The Pairing

by Katie Ashley

  “Our date.”

  He had almost forgotten what he asked of her. Out of the heat of the moment, he felt guilty for what he had done. He shook his head. “No, I wasn’t being fair. You don’t owe me a date.”

  “Yes, I do. I always keep my promises.”

  “You’re really going to go out with me?”

  She grinned. “Of course I am.”

  His heartbeat sped up. “Are you off this Saturday?”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t have plans?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “And you can get someone to watch your son?”

  “Yessss,” she replied, with a smile.

  “Okay, then let’s do it Saturday.”

  “Do what exactly?”

  “The date.”

  She laughed. “Yes, but what are we doing?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  Tilting her head, she eyed him suspiciously. “I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”

  “I promise you’ll like it.”

  “What should I wear for this surprise date?”

  Already the wheels had been turning in his head. Since it might be his only chance, he knew he wanted to make the date as special as he could. “Wear something dressy. We might be going somewhere that requires more formal wear than jeans.”

  “Okay, I think I can do that.”

  At the sound of his pager, he grimaced. “Guess I’ll be the one leaving first.” Without hesitating, he bowed his head to kiss her. Just like before, the feel of her mouth against his lit him on fire. Reluctantly, he pulled away.

  “Go wash up first.” Her breath warmed his cheek before she glanced up into his eyes. “I can taste myself on you.”

  He closed his eyes as a shudder went through his body. “You’re trying to kill me.”

  She flashed him a wicked grin. “Sorry. It’s the truth.”

  “Behave yourself,” he replied, before he headed to the door.

  With less than ten minutes before Pesh was set to arrive for their date, Megan found herself a neurotic mess still holed in the bathroom. She’d changed outfits at least three times before deciding on a black and white lace dress that came just to her knees. It had actually come out of the back of her closet—one of the tamer remnants of her wilder days. Pesh had told her to wear something dressy, and it did fall into the dressy category, although it was probably a little sexier than she would have liked.

  While she’d pulled her long hair back into a loose knot at the back of her neck, she was now rethinking her strategy. If she’d left her hair down, it would cover more of the exposed skin that the spaghetti straps and neck of the dress showed. Glancing at her phone one more time, she cringed. “Fuck it,” she muttered, before spritzing on some perfume. After the fragrant cloud faded, she headed out of the bathroom. She grabbed her purse and headed upstairs.

  When she came into the kitchen, a loud, cat-calling whistle pierced her ear. She scowled at Sean. “Seriously?”

  He shrugged. “You look hot, sis.”

  Gavin, who stood beside Sean at the counter, nodded. “We never see you in anything but scrubs.”

  Megan couldn’t help smiling at her brothers. “Thank you.”

  Wagging his brows, Gavin asked, “Got a hot date, huh?”

  “Not exactly,” she replied, as she went to grab her purse.

  “Yeah right,” he mumbled under his breath.

  After slinging her purse on her shoulder, she whirled around to pin him with her stare. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that chicks don’t get dressed up like that for nothing. You obviously want to impress this guy. So, it’s obviously a hot date.”

  “Since when did you become the love guru?” she questioned.

  Sean grinned as he elbowed Gavin. “She’s getting riled, man. Being irrational about little things usually means love.”

  Megan opened her mouth to lay into her brothers, but then found herself speechless, so she closed it back up. Without another word to her brothers, she went into the living room. She found her dad lounging in his chair with Mason snuggled to his side. When her dad looked up, he did a double take. “Don’t you look beautiful, sweetheart,” he said.

  She bent down and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Daddy.”

  Mason tore his gaze away from the television to look at her. “Mommy, bye-bye?”

  This was one question she hadn’t anticipated explaining. “Yes, Mommy is going to go see a friend today, and you’re going to stay here with Grammy and Granddad.”

  His tiny brows furrowed. “Mace no go?”

  Guilt rocketed through her. How could she spend one of her few off days away from her son? The doorbell rang, and she was forced out of her self-loathing to answer the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened it. Her heart did a funny little flip-flop at the sight of Pesh on the porch. It wasn’t just how handsome he looked in his khaki pants, red button-down Polo shirt, and black blazer. It was also the fact he held a dozen red roses in his hand. “Hi,” she said shyly, after they had stared at each other for a few seconds.

  He smiled. “Hello.”

  “Would you like to come in?”

  As he nodded, she stepped aside to give him room to come in the door. He turned back to her and held out the roses. “These are for you.” After the words left his lips, he grimaced, as if what he had said offended him.

  “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

  “Bye-bye kiss, Mommy!” Mason called from the living room.

  She smiled apologetically at Pesh. “I’m sorry. I’ll just be one minute.”

  “Take your time.”

  She hurried across the foyer and into the living room. She deposited the roses onto one of the tables. “I’ll be back tonight. You be a good boy, okay?” she said, when she got to her father’s chair. She leaned over and kissed both of Mason’s cheeks. “Give Mommy a kiss.”

