So Many Men... (10 page)

“Well, maybe, but magic? So she helped you become a better person. That doesn’t mean it was magic.”

Evan nodded, his face set in a knowing look. “It’s still new to you, and I guess since you’re a man of medicine it’s a little harder for you to accept. But the rest of us, we know how it is.”

“The rest of you? Just how many more are there?”

“You know, there’s nothing for you to get jealous
about. We’ve all moved on. Sure, we like to drop in and check on her—take care of anything that needs doing.” He stopped and frowned. “Funny, I just realized I haven’t seen her outside of work for a while.” He shrugged. “Anyway, we all feel like we owe her—not in an obligatory sense. She gives with such an open heart. It’s impossible not to want to give back in some way.”

“And how long do her relationships last?” Mason wanted to kick himself for asking, but damn it, he had to know.

“It varies. Depends on the guy. A few months on average. You’ll know when it’s time to move on. You’ll be ready. You need to just chill and enjoy your time with her.”

Enjoy his time with her? The sick feeling in his gut intensified. Mason inhaled a deep breath to try to bring some clarity to his thinking. Evan believed Tess was some kind of healer. Mason needed to chill and not care about her past. And most important, the clock was ticking on his time with her.

He closed his eyes for a moment. He’d known all this already. Having it confirmed was a bit of a blow, though. Truth was there was something…unique happening with Tess. Magic seemed a bit of a stretch, but whatever it was he didn’t feel anywhere near ready to give it up.

You’ll know when it’s time to move on. You’ll be ready.

What if he was never ready?

“You’re in luck.” Evan clapped him on his back. He nodded to the white van as it pulled into the parking lot. “Here she comes.”

Relief and excitement flooded Mason at the sight of Tess emerging from the vehicle. Just seeing her made him feel better. Was that magic? If his days with her were
numbered, then he meant to make the most of them. With a backward thanks to Evan he ran to greet her.

Her smile lit her face when she saw him and her beauty nearly took his breath away. How could he have ever thought her anything short of remarkable?

She met him halfway and he swept her into his arms and kissed her before she could utter a word. Her mouth was warm and welcoming, her tongue giving. He couldn’t get enough. When she pressed her body close and moved against him, waves of desire shot through him. Unable to restrain himself, he kneaded her breast until she moaned softly into his mouth and stroked her hand over his chest, palming his own nipple into an aching point.

He broke the kiss but let his fingers linger on her breast. “Can you leave with me?”

She nodded, waved to Evan, then practically dragged Mason to his car. Traffic proved to be thankfully light as he maneuvered along I-95 to his house. He should have asked if her apartment was closer.

“Hurry,” she murmured as she nibbled at his neck and stroked his thigh.

He half hoped she wouldn’t stop there, but he’d be hard put to find a secluded spot along the interstate if they got too carried away. He shook his head. What had she done to him? Before their little tryst during the dinner party the other night he never would have thought such a thing.

Still, she had his shirt wide open and was suckling one nipple while toying with the other by the time they reached the safety of his garage.

“You little minx.” He tugged her off him, then made
short work of her buttons, spreading her shirt wide to reveal a very sexy bra. Her breasts tempted him through a film of lace that barely contained them.

“I’ve been thinking of you nonstop.” With a twist of his fingers he released the front clasp on her bra and freed her breasts for his pleasure.

She cupped them and lifted them up to him as he lowered his head. “I’ve been thinking about you, too. Why did we wait so long? Tuesday was eons ago.”

She stilled as his mouth closed over her breast. While he suckled her with abandon, he rolled her other nipple between his thumb and forefinger, eliciting soft whimpering sounds from her that sent his blood pounding.

“Oh, Mason…I love when you do that. It gets me so turned on.”

Her fingers threaded through his hair, holding him in place. He settled in and sucked his fill, savoring the feel of her hard nipple against his tongue, the sounds of her heightening excitement and the smell of her musky scent as she shifted, parting her legs in invitation.

Not wanting to disappoint either one of them, he slipped his free hand under the hem of her skirt. Had she purposely dressed again for easy access, or was a short skirt and thong her standard attire?

Her swollen, wet flesh sent all thought from his mind, other than his burning desire to slip inside her. He pushed two fingers into her and was rewarded with a wild groan as she gyrated against him.

