Exquisite (41 page)

He stepped back from her shaking
his head. “No offense Lena, but if you’re getting in my bed I don’t want you to
hold me. I want you to fuck me.”

She winced and moved forward
following him knowing he was starting to panic.

“Well that is kind of offensive
Langley.” she reached up and pulled the bow at the top of her corset and
watched his eyes go straight to it. He’d taken another step away from her and
she tried not to grin at his retreat. “I’m offering comfort, not a fuck.”

He stopped for a moment watching
her finally finish with the ties that held the corest together and then pulling
it apart to fling it on the floor. She stood in front of him in her fuck me
boots and her tiny mini skirt, and nothing else.

“So what? Now you think it’s fun to
tease me? What the hell Lena? You never use to be this cruel.”

She reached up and took her
ponytail out and shook her hair down over her shoulders. The hair came down to
cover her breasts and she watched him as his eyes roved all over her, taking in
every inch of her. While he did that she finally let her own eyes drop and she
was thrilled to see that even if he was angry at her and even if he did blame
her for everything wrong in his life, his body sure as hell remembered and like
her. He had a rock hard erection, and even though she was dying to go to him,
it was going to go unsatisfied tonight.

Finally he moved his eyes back to
hers and he had that now familiar sneer on his mouth.

“This must be great for you right?
Finally proved I still want you.” he said gesturing to his hard on. She shook
her head and reached down unzipping the skirt and sliding it off. She stepped
forward over it and toward him and he backed right up and hit the bed and fell
onto it on his ass. Lena smiled down at him and put a boot delicately between
his legs where he was throbbing and she looked down into his eyes and
whispered.

“I’m proving how good we
were
together.” she stopped and unzipped the boot then pulled it off and changed
feet while he sat silently spread eagled with her other booted foot now between
his vulnerable legs. She leaned down to unzip the second one and looked right
into his lust filled eyes.

“I’m proving how good we
could
be together.” she unzipped it and then yanked it off. Then she stood tall, as
he sat staring at her in silence, and walked around to the side of the bed she
use to sleep in and as calmly as she could manage she pulled the cover back and
crawled into his bed wearing only a small black thong. She watched his back
rise and fall with each breath and she counted to four before he turned to face
her and he asked quietly. “Are you insane?”

She smiled in the dark and answered
softly. “No why?”

She watched him in the twinkle of
the lights as he stood and moved to pull the covers back. Staring down at her
he asked, “You really think I’m not going to be in you in five seconds flat if
I climb into this bed with you?”

Blinking up at him feeling her
heart thump and her legs clench she spoke softly, “You could do that, we both
know it.” she paused and then continued, “But Mason, I don’t want you in me
again until you can touch me without regret.”

Swallowing deeply she reached out
with a hand, “Let me hold you tonight. Even if you don’t think you need it. I
do.”

After her confession she watched
him sigh then slowly climb into the bed. He pulled the cover up over him and
rolled onto his side away from her. She scooted over and pressed her naked
breasts to his back and wrapped a hand around his waist, careful not to brush
his erection. Her knees came up to bend into the crook of his and she nestled
in close pressing her lips to his shoulder. She lay there listening to his
breathing get slower, steadier. She felt his shoulders relax and his body calm
as he drifted into sleep.

“You just keep trying to keep your
distance Langley.” she stopped, felt him take a deep breath and then said
softly, “And I’ll keep showing you I love you, until you’re ready to listen.”

Predictably Mason woke with a
hangover. The sun was once again shining through his window and hitting him
right in the eye. Grumbling to himself, he rolled over vowing to get some kind
of curtain to hang over the wide windows. He froze when he noticed the pillow
beside him was indented but empty. Suddenly the night before came back to him
with startling clarity. He sat up quickly, wincing as his head protested against
the sudden movement. His eyes narrowed against the bright light and he looked
around his bedroom franticly. Nothing, there was absolutely no sign she’d ever
been there.
Had he imagined the whole thing?
He moved to the edge of the
bed where she’d dropped her top and skirt and looked for visual evidence that
he wasn’t going crazy. Nothing. Sitting up and resting his back against the
headboard he ran a hand over his face and blew out a deep breath.
Shit,
maybe he should stop drinking if he was going to come up with life like
fantasies in his head.
It had seemed so real though, and when he looked
down at the pillow beside him there
was
an impression that looked as
though someone had slept there, but the house was silent. There wasn’t a single
sound and he was sitting dead still straining to hear everything.

