“You were probably one of those guys in school that everybody loved and all the girls crushed over, huh?”
He shot her a look. “I didn’t do too badly for myself.”
“Now, why do I think that’s an understatement?”
He pulled up to the restaurant and parked the car. “That kind of stuff never seemed like a big deal to me. I’m old enough now to realize it’s probably because I wasn’t on the other end of the social spectrum and didn’t have to worry about it. I liked playing sports. I’m pretty competitive by nature. The rest of it was just a bonus.
“As long as I kept my grades up, my parents left me alone, but there weren’t any warm family dinners. My sister and I are close, but other than that, I have a pretty cool and distant relationship with the rest of my family.”
As they headed in, the host greeted them and showed them to a romantic little table by the windows overlooking the water. She sighed out at the view and fingered the white linen tablecloth. Candlelight made her eyes glow a deep, warm amber. Mason took a moment to enjoy her beauty.
“Do you mind if I choose a bottle of wine?” he asked her.
“Please do.”
“Would you prefer red or white?”
“Red would be nice.”
After the waiter told them about the specials and took their orders, she turned back to him. “I feel like I’ve been talking about myself all night. Tell me more about you.”
He watched her from across the table. “What do you want to know?”
“Well, did you always know you wanted to work in law enforcement?”
“When I was younger I used to pretend I was a detective and run around trying to solve ‘mysteries.’ My dad always assumed I’d grow out of it. He would have preferred I use my MBA and take over the family business. But, I knew from a pretty early age it wasn’t for me.”
“What does your father do, exactly?”
“Did, he’s passed away now. He was in international corporate finance, specializing in mergers and acquisitions. He did a lot of traveling when I was growing up.”
“I’m sorry to hear he’s gone. That must have been hard to have him away so much. You weren’t interested in following in his footsteps?”
“I felt like I could make a difference by going into law enforcement. It felt like I was serving a purpose higher than myself. Besides, I’ve never wanted to be stuck behind a desk and working in an office environment.” He gave her a lopsided smile, “Although, a large part of my job right now is filling out reports. I guess no one can ever really run away from paperwork.”
“Well, there’s that. Although it sounds like finance would be safer,” Olivia gestured towards Mason’s shoulder.
Her words were a cold wind instantly blowing out the warm light in his eyes. The humor in the corners of his mouth vanished and his face settled like stone. Quietly, he placed his wine glass down and became intensely interested with the oil and vinegar on his bread plate.
“Damn, I never should have brought it up,” she stuttered, feeling her cheeks grow warm.
On an exhale, he looked up. His eyes held long shadows in them, as if a cloud had crossed over the summer sun. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tensed up on you like that. I thought I was moving past it a little bit, but apparently it’s still raw.”
At that moment, the waiter discreetly delivered their meals and then, sensing they didn’t wish to be disturbed, quietly left. Mason picked up his fork and looked down at his food. Glancing back up at her, he could see the unasked question in her eyes.
She just looked at him, her eyes filled with compassion. Impulsively, she reached across the table and laid her hand on his. He turned his hand over and threaded his fingers through hers. Sighing, he began to tell his story.
“It was just a couple of weeks before Halloween. My partner, Ryan, was grousing about how his daughter had asked him for a MacBook for Christmas and basically bemoaning the fact that his little girl was growing up too fast. He and his wife had recently split, and this was going to be the first time that he wouldn’t be able to see her opening presents on Christmas morning.
Anyway, we’re going to check out this real scumbag of a guy. He’d previously been brought in on stalking charges, and had a couple of restraining orders out against him. We suspected him of abducting a woman who had disappeared a block away from his house. We were going to take a look around, ask him a few questions, and kind of get a feel of the place.
“He was a real sleazeball, but he had no history of confrontational behavior that we knew of. Guys like that tend to be more inclined to run than fight when faced with an actual opponent. So, Ryan and I walked right up to the front door and asked if we could talk to him. He must have had the woman close enough that she could hear us at the door, because suddenly there was a loud thump that sounded like a person falling off a bed. The next thing we knew, the guy had whipped a gun out and started shooting.”
Olivia gasped. All the color drained from her face and she gripped his hand tighter. Their meals sat, forgotten.
“I got shot twice, a sucking wound to the lung and graze on the outside of my shoulder. But, I was lucky. Ryan was standing in front of me on the stoop and took the brunt of the attack.”
He set his fork down. “He didn’t make it.”
Her other hand covered her mouth, “Oh my…I can’t imagine.”
“I was in the hospital for a few weeks. For the most part, my shoulder has healed up. The muscle still twinges a little, but it’s not too bad. My lungs are taking longer. I have to do these breathing exercises, and the cold air makes them feel worse, but even they are getting better. I’ve started adding cardio back into my workouts to help strengthen them back up.”
He looked up at her stricken face and came out of the swirl of his tortured memories. Belatedly, he noticed how hard he was gripping her hand and self-consciously released her, reaching for his wine glass instead.