She arched, pressing her breast farther into his mouth, and his fingers deeper inside her. His cock hardened and he shifted to relieve some of the pressure. His hip hit the horn. It blared, the sound startling them both.

“Sorry.” He pulled back to gaze at her face flushed with desire. “Let’s go inside.”

A devilish light lit her eyes. “I have a better idea. Follow me.”

She moved to slip over the front seat into the back. In the process her bottom came in close proximity to his face and he breathed in the musky scent of her arousal. Acting on impulse, he anchored her as she hung half over the seat, her lovely ass positioned just right for him to take advantage.

“Mason,” she gasped in a breathy whisper as he shoved her skirt up.

“If you’re going to make me swelter in this car, we’re going to have a little fun with it.”

She only moaned in answer as he parted her tight buttocks and went straight for her clit. He sucked her swollen flesh into his mouth and pulled hard, as he’d done with her nipples, laving the hard bud until she gasped and bucked against him. Liquid heat seeped from her and he drank his fill, holding her in place with a firm grip on her hips.

He crouched on the front seat and thrust his tongue into her, savoring her salty taste, losing himself in the glory of taking all he wanted from her.

She pushed against him. “Oh, yes…yes.”

Excitement rose in him. The need to give to her filled him. Her taste, her scent, triggered something feral in him and he let himself pleasure her the way he’d only imaged doing until now.

Using his lips, tongue and teeth, he experimented, alternating his technique depending on her response. When she shifted, he took her cue and changed the pres
sure of his tongue, until she moved in steady rhythm against him, her cries of passion growing decidedly wilder, sending his own desire to new heights.

She was hot and willing. Was there anything she’d deny him? His cock was so stiff he wondered briefly if he’d survive, but he was so caught up in her unhindered response. Centering on her clit again he laved her with the point of his tongue, moving in quickening circles as she ground against him, moaning with every gyration of her hips.

Even as he shifted again to relieve the pressure in his groin, she stiffened as the first tremors of her orgasm hit her. He held her fast and continued his assault as her muscles clenched and she screamed her release.

He ran his mouth over her as she calmed, soothing her with gentle strokes of his lips and tongue.

The taste of her.

Only when he’d laved away the last drop, did he pull back to stroke her heavenly ass. The woman didn’t have a bad angle. He squeezed one firm cheek, her skin smooth and soft.

“That’ll get me started again.” She glanced back at him, her breasts exposed and heaving with her exertion.

“Really?”

She shrugged, laughter in her eyes. “Playing with my ass, my breasts, just kissing me the way you do. They all seem to do the trick.”

He took her buttocks in his hands and kneaded her. Her eyes grew dark and she pressed back against him again. He licked his lips and met her gaze. “And if you rub your breasts while I stroke your ass, will it get you wet again?”

Her eyes widened and she nodded as she complied, caressing her breasts as he stroked her bottom. “Oh,” she said in that breathy voice, “do you have any idea what a turn-on this is?”

“Oh, yes.” He unbuttoned his slacks. “How long?”

She laughed, the sound sexy as all get out. “We can do this all day and night if you want.”

He grimaced. “I mean how long before you’re ready to take me inside you?”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened. “Now. Is it too crowded, or can you manage from there?”

“Hold on. Don’t move.” He dug in the glove box and thankfully found a condom. After readying himself, he reached for the control panel and opened the sunroof, then he rose to his knees on the seat, his head just clearing the small opening as he positioned himself behind her.

“Oh, yes, Mason, now.” She pressed back, impaling herself on his cock.

She was wet and tight and he nearly lost control as he again gripped her hips and pulled her back hard on him. Then all he could do was feel as he thrust into her over and over, his gaze fixed on the vision of her tight ass swallowing his cock, her muscles contracting around him, bringing him the most exquisite pleasure he’d ever known.

An unprecedented warmth tightened his throat and expanded his chest to the point it seemed to spill out of him as he closed his eyes and focused on making love to her. That’s what this was. Making love. Awe filled him at the realization. So, this was how it felt.

She reached toward him and he took her hand and held on as they continued their loving, their movements
fluid, the feel of her intoxicating, the tension coiling to almost unbearable heights.

It had never felt so wild, so good before. He thrusted with abandon, dropping her hand to reach forward and cup her breast. He slipped his other hand between her legs. She straightened with him, until her back pressed against his chest and he groaned at the changing pressure, thrusting upward into her, while he squeezed her nipple and caressed her clit.

