slowly inch by inch.

“Mace
… Mason!”  Tiaan tried to get his attention, but his gaze was glued on
Brooklyn’s profile.  She looked at him and gasped when her eyes met his that
were burning like black coal, his jaw rigid.  Her eyes fell before his and she
chewed on her lip.

“Zita,
would you get us all some coffee, please.”

She
nodded and hastened out the door aware of Mason’s burning eyes on her back.

“Jason,
get me her personnel file.”

Jason
frowned.  “Whose?”

“Zita.”

Jason
and Tiaan looked at each other, both having noticed his closed look and rigid
jaw. Mason raised his eyebrow at Jason.

“You
want it now?”  At his nod, he called his assistant from Mason’s desk phone with
the request. 

The
assistant walked in just ahead of Brooklyn with the tray of coffee and biscuits
and Mason waved at her to hand him the file.  He sat looking at the file in his
hands barely acknowledging Brooklyn handing him his coffee.

“Zita,
take us through the presentation you prepared.  Tiaan, please make a note of
the audit requirements as summarized. Zita will send all the information to you
in soft copy as well.” His voice sounded hoarse and raw.

He
made a point of ignoring her and his hands gripped the file in his hands, he already
knew what he would find.  He flipped open the file, hardly paying attention to
Brooklyn, but listened to her presentation with half an ear.  He turned past
the usual company policies, employment contract, his mouth tightened and
thinned when he turned the page and looked at the copy of her passport in the
file, her picture and full names glaring at him, Brooklyn, Zita Hadley. 

His
hands tightened around the file and it crumbled between his fingers.  Tiaan
looked at him questioningly, but he ignored him and methodically went through
her application form, realizing she would be twenty eight in four months.  She
lived in an apartment block in Brooklyn Heights, which he knew was next to the
Brooklyn Bridge Park overlooking the East River.