I smiled. My parents loved to travel, but could usually only afford to run away for weekends, wherever they could drive. “Yeah, you’ve mentioned wanting a second honeymoon.”
“If you’re Mason’s intern, it would put me closer on his radar, at least a bit.” Dad looked at me carefully. “Is that selfish of me?”
“Not at all! This could be great for both of us.”
“Good. Thanks, Em.”
As soon as dad went back to his office, I went upstairs to my bedroom, staring at my purple phone until it buzzed. “Hello?”
“Hello, Emily. This is Mason McHenry.” His low voice directly in my ear was unusually sensual.
Nerves prickled through me, and I had no idea what to say. “Hi.”
“Will you start tomorrow as my intern?”
I was almost disappointed that he got right to the point. I just wanted to keep him talking. “Sure. What would I be doing?”
“Assisting me,” he said smoothly. “Some research, and…well...”
I was shocked that he paused so awkwardly. He’d seemed so polished in this afternoon’s meeting.
Mason cleared his throat. “I require some assistance with my presentation format. Your help will be invaluable.”
“Sure. Sounds like fun.”
There was a tiny noise that may have been a chuckle, or a cough. “Fun? You think that working for me will be fun?”
“I think there’s fun in everything, if you let yourself find it,” I said quickly, hoping I didn’t sound like an idiot.
There was a long pause. “You are a fascinating young woman, Emily,” he said softly. “I’ll see you in my office at eight forty-five tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
“Sweet dreams, Emily,” he said gently, before ending the call.
The way he said my name made me tremble.
Stretching out in my bed, with Mason’s dark voice ringing in my ears, my thighs clenched. My nipples felt tight, and my stomach fluttered in circles.
Everything about Mason was arousing, from his appearance to his voice to his commanding nature. There was no way I would be able to hold myself together and be professional if I were in a room with him for an entire day.
But there was no way I could embarrass myself at Dad’s work, so I’d have to find a way. Besides, I absolutely had to find out if he was really the one Aunt Betsy claimed was my one true love.
4
_____
Mason
Thursday morning I sat at my desk, inhaling the deep aromas of a new Ethiopian blend. My coffee expert brought me freshly-roasted beans from around the world each week, trying to keep my palate on its toes.
Taking a slow sip, I reveled in the complex richness, while flipping through the details of my new intern’s online life that Timothy had dug up for me. I had never used my researchers for anything personal before, but it was crucial for me to find a connection to Emily immediately. Timothy’s detailed work helped me formulate a plan.
Offering Emily a job as an intern was simple. Now I had to think up something for her to actually do. To be honest, this precious little angel could simply sit in my office all day long, and I’d pay her whatever she liked.
Even I realized that sounded extremely creepy, so I dug into the notes.
It was difficult to ignore the extraneous details of her love of mystery books, her fondness for animal-themed jewelry, and her love of something called “retro synth pop”. Listening to a few samples, I had to admit it was impossible not to nod along.