Her Pleasure His Pain

NORMAL

The closer Justin and I became, the more Mason set himself apart from us both. He visited Aidan less, but also bestowed more responsibility on me as a publicist. Though I missed the sexual camaraderie, I became more excited about soon becoming a full fledged partner which happened the day Justin officially signed with the firm.

During the press release, he dropped to one knee on live television. To everyone's surprise, especially my own, I answered him with a resounding yes. An intimate wedding and Caicos honeymoon later, he returned to practice, and I to work in my new role.

"May I come in?"

I spun away from my view of a majestic skyline at dusk, then grinned from ear to ear. Leaping from my seat, I met Mason in the middle of the expansive office suite. He handed me a bottle of wine, then extended his arms for a hug.

"Welcome back, partner," he declared as he embraced me with a hearty, though much more mechanical squeeze.

"Thanks." I broke from his grasp, then took a step back to ask. "Are we good?"

"Of course, even better thanks to you and your new husband. SDC, my bad... SDG is back on top, and I couldn't be more pleased."

"Awesome, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. Tomorrow, I'm meeting with Geoff. That draft project we discussed is wrapping up nicely."

"You started that before you left, didn't you?"

"Uh-huh." I answered with enthusiasm, then placed the bottle of wine onto the corner of my desk before walking around to return to my seat.

"Were you working the entire time you were away?"

"Yep."

"I told you it could wait."

"And I told you I would get it done before the combine. I worked while sunning on the beach, and it's still on track to be completed before March...so."

Mason unbuttoned his jacket, then took a seat across from my desk. He sighed, then asked. "What are you doing?"

"My job, why?"

"You're already a partner, remember?"

I chuckled while shaking my head. "And that's supposed to do what exactly, make me relax?"

"As a matter of fact it is."

"Well, it's not. I have a huge vision for this organization, and I plan to see it through."

"And JL?"

"He's back in the gym from dawn to dusk."

Without attempting to conceal his disapproving expression, Mason smoothed his tie as he mumbled. "Maybe you two were actually made for each other."

"I guess so." I replied while scanning emails.

"I swear you're both too damn committed to your careers for your own good."

Pausing, I shot a confused glance across my desk.

"And this is coming from the man who works from dawn to damn near another dawn. If that isn't the ritz calling the saltine a cracker."

"Maybe I'm not working as hard as you think, on what you think."

"Not possible."

"Aren't you the same person who once told me anything is possible?"

"Touché, but how is less of anything possible for the incomparable Mason Diggs?"

With his enigmatic grin on full display, he stood, buttoned his jacket, then waggled his brows as he turned towards the door. His parting words. "That's for me to know. Goodnight... Mrs. Legacy."