Chapter 35
35
C arley woke wrapped in the cocoon of Mason's arms. It felt so good to feel safe and comfortable. He'd taken care of her during her stay at the hospital. He dumbed down the doctor lingo for her, and step-by-step, he explained what to expect and why some of the therapies she had to do were important.
He'd been with her every day since she'd returned home a week ago. She'd gotten her stitches removed yesterday, and overall, she was feeling pretty good. She would be in therapy for three months in total. Her doctors, including Mason, felt she'd be able to graduate from therapy by that point. She practiced her breathing every day; Mason made sure of it.
She slowly rolled over to face him. When she turned, his eyes were open, and he stared into her eyes. A sleepy grin appeared on his face. "Morning."
"Morning," she replied, then kissed his lips softly.
"How do you feel this morning?"
She smiled. "Actually, pretty good."
A grin spread his lips and she couldn't look away if she wanted to. He was seriously that handsome. Especially with bed-tousled hair.
"How good?"
She chuckled. Her hand slid down his chest, across his abdomen, and down until his thick hard cock was in her hand. His eyes stared into hers as her hand smoothed up and down his length. Pre-cum formed at the tip, and she smoothed it over the sensitive head of his cock. His breathing increased in speed as she worked him. His eyes closed, and she knew he was completely immersed in the feelings of her touching him.
He slid his hand down her back to her butt. He squeezed a cheek, then pulled her leg up and over his hip.
She grinned, as they hadn't had sex like this yet. She loved all these firsts. She positioned his cock at her entrance, and he slowly pushed himself into her.
She sighed. "Damn, you feel so good."
He grunted slightly. "You feel better."
He moved himself in and out of her. His speed increased as he grew closer to orgasm. He reached between them and pressed his thumb against her clit, then made small circles until her body shook, and she cried out his name as she was swept over the edge. Mason's sigh was sexy, and when he reached his orgasm, his groan was sexier. She held him close as they both let their breathing settle.
After a few minutes, his gruff voice whispered near her ear. "Are you alright?"
She chuckled and slipped her hand into his hair. "Yes."
His lips made small kisses from her shoulder, to her neck, up her jaw, and over to her ear. She sighed as he lavished kisses on her.
His arms wrapped around her tighter, and he held her close to his body for a long time. She massaged his scalp slowly with her right hand, as they relaxed with each other. His firm body felt perfect against hers. His warmth seeped into her bones and his caring and love could be felt.
She closed her eyes. He hadn't told her he loved her. She hadn't told him yet either, but she could feel something. She kissed his ear. "I hate to move, but I have to go."
His muscles relaxed and he unwrapped his arms from around her. "I'll get coffee ready for us."
"Thank you."
She slid herself to the side of the bed and slowly raised herself up. She let out a breath as she sat up straight and scooted to the edge of the bed. She padded to the bathroom, knowing full well Mason was watching her bare ass as she walked. Unfortunately, he also saw the bandage on her back where she'd been shot.
She shook her head as she thought about that. Not many people in the world could say they'd been shot. That was a good thing. Unfortunately, she had and it was honestly something she'd never, ever thought about before.
After she finished peeing, she washed her hands and dressed in a pair of light shorts and a loose T-shirt. Their routine had been to sit on the patio each morning and stare out at the gardens. She liked that routine and hated thinking about Mason going home.
Moving at a steady pace down the hall, she saw Mason already sitting on the patio, sipping coffee from his favorite cup. It was an older cup she'd had when she moved here. All it said on it was, "Badass". He said it summed her up completely.
Grinning she stepped outside and sat in the chaise next to him. He had her cup of coffee on the table between them. He had a plate of cookies on the table also.
"We still have cookies from Hanna?"
He chuckled. "We'll have cookies from Hanna for about a year. She sent over a ton of baked goods."
Carley giggled. "She's a good person."
He nodded and sipped his coffee.
She sipped her coffee, ate a cookie, and took in as deep a breath as she could.
"Are you getting anxious to go home?"
He turned his handsome face toward hers. His eyes searched hers for a bit and she saw him swallow. '"Not really."
"What about work? When do you have to go back?"
He took a giant breath, set his feet on the ground, and turned to face her. He leaned his elbows on his knees; his coffee cup was held between both of his hands, making the cup look impossibly small.
"I wanted to talk to you about that."
Her heart began to beat faster. She wouldn't have another boyfriend who didn't want to work. He seemed in no hurry to work right now, and her stomach tightened.
"So, your surgeon, Doctor Borders, has been calling me. At first, it was to offer a courteous update on your progress. By the third day you were in the hospital, he asked me if I was interested in getting back into the medical field."
His eyes met hers. "At first, I said I didn't think so, but he pointed out a few things he was impressed with. He said I was so good at explaining to you the things he said about physical therapy, your condition, and basic medical jargon. I told him I knew patients were so stressed when doctors explained things, but they didn't understand what that meant. Usually, they hate to ask and feel stupid, so they worry."
She swallowed. "You are very good at that."
