Page 37 of The Master

Lips that wrapped around my shaft to give me the best blowjob I’d ever had. Eyes that darkened with heat and desire. That spot on her neck that made her whimper when I bit it. Those breasts…

Fuck.

I enjoyed sex, but I’d never let it rule my mind. Not until now, anyway. Ashlee was the only one who managed to get under my skin like that. I couldn’t quit thinking about her, wanting to touch her, to be with her.

I sighed and turned back to my computer. I had work to do. Important work.

“Just a hint of sugar,” Ashlee said as she set the mug in front of me.

I reached for her, my arm going around her waist and pulling her onto my lap before she could walk away. She let out a startled yelp that made me laugh.

“You wouldn’t be laughing if I’d dumped my coffee on you.” She glared at me even though she was still laughing.

I plucked the mug from her hand and set it next to mine on the desk. With my other hand, I caught her chin, holding her in place as I covered her mouth with mine. Her lips parted, and my tongue swept inside, tangling with hers, my teeth worrying at her lips. She fisted my shirt, leaning into me to deepen the kiss, and I was tempted to take her back to my bedroom and spend the rest of the day making her scream.

Before I could put the plan into action, my computer dinged, signaling that I had a new email, probably one that needed to be answered right away, considering my luck.

I reluctantly broke the kiss and sighed. “I should probably get that.”

Ashlee wore a dazed expression as she nodded, and it took her a moment to get to her feet. I opened the email and hoped that whatever it was about would be enough to kill the erection currently pressing against my zipper. Considering it was from Jailene, the odds were high.

Mr. Lexington, I have a meeting tomorrow morning with a judge regarding a restraining order against all three women. The order includes you, Miss Webb, and Manhattan Records to make it clear that she and the company stand with you. There will likely be a counter request from the trio to make it seem as if you and Miss Webb are the ones harassing them. No matter what happens, donotreact. Any press questions should be answered with, ‘I refer all questions to the Manhattan Records in-house counsel, on advice from same counsel.’ If you retain personal counsel, my recommendation remains the same.

I scowled at the screen. I didn’t like the idea that Calah, Roma, and Flora could smear my name, Ashlee’s name, and I had to stay quiet about it. Letting other people fight my battles wasn’t something I liked. In fact, I hated it. Even if it was the smart thing to do.

“What’s wrong?” Ashlee was sitting on the chair again, but her posture had gone stiff, as if she was ready to move at a single word.

“Jailene is filing for restraining orders on all three women for you, me, and the company, but she says they might turn around and try to file ones against us too, but we’re not supposed to have anything to say about it if it happens.”

She frowned. “Why?”

I shrugged. “I’m guessing because we’ll both come across as defensive, which won’t make usmorebelievable but less so.”

“The standard ‘the lady doth protest too much’ sort of thing.”

I made a noncommittal noise as I tapped out a response that more or less said I’d follow her advice. I intended to, but things rarely went as planned, especially when it came to Ashlee and me.

“I don’t like it.”

Leave it to Ashlee to say it flat-out like that. I chuckled. “I don’t either, but I trust Jailene to know what she’s doing.”

Ashlee sighed. “It’d be a bad idea for us to lock ourselves in the house and pretend no one else exists, right?”

The idea appealed to me far more than it should have. I had a business to run, and it had been my main focus my entire life. Just because I had someone in my life now who mattered to me, I couldn’t just stop working. I still enjoyed my job, and not just because of the money either. Even with all the headaches, I loved making music, all the bits and pieces of it. The parts everyone thought about, and the ones no one realized were important. I delegated to the appropriate departments, but I still saw it all.

Pretending, however, was something I could really get behind at the moment. Particularly because it didn’t look like I was going to be getting anything done in the near future. Maybe blowing off a little steam was what I needed.

“Pretty much everywhere delivers now,” I said. “We could hire someone to ride up and down in the elevator with packages, and they could just shove them inside so we don’t even have to see another human face.”

“We could install a bell that they could ring so we could go hide.” Ashlee laughed, her face brightening. “We’d turn into urban legends, the music mogul and his girlfriend who no one has seen in decades.”

“The world descends into chaos, but we’re safe up here,” I added.

“The zombie apocalypse. Of course we’d be safe. They don’t know how to use elevators.”

It was my turn to laugh, and she joined in, the mingling sounds something I’d never associated with work before. I liked it. A lot.

“That sounds much better than my original survival plan for the zombie apocalypse,” she said.

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