Page 39 of Sensual Nights

She turned to him. "Yes."

He grinned. "You were scared."

"I wasn't."

He cocked his head and waited.

"I wasn't. I'm never sure what I should do. Get out of the way. Get in the way. Call out to you." She shrugged. "I don't know what you're pushing away, and I don't want to be replaced as that thing or person."

He let out a deep breath. "Yeah." He looked at his feet then his eyes slid up to hers. "I keep having nightmares about the people I've killed."

"Killed?"

He shrugged. "They were on my operating table, and I couldn't save them. I killed them."

"No, you didn't. That's not killing someone, Mason. You may not have been able to save them, but you didn't kill them."

"In my nightmares, I did, and they're trying to get to me to kill me too."

Her shoulders dropped and she stepped in front of him and knelt. Tipping her head up to look into his beautiful, sad eyes, she smiled softly. "You're not a murderer."

"I didn't help them. That's what I was trained to do. But I didn't do it."

She ran her hands up and down his firm solid arms. "Mason." Taking a deep breath she said, "You were trained to help people who can be helped. Not everyone who comes into your OR is savable. Especially not in a time of war. You were working under hard conditions. Even outside of the war arena, there will be those you just cannot save, no matter how much training you have. When it's our time to go, God will call us home."

His eyes stared into hers for a long time. His watered slightly and he blinked rapidly to dry them. He nodded and swallowed. She raised herself up and touched her lips lightly to his. His hands bracketed her head and his lips moved slightly against hers. It was a sweet kiss. Nice. He rested his forehead against hers.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and they stayed in that position for some time. Comforting each other. Sharing a moment. A quiet moment that didn’t feel awkward. It was sweet. He was such a contrast of emotions. When they had sex, he could take charge. He knew what he wanted and was learning what she wanted. Then, there were times like this when he was completely vulnerable. She liked both Masons.

He pulled back slightly and chuckled. "I'm sorry to break this moment because it's one of the best moments of my life. Comforting and comfortable. But I have to piss."

She chuckled. "Mother Nature calls."

She stood up, then backed away, and he stood and waited to make sure his balance was intact. Then he limped to the ensuite bathroom, and she went out to the kitchen to get supper on the table.

Pulling the salad from the refrigerator, she carried it to the table, then turned to get the dressing from the fridge when Mason appeared in the doorway.

She smiled. "Hey. Take a seat at the table. What can I get you to drink?"

"A beer."

She halted. "Can you have one?"

His brows pinched together. "Because of the pain pills? They were just a strong Acetaminophen. It was..." He glanced at his watch. "About five hours ago. Likely not in my system any longer."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Plus, I'm not driving today."

She halted, then kept moving. His brows rose in the air. "What was that?"

"I have a showing at the condos tonight with Layton Terry."

Mason's head went back. "Oh. Shit. I'm sorry. I forgot."

She grinned. "It's perfectly understandable. You've had a day."

"Skip the beer. What are you having?"

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