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The following morning, Thea and Mason were seated at a large mahogany table in the corner of his office; stacks of paper and spreadsheets were arranged in front of them. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples with his index fingers as he scanned the documents. “This doesn’t add up,” he said in disbelief, gesturing to the numbers.

“What doesn’t?” She looked up, squinting into the bright light streaming through the window, eyebrows raised in question.

Mason scratched his chin and tapped a long finger on the stack of papers. His eyes narrowed as he studied the figures. “These numbers. They’re all off,” he leaned forward, his brow furrowing with frustration.

Thea took the bundle of papers from him and carefully peered over them, her finger tracing along the ink lines. Sure enough, something was definitely off.

Mason’s eyes were trained intently on the stack of documents before him, and his finger tapped impatiently as he spoke. “Grab us a coffee from the break room,” he said without sparing a glance in her direction.

Thea continued to skim the papers in front of her, her eyes darting from line to line, her long fingers moving across the page, “Isn’t that what Kim is for?”

Mason’s eyes pierced Thea’s as he spun her chair in one swift motion to face him. His voice was low and firm as he stated, “No, it’s not.” She felt a chill run down her spine as she looked into his eyes which commanded her full attention. She hesitated, her heart pounding and her throat dry. His eyes smoldered with an intensity that took her breath away. He leaned in close, forcing her to tilt her head up, and softly whispered in her ear, “Did you forget? You belong to me now. For the next six months, you do what I say.”

A flush of warmth spread from the base of her neck and crept up to her cheeks, a jarring contrast to the cool chill in the office. She felt Mason’s hand on her thigh, his thumb making small circles on her skin and sending an electric thrill through her body. His eyes were full of passion and mischief. She bit her lip nervously and reminded him, “Here in the office? This is how Addison caught you last time.”

A hearty chuckle escaped his lips, and he glanced at the table in front of them, his lips pressed into a knowing smirk. “I never said I planned on using the table,” he said, “Unless you want me to.”

“Mason,” Thea’s breath hitched as his fingertips skimmed the inside of her thigh. His touch lingered, eliciting a soft whimper from her lips. With every small stroke, her grip on the armchair tightened. She was powerless against the pleasure of his touch. Her body rocked with desire, her thighs quivering beneath his gentle caress.

His fingers inched forward like spiders, drawing ever closer to her core. His deep voice rumbled in her ear, “You know your safe word,” he said. “If you want me to stop, use it.”

Thea felt a flame run through her body as Mason’s fingertips ventured dangerously close to her lace panties. She closed her eyes and shuddered, trying to decide whether or not to surrender to the thrill of his touch. Succumbing to his authoritative gaze, she wondered, Do I want this? Mason was sexy, confident, more importantly, in control.

Beeepppppp. The intercom on his desk blared to life with Kim’s voice, piercing through the stillness of the room. “Call waiting for you.” A light on the phone blinked in a steady rhythm, keeping time with the long beep of the ringing phone.

Mason chuckled, a deep rumble that vibrated from his throat, and reluctantly pulled his hand away from Thea’s thigh, “She has the worst timing.” His chair creaked as he pushed himself away from the table, and Thea felt her stomach drop. He picked up the phone on his office desk with one hand and absentmindedly ran the fingers of his other through his thick hair. Thea stared down at her lap momentarily before shaking her head, standing up, and straightening her skirt. With a heavy sigh, she went to the break room to get them each a cup of coffee.

Thea was snapping the lid shut on the coffee cups when Addison stopped just outside the breakroom door and cleared her throat softly. “Hey, Thea. So, how was the party last night? Anything fun happen?”

Thea’s response was a drawn-out, “Ehhh,” as she brought the cup to her lips. Steam from her coffee swirled around her face, and she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Where were you, by the way?” she asked as she took a slow sip of her coffee.

Addison grabbed a bagel from the plate on the counter, and her brow furrowed in frustration. “I never go to those things. It never stops my mom from asking, though,” She took an indignant bite and continued as they started walking back to the offices. “I wish Mason would tell her no. You should see the way she controls what he does - the parties, media, the cases we take on. I think that’s why he won’t even attempt a serious relationship. He knows she’d try to control that too.” They stopped in front of Mason’s office, and Addison sighed in exasperation. “I know he feels like he has to represent the firm since Dad died, but enough is enough. Please help him see that.”

“I’ll try my best,” Thea said as she embraced Addison in a tight hug, the kind that lingered with a hint of sadness. When they finally pulled apart, Addison continued to her office as Thea walked into Mason’s office, carefully placing the steaming cup on the corner of his mahogany desk. “One cappuccino,” she said in a soft voice.

Mason slammed the receiver down and let out an exasperated sigh. His fists clenched in frustration, and his jaw tightened. “She’s really starting to get on my nerves,” he grumbled.

Thea’s eyes widened, and she slowly lowered herself onto the chair across from him with furrowed brows, “Your mom?” she asked.

“Yes, but what else is new?” He pushed back from the desk, his chair scraping against the floor. He stood, walked to the door, and looked back over his shoulder, “Let’s go.”

She darted forward, snatching their coffees from his desk. “Where are we going?”

“I think I know why those numbers were off,” he said over his shoulder.