Exquisite (40 page)

Lena felt her mouth open on a
O
and then he lifted his head and did something she hadn’t seen him do for a long
time. He grinned, a full on dimple making, Mason grin.

“And we’ve danced plenty of times
horizontally.”

Lena couldn’t help it she grinned
back at him and felt it all the way to her eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

“Yep, but you love me.” he said
flippantly and then froze. Lena stiffened as well and then watched as the wall
came down over his eyes. She felt his arms unwrap and watched as he physically
and emotionally took a step back. Reaching out with her hand she said softly.

“Mason.”

He held a hand up and she stopped
where she was.

“No Lena.” he shook his head the
cold eyes returning and locking with hers. She watched silently as he moved to
her. He reached out and took her chin in his fingers and tipped her head up.
“Don’t touch me, just let me..” he trailed off and leaned down in the middle of
the dark dance floor, with the music throbbing around them and pressed his lips
to hers.

She watched his eyes shut and kept
her hands by her sides in small fists. His mouth was hard and warm as it
pressed brutally against hers, almost in a punishing melding of mouths, then he
pulled back and blinked down at her and said softly, “Thank you for helping me
forget. But you really shouldn’t have bother, nothing’s changed.” and with that
cutting remark he moved around her and walked off the dance floor.

Lena watched him move through the
crowd and knew he thought she was going to let him go, and once upon a time,
she would’ve she was so pissed. However, she had news for him. As he exited the
dance floor a lady in a hot pink tube of a dress stepped up to him with a huge
smile on her face. Lena had made her way over and was now behind him. Shelly
had a hand on his chest and was shaking her head. Lena caught, “You’re not
going anywhere.” as she stopped behind them. She watched as he glanced over his
shoulder at her with narrowed eyes.

“Would you tell Monroe to move it?”

Lena pursed her lips and shook her
head. “Nope, she’s right. You’re not going anywhere tonight, except home with
me.”

She took great satisfaction in
watching his eyes widen and he turned slowly on her.

“I thought I made it clear out
there Lena. I don’t want
that
from you.”

Placing a hand on her hip she
looked him up and down and tried to pull off an indifferent shrug. She wasn’t
sure how she did, because quiet honestly she did want
that
from him, but
he seemed to wince at her expression so she must’ve been convincing.

“I’m not offering you anything more
than a safe ride home Langley. Get your mind out of my skirt.”

That seemed to piss him off even
more because his back stiffened and he responded with a sneer.

“Feeling brave are we?” he leaned
down until they were nose to nose, “How much have
you
had to drink?”

Tilting her head up she made a show
of taking a breath and wincing, “Not as much as you. You smell like a bottle of
scotch.” Shaking her head she said softly, “You’re head is going to hurt
tomorrow.”

Grumbling he straightened, “It
hurts every morning.”

Brushing past him she looked over
her shoulder, “No use trying to get out of it, you’re coming with me and I’m
getting you home safely.”

Closing his eyes he sighed then
opened them and focused on Shelly then her. “Why?” he asked softly, “Why are
you two here bothering me?”

“Because we’ve sworn an oath to
help idiots.” Shelly grumbled.

 His eyes flicked to her and
then Lena reached out and took his hand. He stiffened and looked down at where
she touched him then his eyes came up to meet hers.

“Because once upon a time I met a
man who saved me.”

Frowning at her he tugged his hand
free, “So what? You feel sorry for me and are here to what, save me?”

Nodding Lena stepped close to him.
“Yeah something like that.” she paused then blinked and whispered softly, “I’m
part of the reason you’re doing this.”

Snorting he shook his head, “Wow,
don’t flatter yourself.”

Glaring at him she was about to
snap back when Shelly pushed her out of they way, “Listen up buddy. You’ve been
an ass for the last time, she’s trying here.”

He glared at Shelly and said
between his teeth, “I told her not to bother.”