He grinned but said nothing.
She sat up and put her feet on the patio across from his. She sat as he did, with her elbows on her knees and her cup in her hands. "You said at first."
He nodded. "You're good at that. Remembering things."
She chuckled. "Right. Now you think you want to get back into medicine?"
"They've offered me a unique position at the hospital here. It would be more consultative in nature and include follow-up. I wouldn't have to perform surgery if I didn't want to. I'm not sure I'm ready for that, but they would be open to it if I change my mind."
She set her cup on the table next to the cookies. Her heart raced and her stomach twisted. He seemed distant and sad. "Why does this seem like you're letting me down easy?"
His eyes jumped to hers instantly and he shook his head. "I'm not." He set his coffee cup on the table next to hers. He took her hands in his and stared into her eyes for a long time. "I'm not letting you down easy. I hope I'm not letting you down at all. However, I am interested in exploring this position. It would mean leaving the Sandbar, though. And Jace has been good to me."
She squeezed his hands and stared into his eyes. She loved his eyes. They were the most beautiful brown. "Jace will tell you he wants the best for you. He will also understand your decision."
He swallowed, then took another deep breath. "I don't want to let you down either."
She chuckled. "How is this letting me down?"
He swallowed again. "What if I can't do it?"
"You ask Jace for your job back, you see a counselor and we'll chat about it."
"It makes me look weak."
"It makes you look strong. Trying to step back into something you know you love, no matter what demons you battle, is the bravest thing anyone can do. You know the struggles you had in the past, but you're willing to go back and try again."
"Counseling is a requirement according to Dr. Borders."
"I think that's a great idea." She squeezed his hands again. "Why is Dr. Borders so interested in you? I mean besides the fact that he likes your bedside manner."
Mason chuckled. "Paramedics told them how I saved you when you were shot."
Her brows shot up in the air. "You saved me?"
He nodded slowly. "Your lung was filling with fluid, and you were coughing up blood. You couldn't breathe. I had to insert a tube into your chest to drain the blood until we could get you to the hospital." He pointed to the spot on her chest where she now had a small scar that would likely disappear in the months ahead. "I still carried a medical kit in my truck. You were running toward my truck when you were shot. It was Mitch DeMario who shot Layton Terry. He'd shot you, and Mitch saw him ready to shoot again. You fell to the ground, and instinct took over. I grabbed my medical bag, and without thinking, I did what was needed."
She cocked her head and the flood of memories rushed back to her. She saw his face. She heard words she didn't understand. Then his face disappeared. She couldn't breathe. "I remember bits and pieces of you there. When I finally regained consciousness, I thought I'd dreamed you up."
His right hand framed her cheek and his thumb brushed across her face softly. "I thought I was going to lose you. I worked as fast as I ever had and it was perfect. Perfect procedure. I saw you and knew I wasn't going to let you die. No matter what, you were going to live."
A tear slipped from her eye. "Thank you."
His thumb brushed it away. "I haven't had a nightmare since then. Isn't that weird?"
"No. I'm not a psychologist, but it seemed that you were haunted by patients of the past. I was a patient and you wanted to save more than anything, and you did."
"But I wanted all those other patients to live too."
"Of course, you did, but they weren't meant to live, or they were too badly damaged. It wasn't your skill or lack of it; it was the situation at hand and..." She shrugged her shoulders. "God's will."
He huffed out a breath. "Why would God make people die?"
"He didn't make them die, evil did. There are lessons in things. Some are horrible things like those patients you lost, but some are wonderful things like the birth of a child or the badly injured patient you save. If you were not on your learning journey, we wouldn't have met."
He leaned forward and kissed her lips softly. "I love you, Carley Page."
Her heartbeat increased, and the tears flowed once more. "I love you, Dr. Mason Thompson." She kissed him softly but chuckled. "But, for the record. I also love bartender Mason Thompson and his Sandbar Punch."
Mason laughed. "That's not my recipe."
She laughed, "It doesn't matter. I love the way you serve it."
He chuckled. "So back to your very first question this morning. Am I getting anxious to go home?"
She sat up straighter and waited for him to respond. He grinned. "I'd like to move again."
"Move?"
"Here. I'd like to move here and live with you."
A huge smile appeared on her face. She could feel her skin stretch. "Well, I was going to get a dog."
"I can sit on your lap."
She laughed. "I'd love for you to move here, but I get to sell your condo…again."
He nodded. "Actually, you can do that, but I already have a buyer."
"You do?" She took his hands in hers, "who?"
"Mitch. He's decided he'd like to move here and set up a security business in Blossom Springs."
"Oh wow. That's fantastic."
He laughed. He half stood and picked her up as if she weighed nothing, then set her on his lap. "It is fantastic. He's a great guy and we could use more like him here."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his temple. "My life feels complete right now."
He twisted and scooted them back so he could recline with her on his lap. She nestled between his legs and rested her back against his chest. His arms wrapped around her into the best cocoon ever. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I'd still like a puppy though."