“So, now that I’ve completely dispelled any feel-good date feelings…”
She reached for her own glass and took a healthy gulp, letting the memory of sun-ripened grapes sooth her. She thought about the fact that if a bullet had gone just another inch to the left, she may never have had the chance to be on this date with such a charismatic, interesting, let’s not forget gorgeous, man. “I’m sorry you had to go through something so tragic. It sounds like you two were quite close.”
“We were. He really was the best.”
“How is his daughter doing?”
“It’s been tough, as you can imagine. Especially during this time of year. I’ve called her a few times and have been trying to keep tabs on her from up here. I get updates from her mom.”
“It’s hard losing a parent when you’re young. I know how difficult it was for me at my age, and I was quite a few years older. I can only imagine how much harder it must be for her.”
“Thankfully, she has her mom looking out for her. It’s been hard on both of them, but at least they have each other.”
“So, how long will you be on leave? What’s the recovery time for something like this?”
“I was in the hospital for about two weeks while they had me on oxygen, antibiotics, and pain meds, and kept me under observation. There was some concern about infection, since they had to go in and remove bone fragments. Actually, my ribs seem to be taking the longest to heal, but overall, it could have been worse. I was told the faster these types of injuries are treated, the shorter the recovery time. I had an ambulance get to me within ten minutes of being shot.
“That being said, all I can think about is getting back to active duty and helping to find this guy.”
“You mean he’s still out there?”
Mason gritted his teeth. “The bastard got away. It’s one of the reasons why I’m so anxious to get back. I won’t be able to rest until Ryan and his family have some sort of justice.”
“When do you think you’ll be able to do that?”
“I spoke to my C
aptain yesterday. I’m required to go in for a couple of psych evaluations before I’m allowed to return to active duty. He’s giving me until after the holidays to have them all finished, but said my first appointment should be sometime after Christmas.”
He sighed, picked up his fork, and twirled a few strands of pasta around the tines. “To be honest, Olivia, I don’t have any idea what my long term situation is going to be.” He shrugged. “Maybe it was unfair of me to ask you out tonight, since I don’t know how long I’ll be in town.
“I do know that I won’t rest until I can get some resolution for my partner. Ryan and I came up through the academy together, we worked the streets together, and we became detectives together. He was a good guy and deserved better.”
She thought about what he had said as she began to cut into her chicken primavera. “Well, I don’t think we need to make any big decisions just yet. You’ve been through some serious trauma. It’s okay if you don’t know what’s going to happen next. The most important thing you can do right now is focus on healing physically, and take it one day at a time.”
“I just wanted you to know where things stand with me in my life right now. I’m attracted to you and enjoy your company, but I can’t tell you if I’ll be sticking around or just how far things can go with us. I don’t want you to feel like I haven’t been honest with you or upfront about that.”
Olivia smiled. “I appreciate the candor. To be honest, I haven’t dated in a really long time and I’m not exactly sure what I want, either. I don’t think we need to have any expectations in order to spend time together. Let’s just enjoy each other’s company and see how things go.”
The two of them sat and ate in contemplative silence for a few moments, each steeped in their own thoughts. Gradually, as if by some quiet consensus, they began to move on to other—easier—topics.
She already knew they shared a similar taste in music since the other day, although he tended to listen to it much louder than her. It didn’t come as a big surprise to her that he gravitated more towards action movies, but she was pleasantly surprised when he got her Firefly reference.
They finished their meals. As the waiter took their plates away, Olivia was startled to realize it was nearing midnight.
“Should we get some coffee and dessert?” Mason asked.
“Yes to the dessert, but I think I’ll pass on the coffee. If I drank it now, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all tonight. I might take some herbal tea, though.”
She liked the intimacy of sharing something sweet together. Philosophically, she thought a person could tell a lot about a man by the way he shared dessert with a woman. Some men ate it quickly. They were so eager to get as much as they could that they forgot to enjoy it. Others made sure to take the choicest pieces, or refused to share altogether.
After admiring the generous slice of triple-layer, chocolate mousse cake placed in front of them, she watched to see what Mason’s first reaction would be. He gestured to her. “Ladies first. Let me know what you think.”
He watched as she cut through the layers of various dark chocolate and ganache and slid it silkily into her mouth. His stomach clenched as she closed her eyes to savor the flavors on her palate.
She couldn’t help but moan with the pleasure exploding on her tongue. “Ohhh, this is sooo good. Wow, this is really rich. I’m glad we’re splitting it.” She opened her eyes and found him staring at her. “Uh oh. Did I get some on my face?” Cautiously, she lifted her fingers to the corner of her mouth.
It was such an unexpected question and so far from what he’d been thinking that Mason burst out laughing. She frowned and began earnestly rubbing her cheek until he grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.
“You’re absolutely beautiful. I can assure you there is nothing on your face. I was just admiring you.” He reached out with his fork and took a bite for himself, never breaking eye contact with her. “Delicious.”
She felt herself tremble under such scrutiny and wondered what other ways his intensity manifested itself. Even with his warning that this may only be temporary, she was tempted to find out. So what if all it became was a hot fling? With a man this enticing, why should she refuse? She was a perfectly healthy, hot-blooded woman, wasn’t she?