She cupped her hands over his and rolled her head back against his shoulder, exposing her neck. He fastened his mouth on her there to stifle the yell rising in him as his body tensed. He sucked in a breath and plunged into her.

The spasms of her orgasm rippled around him and he felt his control slipping. Gritting his teeth, he fought to restrain himself, hating the wild, out-of-control feeling sweeping over him. Her inner muscles tightened and he came, crying out against her neck, in spite of himself.

H
OURS LATER HE TURNED TO HER
,
the sight of her hair spread across his pillows bringing a smile to his face. She drew lazy circles along his chest with the tip of her finger. Her eyes, that startling blue, filled with warmth.

“It’s okay, you know,” she said.

“What’s okay?”

“It’s okay if you lose control while we’re making love.”

He hesitated a long moment. “I—I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Oh, Mason.” She cupped his cheek. “You could never do that.”

“I wish I could be so sure.”

“Have you ever lost control and hurt anyone before?”

He took a deep breath. “I don’t lose control. Hey, you hungry? I forgot to feed you.”

“I’m okay. Please don’t change the subject. I want to talk about this.”

Anger rose in him. “What’s wrong? Is my lovemaking too restrained for you? ’Cause you didn’t seem to be complaining.” The minute the words left his mouth he felt three times an ass. “I’m sorry, babe. That was uncalled-for.”

Her hand was smooth and warm as she pressed it to his chest. A blanket of calm soothed over him. He closed
his eyes. “Sometimes, it seems I have all this…” He motioned lamely, not sure what he meant to say, not sure why he was saying it. “Maybe I have too much bottled up inside me.”

“It has to come out sometime. You do know that, right?”

He opened his eyes and met her gaze. “Evan says you healed him.”

Her hand flexed against him. “Did he?”

“Yes.”

“I wondered what the two of you talked about.” She resumed drawing circles on his chest.

He stilled her hand. “Is that what you’re doing here? Trying to analyze me so you can heal me or something?”

The blue of her eyes seemed as bottomless as the sea. “I am a healer, Mason. Me, my mother, my sisters, all the McClellan women before me and, I assume, all to come after me.”

He stared at her, not quite sure what to make of her quiet statement. She believed it. There wasn’t a flicker of doubt in her eyes. “You mean you heal with your touch?”

“With my touch, yes. The gift works when we make love. I’m a sexual healer.”

He stared at her a long moment.

“You really believe that?” he had to ask, though a quiet voice inside him seemed to nod in satisfaction, as though this absurd statement somehow made sense. “And that’s why all the men. You’ve healed them all…sexually?”

“It’s okay if you don’t believe me. It won’t make any difference.”

Again, the need to give to her overcame him. How
could he hurt her by telling her there was no such thing as sexual healing? A weariness filled him and he closed his eyes again. What did he know? Maybe she was right. “I don’t know what to think.”

“Then don’t think.” She smoothed her hand over his forehead, then kissed him. “Sleep. We need to be up early for the beach cleanup tomorrow.”

He nodded, already drifting.

“Mason?”

A note of nervousness in her voice had him opening his eyes and reaching for her. “What is it, babe?”

“Will they like me? The teens?”

He kissed her hand, finally certain of something. “No doubt. They won’t be able to resist your charm.”

T
HE WIND PICKED UP
and whipped sand across the bags of trash piled near a flagpole late the next afternoon. Tess dropped another bag on top of the rest and wiped her forehead as Mason moved beside her. She smiled, her heart quickening at the sparkle in his eye.

He had to be remembering their night together.

“I appreciate your coming to help,” he said.

“No problem. I want to get involved. I think you’re doing a good thing here.” She nodded to a group of teens, laughing and playing as they made a game of gathering trash off the beach.

A quiver of nerves shot through her. They’d arrived a little late and the kids had already taken off up the beach with another volunteer. Mason hadn’t yet had a chance to introduce her.

He shrugged. “We can only do so much. They came today. It’s a good day.”

“Well, my guess is that they have lots more good days than bad with Project Mentor around.”

“We try to provide as many opportunities as we can. The youth center should have daily programs available. That will hopefully make more of a difference.”

