He rolled to his side so he could look her in the eyes. There was something deeply intimate about being in the same bed with her even though they weren’t touching. He had to be careful or she would find out he was interested in way more than a quick cuddle. “My body temperature runs high. Some people, and they shall remain forever nameless, used to call me a living furnace.”
“Was it Cole?” Kitten whispered the question like they were little kids and didn’t want their parents to know they were staying up late sharing secrets.
“How can he be nameless if I name him?” He liked looking at her. Sunlight played across her skin, and he wished she was naked. He could explore her, see how quickly he could get her to purr for him. “Anyway, my nameless boyfriend would turn the air conditioner way down and he had this place in Colorado, so when we would go there and it was cold, he sometimes wouldn’t turn the heater on and we would just cuddle all night. He took me camping a couple of times. He said he didn’t need a campfire to sleep by if he had me in his tent.”
“You’ve been to Bliss?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I spent months and months of every year in Bliss since I was seventeen.” He’d thought he would hate it the first time Cole dragged him up there. He was a city boy and then he’d gotten a view of those mountains. He’d smelled the clean air and he’d sat. For the first time in his life, he’d just sat and been content because there was something about that place that settled him.
He missed Bliss. It had been the best of both worlds. Part of the year in the city with the energy and competition, and then he got to let go, to relax in Bliss. There had been no reason to compete there. People had to work together to survive so they thought nothing at all about helping a neighbor.
He’d had a good life with Cole.
“I went to a wedding there.” She reached out and smoothed back his hair. God, it felt right to be with her—like they’d been waking up together all their lives. “I liked it. It was weird. I went to a party in a bar and I swear I heard a Russian guy talking about there being a body in the freezer. I’m sure he was joking though.”
Mason chuckled. “Well, darling, the last time I was there the only bar was at the lodge, and some biker place that Cole wouldn’t let me check out. Apparently it’s filled with criminals.” He winced a little. “At the time, I thought it sounded interesting. Now I actually work with criminals and I absolutely have zero interest in having a drink with them.”
Her eyes widened slightly. “Criminals?”
“My new job is somewhat less than respectable, one would say.”
“More than one, Mason.” The sound of Cole’s voice nearly made Mason jump. “Most people would say your new clients are shady to say the least.”
Both he and Kitten turned and there was Cole, standing in the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants. His muscular chest was on full display and Mason had to work to avoid drooling. He was still the sexiest man he’d ever seen. The last few years had refined and honed him, turning him from merely hotter than hell to deadly gorgeous.
It was another joke the universe played on him. Mason looked older and the years had just blessed Cole with more beauty.
Mason schooled his expression. His first instinct was to spit bile and vitriol Cole’s way, but that hadn’t worked. Charm. He still had some of that. Charm had won Cole over when they were kids and Cole was still that same insecure rich boy on the inside. “I’m sorry. Kitten was kind enough to check on me. She was worried about my poor brain being fried.” He held his hands up. “I just asked her to join me so she wouldn’t be a Popsicle. No touching.”
Cole seemed to think for a moment and then he came to a decision. “I don’t want to be a Popsicle either. Scoot over.”
Kitten’s eyes widened as Cole moved quickly, lifting the covers and starting to climb in. She moved over, lying on her back in between them.
So that was how Cole was going to play it. He thought this was a competition, but Mason intended to turn it into something else. Cole seemed to have gone for a very long time without a sub when he was used to having two. Hell, he was used to having Mason around to smooth over the rough spots of his life. He just needed to remind Cole of how easy he’d made his life. How good it could be.
Cole rolled to his side, his elbow up, head resting in his palm. “Did you sleep all right, pet?”
Kitten was obviously tired, but Cole never picked up on those little clues. He was an incredibly smart man, but all of his intelligence tended to be in books and business. He’d relied on Mason for social skills. Mason wondered how he was doing at the office these days. “I slept fine, Sir.”
This was where he could start making inroads. He could be what he always was—the conduit between Cole and the outer world, or in this case between Cole and his sub. “She was sleeping in a chair in here.”
Cole frowned down at her. “What was the purpose of that?”
Kitten seemed to shrink a bit. “I was worried about him. The doctor told me…”
She seemed to falter and Mason took over. He put a hand on her shoulder, stroking gently. It wasn’t an intimate touch. It was friendly. Kind. “The doctor told her to wake me up every couple of hours. She didn’t remember that she only had to do it the first twelve. She was trying to be nice.”
Their eyes met over her body and Cole very deliberately placed a possessive hand on her stomach. “She’s a very nice woman. She tries to take care of the people around her. It’s up to me to make sure they don’t take advantage of her.”
Cole had never been a stupid man. Mason nodded and backed off. “Of course. You know best, Sir.”
Cole’s eyes flared.
Mason shrugged. “I can remember my manners, Sir.”
“All right. I suppose if you’re polite, I can do the same. How are you feeling this morning?”
Kitten cuddled back against Cole. The minute he showed her any affection, Kitten lapped it up like a flower that hadn’t been watered in years. “Is your head hurting? I could get your pills for you.”