Shaking his head he reached down
and grabbed a pair of shorts he must’ve thrown to the floor at some point. He
pulled them on and stood scratching his stomach and running a hand up through
his hair. He moved over to the window and watched as a woman crossed the street
in running pants and a shirt and started a jog into the park.
How long had
it been since he’d gone for a run?
Actually he couldn’t even remember the
last time. Sighing he turned and walked over to the closet looking for his
running shoes. Grabbing them he made his way through to the bathroom and turned
the tap on splashing his face with cold water. Sure, his head was hurting but
maybe a run would clear it. He needed to do something to clear his mind after
last night. Bending down he put his shoes on and went out to grab a shirt.
Shrugging into it he made his way around the partition and into his living
room.

Walking into the kitchen he stopped
cold and blinked at what was on his counter. He knew he hadn’t left it there.
Moving closer he looked down at the bench and sitting right in the center of it
was the ripest peach he’d ever seen. Picking it up he noticed it was sitting on
a small note that read,
Look after yourself Langley, eat some fruit. Doctors
orders.
He couldn’t help the grin that slid onto his face when he realized
last night hadn’t been a fantasy, but in fact reality.

It was 3pm and Lena had just sat
down at her desk when she noticed her phone’s message light was blinking. She
blew out a breath and felt her hair flop back over an ear. She hadn’t planned
to sneak out of Mason’s place this morning like some kind of thief in the
night, or in this case the morning, but he’d been sleeping so peacefully she
didn’t have the heart to wake him. When she’d left she had made it down the
street and it was right as she was passing by the corner store she spotted the
fruit. Automatically she’d snatched it up hoping he was still sleeping and
begged the doorman to let her in, lying that she’d left her phone and didn’t
want to wake him. In the end the plan had been genius. Picking up the phone she
went through numerous messages and froze when she heard his voice come over the
line.

“Lena? Thanks, you’re a real
peach.”

That was it? Nothing else?
No,
hey about last night thanks for staying with me. I agree with everything
you said
.
Just, you’re a friggin peach?
Glaring at the phone she
debated the benefits of picking it up and hurling it across the room. Clenching
her jaw she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Okay so she hadn’t expected
him to just wake up this morning and think,
oh I’m an idiot and want her
back
, and then call her. Sighing she sat back and admitted, she had hoped
for it though. Glancing at the clock she stood and made her way down the hall
and took the elevator to Shelly’s floor. When she got to her friend’s office
she tapped on the door and was shocked to see a dark haired man sitting in the
chair opposite Shelly.

“Oh I’m sorry for interrupting.”

Shelly’s eyes came up to hers and
they looked mad. “You’re not. Paul here was just about to leave.”

Presumably, Paul the lawyer, stood
and nodded once more at Shelly then turned and brushed past Lena, without so
much of a hello. Lena bit her bottom lip then moved inside closing the door behind
her. “What was that all about?”

Shelly let out a deep breath. ‘That
was me kicking Paul to the curb.”

Wincing at her friend she took the
vacated seat. “Sorry?”

“Nah, don’t be. It wasn’t working
out anyway.”

“That’s because you’re too picky.”

“Oh and you’re not?” She asked
raising an eyebrow. “The first guy you date in nine years was a local
celebrity, not to mention you haven’t dated since.”

Waving her hand at her friend Lena
said softly, “Yeah, yeah whatever. Want to talk about it?”

“Nope. But you want to talk about
something, so spill.” Then she asked as though she realized she’d forgotten.
“How did last night end?”

