Twenty-Four Hours

Twenty-Four Hours

Allie Standifer

After a tanning-bed mishap, Courtney Museo is without her sight for the next twenty-four hours. Who better to call for help than her handsome, way-too-young assistant?

Mason has waited six years for Courtney to finally need him. He’s not going to miss this chance to make her see how good they could be together, in a more
personal
environment. Twenty-four hours of non-stop sex might be just enough to convince Courtney they’ve got a love not even time can touch.

Chapter One

Getting old was a bitch.

Courtney Museo might not look her forty-one years, but today her body sure as hell felt like it thanks to the poking and prodding of hospital staff. Too bad she’d made a small miscalculation in the tanning salon and opened her eyes in the tanning bed too soon. An ultraviolet burn on the corneas was no fun. Thank god she’d found a top notch ophthalmologist or she’d have been in big, big trouble. Sitting in the room at the clinic she laughed to herself and wondered how bad the gauze and patches looked on her face. From a simple tanning session to twenty-four hours of blindness. Didn’t it just figure she’d be the one in a thousand to do something this dumb? She was just grateful it wasn’t any worse.

Vanity thy name is woman
, she laughed to herself.

Maybe she should cut back on the tanning sessions but they certainly gave her skin a youthful glow. She didn’t feel like an old woman and had no intention of acting like one. She frequently rollerbladed in some of Houston’s parks, had joined a rock climbing club at her gym and spent at least an hour a day swimming laps in her private pool. Though she hadn’t succumbed to plastic surgery, she hadn’t ruled it out either. Nothing but a few touch-ups to brighten her face. Maybe next year.

Now a victim of her own vanity, Courtney waited for the nurse to bring a wheelchair to her room. Twenty-four hours of ointment and bandages and the world would again be crystal clear to her. She couldn’t wait.

“Ms. Museo.” A soft-spoken nurse interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes, I’m ready to go.”

“I’m afraid there’s a problem. The doctor refuses to release you until there’s someone able to care for you for the next day or so. I believe he explained all that to you when you arrived.”

“What?” Courtney’s mind refused to comprehend the words. She’d long ago left behind the need for permission. “I’m calling the car service that brought me and they can take me home. I’m past the age of forty. I think I can take care of myself.”

“I know how you feel, but think about this. You’ll be totally blind for the next twenty-four hours. How will you even get around in your home? You could fall and seriously injure yourself.”

“Get Dr. May in here. I’ll straighten this out.” She spoke firmly but gently, knowing it wasn’t this poor nurse’s fault. Dr. May might be the best eye man in Houston but he wasn’t giving her orders. She knew her way around her place. She’d be fine.

“Yes, ma’am.” The door swooshed shut softly behind her.

Think
,
Court,
think
. Without a doubt the stubborn doctor would refuse to release her, for her own good without what she could only think of as a keeper. Ha, like she bought that line. Oh no, the good doctor assumed since she was single all bets were off. Old fart hound dog. More than likely he’d stop by after rounds wanting to play hide the stethoscope.

If only she’d called the car service to pick her up before the bossy nurse showed up all of this could have been avoided. Then again…

Carefully feeling across the table she found her cell phone and hit number one.

“What have you done now?” The voice that answered was half-amused and half-exasperated.

“Watch it, Mason.” She tried to sound firm. “I am your boss.”

“So the devil tells me every time I exchange blood for my paycheck. What do want of me, oh fearless leader?”

Most people in her position wouldn’t put up with Mason Jefferies’ brashness, but over the years Courtney found that Mason had a keen insight to people and situations. He was invaluable to her, as his frequent raises proved. Not to mention the absolute charge she got just looking at him.

“That damn doctor won’t release me,” she complained.

A deep sigh traveled over the phone. “I tried to tell you that would happen and you should be prepared, but would you listen to me? Oh, no.”

