Page 34 of Mason

Mason told him about the whole marriage thing. Unlike Kade and Viktor, Nikoli didn’t laugh at him. He turned thoughtful.

“What do you want,brat? Forget Papa and his cancer, forget your fear, forget everything but what you want.”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do. You just don’t want to admit it.”

“That makes no sense.”

“It makes perfect sense,brat.” Nik gave him a rueful grin. “I spent months telling myself what was between Lily and myself was nothing. She was a means to an end to a bet. I could fuck her and walk away. I did, and it nearly destroyed us both. I don’t want you to go through that. I want you to be honest with yourself. I know you don’t see the way we all hooked up with our wives the way you would do it. We saw what we wanted in a very short time, and we took it.”

“Not everyone gets married months after they meet a girl.”

“True, but Kincaid men aren’t most men. We were raised by people who understood love, who were married a week after they met. You know what you want, but is it that you’re afraid, or that you’re afraid of what Jo will say?”

“She told me Ray asked her to marry him several times, and she said no.”

“She didn’t love him the way a woman should love her husband. Part of her understood that. But you’re not him, Mason. You’re you.”

“I’m fucking awesome.” He said it more to reassure himself than to hear his brother laugh at him.

“Keep Rose happy, and I’ll shout to the rooftops you’re fucking awesome.”

“You mind if I hang out today? I can watch her while you and Luther work. Give me some time to think about things, about what I want.”

“Don’t you have classes?”

“Yeah, but I can bail and help you out.”

“Sure,brat. It’ll give me a chance to finally get this coding done for the new game.”

“The one Sony and Microsoft are looking at?”

Nikoli nodded. “And a few others.”

“You thinking of giving anyone exclusive rights?” It was a big deal that anyone wanted exclusive rights to a game.

“We’re not sure. We’ve seen so many companies agree to release a game and then not do it over the last few years. Luther and I both think maybe we should hedge our bets and release wide.”

“It’s always worked before.”

“That’s what we’re banking on.”

“When are you going to open an actual office?”

Nikoli shrugged. “When we need one.”

“You run a multi-million-dollar company from your home. Eventually, you’re going to need an office. You guys had to rent a place when representatives from Sony came to talk to you last month.”

“Lily says the same thing, but how would I spend time with Rosie if I was at an office all day?”

“Good point,” Mason said and patted the baby’s back. She started to drowse, and he shook her awake. “Oh, no, you don’t. It’s time to play with Uncle Mason.”

“Good luck with keeping her awake. She was up most of the night.”

“Well, if I can manage it, you and Lily might get some sleep.”

“Lily Bells looked like death warmed over when she dragged herself to work this morning.”