Chapter 11: One Too Many Daiquiris

JAMIE

To my surprise, Mason Knight respected me enough to book me a separate hotel room.

I’d had a bit of anxiety about the situation since he’d asked me to come along, but thankfully he was at least being somewhat professional about this.

His flirting was confusing and I promised myself that I wouldn’t get caught up in him.

He was simply doing what he could to have me and throw me away, just like all the rest.

He’d realized that I wouldn’t fold easily, and yet the game remained the same.

I looked into the floor-length mirror.

I’d touched up my loose curls a bit, hoping I looked like I’d made some sort of effort.

My makeup was soft and light, accentuating my eyes, which I’d always been told were my best feature.

I sighed as I looked at myself.

“Be the Good Girl tonight.”

Because a good girl isn’t something Mason Knight wants.

A knock came on the door, interrupting my pep talk. I walked that way and looked through the peephole.

Speak of the devil.

I felt like keeping him waiting—I knew how impatient he could be—so I stood by the door as he knocked again.

Serves him right. The cheek.

Then my phone rang on the bed, and I knew it was him, so I had no choice but to open up.

Mr. Knight stood looking sharp, smelling just as divine as he did an hour ago. I wouldn’t deny his choice of aftershave—I’d never known a man to smell so good.

He removed the phone from his ear and placed it in his pocket.

“I was trying to call you. Why didn’t you answer the door when I knocked?”

I rolled my lips together. “I was changing. You can’t always expect people to answer the door straight off.”

“And you didn’t wear a dress either. Why am I not surprised?”

He looked sort of impressed that I didn’t go with his choice of outfit and decided to go with what I chose.

I shrugged my shoulders. “I wasn’t feeling it.”

Maybe I had wanted to wear a dress, but he’d asked me to so I decided to go against him.

Instead, I wore a pair of tight-fitted black pants and a cute blouse tucked in.

Mr. Knight stopped, focusing his attention on my breasts. “At least that shirt is semi-see-through.”

I already knew that—there was no embarrassment. It was just a bit see-through, but I was wearing a bra and carrying a blazer to wear over it.

My phone rang and I walked toward it, picked it up, and looked at the screen.

Ryan!

Crap. I’d told him I would call when I landed, then when I got back to the hotel, and then the day had been so busy…

“We need to leave, Jamie,” insisted Mr. Knight from the doorway. “Time is of the essence.”

I glared at him even as I silenced the phone. He didn’t want me to answer that call, and it had nothing to do with time.

But anyway, this whole weekend I was in work mode. I needed to do as he asked.

***

The Nest was a fancy rooftop bar, the balcony closed for warmth.

The drinks were pricey—sixteen dollars for a daiquiri!

Looks like I’ll be limiting myself to one, then.

Besides, I don’t really want to get drunk and make a show of myself as the only woman at our table.

“I’m glad you came, Jamie,” Joshua shouted from his place beside me at the bar.

The music and chatter gave us no choice but to shout.

We were ordering another round for our table of eight.

And of the group of them, I was definitely appreciating my new friend here.

I mean, what choice did I have?

“Me too, it’s a nice bar.”

“There’s something going on between you two, isn’t there?” Joshua nodded in Mason’s direction. “His eyes have still been on you all night.”

~I’ve noticed.~

If Joshua had noticed, then surely everyone else had as well.

“There’s nothing going on. Not really.”

Joshua chuckled. “Nothing is always something. Besides, I looked him up. It appears he’s quite the ladies’ man.”

I turned my head. “Well, I don’t want to be just another one. I won’t be used by him.”

He nodded his head in agreement. “I hear ya! Fair play for holding firm. I sure as hell wouldn’t.”

I smiled. “Once a player, always a player.”

“Jamie!” Mason’s voice came from behind.

I turned. He took the drink from my hand and set it down on the bar.

“A word!”

He looked between Joshua and me, clearly not impressed, then turned and waded through the crowd.

“Someone is in ~trouble~. Good luck with that,” Joshua joked, picking up his drink and walking back to the table of men.

I’m going to need that luck.