  He gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek. “Bye, my love,” Megan said, before turning and heading out of the room. She’d just reached Pesh’s side when he glanced past her. “What?” she asked.

  “I think we have a potential stowaway,” he replied, with a smile.

  She whirled around to see Mason standing in the foyer. “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “No go,” he whimpered.

  She glanced up at Pesh. “I’m sorry. He usually is fine about me leaving him.” She knelt down beside Mason. “I won’t be gone long, and you’ll have much more fun here with Grammy and Granddad. Pesh and I are doing boring, big people stuff.”

  “No go!” he cried, as big tears pooled in his eyes.

  Pesh knelt down beside her. “Hey buddy, don’t cry. I’m not going to take your mommy away from you.”

  “Mace go?” he asked hopefully.

  Megan shook her head. “No, sweetheart, I told you that we were going to do big people things today.”

  “That’s true,” Pesh said. Then he smiled at Mason. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t take a little detour first.”

  Megan’s widened her eyes in surprise. “What do you mean?”

  “Why don’t we take Mason to lunch at his favorite place?”

  “You don’t mean that,” Megan argued.

  Pesh cut his gaze over to her. “Sure, I do. I can adjust our reservations.”

  She couldn’t help staring at him in shock. How was it possible he was so willing to change his plans simply because Mason didn’t want her to leave? She fought the urge to reach out and touch his shoulder to make sure he was real—he was far too good to be true at times.

  “Is that okay with you?” Pesh asked her.

  “Of course it’s all right with me. I was worried about it not being okay with you.”

  “I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t mean it.” He reached out and ruffled Mason’s hair. “All right, buddy, where do you want to go for lunch?”

  “Cheese! Cheese!” he cried, as he bobbed up and down.

  Megan groane
d as Pesh’s expression grew confused. “He wants to eat cheese?” he asked.

  “No, he wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese—every parent’s worst nightmare.”

  Pesh chuckled as he rose up from the floor. “All right then. Chuck E. Cheese it is.”

  “Go get your shoes,” Megan instructed.

  As Mason raced back into the living room, Megan stood up. “You really don’t have to do this.”

  “Honestly, I don’t mind. We can go have lunch with Mason, and then we can start our date. I’m sure he’ll be worn out and ready for a nap when we get back, right?”

  “Yes, he will.”

  “Good. Then he won’t have any reason to miss you if he’s asleep.”

  She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “Thank you. I really mean that.”

  “You’re welcome.” He reached out and brushed her cheek. When he started to lean in to kiss her, Mason ran back into the foyer with his shoes. Pesh quickly jerked back.

  To combat the awkwardness, Megan busied herself with getting Mason’s shoes on. When she finished, Mason bounded over to Pesh and grabbed his hand. “Go! Go!”

  Pesh laughed at Mason’s enthusiasm. He held his other hand out for Megan. She slid her hand into his and then they started to the car.

  As Megan walked through the doors of their local Chuck E. Cheese, she recoiled slightly at both the ear- splintering noise and the stomach-turning smells. She also fought her embarrassment at the looks she and Pesh were getting for their more formal outfits. “I think we’re a little overdressed,” she said.

  He held up his index finger and thumb before pinching them close together. “Just a little bit.”

  Tugging on Pesh’s hand, Mason dragged him over to the toddler area of games. Megan quickly dug in her purse for some money for tickets. After she bought them, she went over to Pesh. “I’ll go grab us some pizza.” She waved the tickets at him. “Once these are gone, he’s done.”

  “I don’t mind getting him more.”

  She shook her head. “Trust me. He’s done.”

  “Okay then,” he replied good-naturedly.

  Megan felt completely at ease leaving Pesh to watch Mason. She got them a couple of slices of Mason’s favorite, pepperoni, along with some drinks and then made her way over to a table close to the toddler area. When she caught Pesh’s eye, she waved them over. After several tense moments, he was finally able to convince Mason to leave the play area to come and eat.

  As Mason bounced around in his seat, Megan knew she would be doing good to get four bites of pizza down him before he was raring to go play again. She also had a fear that she, Pesh, or the both of them were going to be wearing tomato sauce before it was all said and done.

  “This place is very interesting,” Pesh remarked, as he gazed around.

  Megan laughed. “Have you never had the pleasure?”

  “Sadly no. My brother, Arjan’s, and his children live in Florida, so I’ve really never had a reason to come.”

  “You’ve dodged a bullet there. That’s for sure.”

  He smiled before taking a bite of his pizza. His expression turned so sour that Megan couldn’t help giggling. “This is terrible,” he muttered.

  “I should have warned you not to bother eating. It only seems appetizing to small children who are hyped up on adrenaline.”

  He took a long swig from his Coke and swished the liquid around like he was trying to rid himself of the taste. When he caught Mason looking at him, he put on a fake smile. “Mmm, that’s good pizza. You better eat yours before I do.”

  “Nice save,” she murmured.

