Page 27 of Princes of Hollywood

“Through that opening.”

I turn to see him gesture with a nod of his chin toward the corner of the kitchen. Taking a breath in, I follow his direction past the white cabinets and white marble counters. As I draw closer, I can see the opening. When I get to the doorway, I pause.

It’s like the opposite of the kitchen. The cabinets are black and in a long galley style. The counters are gray with streaks of white. It’s beautiful and dark. Like the man behind me.

I move into the room and go to the stand with the tablet on it.

“These cabinets hold our dishes, especially for formal occasions.” Mason’s voice makes me straighten, and I spin to face him. His finger trails along one of the white veins in the marble. “We’ll hire a cook and staff for those parties. You’ll be expected to devote all of your attention to staying at Aiden’s side.”

That makes sense. The booze probably flows liberally at those parties. “Is there anything else I need to know?”

“Sir,” he prompts. His eyes flare with a little heat.

I need to learn what these men expect of me and do as they ask. Within reason. But this is a job I intend to keep.

“Sir.” My chest tightens as he closes in on me. A hint of his earthy leather scent reaches my nose. It draws me and makes me want to move closer to get a better smell. I mentally shake myself.

“I need you to look after my friends. All of them.” He stops with a hair’s breadth separating us. An inhale would make my breasts bump against him. “I’m not sure what you’re used to, but we have a lot of demands.”

Holding his gaze is difficult. I’m pretty sure he wants my submission, but I can’t give it to him. Not now. My blood thunders through my veins, and I can feel my pussy pulse in want.

When he lifts his hand from the counter, my breath catches in my throat and I hold perfectly still, anticipating his touch.

“I know why they want you, little mouse.” His finger traces the vein throbbing in my neck and I almost whimper at the heat that courses through me. “Do you know why?”

I shake my head at his question. I don’t have a clue. Pretty sure it isn’t just because I’m present, but maybe convenience has something to do with it. But these guys could get any woman they wanted.

“You’re like this perfect little picture of a broken girl.” Mason’s hand wraps around the back of my neck as he pulls me against him. All his hard lines press against my softness. His hand wraps around my hip to keep me there. “Some of us want to coddle you and fix you, but some of us prefer to see what more we can break.”

I should push him away. Fear should be pounding through me as his piercing gaze searches my eyes, but instead, desire and need ache within. Curiosity has me asking, “Which are you? Sir?”

My neck strains to hold the angle to search his eyes.

The corner of his lips tips up. “I like to play with broken toys, little mouse. I like to draw out the darkness within and test it. See how it fits with my darkness.”

“You think you can break me?” I wet my suddenly dry lips, drawing his attention to them. His eyes darken, and I’m surprised I don’t burst into flames. “Sir?”

“I’ll enjoy trying.” His thumb brushes against my jaw, sending sparks across my skin. “But before we can play, we need to establish limits and rules. When you’re ready to see what I can do to you, little mouse.”

He releases me and walks out. I manage to hold myself upright until he steps out of the room and I hear his footsteps fade. When my knees give, I catch myself on the counter.

Fuck, he’s intense. I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to stand up to him without falling to my knees.

Pretty sure that’s where he wants me.

I take a few minutes to get myself together before grabbing the tablet and heading out into the sun. I need its warmth to chase away the darkness.

Aiden still cuts through the water effortlessly, not slowing even a little. I sit on one of the lounge chairs. Outside shouldn’t be a luxury, but in the city, it is. Sure, there are parks, but nothing like this where you have privacy.

Over the years, I’ve had to build up my walls. To deal with disappointment. To deal with pain. To deal with loss. Mason’s not wrong when he calls me broken. But my breaks don’t make me weak, they make me stronger. He can try to poke at them, but I’m not worried.

I close my eyes and tip my face to the sun. Warmth penetrates my skin and chases away the chills of the past. I could spend all day out here like this. Even the inevitable sunburn would be worth it. This is my life for now. Cool grass underfoot and blue skies overhead with the ocean rolling in nearby.

My eyes pop open. I need to call Bristol. She’ll want to know how it went and what’s happened. I need to thank her. Maybe buy her something nice with my first paycheck. My phone is up in the room. Next time I go up, I’ll remember to text her.

I open the tablet and scroll through the list of chores.

Laundry might be a big one. Four guys. I need to figure out where the laundry is and how I get it there. Do I go into their rooms? That seems odd, but if that’s the way they want me to do it.

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