So Many Men... (4 page)

“Each in his own time.”

“Yes, I got that.” He swallowed. What was he supposed to say? He was having a hard enough time just breathing. The thought of her with all those men was at once both disturbing and oddly exciting.

The essence of her femininity flowed over him, drawing him a step closer to her. Confidence radiated from her in the tilt of her chin, the arch of her eyebrows, the heated look in her eyes. She set her belongings on the hood of a nearby car.

Slowly, she moved to stand so close to him that the heat of her body touched him and her full lips beckoned, a breath from his. “And now it’s that time again.”

He gave in to the urge to lean in and inhale the sweet scent of her. “Time for what?”

The corner of her mouth tilted in a slight smile. “Time for me to take a new lover, of course.”

A
GULL SWOOPED LOW
overhead, a reminder of their proximity to the beach. A salt-tinged breeze stirred the humid air.

Tess’s heart pounded. If ever a man needed healing, Mason Davies did. He seemed so calm and collected on the outside, but inside…inside he was a mass of repressed emotions. If her aunt Sophie was right and most illness originated in what she called the emotional body, then his condition would likely deteriorate if he continued to deny himself.

Right now, the man’s emotions bubbled in turmoil. He wanted Tess, but he fought it. If she was going to help him, she had to work fast. As she faced him, her healing alarm clanged a red alert.

She held her breath as Mason’s brown eyes rounded. Desire flowed off him and she smiled to herself, confidence filling her. She could help this man. What a lovely new companion he’d make.

He brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. “Are you always this bold?”

“I don’t like games. I believe in laying all my cards on the table.” She cocked her head. “I want you. You want me. Sounds pretty straightforward.”

“Nothing’s that straightforward these days.”

“Sure it is. With me, what you see is what you get.”

“Do
you
always get what you want?”

“Not always, but a lot of the time.”

“And you want me?”

She snuggled in closer and dropped her arms around his neck. “Oh, yes.”

“You think I want you?”

“I don’t think, I know.”

“You’re awfully confident.”

“Let’s just say that I have a knack for sensing these things.”

He nodded toward the restaurant. “And all of those men in there and the ones calling on your cell phone…they want you, too?”

“Oh, no. Maybe once, but not so much anymore.”

“Not so much?”

“No.”

He shook his head in obvious disbelief. “Right, that’s why they’re all calling and hanging around.”

“A lot of that was coincidence.”

“For that much coincidence you have to have a lot of men hanging around.”

“I have my fair share…maybe a little more. But they do move on eventually.”

“They move on, or
you
move on?”

“Both. Does it matter?”

His features darkened. “It does to me.”

“You want to be the one moving on.”

“It’s preferable, don’t you think? No one likes being left behind.”

“Why does someone have to be left behind? Why can’t you both move on?”

“That’s just not realistic. In the real world people get left behind. End of story.”

So, Mason
did
have abandonment issues.

How ironic that she, of all people, would be so drawn to him. Not that she’d ever abandoned anyone, but she’d seen more than her share of goodbyes. “It doesn’t have to be that way.”

“Right.” He glanced away. “Whatever you say.”

“Mason.” She waited until his eyes again met hers. “Come out with me, right now. We’ll spend a quiet afternoon, just the two of us. We’ll talk, get to know each other—see what comes of it.”

His gaze traveled down to her breasts, then back up to her face. “Maybe we shouldn’t…you know, now that we’re working together.”

“I think getting to know each other better can only enhance our working relationship.”

“Really?”

“Most definitely.”

He inhaled a deep breath. “And what would we do—just the two of us?”

“Whatever we want to.”

A short laugh escaped him. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”

Smiling, she pushed away from him. “We’re on, then. It’s a date.”

“Wait, not so fast.”

She paused, frowning at the determination in his eyes. But he wanted her. Would he really deny himself—deny them both? “Come on, Mason. It’ll be fun.”

“I have to check on a couple of patients at the hospital this afternoon.” As if to reinforce his responsibilities, his cell phone chimed. He dug it out of his pocket, checking the number on the display.

He turned to her, his eyes apologetic. “I have to take this. Hold on.” He moved a short distance away and spoke in quiet tones for a few moments before returning to her. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

“Right.” Disappointment swirled through her. So, this was what rejection felt like. Go figure. “We can get together another time.”

