From Part 2
Maria’s gaze sharpened. “That’s why I told you it was urgent that we talk. I wanted to warn you. Your father is more than furious about this. The two of you locked horns about her in the past, and you prevented him from fucking her then. And now, when she willingly offered up her virginity to the highest bidder, you swooped in and stole her right from under his nose. He is beyond reason and has decided to do something about it.”
Mason’s eyebrows arched. “And what might that be?”
Maria leaned forward, and her worried expression filled him with icy apprehension.
“I don’t know exactly. But he said he intends to destroy you.” Her fingers tightened around her wine glass.
“And her.”
The whole drive home, Mason stewed about what Maria had told him. He didn’t respect the old man, and Chas wasn’t the best in business mainly because he didn’t keep a clear focus, but when he put his mind to something—like revenge—he was very focused. Very underhanded. And absolutely ruthless.
Mason knew he could survive whatever his father threw at him, even though he was sure Chas could definitely do some damage, but he worried about Dana. The old man wouldn’t hesitate to tear down her good name, and Mason’s, even if it cast a bad light on the family as a whole. Mason didn’t want Dana to have to go through that.
He might not be able to do anything in time to stop it, though. Even if Mason threatened to destroy his father’s corporation—which Chas had to know Mason would do anyway if Chas hurt Dana in any way—by now Chas had enough assets that he could take the hit and still keep his decadent lifestyle.
But what Mason worried about more was if Chas would target Dana in some other way.
Fuck, he was glad that Dana would be going off to Paris for her graduate degree. She would be away from the scandal that Chas might let loose here.
But that was months away. In the meantime, he needed to find a way to protect her.
He knocked on Dana’s door and a moment later she opened it.
She curled her hand around the edge of the door. “Hi.”
“Sorry I had to interrupt our conversation earlier, but it was important.”
She nodded, but he could tell she was upset.
“Why don’t you come back to my suite and we’ll continue where we left off?”
He still couldn’t bring himself to go into her room, which was crazy now that they were having sex. But being in her room reminded him too much of the young Dana. The Dana he had needed—and wanted—to protect from his father.
And now, it seemed, he needed to again.
She opened the door and followed him down the hall, then he tapped in the combination and they went inside.
“Mason, are you still seeing Maria?”
He turned to her with a frown. “We still keep in touch. Why do you ask?”
He walked to the bar and poured himself a scotch, then tossed it back.
“I looked at the text message on your phone when you were in the shower.” She bit her lip. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have, but I couldn’t help myself. I really wanted to know what was so important that it would pull you away right then.”
“I think we want to continue that conversation now,” he said, refusing to be pulled into the topic of Maria.
“All right.” Dana sat on the couch, her legs curled beside her.
He walked to the armchair across from her and sat down.
She locked gazes with him. “So why don’t I meet your needs?”
* * *
Dana watched as Mason’s face turned somber. “We’re both aware of the obvious reasons we can’t continue a sexual relationship. But if we really wanted to, we could weather all of those. There is one thing that stops us cold, however, and it has nothing to do with what others will think about it.”
Her chest tightened. “Tell me.”
He sighed deeply. “You said you saw me with Maria all those years ago.” His lips compressed.
She nodded.
“Those times with Maria … They triggered in me
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