Exquisite

by Ella Frank

  “Yes. The last thing I remember is you—” she stopped, clutching the sheet tighter.

  “Me?” he asked innocently.

  “You know what you did,” she told him in an accusatory tone.

  Finally, he moved and sat up against the headboard. She moved farther away and a laugh escaped him.

  “A little too late for that now, don’t you think?”

  She looked at the sheet that had fallen into his lap and the entire naked chest that was now on display. “I don’t remember anything after the stairs.”

  As she watched a grin pull up on his mouth, his dimples crept out. “You do remember what happened on the stairs, though?”

  Lena felt a flush spread over her body and nodded.

  “Then everything went blank, you say?” he asked, running a hand through his hair.

  “Stop being so mysterious, Langley, and tell me how we ended up back at my place, in bed!” she demanded, embarrassed to hear her voice hitting close to hysterical.

  Reaching down, he lifted the sheet and flung it off his lower body. Lena turned her head quickly, which seemed slightly immature, but at this point, she didn’t care. Then she caught a flash of black as he walked around the side of the bed and stopped a couple of inches from her in a pair of black silk boxers, making her eyes zoom right in and land on the magnificent bulge behind the silk.

  Mason watched as she looked at him with wide eyes and lots of questions. He reached out and pushed a stray curl behind her ear. “Nothing happened, Doctor, relax. I’m not naked, you’re not naked.”

  “We might as well be!” she pointed out. “You’re all . . .” and she waved her hand up and down at him.

  “In boxers.” Then bending down at the waist so they were nose to nose, he grinned. “And you’re in a little black thong.” he told her with a devilish smile.

  Blushing, Lena held the sheet tighter to her body. Mason grinned, stood, and walked over to the window. “Anyway, let’s focus on the real issue here. You must’ve had too much to drink and after you went off, like fireworks on the Fourth of July, you passed out.”

  “Please tell me you’re lying.”

  “I wish I could but . . .” he shrugged. “Then Shelly told me your address and I drove you home.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why you’re in my bed. Why didn’t you just drop me off and then leave?”

  Stretching his long arms above his head, he heard her move behind him and knew she was likely reaching for a shirt. “Well, I put you down on the bed and was about to leave when you reached out and asked me to stay. So I did.”

  He turned back to face her and noticed she looked appalled, which for some reason made him want to crawl back into that bed and do what she thought they had. However, instead of doing what his body desired, he leaned against the window and crossed his arms and legs. “Don’t worry, Lena. All the exciting stuff happened on the stairs.”

  “That’s not the point,” she mumbled.

  “Then what is?”

  Sputtering, she tried to come up with a good answer. Stumped, she blew out a breath, making a curl flop forward in her face, which only annoyed her further. She reached up and pushed the offending strand behind her ear. Almost reluctantly, she raised her eyes to his again.

  “So ah—what happened with Elegant Dining?”

  He arched a brow at her and smirked. “So you do remember bits and pieces?”

  She visibly stiffened and then snapped at him, “I told you I did.”

  “So you did,” he nodded, and then pushed off the window to stand straight. “I won’t know until the article comes out on Monday, but right after you passed out I called Peter and asked him if we could do a phone interview. He agreed and I called him after I got you safely in bed.”

  Groaning loudly, she flopped back on the bed, her hair fluffing out behind her as she threw her arm over her eyes. “God, Mason! This is a disaster.”

  Taking her arm away and turning her head toward him, she muttered, “I’m a disaster. I don’t trust anyone, and I certainly don’t let people in close to me.”

  He walked over and crouched down beside her. She’d shut her eyes, so he reached out and stroked a finger down her cheek, watching them spring back open. “I was comparing you more to a train wreck, but same conclusion.”

  She grimaced and then asked softly, “Then why are you still here?”

  Lena couldn’t believe she’d asked him that. She shouldn’t even care why he was here or if he was going to stay, but suddenly it seemed vital to her very existence to know.

  “I have no idea. You really messed up last night,” he told her with a frown so serious she thought maybe this was the moment, the moment where he would decide this was too much of an effort, but then his face softened and he smiled.

  Lena didn’t like hearing how she had completely messed up but she knew he was right. She also knew he was half-naked and very close. Pulling her hand out from under the sheet, she reached out to stroke his chest. “I told you I wasn’t good at relationships.”

  He laughed softly. “Yeah, but you didn’t say you’d be the downfall of my career.”

  Her eyes widened as he wrapped a curl around his finger. “I’m just kidding. I’m sure it won’t be that bad. Although I’d love to be there when you finally meet up with Shelly again.”

  Lena sighed and sat up as he walked away. She found that she missed him being close to her. Her body froze when she saw him in front of her dresser; he reached out and picked up the picture of her and Carly. He turned to face her with a smile, but when his eyes met hers, the upward turn on his lips disappeared. She felt the blood drain away from her face, and all the progress she felt that they had made slipped away as her walls shifted back into place. Suddenly, last night disappeared and any pleasure she’d been feeling was suffocated by a heavy dose of guilt mixed with pain.

  Even though she knew it was coming, she flinched when he asked, “Who’s this in the picture with you?”