Lena shrugged, “I don’t know,
that’s the thing.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

Lena raised a hand and scratched
her temple, “Well I stayed the night with him.”

She watched as her friend’s mouth
fell open, “But I thought the rule was,”

“No, no. I didn’t sleep with him.”
she paused, “Well I slept with him but we didn’t have sex.”

Shelly’s eyes widened, “Okay we
need to take a moment here.”

Lena stopped and tilted her head,
“Why?”

“Because I want to know how on
earth you climbed into a bed with Mason
Casanova
Langley,”

“Naked.” Lena added into the mix
with a grin, enjoying her friend’s amazed and baffled look.

“Naked? Oh my god Lena. I want to
know how you got into a bed, naked no less with Mr Hotness and kept your hands
to yourself!” she stopped then asked quickly, “Or were they tied up?”

“No!” Lena responded laughing and
shaking her head. “I just wanted to hold him.”

Shelly looked flabbergasted. She
rolled her eyes and slumped back on her chair. “You wanted to hold him?” she
demanded incredulously. “I’m trying everything in my power to get the man who
just left here to pound me into a wall and you just want your naked man to
hold
you?” Closing her eyes and shaking her head she then opened them and focused on
Lena, “You do know I hate you right?”

Grinning Lena nodded and asked,
“But this morning he’s being weird.”

“What do you mean weird? He was
pissed last night and then you didn’t put out, he’s probably even more pissed.”

“Screw you.” Lena muttered.

“At this stage I may say yes, so
keep your offers to yourself unless you mean it.”

Sticking her tongue out at her
friend Lena shrugged. “I bought him a peach.”

Shelly grinned slowly nodding, “A
little tit for tat huh?”

Lena would have agreed but for the
annoying message he’d left her. “Well yeah, it was supposed to be fun, sexy.
Remind him of the night he invited me over with a peach and it ended in juicy
kisses.” knowing she was extremely close to whining she stopped talking.

“So? What happened?”

Letting out a sigh Lena mumbled,
“He left me a message telling me,
thanks Lena you’re a real peach
.”

There was dead silence then Shelly
burst out laughing. Lena’s eyes moved to her friend and she glared at her so
hard she almost felt her eye begin to twitch.

“Well I’m so glad you find it
funny.”

“It is funny. You two are
hopeless.” she said and began laughing all over again.

“I came here for advice and all
you’re doing is pissing me off.” Lena stood about to storm out.

“Wait wait.” Shelly said waving her
hand and trying to stop laughing. Once she seemed to have herself under control
she asked, “You want my advice? Drive him crazy Lena. Make sure that man never
stops thinking about you.”

Lena paused and looked down at her.
“I’m not having sex with him, that’s too easy and he’ll hate me for it.”

“Right now he would.” Shelly said
standing and walking around the desk and moving over to Lena. “But if you
slowly drive him out of his ever loving mind and make him remember all the
reasons he wanted you in the first place it will all fall together.”

Lena nodded starting to like this
idea. “So what did you have in mind?”

“Well I’d start with sending a
little message of your own.”

Mason was sitting on his couch
watching the cooking channel. He’d gone for a run and he had to admit he felt
better. Maybe it was time to get his shit in order
. After all how long could
he possibly keep going the way he was?
He needed to check in with Rachel
and Wendy, start going back down to the restaurant and trying to move forward.
He needed to work out a way to heal. The chef on the television had just
started peeling potatoes when his cell phone buzzed next to him. Picking it up
he flicked it open and read,

312-925-7654:
A
peach huh? So… I’m juicy?

He read the message several times,
noticing the number in the corner to be one that wasn’t in his contacts, but
knowing exactly who it was at the other end. Adding her name he hit reply.

Lena? Is this you?
Not a
minute later the phone buzzed.

Dr Lena O’Donnell:
Well I hope so, who else has been leaving peaches in your house?

Finding himself smiling he typed.
Well
I’m not sure. It didn’t come with a note.