Exquisite

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

  Wendy groaned and 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 and 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.”

  “So you decided to wait a whole night?” Mason asked in disbelief as he sat up straight and turned to his sister. “Did she maybe tell you anything else?”

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

  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 three p.m. when she realized she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. She knew that it was too late to call Shelly, as she’d be in the middle of rounds, 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 and 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 smiled back as 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 smiled toward Brandy.

  “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 and precise click of her heels on the floor was identifiable. 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 was once again tucked in at her waist and buttoned up to the bottom of her slender throat. Over that was a white lab coat 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 somewhat serious expression.

  “Mr. Langley,” she acknowledged with a slight tilt of her head and a smirk on her lips.

  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 it 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, and 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 as she walked to her office with her heart beating rapidly 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 wore a midnight blue sweater that made his eyes such a deep blue they looked like the ocean. 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 the chair opposite her. She watched him as he sprawled his jeans-clad legs in front of him and then rested his hands on his thighs.

  “All right 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, roles reversed,” he commented as he looked around her office at the large certificates on the wall and then over to the bookcase that held textbooks and several research journals. He stood and moved over to the large window that overlooked the city and whistled low.

  “Wow, this is some view,” he remarked, turning to rest his delicious ass against the windowsill 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. You’re 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 easygoing 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 wa
sn’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 as if 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, and 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, and then intertwined their fingers. Looking down at her silently, he watched her as she stared up at him, mouth slightly parted, eyes wide; 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, bam, thank you ma’am, but as he stood there touching nothing 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 and then moved to her ear and whispered, “Neither do I.” He felt her swallow, smelling 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 and 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,” he reminded her with a smirk.

  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 as 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 and 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 to turn and flashed her that sexy ass grin. “How about Wednesday?”

  Chapter Eight

  Lena shut down her computer, switched off the light, and headed out into the cool evening. It was Monday night and as she took the elevator down to the parking garage, she started to think back to the afternoon. Somehow, Mason Langley had got past her usual defenses. He’d managed to irritate her into a date and then stalked her into a second one. She groaned, leaning back against the wall and thought about how good he’d felt against her. She had been resigned to living her life one day at a time, just focusing on her career, before he’d come along. Of course, she wished she could go out, meet some random guy, and take him home, but if she were honest with herself, that always made her feel much more lonely than just being alone. So she had stopped the random hookups, put up her barricade, and had hidden behind it quite well, until him. Making her way to her car, she got in and drove to the little boutique flower shop Precious Petals. Parking on the street in front of the store, she climbed out of the car and made her way up to the front door. She loved hearing the tinkling of the bells as she walked in. It made the place feel special, almost magical. The whole store, including the lovely owner, made her feel comforted in a way nothing else did. Just as she was reaching the counter, Catherine walked out from the back and smiled in a way that Lena thought brightened the room.

  “Lena!”

  Lena smiled and waved. “Hi, Catherine.”

  “How are you tonight, my dear?”

  Shrugging, Lena nodded. “I’m okay. Getting by. How was your day?”

  “Oh, lovely, dear. Just lovely.”

  Catherine came around the desk, stopping by one man and asking him if he needed help. When he shook his head, she continued over to stop by Lena. Slipping her arm around Lena’s waist, she moved them toward the back room. “They came in just an hour ago,” she whispered as though she were telling her state secrets. Lena squeezed the little lady tighter, so happy to be there with her. She always made Lena feel comfortable, never asking too many questions. In fact, Lena would have to say that at this moment she was just about the happiest she’d been in years. If she were honest, Mason had a lot to do with that along with her visit here tonight. Catherine turned the last corner in the back room and sitting in an aluminum can were seven bright yellow sunflowers. They were magnificent. Lena grinned and patted Catherine’s hand. “They’re beautiful.”

  She moved over closer and looked at the wide face of the flowers. They were flawless. Catherine only ever picked the best for her.

  “They’re happy little things and they make you smile. So they must be beautiful.”

