Ruined: Loving An Alpha Male: BWWM Romance (13 page)

I looked over at him and noticed the muscles tighten in his arms. He frowned even more, if that was possible.

“Well, Ryan, I’m not the reason why you aren’t making millions. But to be honest, I really don’t give a shit. On the door it says ‘West’s Investment Inc.’. That works for me.”

“You’re a fucking asshole, you know that?” I heard someone seethe through the phone.

A smile crossed his lips but never made it to his eyes. “Save that hostility until I get home, and you can express your opinion about me in person.”

“You think someone’s afraid of you, Mason? Well, I’m not.”

Mason leaned in closer to the screen in front of him, unfolded his arms, and said, “You really should be, Ryan.”

“Alright, look. Clearly this topic is sensitive for everyone. Mason, I looked at the numbers. The business venture seems sound. Do you have anything that tells you we shouldn’t jump on this?”

That voice had me catch my breath. He sounded just like Mason, and I fought the urge to go and see Marcus in person.

“Besides my gut instinct, Marc, nope. Not at this time. Listen up, gentlemen. Over the ten years we’ve been in business, we have a ninety percent success rate as far as investments go. The only variation is the amount of money we make. Charles Bernstein is a sneaky, untrustworthy bastard and always has been. Everything looks good on the surface, but there is always something hidden with him. I don’t trust him, and I don’t want the name of this company associated with him. End of discussion.”

“We clearly know how you feel about the man, Mason. Let’s keep personal feelings out of this,” a grungy, dark voice boomed back.

Mason replied, seemly without feeling, “Of all the things you can say about me, father, mixing business with personal shit isn’t my forte.”

Mason paused a beat and just stared into the screen. I finished my breakfast and rinsed off my plate.

Finally, Mason spoke, “Look, Marc. This isn’t a good idea. Trust me on that. I have a few business deals coming down the pike that would put this Bernstein to shame, five times over.”

There was silence on the speaker.

Then Marcus sighed, “Okay, Mason. The Bernstein deal is dead.”

A barrage of yelling voices invaded the speaker, and Mason wore a confident smirk on his face as he folded his arms. He then raised his voice, and everyone became silent.

“Let’s get a few things straight, gentlemen. You all may have a stake in this company, but that’s all you have. If you want to be bought out at any moment, your shares can and will be absorbed with no problem. I’m not beyond doing that. My brother and I have made a lot of you very wealthy. If you would like to stay that way, I suggest you end this discussion here and now. If that doesn’t happen, we can definitely buy you out. Then you all can come together and buy into the Bernstein deal yourselves. By the way, I happen to know that some of you have already done so. Just be very sure you understand that West’s Investment Inc. will not have its name anywhere near this business deal. If I find out this has happened, please understand I will destroy you without prejudice. Make no mistake, I mean every word I say. Let my brother know your decision either way.” He then punched a button and stood.

During his call, I realized, as I watched him intently, that I was thoroughly turned on by him. I mean panties wet type of turned on, if I had any panties on at that moment. Mason glanced up at me a few times during his call, and I wondered if he knew I was turned on by him. I mean, the way his muscles tightened and tensed up…the power they exuded had my muscles clenching with desire. I actually wanted him to put me up against the wall and fuck me senseless. I was completely sore after our seven-hour fiasco, but all was forgotten while he was on his call.

He walked over to me as I stood in the kitchen frozen. The hunger in his eyes grew as he got closer to me. A shit-eating grin graced his handsome face, as he touched my face. Does he know I’m horny? Can he tell? I tried to change my facial expression to a blank look, but that made his grin broaden.

Smug bastard.

“Did you have enough to eat?”

He laced his fingers with mine.

I smiled and tried to look as innocent as I could. “Yes, I did. Thanks for that.” My smile was so bashful. “Maybe I should be going. I don’t want to hold you up any longer.”

He shook his head and trapped my body against the counter with his. “Do you have some special place to be?”

The clean smell from the obvious shower he took was tempting me and clouding my judgment. “I have class.”

He shook his head. “Nope. Classes are canceled. I checked the news. The city is pretty much shutdown for the day.”