  Mason knew he was walking through a minefield with the way Lena was frozen and barely breathing, so he knew whatever happened next, he had to tread gently. Somehow the moment had gone from warm and almost, dare he say, tender, to arctic cold. He watched her eyes go from his face to the frame in his hand then back up to his face. He’d never had anyone look at him with such an icy glare, but suddenly the room was frigid.

  “None of your business,” she answered coolly.

  Okay, whoever this girl was, obviously it was a huge no-go zone because suddenly he felt like he needed to dive back under the covers to warm up, or hide. Turning, he placed the frame back on the dresser, and then walked around the side of the bed he’d slept in. He bent down and picked up his clothes, looking over to see that Lena hadn’t moved an inch. She didn’t so much as spare him a glance as he walked around the bed again, clothes in hand to, the door.

  “I’m going to walk out this door right now.” He paused. Even though he had no indication whether or not she was listening, he added, “This isn’t done, though. Whatever it is you’re thinking, don’t even think about it. I’m here to stay; you don’t get to kick me out yet.” He left her sitting in the middle of her huge white bed, alone. Exactly the way she seemed to want it.

  Lena sat staring at the dresser in absolute silence. She knew it was absolute because she’d just heard the front door slam, signaling Mason’s departure. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling at that moment if her life depended on it. She’d been on her way to trying her luck at inviting Mason back to bed, to continue what they’d started last night, when everything had been flipped upside down. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the covers off and walked over to the dresser. Picking up the picture he’d been holding not five minutes earlier, she stared at the two happy people in it. It felt like a lifetime ago, and it was. It was Carly’s lifetime. She knew she’d been horribly rude to him about the photograph, but she just wasn’t ready to let him in. Honestly, she didn’t know if she ever would be, and that was a damn
shame. Putting the picture back in its place, Lena made her way over to the bathroom. She splashed cold water on her face and then looked at herself in the mirror. What the hell was the matter with her? Here she had a funny, gorgeous guy, who for some reason kept coming back when she continually screwed things up, and she couldn’t find it in her to let him in. Not having any idea what Mason Langley saw in her, she started to think that maybe she needed to squash whatever they had before he got in deeper and she squashed his heart instead.

  Mason was standing in the small coffee shop on the corner of Lena’s street, still trying to decide what the hell had just happened back at her condo. Things had been going well until he drew attention to the picture. Obviously, it represented something important; he just had no idea why. Maybe it was a friend of hers who’d screwed her over? Maybe it was her sister who she no longer talked to and didn’t want to explain? Hell, he had no clue. He got to the counter and ordered two coffees and two blueberry muffins to go. Lena probably thought he was going home and leaving her alone, but she was in for a rude surprise. She’d invited him to go for a run today and he was going to hold her to that promise, whether she wanted to or not. Grabbing up the small white paper sack with the muffins, he balanced the coffee tray and headed back to the war zone.

  Not twenty minutes after Mason left, Lena heard a loud knock on her front door. After he had left, she tied her hair up in a ponytail, brushed her teeth, and went back to her bedroom and thrown on some grey yoga pants. Rubbing her eyes, she made her way to the door. Yawning once, she didn’t bother checking who was on the other side before she flung it open—that would teach her. “I thought you left.” She watched his eyes as he looked her over.

  “I told you I was leaving for the moment. You and I have a running date, in case you’ve forgotten.” He paused and then raised the tray of coffee. “Plus, I bought you coffee.”

  “I don’t want a coffee. I want you to leave,” she snapped at him.

  Pushing off the doorjamb, he stood tall and looked down at her. Lena tilted her head back while holding the door to block half the entrance.

  “This can be easy, Lena, or it can be hard. Your choice.”

  Clenching her jaw, she took a deep breath. He was being stubborn and that was not helping her resolve to send him away in the slightest. Why couldn’t he be like the guy she’d originally thought he was and just walk away? When had he turned into a stubborn wall of pain in the ass?

  “Do you enjoy hanging around women who don’t want you?”

  He rolled his eyes at her latest attempt of mean. “We both know that statement is a lie and if you were a wooden boy your nose would be ten feet long.”

  She felt a crack in her defense as her lip twitched. “I would hope you wouldn’t be having this conversation with a wooden boy.”

  “Let me in, Lena.”

  She eyed the bag then asked, “What’s in the sack?”

  “Muffins.”

  “What kind?”

  “Blueberry.”

  Sighing loudly, she moved aside reluctantly. “Fine, come in, but only because I’m hungry and their blueberry muffins are to die for.”

  He went to move past her and then stopped, turning to look down at her. “Understood.”

  Lena watched him as she sipped her coffee, trying to figure out what he was thinking. He hadn’t said anything since he’d come into the house and made his way into the kitchen. After she got out two small plates, they sat at her small kitchen table and ended up in a battle of wills. She was determined to make him so uncomfortable he’d leave, and he was determined to be stubborn and stay. It was like two rams butting heads.

