Page 39 of If You Could Only Feel
“No bother, Gabriel. How may I help you?” he asked, and I could tell by the professionalism in his voice he knew he was on speaker and he knew there was a reason he was on speaker.
“I have Cort Christensen in my office who’s thinking of investing with us,” I stated, professionally. “However, BI’s marketing hasn’t impressed him much, and he wants to invest only if he gets all fees and commissions waived for the first year, until we’ve proven ourselves, of course.” Mason’s silence had me almost laughing. “When I explained that we don’t make these kinds of…concessions, he thought maybe this proposal should be run by my boss-that’s you, by the way-because a few million is nothing to scoff at.”
I wanted to use this moment of silence to pull out my phone and record Cort’s reaction to whatever Mason was going to say next, but I was trying to be my professional best.
“I see,” Mason replied, his voice cold and dark. “Well, Cort. May I call you Cort?”
The idiot sat up in his chair and leaned forward. “Yes, Mason,” he replied, and I couldn’t stop myself from wincing when he said Mason’s name.
“Well, Cort,” Mason repeated. “I think the first thing I should clear up is that I amnotGabriel’s boss.” I watched as Cort’s face paled a bit. He thought he knew what he was going up against, but no one knows what they’re going up against when dealing with Mason. “Buchanan Industries is ownedevenlyby Gabriel Buchanan, Aiden Buchanan, Michael Buchanan and myself.”
“Uh…” Cort’s confidence was waning rapidly.
“Second, Buchanan Industries doesn’t need to prove itself to any-goddamn-body,” Mason snapped, his psychotic side making an appearance. “If you had any idea,at all,what BI represented, you’d know that we deal inbillionsevery day. You think you can walk into this building and bully us with your several millions? Do yourself a favor and be gone from Gabriel’s office before I decide to blackball you from every major investment firm in the country. SMA, Global, Inc. included, as Julian Moretti is a good friend of mine.”
This time I couldn’t contain my immaturity. “Thanks, Mase,” I said, smiling into the phone. After hanging up, I stood up and Cort Christensen stood with me. “Well, as you can see, we won’t be doing business together, Cort.”
“Oh, wait,” he said, stammering. “I…maybe we got off on the wrong foot.”
“No, actually we didn’t,” I corrected. “Five minutes into our meeting, I already knew you were a dirtbag, Cort. Now, do us both a favor and just leave before you make a bigger ass of yourself. Because, if there’s one thing that Mason Buchanan is not, it’s a show-boater. He’ll fuck your life up if you don’t watch yourself.”
Cort Christensen did his best to pick his dignity up off the floor, but he was failing. So, I just stood there smiling at him as he made his way to the door without uttering another word.
What a fucktard.
Once the door shut behind him, I dropped back down in my seat and just laughed. God, I needed that. Last night had been brutal and not just because my dick was untouched while I spent all night fingers, face and tongue deep in Justice’s pussy, but because my entire future hindered on whether I had proven that she was more than just an easy lay to me.
I had to be at work so early this morning; I had left Justice sleeping, so I didn’t even know if all my efforts had proven futile or not.
God, I hope they did.
Needing something to center me, I dialed Michael. He answered mid-ring. “Yeah?”
“Jesus, Mike,” I chuckled. “Were you staring at your phone or something?”
He laughed. “No, you fuck. I was about to make a call when my phone rang, you ass.” I laughed. “So, what’s up?”
I cut right to the heart of the matter. “I have a wife who doesn’t believe I love her,” I said, knowing he already knew this.
Michael sighed, and I felt it all the way in bones. “It’s the secrecy that’s the problem, Gabe.”
Secrecy?“What do you mean?”
“You’re married, Gabe, and people still don’t know about her,” he pointed out. “You’ve been in love with this girl since you were 15, and yet, nobody knows that but your family. And now, six years later, you’re married to this girl, and still, nobody knows it. Why would she believe that you love her?”
Well, motherfucker.
Chapter 23
Justice~
I unlocked the door to my apartment, and all I wanted to do was take a long, hot bubble bath. I was so exhausted from last night/this morning, that I wanted to bathe and crash out. I didn’t even care about dinner or if Gabriel was going to make his commute today or not.
Last night had been some serious fucked up business in psychological warfare.
And Gabriel won.
He spent all night pleasuring my body until he reached his goal and the orgasm became painful and uncomfortable. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard of, and he kept up the torture all the while not finding any release himself.
