Exquisite (28 page)

“I think I have a problem doctor
because I kind of like you jealous. You see, for some reason you get mean and
for some reason that turns me on.”

Narrowing her eyes at him she
gritted her teeth. “Well I’m not turned on at all.”

Tugging her even closer to him he
kneeled up so he was taller than her and she was forced to look up at him. “Are
you sure?”

Licking her lips she nodded.
“Positive.”

He bent down and ran a tongue up
her cheek from jaw to cheek and she squealed at the wet sensation. “What are
you doing! Licking me?”

Whispering in her ear he said
softly, “I’m trying to turn you on.”

“By licking me?” she demanded
feeling her breathing get deeper. He nibbled her ear then swiped the lobe with
that naughty tongue. “Yes. You taste salty.”

“Wonderful.” she said with as much
sarcasm as she could muster.

“Yes it is. I bet you’re salty in
other places too aren’t you Lena.”

Gripping her hair tighter he looked
down at her with a sexy as hell grin then added to that provocative statement,
“Sweet and salty.”

Then he leaned down and she forgot
what they’d been talking about as he kissed the jealousy right out of her.

Mason knew she was trying really
hard not to give in to him, and she was doing really well until he took one of
his hands from her hair and dragged it down along her back to grab her ass. She
sighed, finally relaxing into him. Her lips parted and he slipped inside. He
gentled his grip on her hair and groaned softly into her mouth as her tongue
tangled with his. After a moment he pulled back opening his eyes and looking
down at her.

“Come down here and lay next to
me.”

He let her go and stretched out on
the soft blanket on his side. Not knowing if she would do as he asked or get up
and leave, he was happy when she slowly moved to mirror him resting her head in
the crook of her elbow. They were a of couple inches away from one another and
he kept his hands to himself as he let his eyes roam over her. The sun was
peaking through the leaves and shining down onto the side of her face and he
thought she’d never looked more beautiful.

“Don’t think this means you won.”
she pouted.

He felt his grin spread. “I’ll note
it down somewhere. But I’m happy you didn’t storm off somewhere.”

Her mouth opened as though she was
going to dispute him then she shut it silently.

“You look cute when you’re
jealous.”

“There’s that word again. What
makes you think I’m jealous Langley? Maybe I’m horrified you let someone with
her kind of intellect touch you.”

He let out a quick burst of
laughter, “Oh boy! Now your lobbing grenades at someone unable to defend
themselves.” he paused then questioned, “Is that a compliment or insult to me?”

Her mouth kicked up in a grin and
he watched a twinkle light her eyes. “That’s your job to figure out. Either way
Miss Redhead, does she ahh come around often?”

“Oh yeah she came..”

“
Langley
.” she warned with
narrowed eyes.

“Alright alright, to answer you,
no. I hadn’t seen her for around two months when she came in that night.”

“Oh.”

“Don’t say it like that. I don’t
plan to
go
and see her either. Lena when are you going to open your
eyes?”

“My eyes
are
open.” she
snapped at him.

Shaking his head he reached over
the space between them and took the hand laying on her hip. He brought it up
and placed her palm on his heart.

“Stop fighting me so hard would
you? I’ve be consumed by you since the moment you yelled at me in your waiting
room. All I want is to be with you.”

Blinking she bit her lip. “I know
that.” she paused, “Logically I
know
that, you’ve proven it over and
over. I’m just so use to living in survival mode.”

Watching her closely he reached
above her head to where her bent arm rested. He took her fingers in his and
entwined them. “Tell me what I can do to convince you Lena.”

Shaking her head those big green
eyes watched him. “I don’t know. I just know for the last nine years I haven’t
let anyone in. I haven’t wanted anyone close.”

“Why?” he asked softly. “Tell me,
let me know what I’m up against.”

Closing her eyes she gripped his
hand hard.

“Me.” she blew out a breath and he
felt it on his face and lips then her eyes opened and focused sadly on his. “My
guilt. My fear.”