“Oh, okay. Well… Mason, I should go.”

He tilted his head. “I don’t want you to go.”             

“You don’t?”

“Nope. Maxine, there’s no way I have successfully devoured your body to my satisfaction yet. And damn it if I’m not fucking starving for you right now.”

I gasped in shock, trying to hide my delight. I mean what sane heterosexual female wouldn’t love to hear a man tell her he was starving for her.

He bent down and placed light, sweet kisses along the back of my ear, down my neck, to my shoulders. I tilted my neck a little to give him more room. His hands let mine go as he reached underneath my shirt and grabbed my bare ass.

“Fuck me, baby. Are you naked under this?” he asked me, as he continued to place soft kisses along my neck.

I moaned my answer, as his hands went around to the front of me, and his fingers traveled in between my legs. I opened them further, so he had better access to me. He wasted no time putting two fingers inside of me.

I wrapped one of my legs around his waist, and he wedged me tighter between him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, as our lips met.

“Mmmmm, baby,” he moaned, in between his kisses on my lips.

I heard a beep like a phone was ringing. At first Mason ignored it, as he felt me grinding faster on him.

“That’s it, baby. Fuck, you feel amazing. I can’t wait to stroke this sweet, wet…” He growled when the beeping started again.

I moved my leg from around him and pushed back slightly.

“You want to get that?” I moaned against his lips.

“No. Let me make you feel good. They can wait. Come on, baby,” he pleaded.

I shook my head and moved back as the beeping started again for the third time.

“It seems you are desperately needed, and I’m going to need you completely to myself. So get this work shit over…so you can work me over.”

I deepened my kiss and, as I pulled back, I bit his lower lip and pulled it back with me. He growled this animalistic sound that resonated all through me.

Holy crap
. He backed up from me abruptly and went in the living room.

In two seconds he snapped, “This shit better be good.”

“Did I interrupt you, little brother?” Marcus chuckled.

“Yes. Now tell me what the fuck you want, so I can get back to what I was doing.”

He laughed again. “Do you still have company?”

“Yes. What do you want Marcus?”

I could tell he was getting impatient, but it seemed his brother ignored him and kept up with his teasing.

“Really? That’s the first I’ve ever heard of such a thing. Let me say hello.”

I panicked, turned the corner, and headed upstairs. Mason laughed.

“Sorry, bro. Just the thought of seeing you scared her off. You have such a way with women.”

I left Mason with his brother and went into the spare bedroom for my phone. I saw Mimi texted me this morning, asking if I was okay. I texted her back, saying I was, and I was still with Mason. She put question marks in her next text, and then a smiley face with its tongue sticking out. I ignored that, of course. That text would be forever to type, so I just asked her if the lights were still out. She said they were, so I simply told her I would be here until he kicked me out.

I put my phone down, and grabbed my pharmacology textbook and began reading. I wasn’t sure how long I was reading, because the next thing I knew someone was picking me up. I stirred. Then I wrapped my arms around a very strong neck.

“What are you doing in here, angel?” he said to me.

I couldn’t respond. I just mumbled an answer that sounded intelligible to me, but he only chuckled. He placed me in a very soft bed, and he kissed my forehead. I woke again with a warm, but firm, body underneath my arm and leg. I was nestled again in the crook of his neck, with my arm over his chest and my leg over one of his. I started to smile against him, and I instantly remembered last night and what he started this morning. I moved my arm and caressed his face first. Then I traveled down his chest to the semi-erection between the sheets.

I started light kisses along his neck, and he started to stir. I sat up slightly and moved completely on top of him, and his hands went instinctively onto my ass. When I sat up, he looked at me with his beautiful blue eyes and smiled. I smiled back, and he placed one of his hands along my cheek and rubbed his thumb along my cheekbone.

“You are so beautiful, Maxine Shaw,” he whispered. “I could look at you all day.”

And here comes the shyness. I dipped my head down, so he couldn’t look into my eyes. His gaze was penetrating and strong. I started to feel self-conscious. He then flipped me over, so that he was on top of me, and I couldn’t avoid his gaze.

“What was that?” he asked me, as he continued to caress my face.

