Exquisite

Chapter Seven

Three days had come and gone by the time Mason had a chance to even think about what’d happened Friday night. His weekend had been jam packed with two twelve hour shifts that resulted in a full house at his restaurant on both Saturday and Sunday and he had to admit he was glad that he’d made the executive decision that they were closed on Mondays. He was sitting out in the dining room when Wendy came in carrying a small box and headed straight for him. She sat down on the opposite side of the table and flipped open the lid pulling out a powdered donut and munching down on it.

“You know if Rachel sees that she is going to freak out.”

“She can’t tell me what to eat.” she mumbled around a mouth full.

Mason grinned at her and flicked the pen down onto the desk. “No she can’t but she will say it’s blasphemy to eat any other pastry or dessert in her presence.”

Wendy swallowed reached out for the bottle of chocolate milk and gulped it down. “Pssh! She’s such a pastry snob.”

Mason smiled at her and looked around when he heard the door open. Rachel bustled through with a box of her own and a hurried look on her face. He turned back to see Wendy snatching the donut box off the table and throwing it on the floor beside her out of view.

“Hi guys! I brought breakfast.” Rachel announced as she flopped down in the last remaining seat smiling at them both. She looked from Mason to Wendy then at the guilty chocolate milk container that had powdered sugar fingerprints on it. “Alright who’s the sell out?”

Before Wendy could even try Mason pointed. “It was her.”

Wendy groaned then shook her head. “You’re such a wimp! You caved quicker than a house of cards.”

Mason grinned reaching into Rachel’s open pastry box. “That’s because I know what she’s capable of.”

Wendy rolled her eyes and tried to defend herself but Rachel wasn’t having any of it. “Nope don’t bother. The only thing that will console me is to find out why a Dr. O’Donnell called up for Mason Sunday night but wouldn’t bother him or leave a message.”

Mason almost choked on his donut as he looked toward his sister with watering eyes. He swallowed as fast as he could then asked, “What did you just say?”

“A Dr O’Donnell called for you.”

“Yeah I got that part. The problem I’m having is why you’re only telling me now.”

Rachel shrugged in the same nonchalant way he himself did and replied. “She told me not to bother you. So I waited until you weren’t running around like a maniac.”

Mason sat up very straight and turned to his sister. “Did she maybe tell you anything else?”

“Nope.” Rachel reached into the box pulled out a fruit flan and before she bit into it asked. “Hey, is that Pants Suit?”

Lena was sitting at her desk with the phone wedged between her shoulder and her ear listening to a voicemail from her mother. Her parents wanted to come and visit in a couple of weeks. Lena sighed and replaced the phone into its cradle. It wasn’t the fact she didn’t get along with her parents. She loved them, very much. It was the way they watched her, waiting for signs that she was going to crack or come undone that unnerved her. It was just about 3pm and she realized she hadn’t eaten anything yet. She knew that it was to late to call Shelly, she’d be in the middle of rounds right now, so she got up and walked to the door. Just as she started to make her way down the hall she heard Brandy behind her.

“Dr O’Donnell?”

Lena turned and stopped waiting for her to catch up.

“I’m so glad I caught you.”

“Yes well, I’m on my way to lunch. Is it important?”

Brandy looked as though she was trying to decide then nodded. “There’s a Mr. Langley in the waiting area asking to see you.”

Lena felt her face move into a smirk and Brandy almost looked confused. Then she continued, “I don’t want you to be shocked but it’s the delivery man from a week or so back. You know the tall guy with the roses. I don’t know what he wants.”

Lena nodded once and walked back toward the waiting area. She looked over her shoulder and for the first time in Brandy’s history she smiled at her.

“I do.”

Mason once again found himself sitting in one of the chairs lining the walls of the Pediatric waiting area. Sure, he could’ve called her back but he’d wanted, no he was finding he needed, to see her. Plus, he thought with a smug grin, he was back at the scene of the first crime. He heard her before he saw her. The tight precision of the click of heels on the floor and he almost found himself holding his breath, wondering how she would react to him turning up here unannounced. As she rounded the corner he noticed she was in a pair of black tailored pants and a red blouse that once again tucked in at her waist and buttoned up to the bottom of her slender throat. Over that was a white labcoat that had pens in the pocket and a name badge hanging from it. He stood automatically and waited for her to stop in front of him. There was no smile on her face just a some what serious expression.

“Mr. Langley.” she acknowledged with a slight tilt of her head.

He felt himself start to smile then stowed it and cleared his throat. “Dr O’Donnell.” he watched as her lips twitched.

“What can I do for you?”

He looked over her shoulder at the young receptionist that’d been his buffer last time and she seemed to be watching them with caution. Maybe she was worried he’d come back to exact his revenge. Nope, sorry sweetheart. I’m apparently the idiot that is going to fall on his sword not wield it through battle. “Well,” he paused.

“Yes?”

He lowered his voice and asked softly. “Is there somewhere more private that we could speak.”

She narrowed her eyes and he knew this look on her. This was her battle look before she lobbed the grenade. “I assumed when I didn’t hear from you that you didn’t want to speak.”

Boom, there is was. He stepped closer and she stood her ground, as he knew she would, and tilted her head back. Somewhere behind them he heard an intake of breath.

