So Many Men...

by Dorie Graham

  “Actually, that was Josh’s doing.”

  Glancing around, she spied him amid a swarm of adoring women. She shook her head. No wonder she hadn’t heard from him lately. Between his personal training, Erin and the DCWC, he didn’t have any time left for her. He waved and she waved back.

  “There he is.” She pointed Pam in his direction. “He’s the guy with all the connections. Trust me, you won’t have any trouble with publicity from now on.”

  “Well, I know he wouldn’t be here if not for you. And Cassie says we found the caterer, the orchestra and the decorator all through you, too. How did we ever manage before you came?”

  “I think you ladies did just fine.”

  “Well, if you have time, could you stop by the communications group when we break out? I have a few ideas I want to bounce off you. Maybe Josh can join as well.”

  A sense of satisfaction surged through Tess. At last the group was appreciating what she brought to the table. She opened her mouth to respond but hesitated, glancing at the back corner. One girl, who sported piercings in her nose and brow, sat with her arms crossed, a sullen expression on her face. Another had her head bent over a notebook, her pencil flying over the page, while a young man, with his dark hair spiked and bleached at the tips, balanced a dagger on the end of his finger.

  Finally, she turned to Pam. “I think I’m going to be busy, but Josh can fill me in later.”

  Without waiting for a reply, she moved past the rows of chairs to the back. She stopped just short of the teens, again imagining the light surrounding her. She cleared her throat and they all glanced at her. “Hi. Remember me?”

  The boy laid the knife across his lap and eyed her with interest. “Tess, right? From the beach cleanup.”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry I don’t remember all of your names.”

  She relaxed a fraction as they each introduced themselves. Only faint glimmers of the turbulence she’d experienced with them before rippled through her. Aunt Sophie’s ball of light seemed to be working.

  Swallowing, she faced the young man with the knife. “That thing makes me a little nervous. Would you mind putting it away?”

  For a long moment he stared at her, his eyebrows furrowed. Traces of resentment flickered from him. The others turned in his direction and tension hummed through the group. Then he slowly stowed the blade in a sheath strapped to his chest under his shirt.

  He spread his hands in an open gesture. “So, we ready to get to it, or what? Don’t we have a ball to put on or something?”

  As the rest of the group turned to her, expectant looks on their faces, Tess breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled out the list Cassie had given her and handed each of them a copy. “Yes, we do, so let’s get to it.”

  “HI.” TESS STARED AT MASON the following Wednesday as he stood in her doorway. Relief and joy flooded her. The ball was days away and she’d hardly heard from him since Rafe had gotten hurt. She barely believed he stood there now and she hadn’t dreamed him.

  “May I come in?”

  “Yes. Of course.” She moved back and held her breath. Distress still weighed heavy on him. His clothes hung from his body, wrinkled and disheveled.

  She opened her arms and he walked into them, scooping her close and burying his face in the crook of her neck. Closing her eyes, she savored the intimacy he offered, cradling him and thankful he had come to her at last.

  After a few moments he pulled back, his eyes bloodshot, weariness etched into his face. “God, I missed you.”

  “Me, too.” Her eyes misted and her throat tightened.

  Live with me.

  She inhaled a deep breath. “Mason—”

  “Shh.” He pulled her close again and kissed her, his tongue imploring.

  She melted into him—melted into his kiss, giving him all she had to give—her heart bursting with love for him and the hope that maybe, just maybe, one day she could fill the void in his.

  Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her and carried her to her room. He laid her on the bed and she took him again into her arms. His stubbled cheek rubbed her face and his voice sounded gruff and hollow in her ear.

  “Love me, Tess.”

  She kissed him then, holding him close, opening her heart to him, offering her soul. She touched him and stroked him, her need for him overwhelming in its intensity. Moments later he seated himself deep inside her and she cried out, tears spilling down her cheeks, his desolation and his joy more than she could bear.