He shook his head. “I’m surprisingly clearheaded this morning.” He was a bit suspicious though. Something about her manner had him on alert. He was a lawyer so he was used to reading signs, though he’d been doing it for far longer than his career. He’d also had an alcoholic father who liked to smack his son when he was feeling down. Mason had learned at a very young age to read people’s emotional states. Kitten wasn’t completely comfortable. “Are you sure that the only reason you came in here was to check on me?”
It was the way she’d looked at the intercom. She hadn’t forgotten about it. She wasn’t being entirely truthful.
“Kitten?” Cole stared down at her.
“I…had a bad dream and I didn’t want to be alone,” she said haltingly.
“You had a bad dream?” Cole asked.
Typical Cole. He wasn’t a bad man. His brain simply didn’t work that way. Unless Kitten told him something was wrong, he assumed everything was fine. Mason knew better. “You have a lot of bad dreams, don’t you, sweetheart?”
Given what she’d been through, it was a good bet.
She shrugged. “I’m not used to sleeping alone. It’s been an adjustment.”
Cole sat up. Again, typically Cole thought because he’d given her a princess-like bedroom that she would sleep well in it. “I didn’t realize you were used to sleeping with someone.”
She managed a watery smile. “People took turns. My friend, Haven, stayed with me at the end of my time at The Club. Before that Finn would stay with me or one of the subs. I will get used to it. I just need a little time.”
This was where he came in. “Or your Master needs to up his timetable a bit. Don’t worry. Now that Cole knows what the problem is, he’ll make sure to fix it.”
“Of course I will. And I’ll also thank Haven. She works for me, you know. She’s a very kind girl.” Cole looked down at her. “Sweetheart, why don’t you stay here for a few minutes and Mason and I will go and get y
ou some coffee?”
“I can get it,” she said, attempting to get up.
Cole caught her. “No, let me. We’re going to The Club this weekend. There will be plenty of time for you to serve me there. Allow me to make your morning better.”
She sighed and sank back down. “I wouldn’t mind a nap. As long as I know someone’s close by, I should be able to sleep.”
So Cole wanted to talk to him. He certainly wasn’t fooled that Cole needed help making coffee. That was ridiculous. Mrs. Hamilton would have left a pot. Mason rolled out of bed and was happy to find he hadn’t lied about his head. He felt surprisingly clear. Weak. There was a little of that and his stomach was already grumbling, but it would have to wait.
Cole got out of bed and gently tucked Kitten in. Mason liked the way she reached for the pillow he’d used and laid her head there. She was out in seconds.
With a grim face, Cole turned and walked out of the room. Mason wrapped himself up in the robe Kitten had laid out for him and followed. It was too big, but it wouldn’t do at this point to tell Cole to wait and find his old clothes. Obedience did something for Cole. He remembered how to play this game.
This was it. Cole would ask him to leave or Mason would start to wiggle his way in. It was easy to see that Cole was floundering when it came to Kitten, and that had to be killing him. He wouldn’t necessarily see that Kitten wasn’t the same as the other subs he’d taken in. She needed more than discipline. She wasn’t some pampered rich girl with daddy issues.
They were quiet as they walked across the lawn and Cole held open the door and allowed him to go through. Another good sign. Cole was treating him like a sub.
How long had it been since anyone held a fucking door open for him?
“Take a seat, Mason. We obviously need to talk and if I don’t feed you soon I’m pretty sure you’re going to eat the staff.” He stalked over to the fridge and pulled out what looked like eggs and cheese.
Mason took a seat in the breakfast nook, the smell of coffee already wafting through the space. “When did you learn to cook?”
He pulled an omelet pan off the tidy rack above the island. He had the gas on and was cracking eggs with a natural ease. “I hired a new chef at the lodge last year. He showed me a few tricks. And I always could make eggs. Usually over a campfire, but this isn’t so different. I already had everything prepped. I typically only cook breakfast for Kitten on Saturdays, but Mrs. Hamilton had a doctor’s appointment this morning so I thought I would step in.”
“Shouldn’t you already be at the office? The sun is up. I thought the world would fall apart if you didn’t beat the sun to work.”
“I thought we should talk. I can take a single day off. You know I work so hard when we’re in Dallas so I can take time off to enjoy Colorado. Don’t paint me as something I’m not.” He poured the eggs in and turned. Cole stared at him, that particular stare he got when he was really desperate to figure a person out. “Why are you here, Mason?”
“I thought we went over this yesterday.” He could feel his sullenness. He had to fucking stop it.
“I understand why Kitten retrieved you. I’m sure it would surprise you to discover I went to the hospital myself when I found out.”
Yes, it was definitely intriguing. “Why would you do that?”
Cole stirred the eggs and added some mushrooms and peppers. He hadn’t lied. He seemed to have prepped for a nice little breakfast for two. “Because I would want to know if something bad happened, Mason. I don’t want you dead.”
“You could have fooled me.”
Cole stepped over and filled a mug with coffee. He placed it on the table in front of Mason. “Can we speak civilly?”
Something about the dark nature of his voice pulled at Mason. “Of course.”
Cole was back at the stove turning the omelet. “I’ll ask again and really hope you give me an honest answer. Why are you here?”
