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Of course, he’s obnoxious enough to disregard my pointed signal and moves into my eye line.

“Enjoy your day of rolling around in the mud?” he jibes. “I’m more than willing to dirty you some more if you want?” he adds with a chuckle.

I turn and stare into his pale blue eyes. “I don’t want, asshole. And I see your nose is still bent out of shape. Maybe you want me to bend it some more, finish what Mason started?”

Cold rage fills his eyes. “I paid a fuck load of money for this trip. I was promised an experience that’s so far been severely lacking. Isn’t this gig supposed to be a free-for-all? And as for Sinclair, I don’t know what his fucking problem is. We’ve both fucked the same girls from Hani’s stable. He suddenly doesn’t want to share, that’s fine.” His sleazy gaze slithers over me, and I’m glad I’m wearing the kimono-like gown that covers me from neck to feet. “You’re not super-hot, but I see the appeal. Sinclair got a free pass the last time. If he so much as points a finger at me, my lawyers will turn him into chump.”

The elevator door opens. I walk through it, then turn and cock my head invitingly. “He’s right this way. Care to come and tell him all of that bullshit in person?”

Fear crawls through his eyes, but he snaps, “Not worth my time. I have somewhere else to be.” He stabs the button for the floor below repeatedly until the door starts to shut.

I smile. “Enjoy your evening, you fucking coward.”

Outraged anger is the last thing I see before I turn and head down the hallway. At the door, I pause and take a deep breath.

I tell myself I’m a modern woman, that I’m okay with whichever way Mason chose to get his rocks off before he met me.

But… I’m not okay being confused for a member of Hani’s stable, whoever the hell she is.

I jump when the door is yanked open. “You plan to stand there all night?” Mason glares at me.

He wasn’t happy when I abandoned our lunch and fuck plans to go on the excursion. Clearly, his mood hasn’t improved in my absence.

I walk past him into the room, careful to avoid his gaze in case he sees my agitation, but he grabs my wrist and pulls me into a rough hug.

“You were supposed to be back an hour ago,” he gripes as he buries his face in the crook of my neck.

“Sorry, the mixologist who accompanied us was a little too good at his job. Either that or serving decadent cocktails while indulging in an ancient mud bath is something no woman can get enough of.”

“Hmm,” he grunts, his mouth sliding to my collarbone. “Did you have a mud bath, too? Is that why you’re wearing this dirty, delightful stink I want to roll around in?”

I tilt my head to give him better access, all the while trying to get my brain to erase Titus Morton’s words. “The sulphur’s supposed to be good for my skin.”

“I’mgood for your skin,” he growls softly. “You want me to demonstrate?”

I open my mouth to say yes. Instead, different words emerge. “Who’s Hani?”

Mason tenses against me, then lifts his head. “Who told you her name?”

I stare back at him. “Does it matter? Apparently, I’m good enough to be one of the many girls from her stable.”

His features harden from granite to titanium. “Morton.” The word is a death sentence.

I shiver but plow on. “I have to ask, Mason. Is this information public knowledge?”

His eyes narrow. “Why?”

My shoulders lift in a shrug that feels as if it’s weighted by the world. “I just want a heads up if anyone who sees me with you will automatically think I’m a prostitute.”

“They wouldn’t dare.”

“Umm… sorry, but they kinda already did.”

“I’ll deal with Morton.”

I place a hand on his chest and shake my head. “No need, I already did. He’s probably thick enough to try something again, but I can handle him.”

Mason watches me, trying to gauge my mood. His phone starts to ring and relief punches through me.