He had taken his time with dessert, sipping his coffee between bites and giving her the only strawberry. To her, it was a good sign and showed that he was open to sharing and enjoying what he had. The two of them lingered another half hour, savoring their dessert and each other’s company.
After paying the bill, Mason escorted her out into the chill, night air, and she shivered, despite the warm dress and coat she was wearing. She blew on her hands, huddled deeper into her coat collar, and paused in the alcove to put her gloves on. From the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement to the left. Turning, she peered into the trees, trying to get a closer look.
“That’s weird,” Olivia muttered under her breath.
Mason stopped and looked in the direction she was facing, casually positioning his body in front of hers. Growing very still, he took a moment to scan the deep shadows. “What’d you see?”
Brushing it off, she waved the odd feeling away with her hands. “It’s nothing. For some reason I thought I saw a guy standing there, but it must have been some animal moving through the brush.”
“A man? About how tall was he? Did you get a look at his face? Was he wearing a baseball cap?”
“What? Mason, no. I’m sure it was nothing. Forget I said anything.”
“Are you sure? I got the sense I was being watched earlier.”
She laughed and began walking over to the passenger door of his truck. “That’s because you were. The whole town was taking a good look at you.” She climbed up into the cab and turned to face him. “I warned you, it’s a small town. People are going to be talking about seeing me out on my first date in years for at least a week.”
Noticing he still had that tense, hyper-aware look about him that she’d seen earlier, she sighed. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sure it was nothing. We’re probably both just a bit jumpy from the conversation we had earlier.”
Reluctantly, he started the ignition and, with a final glance towards the surrounding trees, nodded. “I’m sure you’re right. Let’s get you home.”
They sat in comfortable silence on the way home. She watched the moon play peek-a-boo between the trees outside her window as she mulled over the conversation they’d had over dinner.
Her porch light greeted them cheerfully as they pulled up to the front of the house. Mason got out of the truck and walked her to the door. She was surprised at how jittery her nerves were. He took the keys from her and unlocked the entrance.
She turned and looked up at him. The pale, yellow light left his face shadowed as he looked down at her and all she could see was the blue gleam of his eyes. “Did you want to come in for a moment?”
He reached up and brushed his thumb gently across her cheek. “It’s pretty late. I should probably let you get some sleep before you have to be at the café tomorrow.”
A flicker of disappointment streaked through her. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, his descended on hers; firm, masculine lips claiming and molding her mouth to his. This wasn’t the soft, teasing kiss from earlier. This kiss shot her right out of a rocket and sent her soaring towards the stars. She heard a groan of relief and longing and wasn’t sure if it had come from her or him. His tongue swept between her lips and sampled the taste of her.
She smelled like honeysuckle and tasted like wine. It was the only coherent thought in his mind before he dove under her spell again. His hands ran up the collar of her coat and delved into the thick tresses he’d been dying to run his fingers through all night. He cupped the back of her head and tilted it into a better position, kissing her even more fully. He would have been perfectly happy to devour her right there in her doorway.
Olivia wrapped her arms tightly around his waist an
d ran her hands up his back. She pressed her breasts to his chest, trying to get closer. More, was all she could think. She wanted so much more of this man that she’d only met a couple of days ago. All the passion and heat that had been lying dormant in her for years burst alive throughout her body. Every nerve ending felt electrified with need. She could feel his arousal through his jeans and instinctively ground her pelvis against him.
Her hands couldn’t stop exploring. She admired the width of his shoulders and twined her arms around his neck. Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. His hands travelled down and around to cup her ass and lift her more fully to him, making her gasp at the friction and contact. Her head fell back as he trailed kisses down the creamy column of her neck and then back up to tease her earlobe. She could feel her nipples harden and peak in desire.
A deep growl started in the back of Mason’s throat, and he realized he needed to slow down or they really were going to make use of the bench in the entryway. Gently, he made his way back to her mouth and lightened the kiss. Each pulled back slightly as he continued to nibble at her lips. They were both breathing hard and he was feeling entirely too hot.
“I had a really good time with you tonight,” his voice rasped. Slowly, he bent down and gave her bottom lip another nibble. With a sigh, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I should really go now, otherwise, I might change my mind about not coming in. If that happened, I can’t guarantee you’d make it into work tomorrow at all.”
She wound her arms tighter around his neck and gave him another lingering kiss. “I know you’re right. Thank you for taking me out, I had a great time.” Reluctantly, she stepped through the doorway and flipped the hall light on.
With a final, wistful look, Mason said, “I’ll call you,” and made his way back to the truck, giving her a little wave before pulling out of the driveway.
She watched him leave as she stood hugging herself. Gradually, she came out of the haze his kiss had left her in and realized she was standing in the doorway, out in the cold, like a lovesick loon. Laughing, she locked up and made her way to bed. She could only imagine what kind of dreams she was going to have tonight.
Secret Hunger (The Harper Sisters) Page 11