Chapter 19 - Pride or Concern

Kelsey didn't bother going to the kitchen to grab something to eat even though she was starving. She was too prideful to do so. Mason already took most of her pride and she wanted to keep the little amount she had left.

As soon as the door to her room slammed closed, Mason entered the penthouse and let out an exasperation sigh. "You better fix this, Mason. Whatever it is you did, kindly apologize to her." Georgia said as she was sweeping the floor without even bothering to glance in his direction.

"How are you too sure that it was my fault?" He annoyingly asked as he plopped himself down on the couch.

"Is it not?" She questioned with a pointed look as she glanced at him over her shoulders.

"I was merely stating a fact and she misunderstood my statement. Is it too wrong to state my opinion?"

"Depends on whether your opinion is in the right or the wrong. You have the right to state your opinion as long as you're in the right position to do so." She reasoned out.

"I will never understand women." He said as he massaged the spot in between his eyebrows.

"As if we will ever understand men." She retorted as she left the room and headed to the kitchen, dragging the sweeper with her.

Mason was left sitting on the couch, running both of his hands on his face. He replayed the events that had happened in the elevator and he couldn't fathom the idea of how much he wanted to grab her and kiss her senselessly. He just wished that his craving for Kelsey would soon stop or he would get into a big trouble.

~ * ~ * ~

Later that day, Mason was in the house office trying to do some work but he couldn't seem to concentrate. His thoughts would always fly somewhere that involved a very hot looking Kelsey. He knew he had to get laid sooner or later. He was far too thirsty for his own liking.

Georgia came into the room with a cup of coffee that he had asked her to make. She carefully placed in on the mahogany table not bothering to utter a word to him. It was an implied rule that whenever Mason was working, no one could talk or distract him unless it was Ricky, his grandmother, or Ella.

Mason glanced up from the contract he had been trying to read for the past twenty minutes but couldn't comprehend a word. "Ma." He called out as Georgia turned back around.

"Do you need anything else?" She asked.

He hesitated for a moment before he spoke and questioned her. "Did Kelsey leave her room yet? Did she grab something to eat?"

Georgia had a pointed look which Mason seemed to ignore. "No, she hasn't left her room since lunch. I checked up on her an hour ago but she said she wasn't hungry. Although her stomach says otherwise."

"Why won't she come out if she's starving?"

"Pride, Mason. Something that hinders both of you from making up and solving this problem." She explained as she excused herself and shut the door closed behind her.

~ * ~ * ~

When the clock ticked six, Georgia said her farewell to both Mason and Kelsey before she left for home. She cooked some dinner before she went and reminded Mason to fix the problem he had started.

Mason let out a huge sigh and ran a hand through his hair. It was such a big struggle for him to go up to Kelsey and apologize. Saying sorry was just not his thing. But he knew, just this one time, he was going to swallow his pride.

He stood up from his chair and stretched his limbs before making his way down the hallway. He stopped in front of her door and was debating and having second thoughts. He sighed and licked his dried lips before he knocked on the door. He heard some shuffle on the other side before the door slowly opened.

"Georgia, did you forget some-" Kelsey was stopped midway when she realized that it wasn't Georgia knocking on her door, but the one and only devil she had been trying to avoid the entire day. "Mr. King." She said formally. "Do you need something, sir?" She asked politely.

Mason hated the way she called him Mr. King or Sir. He didn't like it one bit. "Don't call me that." He shook his head trying to hold in his desire to grab her and get a taste of those strawberry-like lips again.

"I'm sorry. What should I call you then, sir?" She said mockingly.

Mason grabbed the nape of her neck and brought her face close to his. Kelsey's breathing abruptly stopped and she felt a gasp escaped her mouth. She could smell his sweet minty fragrant and his expensive aftershave. He smelt great and it left some tingling sensation in her nostrils. Mason rested his forehead against her's and spoke. "Mason, call me Mason." He whispered fanning Kelsey's lips with his breath.

Kelsey had to close her eyes to keep herself together. He was caressing her cheek with his other hand as he spoke. She was suddenly feeling hot all over the place as if she was on fire. She couldn't breathe normally and she could feel her heart beating a thousand time per second.

"Dinner's ready." Mason said as Kelsey felt cold all of a sudden. Mason had pulled away before he couldn't stop himself and lose all control. He didn't know where his cravings were going to get him. He just knew he had to stop feeling this way about her.

"I'm not hungry." Kelsey stubbornly said as her stomach growled just in the perfect timing. She felt embarrassed and her cheeks turned red. Mason glanced at her stomach before he looked up at her beautiful face.

"Yes, I'm sure you're not. But this is an order. You said I'm the boss, right? Better start obeying then." He arrogantly demanded and turned around to head towards the kitchen.

Kelsey glared at the jerk in front of her walking away. "Jerk!" She muttered under her breath and followed after him. Mason took the cover off of the food that Georgia had cooked for them. He took two plates from the cupboard, two forks, and two glass cups. Georgia has prepared them some pasta with fried spring rolls. He placed the plates, cups, and the utensils on the top of the small dinning table by the kitchen. He usually ate there since it made no sense for him to sit on the the actual dinning table if he was to eat by himself. The only time he ever used his dinning table was if his family was over, which rarely happened.

He pulled out a chair for Kelsey and she was confused by his action. She stared at the chair thinking that he pulled it out for himself. But when he beckoned her to take a seat, she knew he pulled it out for her. 'What is he trying to do? Is this his way of apologizing to me?' She thought to herself.

"Will you just sit?" He ordered as he grabbed her by the shoulders and settled her down on the chair. His hands felt hot on her shoulders and she felt a shiver run down her spine. Kelsey didn't know what was happening to her but lately, she had been feeling weird whenever Mason touched her or even looked at her. It was the first time she was feeling such a thing. And she liked and hated it at the same time.

Mason took a seat across from her and surprised her by scooping some pasta and placing it on her plate. Kelsey stopped his hands midway and there was a tingling sensation that she felt as her hands touched his. "That's fine, I'll do it myself. Thank you." She sheepishly stated as she took the serving spoon from his hand and placed the pasta on her plate. Mason let her do her thing as he watched her in intrigued.

Kelsey was busily placing some food on her plate and pouring some apple juice on her cup when she noticed Mason stared at her. His chin was rested on the back of the palms of his hands, his elbows were resting on the table. He was intently watching her as if paying close attention to every single action she had made.

She abruptly stopped what she was doing before asking, "What's wrong? Why are staring?"

Mason shook his head and smiled smugly. "Nothing. Shall we eat?" He suggested as he started placing some food on his plate and they silently ate.

Kelsey felt Mason glancing at her every now and then and she felt intimidated. He didn't even apologized for what he had done this morning and she was growing frustrated that he was acting as if they didn't have a fight earlier. She just wished that he would apologize but she knew that pigs would have to fly first before the idea of Mason King actually apologizing to someone happened.

"There's a party tomorrow." He suddenly said breaking the silence between them. Kelsey glanced up from her plate to him.

"A party? What kind of party?" She asked as she anxiously stabbed a spring roll with her fork. A party didn't sound good in her ears. Kelsey was never really a party girl. It just wasn't her scene. She then remembered how Ella had a thick binder full of significant businessman and women and how she had to memorize each and every person and their companies. It was a lot of work but at least it would help her out.

"There's a charity ball tomorrow night. My company's sponsoring it so I have to be there. And as my fiancée, you have to be there and escort me."

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