I shrugged, “Nothing, Mason.”

“Look at me, baby.”

He gently turned my face to his, and I reluctantly met his intense eyes.

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on. Do you hear me?”

I frowned suddenly and moved from his gaze and his body. I got up and put some distance between us. Then I turned with my arms folded.

“Come on, Mason. You don’t have to say shit like that to me. I mean I know I’m pretty okay, but not the way you…”

Hell, I couldn’t finish my statement. I mean, I’m not going to lie. I think I’m a catch. But to Mason, I have to be average at best.

Mason frowned and looked down right angry at me, “Not the way what?”

I didn’t say anything else. I just stood there staring at him. I couldn’t stand it any longer, and I looked down at the floor after first running my nervous hands through my hair.

“Do you mind telling me what’s going through your head right now?”

“Not particularly…no.”

“Maxine,” he started.

But I just couldn’t stand to hear it, so I interrupted.

“Look, Mason. This has been great. Okay, I mean the sex was amazing to say the least.” I laughed uncomfortably, “But come on. You telling me that I’m ‘the most beautiful.’ I mean really, I’ve already given it up to you without a fight. You don’t have to pour it on so thick.”

There, I’ve said what I’ve been thinking all this while; how much of a whore I was for throwing myself at this man.

“You should at least look at me when you insult me,” he spit out.

Huh?

I looked at him, and I saw the hurt exposed all in his face and demeanor. I was confused at what I saw. I mean, clearly, he had to be thinking the same thing right? He jumped up from the bed, and I instinctively backed up slightly. He got to me quickly before I could retreat, and had me pinned up against his dresser.

His otherwise smiling blue eyes were gone. They normally were light as the blue sky, but now they seemed darker to me. He was angry, but I couldn’t understand why.

“Don’t presume to know what I’m thinking. Why don’t you just ask me?”

His eyes burned through me. I could barely look at him without feeling guilty. My mouth was dry and, surprisingly, I was a bit turned on at the moment. What the hell is wrong with me?

I grew a set of balls, figuratively speaking mind you, and said to him, “Look Mason, I’m sure any other day or place you wouldn’t have given me a second thought. And I’m sure you have been surrounded by beautiful women all your life. I’m just a no one with nothing. I don’t expect anything from you. I mean, I’m not looking for a relationship, and I know you aren’t either. Let’s just call this what it is and not complicate things okay?”

His intense blue eyes never left mine. I could still see anger in his eyes, and they were starting to unnerve me. His lips were in a tight line, and I could see he was reeling in his anger. His muscles were tight and flexed. And the closeness of his body was doing other things to me.

“So, let me get this straight,” he finally said to me. “Because I have money, I assume that what you’re implying is that I wouldn’t find you attractive whatsoever?”

I realized the mistake I had made as he said those words. But hell, it’s there. We are from two separate worlds. I would be stupid to think otherwise.

“Maxine, I should bend you over my knee and spank the shit out of you. Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

My eyes grew in shock.

Spanking me? Really?

“For the past few weeks, since I saw you at the fighting facility that day, I’ve thought about nothing except you. I wanted to talk to you, to be with you. You’re right, considering the way that my life is now, no, I’m not looking for anything. But that hasn’t stopped me from wanting you. You are an amazing woman that has a body that drives me insane. You have a voice that can shatter me with just a note. I don’t think it has anything to do with what I have or what you don’t. No matter where we would have met, the moment you stepped into the room, I would have been weak for you.” He placed his hand back along my cheek. “I can’t say I can promise you shit because I’m so fucked up in the head right now, it’s unreal. I’m fighting back from a darkness that I’ve been in for far too long. But meeting you has given me the motivation to find my way out of that darkness. I don’t want you to feel like you don’t matter to me, because you do. I don’t want you to think that there is any other woman I would rather be with, because there isn’t. I’ve never met anyone with your spirit, your beauty, and your grace. I was hoping you felt the same way about me in some form, which you showed when you came to see me. I want to believe that you came to my place with dinner, not to throw yourself at me, but because you couldn’t stand it anymore…that you wanted me just as much as I wanted you.”