  He thrust into her, his eyes closed, his mouth open in a wordless cry. The desire in her rose as his movements took on a primal rhythm and she lost herself in an endless sea of sensation, the turbulence of his emotions washing over her. At last unrestrained, he gave her all he had—his loneliness, his grief and a love powerful enough to steal her breath. He thrust again and cried out in a release so strong it left her weeping as he collapsed, spent, beside her.

  She lay awake late into the night, memorizing the serene lines of his face. At long last she slept, her arm draped over him, her heart filled with peace. When she woke in the early hours just past dawn, he was gone.

  MUSIC SWELLED ACROSS THE ballroom. Mason glanced through the crowd of black ties and sequined gowns, straining for a glimpse of Tess. Apprehension filled him. She’d insisted on arriving before him, citing the excuse that she and the teens needed to help her sister with final touches on the decorations.

  He closed his eyes as snatches of his last night with her flashed before him. He’d been exhausted and worn when he’d gone to her. The memory blurred in his mind, a collage of heat and despair…and tranquility. A tremor of remorse ran through him. He’d taken her in pain and anger and she’d given him peace.

  Opening his eyes, he looked again for her. Now that Rafe was recovering, Mason needed to set things right with Tess. He didn’t want to push her into a decision to live with him, but now that the question was out there, it seemed to hang between them.

  Hopefully tonight she’d put him out of his misery, one way or another.

  A flash of white in the black-and-jewel-toned crowd caught his eye and he moved toward her, anxious to see if she might have an answer.

  “Wonderful party, Mason, dear.” An older woman, her silver hair swept up in a complicated twist, laid her well-manicured hand on his arm.

  He scoured his memory for her name. “Thank you, Mrs. Brandywine. I’m so glad you and Dr. Brandywine were able to make it.”

  “Once he heard Dawn Bailey was dragging Phillip here, George wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

  “Their attendance is a boon for us. They seem to have drawn quite a number of admirers.”

  “Your success is practically guaranteed. I hear Dawn has taken quite an interest in your Project Mentor.”

  “Yes, I understand she stopped by one of the teen workshops last week.”

  “The word I have is that she was quite impressed.” She glanced past his shoulder. “Oh, there she is. If you’ll excuse me, Mason, I’d like a word with her.”

  “No problem, I’d like a word with her myself to thank her for her interest.”

  Mrs. Brandywine waved goodbye, then disappeared into the crowd. Mason peered through the shifting revelers to where a stately woman smiled at Mrs. Brandywine.

  He would have to meet with Dawn Bailey later. For now, he needed to find Tess. Glancing around, he caught another glimpse of her and moved in that direction, smiling and nodding as he passed various attendees. At last, he came to the edge of the dance floor, where couples moved to a waltz.

  Mason steeled himself against the sight of Tess laughing and gazing into the eyes of another man while he swept her across the polished floor. Mason’s stomach tightened. How could he have let himself forget how she collected men like so many knickknacks?

  My relationships with men do tend to all be temporary.

  Gritting his teeth, he pushed past swirling couples to tap the man on his shoulder.

  It was Max, from the cookout, and he t
urned, eyebrows raised. “Hey, Mason, what’s up?”

  Mason leveled his gaze on him. “I’m cutting in.”

  “Oh, right.” He turned to Tess and kissed her cheek. “I’ll talk to you later, sweetie.”

  Anger boiled up inside Mason as he took Tess in his arms. Maybe Max was the reminder he needed that Tess might not be the woman for him. Yet as she rested her hand in his, that soothing feeling that always accompanied her drifted over him, calming him.

  You don’t want to believe it, but you can’t dispute the fact that something unusual, something maybe even magical, happens when we’re together.

  Was it true? Was she really a healer—a sexual healer?

  Another couple swept by and the man winked at her. Resentment rose in Mason as he glared at the man. Damn it, he just couldn’t wait anymore. “Tess, I have to know if you’ve made a decision.”

  She drew back, her eyes wide. “You mean about your proposal that we live together?”