“You should never assume. Now do you really want to do this here?” he stopped then added on. “You seem to have a fetish for doing things in public.”

That straightened her spine right up. He could have sworn she hissed at him.

“Oh come on then.” She snapped as she turned marching off in the direction she’d come from. He looked over to the confused looking receptionist, winked then followed the lovely doctor.

Lena was smiling as she walked away from him. She figured she could let it go since he couldn’t see her. She hadn’t been upset he didn’t call her right away she knew he’d be busy over the weekend, but when he hadn’t called this morning she’d started to wonder. Now though as she walked to her office with her heart beating a rapid tattoo in her chest she was secretly delighted he’d come to see her instead.

She needed to get these feelings under control. She was beginning to enjoy the moment her heart started to pick up when he looked at her and she was starting to find she didn’t know how she’d feel when it all came to an end. When she reached her office she walked in and stood aside letting him follow her through. It also gave her the perfect opportunity to look at his fine ass. Today he was in jeans and, wow, he could really fill them out. His legs were so long they seemed to eat up the ground as he walked. On top he was in a midnight blue sweater that made his eyes such a deep blue they looked like the ocean and his black hair looked as though the wind had personally run its fingers through it to make it look like he just got out of bed, so damn sexy. Lena closed the door and cleared her throat walking around her desk to put some space between her and the temptation that was now sitting in a chair opposite her. She watched him as he sprawled his jean clad legs out in front of him then rested his hands on his thighs.

“Alright Langley, enough with the tense silence.”

“Tense? Who’s tense?” he grinned at her slowly. “Are you tense Lena? Want me to help?”

Before she thought it through she quipped. “Sure, take off your pants.”

Arching his brow he moved to sit up straight, “Careful doctor.”

Rolling her eyes she sat down and he grinned dimples and all.

“This feels like our first date, rolls reversed though.” he commented as he looked around her office at the large certificates on the wall then over to the bookcase that held text books, research journals and yes a couple of Twilight books, so what? He stood as though he couldn’t sit still and moved over to the large window that over looked the city and whistled low.

“Wow this is some view.” then he turned and rested his delicious ass against the window sill and told her softly. “But I like this one better.”

Lena turned her chair to face him and rocked back on it. “Stop the excess charm Langley. I said yes to the second date.”

He nodded slowly, “You did didn’t you?” he paused. “This isn’t charm Lena I mean it when I tell you I like what I see. Your so buttoned up, professional. You make me want to unbutton things.”

Lena felt her heart pick up at the look that came over his face. He was such an easy going man by nature. She could tell he was relaxed and calm, most likely well loved by everyone who met him. However, there were moments with her that he changed, his emotions took hold of him and she watched as a darker side rose to the surface and made its way out. She wondered if she brought his dark side out because she wasn’t what he needed. She wasn’t sunshine and light. She was gloomy, cold and numb.

“Why?”

Mason watched her as she continued to push herself back and forward on her chair by the tip of her toe.

“What do you mean why?”

“Well come on Langley. It isn’t like I was the obvious choice here. I’ve got to wonder why you’re even bothering with me.”

He pushed off from the window and walked over to her. Placing his foot on the bottom rung of her leather chair he brought it to a halt then reached down and drew her up so she was standing an inch apart from him. He ran his hands down her arms to her hands then intertwined their fingers. Looking down at her silently he watched her as she stared up at him, mouth slightly parted eyes wide and not a single sound came out. He noticed she fought to stand still and came to the conclusion he liked tormenting this woman. Not in a horrific, mean spirited way, but in a sensual frustrating way he’d never known he could enjoy. Usually he was all about the wham the bam and the thank you ma’am, but as he stood there not touching anything but her hands he was more aroused than he’d ever been.

“I don’t understand.” she finally whispered. He leaned down and pressed a warm kiss to her cheek then moved to her ear and whispered.

“Neither do I.” he felt her swallow and could smell that delicious vanilla and wondered if it was the soap she used or a perfume. “I came by to ask you to meet me tonight at my restaurant. I want to cook for you.” he felt her take a deep breath then continued, “I would’ve told you the other night but you had nothing to write it down on. In fact if I remember right, you had nothing on at all.”

Lena couldn’t move. It was as though she was a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming car. Here she was, professional Dr O’Donnell standing in her office in the middle of the day with a man whispering in her ear and making her want to reach down between her legs and give herself some kind of release. She swallowed and unconsciously tilted her head to the side. That was when she felt his mouth as he kissed the side of her neck gently. She was sure she would’ve fallen over but his hands gripped her tighter and he lifted his head and looked down at her.

“Nothing to say?”

She shook her head quickly and he stepped back taking with him his warmth. She looked him over and noticed a bulge straining hard against his zipper.

“I think we can safely give up the argument that you’re not my type. Right?”

Lena stood motionless feeling like an idiot then she remembered, “I-I- can’t do tonight.” she stuttered for the first time in her life. She watched Mason narrow his eyes a little.

“I swear I’m not putting you off. I have something I have to do. Can we make it another night?”

He walked over to the door and she thought he was going to leave. She almost found herself calling out for him to stay, but he stopped turned and flashed her that sexy ass grin, “How about Wednesday?”