“Yeah well she wants to. For some
insane reason she thinks you’re worth it.” she reached up and poked him in the
chest hard. “Pull your head out of your ass!”

“Shelly.” Lena said softly reaching
out to place a hand on her friends arm. Shelly looked at her with fury in her
eyes.

“No Lena. Sure, this wont work the
way it use to.” she turned back on Mason and asked, “But are you really willing
to let her walk away?”

Dropping her voice she stepped back
and said softly, “She didn’t have a choice in what she did. If you let her walk
away you may find you don’t have a choice to get her back, is that what you
want?” and with that she turned and walked to the door.

Mason stood glued to the spot with
his eyes on Lena. Lena was about to say something, anything to break the
awkward silence when he stepped forward and said softly.

“Fine Lena, you win. Take me home.”

Lena felt her breath catch and her
heart clench, she’d won this round.

M
ason climbed into the cab with two pissed off
women. One was making it quiet obvious and the other, well she was sitting
quietly between him and
hot pink
. He’d never seen Dr Monroe pissed off
and quite honestly he pitied any man that went up against her, she was
intimidating in all her hot fury. Lena on the other hand was fuming but she was
sitting silently, almost as though if she breathed she would loose her temper.

He was trying really hard to push
aside everything he was thinking and feeling but it was all swirling around in
his head. The last time they’d been together, at her house when he’d given her
the letter, and the way she’d looked at him as he’d left after telling her
about his mother leaving her a part of the business.

His mother
, that’s what this
all came back to. Over and over he replayed the last line his mother had
written to him and he shook his head,
you need to forgive her.
It
infuriated him to no end that his mother had hidden such an important piece of
information from him, but for Lena to have known, he just couldn’t seem to move
past it. However, Rachel did have a point, she’d told him just the other day he
was directing his anger at Lena when really it should be to his mom. After all
it’d been his mom who’d chosen to keep the secret, but he couldn’t be angry at
a dead woman.
Could he?

So instead he took it out on the
silent woman sitting beside him. The cab came to a stop and Mason presumed it
was Shelly’s house because it wasn’t his or Lena’s. He watched Shelly lean in a
kiss Lena’s cheek and thought he heard, “You ok?” Watching closer he saw Lena
nod then Shelly glared at him and climbed out of the cab. The door shut firmly
behind her and Lena scooted over to the other side making the space between
them feel like a gaping hole. The cab started off and Mason rolled his head on
the seat to look over at the woman now staring out the window. Her skirt had
ridden up her thigh and she had her legs crossed. Her chest rose and fell softly
as she took deep breaths and he thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d
ever seen. She must have felt his eyes on her because she turned her head to
him.

“What?”

Smirking at her attitude he said
softly, “Nothing. I’m just looking.”

“Well stop it.” she snapped.

Blinking once he let his eyes go
down over her legs then moved back to her face. “Why?”

“Because you don’t even like me, so
stop checking me out.”

“I like you.” he murmured softly.

Lena grunted softly at that. “Yes
that’s obvious in how you’ve been treating me.” she stopped then pinned him to
the seat with her eyes. “But you know what Langley? I don’t care. I’m not going
away.”

He clenched his teeth and rolled
his head back to look at the dirty ceiling of the cab. Ugg, it made him think about
throwing up to see the dirt and cigarette rings on the roof.

“Why do you keep coming back? I try
to forget about you and you just wont go away.”

He heard a rustle but just closed
his eyes, then suddenly he felt small fingers grip his chin hard. His eyes
popped open as she turned his head and her eyes glared at him.

“I’m not going anywhere. Get that
through your thick head.” she paused and took a deep breath. “I have no secrets
from you Langley. I have nothing to hide. You know everything about me and you
know what?” she blinked and shook her head, “I love that. You pushed your
stubborn ass into my life, made me give a shit then decided when things got
hard to check out.” she laughed a bitter sounding laugh and let go sitting back
against the door. He turned his head, his eyes focusing on her as she stared
out the window again. “Well I don’t thinks so. I’m not giving up on you.” she
looked over at him and said softly. “Even if you’ve given up on yourself.”