“Hey, Tess, Mason,” Cassie called as she dumped a load of garbage, looking like one of the teens herself, with her hair pulled back in pigtails. Other members of the DCWC dotted the shoreline, working in pairs and groups mixed with the Project Mentor team.

“Look at that pile,” she added, as she neared them. “It’s a shame to see all this trash. You’d think people would care a little more.”

Mason nodded. “At least this area will be clean for a while. We’ll see what happens in another month or so. We might need to come back out.”

“Mason, heads up.” The young man from the park tossed a bag that flew past Mason’s head, then landed in the pile.

He jogged up beside them. His gaze swept over the women, then away. He stopped with his hands on his knees.

“Rafe, this is Tess McClellan. Tess, Rafe Black.”

Rafe nodded, his eyes cast to the ground. Tess extended her hand and the young man took it, his gaze skittering briefly to hers, before swerving away again. In the instant their eyes met a shock of feelings slammed into her: sorrow, pain, fear and a nearly debilitating sense of helplessness. She sucked in a deep breath and forced a smile, though the jumble of emotions raging through the young man had her knees wobbling. “It’s nice to meet you, Rafe.”

He ducked his head. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet a friend of Dr. Davies. He’s a good guy. He’s helped me out a lot. Been there for me.”

Mason gestured to Cassie. “This is Cassie Aikens. They’re both with the Dade County Women’s Club.”

“Hi, Rafe.” Cassie took his hand in both of hers and gave him a generous shake.

The boy bit his lip. “You’re with the group that’s raising money for the center?”

“That’s right. Tess talked us into helping. I hear you and your friends want to pitch in.” Cassie nodded toward the group of teens who straggled after Rafe, dragging bags with them.

“Uh, yeah.” Rafe scuffed the toe of his shoe in the sand. “We thought since it was for the center…”

“We’d love to have your help,” Cassie assured him. “Tess is going to coordinate your efforts. I’ve given her a list of jobs you kids can do.”

Tess managed a smile for all the kids as their gazes turned to her. A jumble of feelings swamped her, much as they had with Rafe, but to varying degrees. She reached for Mason and he took her hand as he introduced the newcomers.

Her blood pounded in her ears and she bobbed her head mutely at each teen. So much for her empathic nature only working with her men. She needed to talk to Aunt Sophie about this new development. If she could shut the damn thing off, she would.

How could she bear the weight of all their emotions combined?

“You okay?” Mason squeezed her hand, concern rounding his eyes.

Strength seemed to flow into her from him and she gazed at him, awed. How did he manage it day in and day out with these kids—with his patients? A new respect for him flourished inside her.

“Tess?” he asked again.

She inhaled a deep breath and nodded. “It’s great to meet all of you. I’ve really been looking forward to it.”

“Rafe, how’s your dad?” Mason asked.

The young man shifted and looked away. “About the same. I’m guessing it won’t be long now.” He shrugged. “I was going to ask you to help me declare my independence, but—” he shrugged again “—guess he needs me there for now.”

His face brightened. “I went by to see that friend of yours at the car wash and he hired me on. Part-time, but that beats a blank and it’s about all I can handle until I finish school.”

Mason clapped him on the shoulder. “That’s great to hear, Rafe. You have any trouble getting there?”

“It’s on the bus line.”

“So you go to school, work and help out your dad at home?” Cassie asked.

Rafe again ducked his head, uncertainty circling out from him. He seemed to be fighting an inclination to mistrust. “Yes, ma’am. Well—” he gestured to the rest of the teens who had gathered around a tall man, another of the Project Mentor volunteers “—we’ve got a little more to finish.”

“It’s looking good,” Mason called as Rafe loped over to his friends.

“He seems like a great kid,” Cassie said as she opened a new trash bag.

Tess tried to shake the intense turmoil that had gripped her since the moment Rafe had taken her hand. It was as if every ill feeling the young man—and his friends—had ever felt had clamored to escape through her. She mentally shook herself. “He’s carrying around a lot of hurt.”

Both Mason and Cassie turned to her, eyebrows raised in question. Her cheeks heated and she shrugged. “You can see it in his eyes.”

Cassie nodded and waved as she left for a stretch of beach to their right. Mason handed Tess a fresh bag and they wandered toward a stand of sea oats clustered near the path leading back to the street where they’d parked.

