Chapter 17
Sarah
All through the interview, I did everything I could to elongate it. We had time to tailor it down to fit into the time slot, but I wasn’t ready to go back into that dressing room. I wasn’t ready to talk with Mason alone, and I most certainly wasn’t getting rid of this migraine fast enough. My head pounded throughout the entire interview as the entitled CEO of some new fucking business smiled his stupid ass smile and tried to flirt with me. During one of the breaks, I physically scooted my chair back from him, earning chuckles from the people around us as his face fell. I wasn’t in the mood to have two entitled assholes think they could have me because they were rich.
The interview wrapped up, and I practically ran offstage, looking around for a security guard to escort Mason from my dressing room. I wasn’t going to talk with him, I wasn’t going to sit next to him, and I sure as hell wasn’t giving him the option of convincing me we should do whatever the hell it was we were doing.
I was in too much pain to fight with him, and I knew if I felt his touch on me even once, I’d simply cave.
“Mac,” I called out. “Mac, come here.”
“What’s up? You need more medicine? You look like hell.”
“I hate you. Why in the world did you let Mason Baker into my dressing room?” I asked.
“Because he was worried about you, and he should’ve been. You need to go home and rest,” he said.
“I fired my assistant over doling out my personal information to this man. He’s toxic. Stop letting him into this studio unless he’s being interviewed,” I said.
“Look. Honestly? With him coming around, we all thought the two of you were striking something up. And he’d be good for you and bring some wonderful publicity to this show.”
“Or not, with all the scandals surrounding his name already,” I said.
“That’s the point. I never said it was positive publicity, but it sure as hell would get more people to watch.”
“I’m not some woman you can pimp out, Mac. I’m your star. The host of this show. Had it not been for my idea and my tenacity to march into a boardroom and present it, you wouldn’t have a job here,” I said.
“It was just a suggestion, Sarah. Calm down. Look, he’s a decent enough guy who was worried about you. So I let him in. He did me a solid, so I did him one. It won’t happen again.”
“Thanks.”
I walked back off to my dressing room and paused before I opened the door. Was I really going to do this? Was I really going to walk in here and subject myself to his last-ditch efforts to get in my pants? This was what this was really about. He liked my pussy a bit too much, and he just didn't know why. So, he wanted to fuck it a few more times and get me out of his system.
But even with that realization, I still pushed through into my dressing room and shut the door behind me.
I sighed and looked down, propping my head against the door as I rubbed the back of my neck. My entire head felt like it was on fire, and if I wasn’t careful I’d end up throwing up my coffee everywhere. I heard Mason get up from the couch before his hands landed on my shoulders, and he slowly guided me to the couch where he helped me to lay down.
Then, he knelt at my head and pushed my hair back from my sweating forehead.
“Look, I’ll make this quick, all right?” he asked.
“‘Kay,” I said, groaning.
“Our chemistry is fucking incredible, and I know you understand that. I know you feel it like I do.”
“Sure,” I said, sighing.
“This doesn’t have to be a serious thing. In fact, I’d prefer if it wasn’t. We can keep it out of the public eye, have wonderful dinners where we get to know one another, have some fabulous sex. No pressure involved. Just two people enjoying the company of one another without any judgment toward the other.”
I had to admit, it sounded wonderful. Sex with this man that knew what he was doing? Mind-blowing orgasms without the risk of getting emotionally attached? More of those home-cooked dinners and perfect wine pairings?
“No pressure for anything serious,” he said. “I promise.”
“Thanks for that,” I said. “I’ll think about it.”
“You will?” he asked.
“Yeah. Yeah, I will.”
I already knew I was going to say yes. Despite my better judgment and the little voice screaming in the back of my mind, it was an offer I couldn’t turn down. I wasn’t ready for a relationship. In fact, I wasn’t sure I ever wanted one. I didn’t want to be the flavor of the month on Mason’s arm for the public, but I sure as hell wanted to ride him off into the sunset. But I wanted to drag it out. I didn’t want him knowing how wonderful his entire plan sounded. I wanted him to think I was still slowly dragging my barrier down to him.
I didn’t want him to think he had the upper hand.
That and me dragging things out seemed to keep him coming back, and I sure as hell wasn’t ready to give up his chiseled body just yet.
“Sarah Williams, you are the most infuriatingly confusing woman I have ever met. And I can’t get enough of you.”
Before I could rebuttal his statement, I felt his lips descend onto mine. The warmth pierced through the pounding in my head, pulling me from my pain as my hand raised to cup his cheek. His torso hovered over me, blanketing me in a warmth that made me shiver. His tongue slowly slid across my lips, begging for entrance before he drew my bottom lip between his teeth.
I moaned and arched my back into him, and that was all the entrance he needed.