“Said he had a few meetings to get to,” Brock says as we step off the elevator and onto our floor. Crap, that was probably something I should've known. I didn’t actually do any work yesterday, unless getting Mason off counted as work, and I’m guessing it does. The pit in my stomach comes back at the reminder of why I’m here. I didn’t spend the night in a boyfriend's bed.

I swallow the little lump in my throat, knowing this is going to be bad for me. I clearly get attached too quickly. It’s like the time Ben from second grade asked me to be his girlfriend and dumped me two days later. I remember crying to my grandpa for three days. One day longer than we were actually together. I didn’t even like him. He was always licking glue off his fingers and laughing about it. Somehow he still ended up as prom king when we graduated.

I shake the silly thoughts from my head. I watch Mason come out of his office, looking as good as he always does. The gray suit fits him so perfectly I wouldn't be shocked if someone told me he was born in it. Then I notice a stunning blonde with him. She looks like she’s ready to walk a runway.

A tight pencil skirt shows off her long legs, and it’s clear she has no problem getting into the thing. Her lips are painted red, reminding me I didn’t put on a speck of makeup this morning.

“I told you to wait at home,” Mason says, hurrying over towards me. The blonde follows him closely.

“I didn’t want to be any later.”

“This is your new assistant? You replaced me with her?” the blonde squeals, a look of murder crossing her face as her eyes narrow on me. She must be his last mistress…or assistant… Heck, I don’t even know what to call us. “She looks like she should be in high school.”

I look down at my pink dress. I thought it looked nice. But I do have my backpack on once again. I can’t seem to part with the thing. My grandpa gave it to me.

“See her out.” Mason nods to Brock. The blonde has clearly been dismissed.

Brock does as he asks and steps back a little, giving the woman room to walk between us. She huffs before heading towards the elevator. I watch as Brock looks over at Helen, who is standing at her desk. Their eyes lock, and she blushes as Brock gives her a little wink.

“Thank you, Brock,” I tell him. I should thank him, right? He walked me to work. I don’t know the protocol here.

“Thank you for breakfast,” he says back.

I feel Mason’s hand lock around my arm, pulling me into his body.

“You two had breakfast? What are you thanking him for?” He fires off the questions as he leans down next to my ear. “Did he fucking touch you?” He growls the last part, making me turn to look at him. I hear the ding of the elevator as my eyes meet his.

“No, he didn’t touch me,” I say.

His eyes are intense, and my body does the same thing it always does when he gets that hard look. I know what’s coming as he drags me into his office, slamming the door shut behind us. Sealing us in.

Chapter Nine

Mason

“You mind telling me what that was about?” Heat rises up my neck, and I know I have no right to be jealous. But I am. I can’t stop the jealousy coursing through my body. This feeling is all too new to me, and I have no idea how to handle it or deal with it.

Brock isn’t someone who should be a threat to me. He’s old enough to be her father. But she’s the kind of woman that looks so innocent and sweet that any man would want her, no matter his age. I remind myself that he and Helen have something going on and that Kennedy is mine. But my claim to her is flimsy. I need to change that. Quick. I know just the way to do it. Her round with my child will show everyone how mine she is, and I need to make that happen now. Bind her to me in every way possible so she can never leave me.

She twists her fingers together and looks at the floor. “He was nice to me on the way to work, so I gave him one of the two muffins I took from your kitchen. I hope that was okay.” She sticks out her lower lip a little, and I want to suck it into my mouth. Bite it.

I take a step towards her and wait for her to look up to me. If I touch her now, I won’t be able to control myself. After a moment, her bright eyes meet mine, and I try to soften my face. I don’t want to scare her. I need her to fall for me. I want her to be here because she wants it, not just because she’s paid to be.

“That’s okay, sweetie. I just feel very protective of you.” I brush away a stray hair, careful not to touch her skin. I notice her headband with the bow. So fucking innocent. I don’t know how she got herself wrapped up in this, selling her little body to bastards like me. We shouldn’t even have the right to look at her.

She nods and gives me a small smile.

“One muffin isn’t near enough. I’ll order some food and you can eat.”

Stepping away, I grab my phone and make a call. Afterwards, Kennedy sits down in the seat in front of my desk and we go over my calendar. I’m trying to do anything I can to stop thinking about taking her on the floor, making her scream out my name so everyone in the fucking building knows she’s mine and I can get this jealousy under control. I have to, because I know if I do that, I’ll only get pissed people heard her cumming for me.

I explain the system that I’m struggling to use, and she beams. It’s one that she is familiar with. I sigh in happy relief as she comes around my desk and shows me what I’m doing wrong.

“When did you use this program?” I ask, wanting to know everything about her, all her details that make her who she is.