“Can it, Mase, I need help breaking out of this joint. Can you call up the car service and get the driver to come up here? Make him pose as my lover or a relative, or whatever the hell works best.” She tamped down her irritation at the situation. “Tell him it’s worth a big tip.”

“Are you nuts?”

She could picture him sitting at his desk, fingers running through his long honey-streaked brown hair while his hazel eyes narrowed in frustrated anger. Tight jeans would mold his rock-hard ass while gently conforming to the bulge between his thighs. At six foot two his body looked like a hungry woman’s buffet. One she’d been licking her lips over repeatedly in the six years since hiring him.

Shoving her lust aside, caused her voice to come out lower than she liked. “I want out of this place. And this damn paper gown.”

At once his voice grew husky. “Hmm, I bet it’s open all the way down to your tight ass, huh? Wish I could see it.”

“Sure, Mason, keep the dream alive and all that. Now can you get me out of here or what?”

Her assistant frequently made flirtatiously seductive comments, but Courtney knew better than to take them seriously. Twenty-eight-year-old Mason liked to tease and she couldn’t fault him for it, but damn it some days he was too hot to ignore. She’d scare the crap out of the poor boy if she ever took him up on his teasing offers.

All the rumors about a woman’s sexual drive speeding up after forty were dead accurate. Courtney couldn’t believe some of the fantasies she’d had about her young employee. Things she doubted she’d ever let a man be aware of much less try on her.

“Court, are you even listening to me?” Mason’s irritated voice doused her fantasies in cold water.

“Of course I’m not listening to you. All you ever do is nag me. Look.” She took a deep breath as a headache blossomed behind her left eye. “I need out of here. I don’t care what you do or how you do it. Just get me out of here. Got it?”

When his answer came in what felt like an eternity later, shivers raced down her spine. “Whatever I have to do. I got it.”

Oh no. Something told her Mason was taking more initiative than she felt comfortable with. “Wait, Mace, tell me what—”

“Sorry, got to go. Plans to make and all that.” With a quiet click their connection broke.

Courtney sat on the rough sheets of her hospital bed wondering what the hell she’d set loose.

* * * * *

Mason set the phone back gently in its cradle, his movements precise despite the hum of excitement that pounded through his veins.

Finally
, his mind and body cried out in pleasure. He’d finally have his chance to seduce his lovely boss. After waiting for so many years he could hardly believe the opportunity had dropped in his lap this easily. Sitting up in his leather executive chair, he rubbed his large work-roughened hands together. She might not know it, but Courtney Museo’s tight pussy would be riding his cock before the next twenty-four hours passed.

Subtly reaching down to adjust his growing erection, Mason thought of all the dreams and fantasies he’d had about his boss. Most people would like to think women of Courtney's age lost their sexual needs, but Mason knew better. He’d seen the need burning in her eyes when she thought he wasn’t looking. A need he desperately wanted to fill. Instead she brushed aside his teasing comments, laughed at his come-ons and dismissed his passionate promises.

Not anymore
, he thought, closing up his computer and locking his desk for the weekend. Courtney needed him. She might not know it yet, but she would before the next twenty-four hours had passed. Mason wouldn’t stop fucking her until she did. Until she screamed his name and promised to belong to him and only him. As he swung by the H.R. department on his way out, he couldn’t stop the wide grin of anticipation from spreading across his mouth.

* * * * *

“Dr. May, I assure you there is no reason to keep me here overnight. I’ve made suitable arrangements for my care after I leave the hospital.” Courtney spoke in what she hoped was the doctor’s general direction. With the eye patches on she couldn’t be sure where anyone stood.

“Courtney, I understand you’re an independent woman, but I’d never forgive myself if I sent you home and something happened,” Dr. May practically cooed from her right.

“Nothing will happen to me,” she protested again, her anger growing with each denial.

“Of course nothing’s going to happen to you, sweetheart,” a very familiar voice said an instant before she felt the heat of his presence at her side.