  Lena looked over her shoulder toward the lady standing under the bright light of her shop. Catherine had to be around sixty and the laugh lines around her eyes and mouth were a testament to the fact that she enjoyed life.

  Lena had been coming to Precious Petals for nine years, ever since she happened upon the place two weeks after Carly’s death. She remembered walking aimlessly down the street in the middle of winter when she’d heard the tinkle of bells and turned to see a lady sweeping the shop’s steps free of snow. The lady had smiled and waved her forward and she’d gone because she had nowhere else to go, and the lady’s smile had been so warm when Lena had felt nothing but frigid and numb.

  Catherine had taken her inside and given her a cup of hot chocolate. As she sat in the warmth of this lady’s shop, looking around she saw three sunflowers, Carly’s favorite, smiling back at her. It was the first time Lena had found herself smiling in the weeks after her sister’s death and ever since then she’d ordered one sunflower a day to be delivered to Carly’s grave

  “How much do I owe you?” Lena asked as she stood up and walked over to Catherine.

  “Just the usual, dear.”

  Lena shook her head. “You need to let me start paying you the right price, Catherine. How do you expect to make a profit?”

  “Oh, pssh! You’re one of my most loyal customers and I’ve been dealing with you since you were in college busing tables to pay me. You almost feel like my own daughter. I will not change the price now. No matter how successful you are.”

  Grinning, Lena reached down to hug her. She was a virtual stranger to her but at the same time she was the most familiar person in the world.

  “Thanks again, Catherine. Same time, same place?”

  “Always, dear, always.”

  Lena paid her the money and then walked outside back to her car. As she got in, she thought to herself, why on earth would Langley be delivering flowers for Catherine? Oh well. Pushing that thought aside, she turned on the engine. Maybe she’d ask them on their next date, she thought, turning cautiously into the street as she headed home.

  Wednesday morning rolled around and Mason was standing in the walk-in fridge, taking inventory of what he needed to order for the weekend, when he heard Rachel come in behind him. “So why do you need the night off? Got another fifteen-minute date up your sleeve?”

  He grinned at her and responded as any brother would. “Screw you.”

  She laughed and pushed past him, reaching
for the strawberries on the top shelf. “So what are you going to do to impress the pantsuit?”

  “Her name is Lena.”

  Rachel rolled her eyes, popping a strawberry into her mouth. “I know, I know. Dr. Magdalena O’Donnell. I’m impressed. Even for you, a doctor is impressive.” She paused and cocked her head to the side. “Is she a psychiatrist?”

  “No, you pain in the ass,” he said, snatching a strawberry for himself. “She’s a pediatrician.”

  Rachel’s laugh was loud and obnoxious. She even snorted at the end.

  “What?”

  “Well, I guess that seems about right. She’s used to dealing with people as mature as you are. Now it all makes sense,” she said as she rolled her eyes at him.

  Sticking his tongue out to prove his maturity, Mason then smiled. “Thanks a lot, Rach.”

  “Well, I was starting to wonder. I mean, come on. The girls you date wouldn’t even be able to spell her name.”

  Mason shooed her out of the fridge. “Don’t you have some work to do? Cakes to bake? Plus, they’re the girls I used to date.”

  She stopped. “Really?”

  He nodded. “Really. Now scram.” Turning, he stopped when he saw a box of ripe peaches on the shelf. He grinned as he heard Rachel mutter, “Wow.”

  “Wow, indeed,” he murmured, pulling the box down with a mischievous smile on his face.

  Lena stared at the clock, willing it to hit three p.m. She’d blocked off her afternoon so she could go home and panic without witnesses. It was two fifteen p.m. when Shelly strolled in holding a small box. She shut the door and then sat down in front of Lena with a huge grin across her face.

  “What?” Lena asked when Shelly sat silently.

  “I’m waiting for a thank you.”

  Laughing, Lena replied, “Well, you’ll be waiting awhile.”

  “I got you a date with one of Chicago’s most eligible bachelors.”