He let himself do what felt natural around Cole. He didn’t hide. He didn’t lie. “I’m here because I didn’t have any place else to go. I don’t have a car now. I very likely don’t have a job. I have a little money saved up. I can handle my rent for a month or so.”
“What about the hospital bills?”
Mason sighed. “I’ll take care of them.”
“How?” Cole could be a bit like a dog with a bone.
“I’ll probably look into bankruptcy,” Mason admitted. No lies there. He was tapped. Done. He’d lived hand to mouth for the last two years, always knowing that if anything went wrong he would be fucked and hard. Something had gone wrong. He had a month or two before his roommate would kick him out.
“And if I offered you a job?”
Mason stilled, his hand on the coffee mug. He hadn’t expected it so quickly. He certainly hadn’t expected anything like a job offer. The most he’d hoped for was to be invited to stay in the pool house for a bit. “I doubt you need a lawyer.”
Cole’s shoulders were a straight line over his back, a sure sign that he wasn’t comfortable. He was tense and it was right there inside Mason to go up to him and rub those shoulders until he relaxed. He’d done it for years, and he knew just how to touch him to get that tension to go away.
It was a habit, an old habit, so he stayed in his chair, watching Cole.
Cole put a perfectly cooked omelet in front of him and Mason couldn’t help the way his stomach rumbled. Hungry. He was so fucking hungry and it was for more than food.
“I don’t need a lawyer, but I do need something from you. Are you willing to listen?”
He had an idea about what Cole was going to ask him, and every cell in his body came alive at the thought. He picked up his fork. The omelet looked superb. It wasn’t the only thing in the room that looked damn fine. “Yes. Of course I’ll listen, Sir.”
He took his first bite and realized his day was looking up.
* * * *
Cole was fairly certain he was making a massive mistake, but he couldn’t help himself. It might be a mistake, but it felt like the right thing to do. In a single day Mason had enhanced his relationship with Kitten. He hadn’t missed his cues this morning. It had been Mason who had subtly urged him to touch Kitten. He’d been fairly hands off up to this point, but Mason seemed to understand what he didn’t, that Kitten needed physical affection. He’d been too worried about taking advantage of her, but Mason had simply moved in.
“I want you to help with Kitten.” There he’d said it. He didn’t have to commit to anything beyond a few weeks. Just enough time to get to understand what she needed to feel comfortable with him and enough time for him to figure out what was really going on with Mason. Despite everything that had happened, he couldn’t shove Mason away.
Mason swallowed a forkful and his eyes closed in pure pleasure before he looked to Cole. “You want to know why you’re struggling? I like Kitten. I’ll tell you where you’re going wrong with her. You certainly don’t have to hire me to get me to talk.”
“Then let’s call it a temporary gig. I’ll admit that I don’t like the thought of you being alone after your accident. You can stay here for a few weeks. Kitten’s comfortable with you. I’m afraid she’s been lonely. She’s not like the others, or maybe I made a mistake by taking her in without another sub.”
“Like a puppy who needs a friend.”
“Damn it, I didn’t mean that.”
Mason held a hand up. “I’m sorry. I’ve gotten quite bitter over the years. You’re making a mistake by treating her like the other subs you’ve worked with. They had some problems but their problems came from themselves and not external events.”
Mason had always been too hard on them. “They deserved help.”
“I’m not saying they didn’t. I’m strictly saying that Kitten’s problems don’t stem from an inner flaw. Anna had body issues.”
Anna had more than body issues. She’d hated her body. She hadn’t been able to see how lovely she was until he and Mason had shown her. “She’s ve
ry happy now.”
“Yes. Once she was comfortable with herself she moved on. And Susan did as well. I doubt Emily would have moved on. She had a different agenda.”
He didn’t want to get into the Emily fight. There was something that felt good and right about sitting here and talking to Mason. He didn’t want an argument to ruin it. “And Kitten? You always were good at summing people up. You were an excellent judge of character most of the time. What’s your take on her?”
“She could fall in love with you. She isn’t using you for anything beyond having a need to find a place to belong. She’s invested in the lifestyle, perhaps too invested.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I thought it was important that she be invested in the lifestyle since I signed a contract to top her.”
“You know as well as I do that a sub has to be strong. I worry that Kitten is here because it’s easier than finding her place in the world. She’s still having nightmares, Cole.”
“I’m not sure anyone ever really gets over what happened to her.” She’d had her life taken from her. “She’s been in therapy.”
“And has she had a job? She’s what? Twenty-four?”
“Twenty-five and she worked as Leo’s assistant.”
“So she worked for her shrink. That must have been a safe place to be.”
“I don’t think Julian would have allowed her to work outside The Club. He didn’t even let her play for the first two years she lived there. Not in the dungeon. He was very careful with her.” He realized what Mason didn’t understand when he raised an eyebrow at Julian’s name. “She’s Finn’s first cousin.”
“So she lived at The Club, played there eventually, worked there, and now she’s in a twenty-four-seven relationship where you make all the decisions. You have to be worried that she’s just become used to following orders. She was kept with other girls, wasn’t she? What happened to them?”