Page 16 of Savoring Addison

His fingertips dug into her bare upper arms as he wrenched her around to face him. “Tell me why you’re acting like this. Now.” The anger and superiority were gone. Same with that hint of entitlement, like he thought she owed him whatever he wanted from her.

No, this was completely different. This was the full force of his Dom persona—the hard command in his voice, the cold fury in his eyes, the fierce tilt of his frown.

Addison was absolutely helpless against it.

“It sucked being the only person in the room without someone to kiss, okay?” Too embarrassed to look him in the eye, she stared at his lips instead. His perfect, stupid lips. “Now will you leave me alone? Please?”

Mason stared down at her for a full five seconds. Addison never looked up, but her heart beat so loudly she was sure he could hear it. Then slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered his lips until they nearly brushed against hers.

Her whole body stiffened, and for a fleeting moment she considered shoving him away. They both knew yesterday’s fuckfest was a mistake.

That wasn’t what she really wanted, and she damn well knew it.

When his tongue ran along the seam of her lips, she parted for him without hesitation. Moving his hands to her back, he pulled her flush against his body as he claimed her mouth, kissing her absolutely fucking senseless.

The kiss ended just as abruptly as it started, and he steadied her when she almost toppled over again. She suspected she had literal stars in her eyes as she blinked up at him, like some kind of cartoon character.

“Next time,” he said, removing his suit jacket with so much force, she was surprised a seam didn’t pop, “be a good girl and ask for what you want.” He thrust the jacket into her hands. “Don’t freeze to death.”

Addison stood frozen as he stalked back toward the house, so rigid his arms didn’t even swing as he moved. Fixated as she was on his retreating form, she jumped when the kitchen door slammed behind him.

Her teeth chattered as she slid her bare arms into the jacket. The marigold silk lining wrapped her in Mason’s body heat, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes and sigh as it enveloped her. Jesus fuck, it smelled just like him. Smoky and spicy—like cedarwood and cardamom, with the most delicious hint of leather.

With her lips still tingling and her skin pulsing where he’d gripped her, she knew they weren’t done with each other.

Not even fucking close.

CHAPTER 6

Mason

The next four days dragged by. Four days during which Mason managed to avoid Addison completely. The fact that they didn’t so much as glimpse one another across the lobby or down one of the Manor’s long hallways made him suspect she was trying to avoid him, too.

The guests finished clearing out over an hour ago, and the bulk of the staff followed suit shortly after. Only housekeeping remained, deep cleaning the mansion from the dungeon up through the guest suites on the second floor.

And, of course, Addison. The one person currently living at the Manor full time. Even the groundskeepers and housekeeping staff commuted in from the surrounding area—which was the main reason barely any locals protested when they opened their kinky little resort. Morality issues usually become more of a gray area when your top-notch wages and benefits give a massive boost to the local economy.

Mason lingered in the lobby, sitting at the reception desk and leafing through his next guest’s file over and over. It had been at least an hour since he read any of the words. His eyes wouldn’t even focus on the pages anymore.

For about the thousandth time, he glanced across the empty lobby, watching the doorway to the back hall for any sign of movement. Addison had to come out of the kitchen eventually. When she did, Mason would be waiting.

He hadn’t stopped thinking about that kiss all week. And everything in the kitchen the day before...Jesus Christ, he wanted to get his hands on her again. Not a great mindset to be in while with his guest. The what-if hanging over his head was fucking with his work now. Completely unacceptable. Time to do something about it.

When she still didn’t appear after another fifteen minutes, Mason took matters into his own hands. Returning the file to the neat stack on the corner of the desk, he stood and buttoned his jacket. The hard soles of his leather Oxfords clicked against the white and gray marble tiles as he crossed the lobby.

His heart beat way too fast as he made his way through the dining room. The women he’d been with these last seven years all applied to be with him. Every single one was ecstatic to be chosen, leaving no room for mystery or uncertainty.

Addison on the other hand...she could turn him down flat. He hadn’t been faced with such a prospect in years, and he didn’t like the way it made his skin feel too tight.

Pausing outside the kitchen door, he straightened his tie and dried his sweaty palms on the front of his slacks. With a final deep breath, he pushed the door open.

The kitchen practically sparkled with the light pouring through the windows, every single surface cleaned to a perfect gleam. As for the Manor’s newest staff member, she was nowhere to be seen.

“What the fuck,” Mason muttered under his breath, circling around the kitchen to check the pantry, then both sides of the walk-in cooler/freezer combo.

Nothing.

Had she snuck out the back door and walked around the outside of the house to the parking lot? But the snow still hadn’t been shoveled, and she had no way of knowing he was waiting for her in the lobby. Not unless someone warned her, and why would anyone do that? No one else knew about everything going on between them, at least as far as he knew.

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