Read Hollywood Bad Boys Club: Book 2: Mason for Free Online Page B

I ask innocently.
    “Was it worth it, Mason? Was she good?”
    “Was who worth what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    She turns back to me and says sweetly, “I’m talking about you sticking your dick in my client’s manager.”
    I pretend to be surprised that she knows, but Claire sees right through me.
    “Of course I knew about you and Mona. You practically had the news hand-delivered to me.”
    “You had no business taking Mona’s request to Jackie,” I say. “You should have advised her to drop the demand. That meeting was a waste of everyone’s time and I wanted to teach you a lesson.”
    “And you chose to do so like an amateur,” she says. “It was a nice parlor trick, but what did it have to do with business? We both know it will have no effect on the equal pay issue.”
    Claire doesn’t seem upset at all. It’s weird how emotionless she is about.
    “Besides, word is you’re not very discerning when it comes to sex partners anyway. A handsome guy like you should be more selective.”
    I ignore everything except the last sentence. “So you think I’m handsome?”
    She places a hand on my cheek and says, “Every woman thinks you’re handsome. But you know that.”
    Her hand lingers on my face a second too long, then she removes it and says, “Anyway, it wasn’t fair to Mona, using her like that to send me a message. Next time you want to fuck me, don’t use a middleman.”
    There’s an awkward pause as I try to parse the true meaning of her sentence.
    Claire sees my expression and hurriedly corrects herself. “I’m talking strictly about business.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind. Fuck Claire in person next time.”
    She’s undeterred. “See, that’s the difference between us, Mason,” she says. “You play these little games, whereas if I decide to fuck you, you will definitely know you’ve been fucked.”
    “Will I?” All this talk about us fucking each other is starting to fuel my imagination and my smirk reflects my thoughts.
    “Business-wise! Because that’s the only way in which there will ever be any fucking between you and me.”
    Finally, I seem to have gotten a rise out of her.
    “Never say never,” I say.
    “Oh, I can definitely say never in this case. You’re far too slimy for my tastes.”
    We stare at each other in silence for a moment. I’m no mind-reader but I know women pretty well, and the look on Claire’s face says she’s trying hard not to imagine fucking me in a non-business sense. As she breaks away to take a sip from her martini, I glance at her modest cleavage and see her chest rise and fall. This conversation and the alcohol she’s consumed are getting to her. Perfect.
    “You’re just mad because I got my way in that meeting,” I say, changing the subject.
    She laughs. “Actually, all you did was piss off one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. I was surprised because I thought you were smarter than that.”
    “I know what I’m doing. We both know who’s the better negotiator here.”
    “You’ve got to be joking,” she says. “If it weren’t for Drake Manning, you’d be fighting for B-list scraps.”
    Ouch. That was below the belt. Not entirely true, but close enough to sting. The scotch in my belly insists that I counter-punch.
    “Let’s bet on it,” I say. “A friendly wager to see who’s the better agent.”
    Our eyes meet. Goddamn, I could lose myself in eyes like that. I actually have to look away first, losing the stare test.
    “I’ve got a bet for you,” she says. “I’ll bet I can get Cheyenne a salary equal to Manning’s for Texas Flood .“
    I actually laugh out loud. “I wouldn’t bet on that if I were you, Claire.”
    “I knew it,” she says, then turns to her drink again.
    “Knew what?”
    “That you’d chicken out.”
    “No, I’m in if you are,” I say. “What happens if the film doesn’t get made at all?”
    “Then it’s a tie and nobody wins.”
    “Okay, let’s do this. What