Page 24 of Playing with the Boss

TWELVE

Mason

I couldn’t get it right the first time with her, and now, my second attempt at kicking off on the right foot with Lisa has gone to hell, too. Worst of all, I know exactly what my error was: I treated her like goddamn Louanne.

Fine dining, entertainment of her choosing… they were things my goddamn ex craved. Along with pricey jewelry, lavish holidays, generally anything that could damn near bankrupt me.

My first real attempt at trying to win a woman over after that God-awful divorce and what do I do? Fall into old habits.

Nice, Mason.

“How’s your dog?”

Lisa strolls beside me, hands cradling her lightweight dinner as she squashes the overstuffed bun down small enough to fit in her mouth. I totally shouldn’t be thinking of blowjobs when she has processed meat in her hand, but then again, look at her go.

“It’s good,” she mumbles around a mouthful before swallowing. “But I was getting a bit hangry, so I may be biased.”

Yeah, well, she probably could have fit a bit more in if she’d softened her jaw, but then again, I may be biased too.

“What do we do next?” I ask before polishing off my final bite.

She shrugs, slowing to a stop a few yards from the hotel.

“Let me rephrase.” I clean the mustard off my thumb with the paper napkin and then duck over to toss it in the trash. “What would you normally do on a Monday night?”

“You really want me to answer that?” She shields her mouth with one hand, still eating.

“Sure.” How else am I supposed to know more about her than she’s not averse to a little adult action in the archive room?

“Well.” I wait while she cleans her hands and ditches the trash too. “First I’d have an equally unhealthy dinner like the one I just ate, and then after a long hot shower I’d really kick the thrill-factor up a notch and either read in bed or binge Netflix on the sofa.”

“You’re a regular daredevil, aren’t you?” I tease.

She steps into my embrace when I tug her forward, allowing me to wrap my arm around her shoulders. Her manicured hands settle on my chest, and I get a flash of us doing exactly this, yet naked, and in bed. Nice.

“I may have got into comfortable habits after being on my own for so long.”

What?My face displays my surprise given how she pulls away.

“I’m sorry that I’m not more exciting.” Lisa’s chin drops, her arms defensively banded over her chest.

“Don’t be.” I guide her face up with a finger beneath her chin. “You want to know how riveting my nights are?”

She manages a weak smile.

“Some nights I’m a real naughty boy and skip dinner,” I tease, leading her toward the hotel once more, “then head straight to bed where I sit for the next hour checking my finances.”

“An hour?” She lifts an eyebrow. “I know I can be thorough with my personal budget at times, but it sure doesn’t take me an hour.”

“I’ve got a finger in a few pies,” I explain. “Investments.”

“Makes sense.” Her tone is standoffish. “Like what?”

I gesture to the main entrance of the hotel as the doorman lets us in. “This, for one.”

The woman damn near pulls me flat on my ass as she jerks her hand free of my arm. I turn to find her anchored with her heels firmly on the sidewalk, while I stand halfway in the lobby like a goddamn moron.

“What the hell, Lisa?”

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