“Oh, I think I showed you that, Miss Paige.” He smiled.
I groaned. “I’m going to get fired if you don’t take this seriously.”
He sat forward, planting a kiss on my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’ll be serious.” He shuttled the hair from my neck and kissed behind my ear. “I like to travel.” I felt the chills run down my spine. “I was in Italy this spring and spent some time driving through the hill side. Beautiful country.” His lips moved to my other shoulder.
I tried to type while his mouth blew warm breezes over my skin. “Were you in Italy for a vacation?”
His hands wrapped to the front of my chest, palming my breasts. “No. I was there to talk about an olive farm.”
“Olive farm?” I leaned against his chest. His hands were all over me. “Why would you be interested in an olive farm?”
“Because I had a tip from a friend that there was an opportunity. I flew over to check it out. I’m not one to turn down a smart investment.”
“And did you decide it was a good investment?” I tried to picture the handsome Texan driving through the sunflower countryside, tasting olives in open fields. My heart panged for a second at the thought of someone else joining him.
“No.” His hands trailed over my stomach. I could feel his chest pressed against my back. “The timing was off. Good trip though.”
“I met Grey and Eden last night. What about your parents? Where are they?”
I felt the cool air hit my body as he slid from behind me and stood next to the bed. He walked to the bathroom. “I was very clear last night. I said no questions about family.” The door closed behind him.
I stared at the door. I wasn’t sure whether to knock and apologize or to wait him out. I started framing my story while I waited for him to emerge. A few minutes later the door cracked.
“Do you have enough yet?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No. I’m sorry about the last question. I just think it would help for people to know about your upbringing.”
“I don’t talk about family. I’ll spout business advice all day. I’ll tell you my favorite sports teams and what I like to eat for dinner, but I’m not opening up the past. Grey and Eden are out of this too.”
I didn’t know what had hurt him so deeply, but it must have been tragic. “What it they are willing to talk to me?”
The glare he hit me with stung.
“Ok. I understand. No Grey or Eden. I promise. Will you sit with me so I can finish this?” I motioned to the bed.
He stretched out, over six feet of him. “What else do you have?”
For the next thirty minutes Mason answered every question I asked him. He made us coffee while I started crafting the story. It came together quickly. I outlined his college interests, his focus on sports as a child, and eventually painted the picture of a twenty-two year old taking on land deals that would make him a multi-millionaire in less than six years. I read over the story again. There were enough personal details to make it a full-length feature.
“Do you want to read it before I send it in?” I asked. He was at the window, watching the waves.
“No. I’m sure it paints me in a positive light.”
I hesitated for a second. I wondered if the entire night had been about this moment. About writing a flattering piece on him to sway the public’s opinion of him.
I attached the file to my email to Alice and hit send.
“It’s done.” I hugged my knees to my chest.
“Good. I’ve got a meeting this morning.” He turned from the window. “Can I buy you breakfast before you go into work?”
Feelings bubbled through my chest and stomach. Feelings I wasn’t supposed to have. Was he kicking me out? Was he buying me off with bacon and eggs? I felt annoyed and hurt. I had said I was the one who wanted the one-night stand, but with the Padre sun dotting the bed we had shared I was filled with utter sadness.
I felt the tablet slip through my fingers as Mason laid it on the bedside table. “Before breakfast though, could I interest you in a shower?”
I looked into his eyes. I realized maybe I wasn’t the only one who didn’t want the morning to end.
“I don’t have any clothes with me.”
“Well, I wasn’t planning on you wearing clothes in the shower.” He winked as he led me to the bathroom.
He turned the hot water on and opened the door when the steam started to billow over the glass doors.
I stepped inside, feeling the water beat against my skin like warm rain.
“Feel good?” he asked.
I nodded. I didn’t think I could use words. They may have been all used up, or I was just tired of talking. I looked at the mountain of a man in front of me. His sculpted chest, the ridges at his hips, the stunning eyes, and I lost all sense of reality. I leaned against the shower wall as his mouth descended on mine.