Scooting his body closer on the
blanket until there was only an inch between their bodies he reached over and
placed his free hand on her hip, they mirrored one another and his eyes were
lined up with hers. He wasn’t letting her get away from him and he wanted to
understand what she meant.

“What do you mean your guilt Lena?
You didn’t
do
anything. Your walking around with all this self imposed
guilt you don’t even deserve.” he paused and asked softly, “Did you pull out
before the light turned green?”

Her eyes widened and she sucked in
a breath. Finally she shook it and whispered, “No it was green and it was later
determined that it had been green. The other car ran the red.”

“Then why do you beat yourself up?”
he demanded quietly. “It wasn’t your fault. It was a horrible accident that
happened in the blink of an eye and you lost Carly tragically but Lena listen
to me. It
wasn’t
your
fault.”

He traced an open palm up her arm
and cupped her cheek. “Baby you need to let these old ghosts go. They’re making
you old before your time and you’re going to end up being left behind.”

Lena felt her eyes well up and a
tear escape. She bit her bottom lip trying to hold it together. “I know all of
that. I’ve been telling myself for years there was nothing I could’ve done, but
I replay that night in my head over and over and all I can come up with is that
I wish it’d been me and not her.”

He cupped her cheek and brushed a
thumb over it. “Oh Lena, don’t ever think that. Number one if that had
happened, you wouldn’t be here to help all the hundreds or maybe even thousands
of children you have over your career.” he paused then smiled, “Like that young
boy you told me about, what’s his name? Robbie?”

Sniffling Lena nodded, “Yeah.”

“And secondly I’m pretty damn
thrilled you’re here. Let me be what you need.”

“I’m scared.” she confessed.

“Of what?”

Looking down she took a deep breath
and admitted, “Letting you in then losing you.”

“Lena, look at me.”

She raised her eyes to his blue
gaze and they were full of understanding and compassion.

“I’m not going anywhere unless you
make me or someone up there,” he paused raising his eyes skyward, “Makes me.
But you can’t go through life not letting anyone in on the off chance they’ll
die, or else you’ll die of a lonely heart.”

Lena sat up and swiped at her eyes.
He followed sitting cross legged opposite her. He reached out and took her
hands in his.

“I’m going to say this once and
then we’re going to go home and I’m going to take you to bed and show you how
much nicer it is to feel and be with someone than to be numb and alone.” He
paused leaning over to lay his lips on hers, “It’s time to feel again. Let me
save you from yourself. You were drowning when I found you, but I’m not letting
you go not without a fight.” He kissed her sweetly and moved back standing up
and over her. Lena looked up at his out stretched hand.

“Take my hand Lena.” He offered and
she knew he meant it in a way that went far beyond offering to help her stand.

I
t’d been two weeks of late nights spent in
Mason’s arms and rushed days down at the hospital. Lena came into her office
and sat down behind the desk. She’d agreed to go down to
Exquisite
tonight and have dinner and she could feel herself getting pushed further and
further back from the time she wanted to leave. Looking at the paperwork on her
desk she was about to start charting when there was a knock on the door.
Raising her eyes she was shocked to see her mother standing there.

“Mom. What are you doing here?”

Lena watched as her mother smiled
warmly as she stepped into her office. “Now is that anyway to greet your
mother?”

Lena smiled back and her mother
looked at her with a curious expression. “No. I suppose it isn’t. I just wasn’t
expecting you today. Is dad with you?”

“No dear it’s just me.”

Lena stood and walked around her
desk waving her in. “Well come in. I was just about to do some paperwork.”

“Oh, well don’t let me interrupt
you honey.”

“Oh nonsense, it can wait. It’s
waited this long.”

Her mother took a seat then looked
at her with a smile so bright it almost blinded her. Lena sat back against her
desk and grinned at her. “What is it?”

“You.” she paused, “You look
different.”

For a horrifying moment Lena
wondered if Mason had left any noticeable marks on her from the night before,
then her mother clarified.

“You look happy Lena.”

Ahh, she thought nodding her head.
Wow,
maybe Mason had somehow changed her molecule make up and now she was glowing.
Grinning at that thought she replied.