  “Yes.”

  “I was going to talk to you about it before, but then all that happened with Rafe and…”

  “And?”

  “I don’t know that this is the proper time and place.”

  He would have laughed had he had any humor left in him. “Now you get a social conscience?”

  “We’ve worked so hard for this night.”

  “And you don’t want to ruin it by telling me it isn’t going to work between us?”

  She stopped in the middle of the dance floor. “No, that isn’t what I was going to say.”

  “Then what were you going to say? Will you or will you not live with me?”

  “It isn’t that easy. I don’t think you’ve thought this through.”

  “That’s a no.”

  Her eyes glistened under the huge globe lights. “It doesn’t mean I don’t want to still be with you.”

  Disappointment clawed its way through him. His stomach constricted. He’d known from the moment he’d asked her that she’d say no. Who was he kidding? He’d taken his walk on the wild side, but the wild side hadn’t welcomed him.

  He stepped away from her. “Excuse me, I need to get some air.”

  “Mason, wait, I want to explain.”

  “No, don’t…it’s okay. It doesn’t matter.”

  Before she could respond, he made his way toward the heavy double doors leading out of the ballroom. He avoided eye contact with everyone on his way, focusing only on the exit.

  “Mr. Bailey, wait. Please, don’t go.” April crossed in front of him, her arms outstretched toward a bull of a man.

  Mason pulled up short. “April?”

  “Mason.” She turned back to the man as he stopped in front of them, her eyes wide and a note of panic in her voice. “Mr. Bailey, surely you realize the Dade County Women’s Club and Project Mentor don’t condone such activities.”

  “What activities?” Mason asked. What the hell was going on?

  “That woman—that gypsy…” Outrage shone in Phillip Bailey’s eyes as he shook a heavy finger toward the back of the ballroom. He turned, scowling, toward Mason. “Mason Davies?”

  “Yes, sir, I’m Mason Davies.” He extended his hand. “What seems to be the problem?”

  The man narrowed his eyes, the muscles in his neck bulging. “You can kiss that youth center goodbye.”

  Mason straightened and cast April a sideways glance. She spread her hands in a helpless gesture. “Whatever the issue, I’m sure we can work this out, Mr. Bailey. Why don’t you let me get you a drink?”

  “I don’t need a drink. I need to get the hell out of here. What a bunch of— Good night, Dr. Davies. This meal ticket is out of here.” Without another word, Bailey stormed out the door.

  Mason stared after him in dismay, then his gaze shifted over the small crowd that had gathered around them. He turned to April. “What was that about?”

  Tess caught up to him. “Mason, please, let’s go someplace where we can talk.”

  “Hold on.” He said to April, “What activities do we not condone? What gypsy woman was he talking about?”

  April cast Tess a nervous glance. “I’m so sorry, but it’s her people. I’m afraid they’ve ruined it all for us.”

  Tess looked from April to Mason. “What is she talking about?”

  April raised her hands in distress. “Your aunt—I believe that’s who she is—is the one he called a gypsy woman. She has run off our most promising benefactor.”

  “Aunt Sophie?” Tess’s gaze narrowed. “You can’t be serious. Aunt Sophie wouldn’t do that.”

  “She certainly did. She’s selling her services at one of the banquet tables, giving some kind of card readings to all the guests.”

  Tess shook her head. “That’s harmless and I’m sure she wouldn’t charge a fee. She never does.”

  “I don’t think Phillip Bailey thought it was harmless. She told him something about abusing his power and using manipulation for his own gains. I don’t know exactly what she said, but couldn’t she have made up something good? He was livid when he stomped out of here.” April wrung her hands. “Without his donation we can’t possibly make our goal now.”

  Mason stared at the board at the front of the ballroom that tallied the donations in a digital display. They were well below the halfway mark. April was right. They had been counting on a donation from the Baileys to put them over the top.

  A sick feeling twisted through him as a vision of Rafe in his hospital bed flickered through his mind.