His smile brightened his entire face. “How about tomorrow night?”

She nearly bounced with joy. “Saturday? That would be great. You want to meet somewhere? I know this really funky club—”

“I’ll pick you up at seven.”

“Oh, okay.”

“I’ll take you to dinner, maybe the theater. I’ll show you that sometimes the old tried and true is the best way to have a good time.”

Pride glimmered off him. The man had to be in control. He had to do things his way.

That was all fine for now. Later, once he had gotten comfortable with her, she would shake him up a little—ease him into some fun on the lighter side. Every nerve in her being told her it was of the utmost importance that she help Mason break out of his conventional ways and learn to be spontaneous. But evidently she needed to gain his confidence first.

“Okay, Mason. We’ll do it your way this time, but
you have to promise me that the next time we do it all my way. I call the shots.”

“I love your confidence. You’re sure there’ll be a next time?”

“Oh, yeah.” Her blood warmed as she thought of all the good times headed their way. “Tomorrow night is just the beginning, love, make no mistake about that.”

P
IANO MUSIC FLOATED
from the open lounge area above the restaurant where Mason sat across from Tess. Wide windows displayed a clear view of the intercoastal, lit by the lights of a nearby pier and the numerous boats traversing the evening waters.

He relaxed in his chair as she took a tentative sip of her wine, smiling her pleasure at the robust flavor. She was stunning tonight. Not that she’d looked bad on any of their previous encounters, but tonight she seemed almost radiant.

“That’s a beautiful dress.” He nodded toward the slinky black number she wore, wishing he knew better words to describe exactly how lovely she looked. The dress accentuated her curves, making them impossible to ignore. His pulse thrummed.

“Thanks. You clean up nice yourself.”

Their server approached, dwarfed by the huge dishes she carried. Her eyes sparkled as she set their entrées before them. “Here you go, Dr. Davies, the snapper with snow peas and new potatoes, just the way you like them, light on the salt and butter.”

“You’re spoiling me, Donna.” Mason grinned at the woman. This was what he liked—a restaurant where they knew him and his preferences.

“You’re one of our best customers and we aim to please.”

He surveyed the steaming dishes on the table. “You’ve certainly done that. Everything look okay to you, Tess?”

Tess breathed in the aroma of her steak and loaded baked potato. “It smells heavenly.” She took a taste of the potato and closed her eyes as she savored the bite. “Delicious. Could we get some more rolls, please?”

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll bring them right over.”

“And butter?” Tess asked.

“Certainly.” Donna turned to Mason. “Anything else for you, Doctor? More wine?”

“No, I’m fine, thanks.”

The woman nodded, then hurried away, weaving a path through the white-covered tables. Tess cut into her steak and he took a bite of his fish. “You want to try some?” he asked her. “The chef here is wonderful.”

She leaned toward him. “You really like this place, don’t you?”

“Andre’s is the best. Been coming here for years.”

“It’s all wonderful as far as I can see. Great food and service. Nice atmosphere.”

“What else could you ask for in a restaurant?”

“Nothing. It’s perfect.”

Warmth filled him. Her approval pleased him more than he wanted to admit. “Exactly.”

“Except…”

“What?” He stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. “You just said it was perfect.”

Her gaze pinned him. “Define ‘best customer.’”

He stared at her, frowning. “What do you mean? I’m
a regular customer. I’m friendly and appreciative. I take care of the staff.”

“Define ‘regular.’”

What was she getting at? “Regular. I dine here often.”

“How often?”

“What’s with all the questions?”

She shrugged. “I have this feeling about you, Mason.”

Something told him this wasn’t the kind of feeling he was going to like. “What kind of feeling?”

Her lips pursed. “You like the tried and true.”

“That’s right.”

“You like being where you’re known and where you know people.”

“Who doesn’t?”

“You like knowing what to expect and what’s expected of you.”

He raised his hands in appeal. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Ever feel like you’re in a rut?”

“No.” A rut? Who was in a rut?

“You don’t ever find yourself doing the same thing over and over again?”

“I like a routine. What’s wrong with that?”

“Define ‘routine.’”

“Come on, Tess, what are you driving at?” He swallowed. How could the woman badger him and still look so damn tempting?

“I don’t know you well enough to make any judgments, but there’s a fine line between a routine and a rut.”