“I am happy mom.”

It was almost comical how shocked
her mother looked except it wasn’t because she knew that for so long she’d
caused this wonderful lady to worry.

“You’ve met someone.” she accused
with a secret little smile coming over her face. Lena clasped her hands in
front of herself and continued to smile in a way that she could never have seen
herself doing a few weeks back. She felt like she was twelve with a crush
instead of a woman in her mid thirties very possibly on her way to being in
love. Her mom sat forward on her seat and bit her lip like she was about to
share a secret. “Well tell me all about him.”

Lena felt her cheeks tighten as she
grinned. “He’s wonderful mom. He owns a restaurant downtown and is the head
chef.”

Her mothers eyes widened and she sat
back, “Oh honey, good for you getting a man who can cook.” she paused then
asked, “How did you two meet?”

“Actually through you.” Lena
replied and watched her mother frown.

“I don’t understand. I haven’t been
here in weeks and even then.”

Lena laughed now shaking her head.
“No, remember when you sent me flowers a couple of months ago for Carly?”

Her mother nodded silently.

“Well his mother owns the flower
shop you used, and he delivered them.”

Lena watched as her mother clasped
her hands and beamed up at her. “Oh isn’t that a wonderful story!”

Lean smirked a little, “Well not
really, we couldn’t stand each other at first.”

“Oh pish! Who cares about that
obviously you got past it.”

Laughing Lena aggreed, “Yes we did
and Mason’s wonderful.”

Her mother froze then her mouth
dropped open. Lena raised a brow as her mom asked, “You don’t mean Mason
Langley? That young man that’s been splashed over the television? What are they
calling him? Ahh the
Casanova Chef
.”

Lena winced knowing she’d had
everything to do with that nickname. “Yes actually, that’s him. But that whole
article and nickname was a misunderstanding and is kind of my fault.”

Her mother still looked like she
was in shock. “You’re dating Mason Langley?”

Nodding slowly Lena was worried
this wasn’t going to go well at all, and then her mother said softly. “My oh my
Lena O’Donnell. You don’t date for years and the first man you choose is a man
labeled Casanova?”

“Mom,” Lena said softly about to
defend Mason.

“Well I always said you were
quietly brilliant. Honey he’s gorgeous!” and just like that they burst out
laughing together.

That’s how Mason found her. He’d
come down to pick her up on his way into work and there she was in her office
laughing with a little lady who was seated with her back to him. He stood at
the door for a moment and enjoyed the sight of her. Over the past few weeks
he’d watched her change and grow into a calm, relaxed and incredibly beautiful
version of herself and right now as she laughed freely she took his breath
away. She must’ve felt his eyes on her because she raised hers and stood up
pushing off the desk. He smiled, feeling pure joy from just being near her,
when she leaned down and whispered something in the woman’s ear. Then he saw
the woman turn in her chair and look up at him and he was staring into wide
green eyes that mirrored Lena’s.

“Are your ears burning?” Lena asked
him as she walked around the chair the woman was in and over to him. He moved
into the room and paused as she stopped in front of him gripping his arms and
leaning up to brush a kiss across his mouth.

He shook his head. “No, should
they’ve been?”

“Hmm.” she grinned against his
mouth. Stepping back she reached down and took his hand tugging him closer to
the woman who was still looking at him with curious but warm eyes.

“Mason, this is my mother. Alannah
O’Donnell.”

Mason watched as her mother stood
gracefully and walked around the chair. She reached out a hand and he clasped
it in his and shook it gently.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you
ma’am.”

He watched as a smile spread across
her face and he was struck by how attractive she was for a woman of her age.
She looked like an older version of Lena, and what was that saying? If you find
the woman you want to spend your life with, get a good look at her mother because
that is who you’ll be with in twenty years.
Well, Mason thought, no
complaints there.
He turned his eyes to Lena and she was beaming at him.

“We were just talking about how we
met.”

Groaning he shook his head. “All
lies. Whatever she told you, it’s all lies.”