Mason took a deep breath then let
it out closing his eyes and listening to the hum of the car as it continued
through the streets. Finally it came to a stop at the front of his condo and he
watched as Lena sat forward and paid the fare. He figured he should probably do
it but didn’t want to get into an argument with her. He pushed open the door
and climbed out and made his way into the lobby behind her. They walked past
the doorman and got into the elevator standing on opposite sides as it traveled
slowly to the top. The silence was tense and the air was thick as they stood
staring at one another. Lena didn’t move a muscle, just kept her eyes glued to
his. His hands clutched the railing behind him and he gripped it tight knowing
if he let it go he would reach for her.

After what felt like the longest
two minute elevator ride ever, it lurched to a stop and dinged. The doors slid
open and she waited for him to move. Pushing off the wall he kept his eyes on
her as he moved past. She didn’t look as though she were breathing either but
he saw her move and follow him out. He unlocked the door and moved into the
dark condo quietly, aware she was standing directly behind him. He dumped his
keys on the counter and heard the click of the door and lock. He didn’t move
and didn’t turn. This was the first time she’d been up here since that horrible
night months ago and he suddenly found he couldn’t think of anything to say.

Lena was barely breathing. The air
thrummed with tension. Mason had moved through the condo and was now standing
in the living room in front of the couch. She wasn’t sure what to do from here
but she knew talking was not going to be part of the plan, and she was
determined that sex wasn’t going to be either.

It was clear he was waiting to see
what she would do so she moved up to stand behind him and reached out to place
a hand on his hip. His whole body tensed and she could actually see his spine
straighten, but he held still. Not saying anything she moved in behind him and
ran a hand around his waist until her palm was flat against his stomach. When
he did nothing but stand there she did the same thing with the other hand,
until she had her arms wrapped around his waist with both palms flat on his
shirt just above his belt buckle. She pulled him back a little and moved in
molding herself to his back. Her breasts brushed against his shirt with every
breath she took and she gently placed her cheek between his shoulders. Closing
her eyes she listened to his breathing, in out in out. Her hands tightened and
she felt him shudder. This was what she’d wanted to do that fateful night many
months ago, hold him.

She felt him shift then sighed as
his hands laced over her fingers that were resting on his belly. Swallowing
hard she fought back the tears that were threatening to spill over and then she
felt him pull her hands apart as he slowly turned and walked silently into his
room. Left standing in the living room she looked out the huge window at the
city lights below. Taking a deep breath she turned and made her way into the
bedroom they’d once shared. He had his back to her and was removing his shirt.
She watched in silence, with just the lights playing over his skin, as he
slowly shrugged out of it. He turned to face her, and she noticed he’d
unbuckled the belt and top button of his jeans, he looked mouth watering. His
eyes didn’t hold the anger she had seen earlier, but they weren’t warm either,
they seemed distant.

He moved around the bed and walked
over to stand in front of her. Lena looked up at him when he stopped in front
of her and held her breath as he reached out to touch her cheek. He stroked his
fingers down it, like he had so many times before, but this time the touch
seemed impersonal. He was holding back from her and it broke every part of her
heart.

“Now what?” he asked softly.

She knew he expected her to get
angry or scared and leave but he was in for a shock. She reached up and placed
a hand over his heart. He looked down at it and then his eyes came back to her
face, not missing the importance of where she had put her hand.

“Now we sleep.”

“Just sleep huh?”

Stepping back from her he reached
down and unzipped the jeans and pushed them off stepping out of them, revealing
he’d gone commando for the night. She sucked in a deep breath and nodded.
Stepping forward with all the resolve she could muster she managed to keep her
eyes off his amazing body and glued to his face.

“No.” she paused and watched a
smirk, devoid of humor, cross his face, “Not just sleep. We are going to sleep
and I’m going to hold you.”