They worked in silence for a while, Tess doing her best to release the upset the kids had stirred in her. She swallowed. She could barely tolerate a brief taste of what the boy had experienced.

How had he managed a lifetime?

“You are way too distracting,” Mason said in an effort to lighten the mood as they picked up the last of the litter.

Had her unease been so apparent?

“I can’t believe I nearly forgot about the beach cleanup this morning,” he said.

She smiled and shifted her thoughts to safer territory, grateful he’d provided the opportunity. “I reminded you last night before we went to sleep.”

“You made me late.”

“I wanted you to start the day relaxed.”

“Sweetheart, after last night I was nearly comatose. I’m not quite used to…ah…performing for such extended periods of time.”

“I don’t recall forcing you, not last night in the car, or on the coffee table in the living room, or against the wall in the hallway—”

“You got me started in the car. I’d never been quite so…experimental before. I couldn’t seem to stop once we got started.”

“You seemed experienced enough this morning. Even
I
have never had such an exciting shower. You
do
know how to work a showerhead.” She forced a light tone.

“Okay, so you have this arousing effect on me. We’d better change the subject, or I’ll have to drag you back to my place again.”

Her blood warmed as her gaze met his and some of the unease left her. “I can’t think of a better way to spend the rest of the day. That is, if you don’t have anything else but your rounds scheduled. Is that right?”

He glanced up the beach to where Rafe and the rest of the teens moved slowly toward them, bags of trash in hand. “I need to see what’s going on with the kids. We’ll probably head out for pizza after this. I thought it would be a good time for you to get with them about the ball.” He tossed her a sheepish glance. “So, what do you say? You up for pizza?”

Tess squelched the disappointment rising in her and stifled the discomfort that thinking of Rafe and the other teens brought her. How selfish could she be? Of course Mason had to spend time with the kids. But was she up to it? “You go ahead. I think maybe I’ll pass today. I can get with them another time.”

He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Are you not feeling well? You look a little pale.” He turned her to face him. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I should have let you get
more rest last night. You didn’t have to come. I could have taken you home. Here—” He started to drag her toward where they’d parked.

“No.” She held her ground and he turned back to her. “I’m okay. I’m just not sure I can do this.”

“What? Work with the kids?” His eyebrows arched in surprise. “They like you. You just need to give them a chance.”

Her feeling of apprehension intensified. “I’m not sure what I can contribute to them, to be honest. I don’t even know how to relate to them.”

“You’ll do fine. They need all the positive role models they can get. Tell you what, you don’t need to meet with them today. We’ll do that another time. Spend some time getting to know them.” He cocked his head, his eyes coaxing. “It’s just pizza.”

“I don’t know.”

“Come for me, then. You don’t have to talk to anyone else if you don’t want to. Eat your pizza and keep me company.”

“I don’t want to intrude on your time with them.”

“Don’t be silly. You won’t be intruding. Here, let’s ask the kids.” He nodded as the teens approached.

“No, Mason, don’t.” She tugged on her hand, trying to free herself from his grasp, but he held on tight.

“Hey, Rafe, don’t you think that Tess should come for pizza?”

The young man’s dark gaze glittered over her, and, though he shrugged and tried to look nonchalant, the hope in his eyes stopped her in her tracks. “That would be cool.”

“See?” Mason turned to her. “How can you pass up an opportunity to be cool?”

She shook her head. “He didn’t say
I’d
be cool if I went. He said
it
would be cool if I went. That’s not the same thing at all.”

“Same difference.” Mason took her trash bag and heaved it onto the pile. “So, is it time for pizza, everyone?”

A cheer of accord rose from the group as the rest of the volunteers converged on the spot. Mason turned to Tess and extended his hand. “Ready?”

She glanced over the group of teens, some smiling, some sullen, some with a definite look of defiance. A different set of emotions radiated from each one. Everything about the teens seemed to be intensified tenfold compared to all the adults she’d ever dealt with.

No, she was anything but ready for this group. But her gut told her Mason needed her more than all of them combined, and if being with Mason meant weathering pizza with this crew, then pizza it was.

Lifting her chin, she placed her hand in his, her gaze intent on him. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“A
RE YOU SURE YOU’LL
be okay?” Mason cocked his head at Tess as he stood in her door, poised to leave later that evening.