Page 13 of A Sinful Gift

“I knew you would see things my way,” she told Blake between her own heavy breaths.

Mason laughed hard. “You’ve got your hands full with this one, don’t you?” he said to Blake before meeting her gaze again. “Hazel, sweetheart, take a quick shower, then join me for breakfast.” Mason was still laughing as he walked out of the bedroom.

Blake continued to hold her for a long moment before he finally turned the vibrator off and pulled it out of her body.

“You may have won our negotiation, but I wonthis,” he murmured huskily against her mouth as he slid three of his fingers into the wet heat between her thighs.

She couldn’t disagree with that. He had triumphed in bed... Well, she had too, if one counted the number of her orgasms. He pressed a soft, open-mouthed kiss to her lips before climbing off the bed and disappearing into the bathroom. She was still sitting on the edge of the bed, her legs too shaky to stand, when he returned to the bedroom.

“Can you walk?” he asked, half-teasing, half-serious.

“Yes.” It wasn’t quite a lie.

“I’ll go downstairs and see what Mason’s fixed for us.”

She waited for Blake to leave the bedroom before she walked to the bathroom. Her body still hummed, even though she no longer had the vibrator or Blake inside her. She was going to be feeling him and that vibrator for a few hours, but she wasn’t complaining. Once more she was glad to have some space to think. Blake had a way of muddling her thoughts.

She admired the black granite countertops and the gold hardware of the handles and faucets. It was tasteful and not overdone. She stepped into the shower and turned it on. Water blasted at her from different angles, and she sighed luxuriously as the hot water covered her skin. She wanted to linger and take a sinfully long shower, but knowing Mason had cooked breakfast downstairs hurried her along. She used Blake’s expensive shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, and couldn’t help but smile as she inhaled the scent that smelled just like Blake. It was a soft scent, with a hint of pine and amber.

She dried off and used a hairdryer that Blake had left on the counter for her. When she finished, she rummaged around Blake’s dresser in the bedroom and stole a pair of his boxers and the white dress shirt he’d worn last night. It still smelled like him, and she rubbed her cheek against one sleeve before she rolled up the cuffs. While she liked tiptoeing around in Blake’s clothing, she knew at some point she was going to have to convince Mason or Blake to go to her apartment in the city and bring her some of her own clothes.

Hazel followed her nose downstairs to the kitchen to find Mason and Blake both huddled around the island, softly talking to each other and drinking coffee.

“You hungry?” Mason asked when they spotted her. Together they looked more like brothers, as they both wore jeans. She was more used to seeing Blake in his bespoke business suits, which she adored, but getting a glimpse of his relaxed side made her heart flutter traitorously. It reminded her too much of law school and that night they’d shared. She wanted to go to him and hug him and bury her face against his chest, just to feel safe and cherished. And that was something she couldn’t let herself do. She needed to limit it to amazing sex with him and Mason. Nothing more.

“What’s on the menu?” she asked them and pasted a smile on her face to hide her thoughts.

“You... later, of course,” Mason said with a chuckle. “Right now, there are pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee, and tea. What sounds good to you?”

“I want all of that except the coffee. I would love a cup of Earl Grey tea, black, if you have it?”

“You got it, sweetheart. Have a seat.” Mason nodded at the cozy table where someone, probably Chalmers, had set up for breakfast.

She glanced at Blake when she saw only two place settings.

“Enjoy breakfast,” Blake murmured and winked at her. “I have to call my client to break the bad news about the bonuses on the Reynolds Corporation sale.”

So it was just going to be her and Mason? Hazel took a seat and tried to quell the slight flutter of nerves as she watched Mason load up a plate of food and steep a cup of tea for her. He and Blake had fucked the hell out of her, but damned if they didn’t treat her like a princess too. It was something else she couldn’t get used to. She’d lost her parents in college—one to cancer, the other to a stroke a year later—and she’d gotten used to taking care of herself pretty quickly. It wasn’t easy to let go of the habit of relying only on herself.

“Thank you,” she replied as he set the food down in front of her and gave her the cup of tea.

“Warm syrup?” he asked as he placed a small carafe next to her plate.

“You really go all out,” she noted as she poured syrup on her pancakes. But she instantly regretted her words when Mason’s brown eyes darkened with shadows of old pain.

“I liked cooking a big breakfast for my little sisters and my mother on Sunday mornings. It was the only day my mother had off for the entire week. She would be utterly exhausted, so I would let her sleep in and cook for her and my sisters. It felt like one of the few nice things I could do between the housework and yardwork.”

Damn, the man had a way of making her want to cuddle up in his lap and purr. It was such a sweet thing to do for his family.

“Is your mother still alive?” she asked, hoping her question wasn’t too insensitive.

“Yes. She’s retired now. The moment my business took off, I made sure that I could support her. She has a house in Palm Springs and doesn’t ever have to work again. Of course, she’s not used to so much leisure time, so she runs a charity now. She could never stay still for long, but at least her hours are her own choosing, and she doesn’t have to answer to anyone ever again.”

Hazel remembered what Blake had told her about Mason’s father. “I imagine your father would be proud of you.”

Mason paused in the act of pouring himself more coffee. “I would like to think he would be too. What about you? Any siblings?”

“No,” she replied, feeling suddenly subdued. She didn’t like talking about her past. It hurt, but he had shared some of himself with her, and it felt wrong to close up to him.

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