“Mason? What are you—”

That’s as far as she got before hot, masculine lips covered hers. A sleek tongue pushed between her lips as Mason took what he wanted. There was no thought to deny him, because he never stopped to ask her permission. Gone was the teasing flirt she’d known for the past few years. He conquered instead of asked.

At first shock immobilized her. She was stunned that Mason would take such liberties, especially in front of other people. What the hell could he be thinking? Then Courtney felt the world sway around her, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered in that moment, except Mason, his lips on hers, his hungry need inflaming her as his mouth slanted across hers and his tongue tempted and teased hers into a desperate erotic duel.

She’d been kissed plenty of times in the past, and nothing and no one could compare to the way Mason took her over, body and mind. Like being shocked awake after a lifetime of sleepwalking.

Courtney moaned, arms rising of their own accord to pull him closer as her body arched into him, needing more. She couldn’t get enough of him. The need he created rocked her to her very core.

Slowly he pulled back, easing her down from the unexpected plateau of desire until his lips barely brushed hers.

“Like I said, Doc, I can take care of all Courtney’s needs.”

Privately Courtney couldn’t help but feel a secret thrill at his actions. This time Mason had finally gone past teasing into the real deal. Granted, it could never happen again, but thrums of pleasure ran through her at the thought of his potent kiss.

May stuttered for a few minutes while Mason effortlessly took over. He requested the necessary paperwork, signing forms to release Courtney into his care. She wanted to protest, but she wanted out of the hospital more.

The nurse helped her into a loose, flowing gown in the bathroom. The dress fit her needs perfectly as Mason must have known they would when he brought it in. When they came out Mason had everything done.

“Ready to hit the road, honey?”

Honey? Sweetheart?
What the hell? Add in that brain-melting kiss and Courtney didn’t know what the hell had come over her assistant. While she appreciated him going above and beyond his duties, she didn’t want this temporary playacting to interfere with their regular roles. She should have said something earlier, but her brain still felt fuzzy from their kiss.

Then again why not indulge in a few fantasies while she had the opportunity? It’s not like Mason would ever follow through with his sexual innuendos. Of course, that kiss…

Holding out one hand, Courtney searched for a hard masculine chest. When she found it, she slid her hand up the solid wall of muscles and behind his neck. With a gentle tug she pulled his head down to her and whispered softly against his warm lips. “I’m ready, lover-
boy
.”

Several throats cleared around the room before she felt a strong muscled arm wrap tightly around her waist.

“Then let’s get out of here. I’ve got plans for you, sexy lady.”

Ignoring the pounding of her heart and the louder pounding of her needy pussy, Courtney shot a smile in what she hoped was the right direction. “Thanks for everything, Dr. May. I’ll see you in two weeks.”

* * * * *

Thirty minutes later, comfortably settled in the plush cushions of her couch, Courtney took a breath and forced a laugh out. “Well played, Mason. I guess you more than earned your Christmas bonus this year.”

The air shifted in front of her face and she knew he was there, looking at her. Feeling uncomfortable with his close scrutiny even though she couldn’t see it, Court tried to look away but firm fingers grasped her chin.

“No more games, no more playing.” His voice had a new tone of command. “This is about me wanting you so bad I have to jerk off at least once a day at work. It’s too late to back away now. Not after the kiss we shared at the clinic. You want me almost as much as I want you.”

“Mason, I really don’t think—”

His fingers moved from her chin to her lips, softly pressing them closed. “Then don’t think. You spend so much time thinking of who you should be, what you should do, that you’ve stopped enjoying yourself.”

“And you think I’d enjoy you.” The words slipped out past his gentle touch, before she could stop them.

Damn it. The last thing a kid like Mason needed was any form of encouragement.

His masculine chuckle sent a wave of need through her body. “Oh, honey, I’m positive you’ll enjoy me. In fact I plan to take the next twenty-four hours proving it.”

Her panties grew damp at his confident tone, but she couldn’t let this teasing continue, no matter how desperately he turned her on. “Mason, really I think this joking has gone on far enough. You’re young enough to be my—”