Ignoring the way my stomach fluttered, I said, “I learned some massage techniques to help my dad. He has problems with recurring headaches. I could try to help yours if you want me to.”
Tamsin’s blue gaze held mine. His tense jaw softened. “I’d like that, Finn.”
I pushed my chair back and walked around until I was positioned behind him. So close, the fragrance of his cologne and the heat of his body stirred my senses. I had to close my eyes as I began working on his scalp before moving down to his neck and on to his shoulders. As I worked, the tension knotting his muscles began to release. When he groaned, I felt a tightening in my groin.
Massaging his pain away was both a pleasure and a torture for me.
“How’s that?” I asked him after a few more minutes.
He glanced up over his shoulder. “It was wonderful, Finn. You’re very good at that.”
Another shiver of pleasure at his praise snaked its way down my spine. My lips parted, and for just a moment I very much hoped he would kiss me. Instead, I forced myself to step back and return to my seat. I wasn’t sure I could eat any more dinner, but I definitely couldn’t stay in such close proximity to my boss.
“I should go,” I whispered, backing away.
Tamsin turned his chair to look at me. “Running away, Finn?”
I swallowed. “I think it would be for the best.”
Tamsin held my gaze for another heartbeat or ten, and I felt as though he held me there with an invisible string. Finally, he nodded. “Then run away, son.”
8
Tamsin
I couldn’t get Finn out of my head. More than the attraction I felt from my end, I now was all but certain my interest was returned, and it dovetailed exactly with what I wanted. There were too many signs. The blushes, the furtive glances, and the way he shivered in pleasure when I praised him.
I leaned back in my chair, my eyes closed, savoring the pressure of my cock against my fly. How would it feel to have him sitting at my feet, his head resting against my thigh while I stroked his silky hair?
I wanted it, but I had to find a way to legitimize it, to balance scales tipped so heavily in my favor.
I picked up the office phone. “Gabby, I need you to cancel my meeting this afternoon. Something’s come up and I need to go out. Have my driver out front in five minutes.”
“Yes, sir, Tamsin.”
If there was one thing I liked about my super-efficient assistant, it was that she seldom asked any unnecessary questions.
After going to my bathroom, I double-checked my appearance. If I was going to see the Monsieur, then I wanted not a hair out of place. I straightened my tie and adjusted my cuffs. Going before Monsieur was like making an appearance on a fashion runway. Always dressed to the nines, he was the epitome of a fashionista.
Most important, though, he was the driving force behind the Billionaire Club, and I needed a favor.
Less than a half-hour later, my driver was opening my door outside the skyscraper that housed the Club. After greeting the doorman, I showed the business card that gave me access to an express elevator to the top-floor penthouse better known to members as the Billionaire Club. When the doors glided silently open on the interior, I inhaled the rich aroma of coffee and lemon oil. Uncluttered with members who would later fill some of the penthouse’s emptiness, I took just a moment to enjoy the quiet.
When I opened my eyes, a young man dressed in dark slacks and a white shirt smiled at me. “Good afternoon, sir. Monsieur will see you now in his private sitting room.”
Such a quaint term, but it fit the room perfectly. Although I knew the way, I allowed the young man to lead me to the heavy wooden double doors. I waited as he knocked and then opened one of the panels for me to enter.
Monsieur was seated on an exquisitely appointed Louis XV loveseat. He smiled in greeting when I entered and rose to meet me. Clasping my hand with both of his, he said, “I was so pleased by your call.”
He gestured to the other side of the loveseat. “Please sit down, Tamsin. How may I assist you today?”
“We have a young intern for the summer at Tamsin & Jones—Finn Blakely. He’s just completed his junior year at university.”
“Ah, then he is considerably younger than some of your other eager legal eagles.” Monsieur flicked an invisible speck from his sleeve, as if he were making the most casual of observations, but I knew better. Monsieur never missed a thing.
“It irritated me to begin with, but now I know him better I believe he could use some assistance. It would be inappropriate for me to provide it through the firm. I also believe he would refuse it.”
Monsieur arched a brow. “Other than your obvious interest in him, what is it about this young man that sets him apart?”
I took a moment to organize my thoughts. “I am infatuated with him. He’s beautiful inside and out. Finn’s caring for and supporting his injured father.”
“Such devotion is admirable.”
I nodded in agreement. “He’s exceptionally bright and eager to please.”
Monsieur’s mouth quirked. “Something else I’m sure you find to your liking.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. Monsieur knew me better sometimes than I knew myself. “I spend more time thinking about him than I really should, but I worry.”
Monsieur crossed his crossed his legs at the knee, absently smoothing the finely-tailored material. “So now I believe we have reached the area where you believe I may be of assistance to you.”
I took a deep breath. “I would like to offer Finn patronage through the Club. I know that he hasn’t been scouted, and quite frankly, I’m not sure if Finn will even be interested in such an arrangement. To shoulder the responsibility he has, Finn must be quite strong. Yet, he can be equally fragile.”
Monsieur lifted his cup from a marble-topped coffee table strategically placed in front of the loveseat. After taking a sip of his coffee, he leveled his keen gaze on me. “As fragile as another young man who joined our ranks fresh out of law school?”
I shifted. “The circumstances aren’t entirely the same. I lost my parents. His are divorced, but he blames his mother for his father’s physical condition.”
Monsieur laid his hand on my forearm. “I have known you for years Tamsin. I was overjoyed when your uncle sponsored you. You have such a unique character to your dominance that I truly despaired of you ever finding someone to fit both you personally and your particular proclivities. I am delighted you have come to me about this young man.”
“Thank you, Monsieur.” While I gave him a few moments to consider my request, I studied the gilt-framed paintings on the walls. While Monsieur loved Louis XV furniture, I was glad his taste in paintings was more modern. Several impressionistic style paintings added splashes of color.
Finally, he spoke. “I will arrange a private patronage for you so that Finn does not have to go through some of our usual aspects of recruitment, such as the open-call process. It sounds as though such an occasion would be an overwhelming ordeal.”
“It would.”
Monsieur nodded. “However, as you are bringing the Club into this relationship rather than introducing a preexisting relationship to the Club, I must insist on the usual background checks and personality interviews.”