“Well, I am not in a rut. I eat here three, maybe four times a week, because I like it for all the reasons we’ve already stated. That does not mean I’m in a rut. I’m
happy with my life. People in ruts are not happy with their lives.” He took a sip of his wine to calm himself.

The woman had a way of riling him.

“No need to get all defensive. You do agree that a little change is healthy, right?”

He stiffened. “Change is part of life. I accept that. I can roll with the punches as well as the next guy.”

“But change can be a good thing. It isn’t always about rolling with the punches. Sometimes it’s about going with the flow. Ever do that? Jump in a raft and let the current take you?”

“Some of us don’t have the time or inclination to just drift about.”

“You should try it sometime.” She ran her finger along the edge of her wineglass. “Imagine the two of us, drifting along together with the sun warming us, a nice breeze caressing our skin.” Her gaze met his, the blue of her eyes as enticing as ever. “No phones or pagers. Just all the time in the world to enjoy each other.”

His mouth ran dry as she took a long swallow of wine. Visions of her floating along in the water wearing nothing but sunshine filled his head. “Well, honey, when you put it that way, it does have a certain appeal.”

“Of course it does. You know I’d take really good care of you.”

“I have no doubt you would.”

Her smile—filled with promise for the night to come—sent heat rippling through him. He smiled back at her, ignoring all the warning bells going off in his head. He could enjoy a night with her and not get tied up in a relationship.

As far as he could tell, Tess didn’t have relation
ships. She had affairs, which were by nature temporary. “I suppose drifting might not be a bad thing as long as one knew in advance that it would be a short trip.”

“The point of drifting is that you land where and when you land, with no predetermined time frame. But since it’s new to you, I’d say a short bout—a testing of the waters—would be in order.”

He raised his glass, letting his gaze fall briefly to the swell of her breasts. “To a testing of the waters.”

She clinked her glass to his. “May it be all we’ve dreamed and more.” She held his gaze while they both drank deeply.

Notes from the piano shifted into a livelier tune. Tess took another bite of her food, while he continued sipping his wine. The murmur of voices filled the space around them, but their booth remained a private refuge amid the bustle of the restaurant.

“So, tell me about your family. Parents, siblings?” she asked.

“I have a few uncles.” He set down his glass and picked up his fork, clenching it in his fist.

“Uncles?”

“Yes, uncles. That’s it. No parents. No siblings.”

She blinked. “Oh, Mason, I’m so sorry.”

When she reached for his hand, he pulled back. This one with her questions. She’d probably keep asking until he told her. “The quick of it is that my mother split when I was a kid and my father drank himself to death shortly after. I was passed from uncle to uncle until I could make it on my own. End of story. End of discussion. So how about you?”

She sat straighter, but seemed to take his brusque ex
planation in stride, nodding almost as if she’d expected as much. “Let’s see, I have a mother who’s usually off traveling somewhere, two sisters, both of whom I lived with until one moved out recently. I’m pretty sure the other one is still there, though I don’t see much of her these days. I also have an aunt, my mother’s sister, who’s around most of the time and who keeps us all sane. And we have a family friend who’s more like a father to us than anything, though he’s not a blood relation.”

“Sounds like quite a crew.” He set down his fork and pushed away his plate. In spite of himself, envy ate at him. Her tone was warm as she spoke of her family.

He mentally shook himself. No use wishing for something he wasn’t meant to have. He had his uncles. They were family enough.

“What are your uncles like?”

“They’re okay.” He shrugged. “Stout Republicans, doctors mostly, old school. My favorite is Uncle Gabe. He’s my mother’s brother. I lived with him the longest. I don’t really have anything to do with them these days, though.” He glanced at his watch. “We should get going if we don’t want to be late.”

“Late?”

He smiled, again on stable ground. “Yes, my dear, the theater awaits us.”

M
USIC SWELLED IN THE
darkened theater. The audience sat seemingly entranced as the actors moved across the stage at the Coconut Grove Playhouse. Tess stretched and glanced surreptitiously at her watch.

How much longer could this play last?

Not that she wasn’t enjoying it. As far as plays went,
this one wasn’t bad. She was just finding sitting still for such a long time a bit challenging. Mason appeared to be into the drama and his pleasure was always nice to feel.