  Leaning back in the wooden chair, his long legs sprawled out under the table accidentally bumped hers. She didn’t move at all and was determined to hold her ground. Never taking her eyes from his, she picked up a piece of muffin and popped it into her mouth. He was still wearing his black pants from last night. She assumed he must have had the black shirt under his white chef’s smock because that was what he was wearing this morning. Even though he should look disheveled and put out, he looked hot. Smoking hot, and right now she hated him for it. When he finished his muffin, he sat up, making the chair creak and moan under him. He raised a brow to her. “I’m not in danger of landing on my ass, am I?”

  For some reason that statement broke the ice. She burst out laughing and placed a hand across her mouth. “Do you really think I’d tell you and miss out on something so spectacular?”

  Mason found himself laughing with the prickly doctor. He had managed to break through whatever wall she’d been trying to build that morning. Leaning forward, he rested his elbows on the table. “We’ll have to go by my place so I can get some running gear. There’s a park down the street from me closer to the lake; we could go and run along the trail there. Does that sound okay to you?”

  She sat back in her chair and let out a deep breath, closing her eyes, “You really aren’t going away, are you?”

  He watched her closely and chose his words carefully. “No, I’m not. Lena, look at me.”

  Her eyes slowly opened and focused on him.

  “I know there are things you don’t want to tell me. I get that. I even know that it’s way too soon for you to be ready to tell me, but you will. Eventually.”

  She blinked once then bit her lip gently.

  “Right now, though, I’ll settle for a run with you in the park.”

  He pushed the chair back and stood up, coming around the table to hold out a hand. Looking up at him with wide eyes, she took it.

  “I don’t understand why you’re going to all this trouble.” she noted with a skeptical tone.

  Grinning, he squeezed her fingers. “I’m finally realizing something my father told me a couple of years ago before he died.”

  He watched her eyes soften a little. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “That’s okay. He was a great man, and lived a great life.”

  She seemed to be trying to work up the nerve to say something, but at the last minute, she lowered her gaze and took a breath. She dropped his hand and asked, “What did he tell you?”

  He reached out and stroked her cheek. “That’s something I’m not ready to tell you yet. But I will, eventually.”

  An hour later Lena was waiting on a bench, watching ducks swim in circles, while Mason had gone up to his place to change. She’d told him she needed the fresh air, but she really just needed some distance. The man was starting to make her feel things she really didn’t want to and she was still trying to work that out. When Lena saw Mason approach from the street, she almost wished she could be like Shelly and just say, oh what the hell, and jump the guy. His shorts were bright red and hit just above his knees. He’d put on a black sleeveless shirt and red baseball cap for the run and his arms flexed as they swung back and forth. He looked lickable. This workout was going to be torture. She stood and walked over to him, trying to act as if the sight of him running over to her didn’t affect her in the slightest.

  “Ready to stretch?” he asked her with a warm smile.

  She nodded. “Sure am. Think you’ll be able to keep up with me, Langley?”

  He grunted and nodded. “You’ll be eating my dust, Doctor.”

  Rolling her eyes, she bent down to touch her toes. He made a noise and she looked at him. The side of his mouth pulled up.

  “Got a problem?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “No. I was just wishing you’d do that over here in front of me.”

  Shaking her head, she laughed a little. “Perv.”

  “Is it my fault you’re wearing the tightest running pants I’ve ever seen? Please don’t run in front of me. I don’t think my heart will survive it.”

  Now she laughed loudly. “That’s okay. I’m a doctor. I won’t let you die.”

  He moved into a forward lunge, stretching his thigh and calf. “Yeah, for little kids.”

  “Same principle,” she said as she pulled her right leg up be
hind her to stretch her hamstring. He stood up, crossing his arms over his head. She watched his biceps flex and pull and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to pay me back?”

  He dropped his arms. “No, but it’s good to know you’re hot for my body.”

  She let go of her ankle and rolled her eyes. “Oh my god. Can we go now?”

  Chuckling, he nodded, “Sure. How far?”

  “I usually do five miles.”

  “Five miles it is. But please, for all that’s holy, run beside me.”

  She chuckled and started off up the trail.

  When they hit their fourth mile, Mason glanced over to see a light sheen of sweat on Lena’s face. She was breathing evenly; in through her nose, out through her mouth, and her form was unbelievable. She could really run. He thought he was going to have to pull back on his pace but she was giving him a run for his money. He paced alongside her with a shortened stride since she was shorter than he was, but other than that, he thought she was an amazing running partner. In fact, he was starting to think everything about her was amazing. He still couldn’t believe it’d only been a couple of weeks since they’d first met, not to mention that only last week was their first date. Mason felt as though he’d known her much longer, and although there was a lot about her he didn’t understand, he found that he didn’t mind waiting to find out. She was smart, witty, and prickly as a porcupine, but for some reason the ‘don’t touch’ sign that was hanging around her at times just made him want to touch her more. They were just coming up over a small bridge when he saw her glance at him out of the corner of her eye. Turning his head toward her, he arched an eyebrow in a flirtatious manner. Then she grinned and he felt his chest tighten with an emotion he couldn’t quite pinpoint. That grin of hers had been worth all the arguing and misunderstandings. To see her smile like nothing was bothering her in this world. He’d done that—he was making her happy, and he didn’t think he’d ever felt so proud in his life.