  He’d failed the kids.

  “That’s ridiculous.” Tess stepped forward, steeled for battle. “Whatever Aunt Sophie told him, it was something he needed to hear. She couldn’t just make it up. She has too much integrity for that. If Bailey chooses to listen to her, her readings always prove helpful. She has never hurt a soul through them.”

  “You didn’t see him.” April faced her, fists clenched. “He was to be this project’s main benefactor. Am I not right, Mason? Without his support we’re dead in the water.”

  “That can’t be true.” Tess turned to Mason, her eyes liquid blue. “Mason?”

  Mason nodded, feeling numb and sick with the taste of defeat.

  “No.” Tess touched his arm and he shifted away from her. “The night isn’t over, there’s still a chance. I’ll get up and make a speech, implore everyone to dig deep and give for the children.”

  Light reflected off the diamond studs in April’s ears as she shook her head. “Cassie’s been up there all night. She does this for all the DCWC fund-raisers. If she can’t charm the money out of them, it isn’t going to happen.”

  “But there’s still time.”

  April gripped Mason’s arm as she glanced uneasily at the murmuring crowd. “We might still scrounge enough to put together another fund-raiser, but…” Again her gaze skittered to Tess. “I’m really sorry, Tess, but we’ve got to take care of this problem first.”

  Frowning, Mason turned to April. “What do you mean? What problem?”

  “Well, if we’re going to salvage anything of this night, it seems to me we have just one hope. I hate to say it, but…but…” She took a deep breath. “Well, I think it would be best if Tess took her aunt and the rest of her family out of here. They should probably all leave.”

  “What?” Tess stared at her, her eyes round in disbelief.

  Ask Tess and her family to leave? Mason shook his head. How could he do such a thing?

  “If they don’t, then we’ll ruin our chances of salvaging anything out of this fiasco. Look at this crowd. They don’t look so happy. A lot of people witnessed the event and this place is filled with Bailey’s supporters. I’m sure they’re waiting to see how we respond.” She said to Tess, “You have to understand that we need to cut our losses.”

  “Mason.” Tess touched his arm again. “You know that isn’t true. There are still plenty of people left. The night is young. Let me—”

  “She’s right.” Mason closed his eyes against the memory of Rafe f
acing off with the gangbangers who put him in the hospital.

  “You want us to leave?” Tess’s voice shook.

  He swallowed past a lump in his throat. The room blurred. This was for the best. He had to think of the youth center. Besides, Tess had rejected him, as he’d known all along she would.

  Mason had to cut his losses in more than one way.

  It should end things between them nicely. Then he could get on with his life. He met her gaze. “Yes, I want you all to leave.”

  She stood still for one unbelieving moment, then she fled into the dwindling crowd.

  TESS SWEPT THE SKIRT of her dress aside and plopped down on Sophie’s couch. Anger raged through her. She drew it around her like a cloak, protecting her from the despair lingering just beneath it. “I still can’t believe it.”

  Erin shook her head as she settled beside her. “Men. They just aren’t worth a damn. I’m convinced we don’t need them.”

  Sophie set her requisite tea tray on the table and settled beside Maggie, who’d remained home for the evening with the vague excuse that she had plans. “Don’t be silly. I spent half my life believing men needed us, but I am convinced we need them every bit as much.”

  Erin rolled her eyes. Maggie snorted but refrained from comment. She seemed to grow less outspoken every day. Forgetting her own frustrations for the moment, Tess leaned forward but was still unable to get anything from either her mother or Aunt Sophie.

  “I don’t know.” Tess flopped against the cushion. Sadness seeped through her anger. She closed her eyes a moment until the burning in her throat lessened. “I wouldn’t say that I needed Mason, exactly, but there was definitely something different about him.”

  “Like what, dear? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it before.” Maggie sipped tea from a special mug Sophie had brought her.

  “I don’t know. It was like I felt…different when I was with him.”

  “What do you mean, ‘different’?” Erin asked.