I followed Mr. Knight through the crowd of socializing drunk people.

He pushed open the frosted glass door that led to the hallway between the bathrooms. Of course, it was empty.

Seriously, no one has to pee?!

Mason snapped around.

“What are you doing, Jamie? You and that guy were talking about me in there! If he says the wrong thing to Mr. Blair, it could harm the business.”

“He asked me, and I just—I just—”

Crap. I was stumbling over my words. Honestly, I couldn’t think of a good enough excuse to be talking about him like that.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

As my mom always said, if you don’t know how to explain yourself, just apologize.

“I was in the wrong. I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

We stood silent for a few moments, only the music coming from the door behind us. Mr. Knight stepped into my space.

“Are you interested in me, Jamie?”

He took me by surprise again, another question that I in no way knew how to answer.

“Mr. Knight, please.”

He stepped even closer, pulling my bottom lip downward with his thumb.

“Am I the only one feeling this sexual frustration? If I am, tell me now and I won’t waste any more of my time.”

~Jesus Christ, save me.~

~Tell him he’s the only one feeling the frustration. You don’t want to be just another one.~

“You can stop pursuing me, Mr. Knight.”

Mr. Knight was clearly not satisfied by my answer. “All right, then, fine.”

He grabbed the steel bar of the frosted door, pulled it open, and walked out in a huff.

I leaned back against the wall with a loud exhale.

Mr. Knight was trying to have his way, and I turned him down yet again.

Things were going to be awkward between us now.

After gathering my thoughts, I pulled the door open and walked back into the bar to join the others.

As I walked through the crowd, I noticed him with his arm already around some blonde woman.

I was under the impression that he was trying to behave himself in front of his associates, but obviously that had gone out the window.

The blonde was making it clear she was available for anything he wanted. I walked past them and sat down at the table next to Joshua.

“By the look on your face, I take it the conversation didn’t go well?” Joshua pushed a glass toward me. “Luckily, I ordered you another drink. Cheaper.”

“Thank you! I need this!” I picked up the beer and drank. I knew drinking tonight was a bad idea, but I just couldn’t help myself.

***

I stepped out of the elevator and walked the carpeted hallway, Mr. Knight right behind me.

His hands were on my hips on occasion to keep me upright. It was late now and I was a lot more intoxicated than I had planned.

“What’s your room number?” he asked.

“I told you. Seven-three-five,” I slurred. I was carrying my shoes in my hands.

I’m totally going to be sick tomorrow.

“There’s only three hundred rooms, so you’re wrong about that,” he said. “I guess we can check with the key card until we find the right one.”

I had forgotten to bring the envelope that said the room number on it, and just brought the key card instead. Usually it was written on the card itself but I guess they’d forgotten to do that.

Mason’s suit jacket was slung over his arm, his white shirt was smeared with the blonde woman’s lipstick.

“Are you upset with me?”

I shook my head. “Why’d you say that?”

“You drank quite a lot and it doesn’t seem like you’re used to that.” He placed a key card onto the wrong door and it came up red. “Are you upset about the woman?”

I shook my head again. I didn’t care about her. I didn’t understand what was going on here.

“What do you want from me, Mr. Knight?”

He placed the key card into another door and it unlocked.

“Looks like I found your room, isn’t that a shame.”

Mason stopped me at the door and pushed me up against the frame.

“You know what I want, Jamie. Don’t play dumb and pretend you don’t want me, because it’s clear that you do.”

“Mr. Big Bad Boss. You’re confusing me. I can’t get tangled up in you.”

What the hell was coming out of my mouth?!

The alcohol was messing with my head.

Mason held me by the shoulders and looked into my eyes.

“I want to taste you.”

Mr. Knight wanted to taste me.

He’ll be tasting daiquiri and beer.

Before I had a chance to react, his lips smashed against mine.

With a lot more passion than he had done the first time.

I willed myself to stop the kiss, to push him away before he had a chance to…

But I couldn’t.

I’d been denying him and I couldn’t do it any longer.

I was drunk, with no willpower left inside of me to say no.