  He winked at her as he threw his napkin on his plate. She couldn’t believe when her heart fluttered at his gesture. It was almost impossible to believe that she could be getting feelings for him in the middle of Chuck E. Cheese.

  “Done. Go play,” Mason announced, bringing her out of her thoughts.

  She shook her head. “I don’t think so. You need to eat more.”

  Mason scowled at her before grabbing another bite and shoveling it into his mouth. He managed to clean his plate with a little coaxing from Pesh. Then the two of them went back over to the play area. As Megan watched them, the small ache in her chest began to grow. Pesh was completely hands on, hoisting Mason up where he could reach things and then catching him when he came off the slide. He seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with Mason. Some guys would have played with Mason only to get on her good side. But Pesh didn’t have an agenda when it came to her, unless it was to have her embrace the idea of a relationship with him.

  When the last ticket was spent, she rose off her chair. “Okay, time to go.”

  Mason’s face scrunched up, and he looked like at any minute he might throw a tantrum to stay. But Pesh took his hand. “We’ll come back another time.”

  His reply seemed to pacify Mason, and he happily slung his and Pesh’s arm back and forth as they walked to the car. When they got buckled up, Megan turned back to Mason. “What do you say to Pesh for bringing you?”

  “Tank you, Esh,” Mason said.

  His words sent a broad grin stretching across Pesh’s face. “You’re welcome, buddy. I had a good time.”

  When he glanced over at Megan, she gave him a genuine smile. “I had a good time, too.”

  Taking one of his hands off the steering wheel, he reached over to take her hand in his. While the gesture was a little too lovey-dovey for her liking, she didn’t argue with him. Instead, she just enjoyed his touch.

  Once they had deposited a sleepy Mason back home at Megan’s, they abandoned her SUV and gotten into Pesh’s Jaguar. “So where exactly are we going?” Megan asked, as she buckled her seat belt.

  “It’s a surprise.”

  “Seriously? You’re still playing coy about it?”

  “For just a little while longer.”

  She shifted in her seat where she could look at him better. “Can I try to guess?”

  “I suppose. I’m not sure I’d tell you even if you guess,” he teased.

  “Are we going to Atlanta?”

  He cut his gaze from the road over to her. “Have patience.”

  Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed, “I don’t have patience for games.”

  “Okay, I’ll give you a little hint. Actually, it’s more of a question than it is a hint.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Do you have a fear of heights?”

  She snorted. “No, I don’t. Why?”

  He gave her a sly grin. “I told you. It’s a hint.”

  “I went skydiving when I turned twenty-one, so I’m totally fine with heights. Of course, I seriously doubt we’re going sky diving in these clothes.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Please tell me it’s not box seats at the opera or something like that.”

  His face fell. “You don’t like the opera?”

  “Never been and never want to.”

  Pesh appeared almost personally insulted. “I’m going to have to change your mind on that one.”

  “Why am I not surprised you like opera?”

  “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

  “A bunch of screeching men and women singing in a language I don’t understand? Not my idea of a good time.”

  “But there is such love and passion in their delivery,” he argued.

  “Um, I’m just going to have to agree to disagree with you.”

  “For now at least,” he said, with a wink.

  When the car started slowing down, Megan peered out the windshield before turning to Pesh. “We’re at McCollum?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re taking me flying?”

  He smiled. “Yes, I am.”

  Even though she had known he had a plane from how he’d helped get Aidan to Noah’s delivery, she couldn’t believe their date included something as unique as flying.

  “So let me get this straight. I’m dressed like this,” she did a little hand motion ove
r her dress, “to go flying?”

  An amused look twinkled in his dark eyes. “You have absolutely no patience, do you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  As he put the car in park outside the hanger, he turned to her. “By your lack of being able to withhold gratification, I’m assuming you’ve never partaken in any Tantric sex?”

  She couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping to her chest. “W-What?” she stammered.

  Turning in his seat, he pinned her with a hard stare. “Have I managed to shock you again?”

  Unable to speak, she merely bobbed her head. Pesh only chuckled at her response. “Come on. Let’s get going.”

  Still in shock, she remained rooted to her seat. When he came around to open her door, she peered up at him. “Tantric sex? Like Sting, Trudie Styler, and Tantric sex?”

  “Yes, I suppose so,” he replied, as he offered her his hand. Ordinarily, she wouldn’t have taken it, but at the declaration that Pesh was actually into something outside the sexual norms, she was too floored to argue with him. “I didn’t think you’d like anything…kinky.”

  Pesh’s dark eyes widened. “Tantric isn’t kinky. It’s about connecting with your lover on a more intimate level. It’s about breathing them in and truly being one.”

  “So it’s not about marathon sex that lasts for days?”

  He chuckled. “You’ve gotten the more salacious side confused with what it actually is.”

  Megan pursed her lips at him as her mind whirled with the possibilities. After all, if Tantric sex with Pesh was anywhere as good as his efforts in going down on her, she was one very lucky lady. “I guess you’ll just have to educate me.”

  They were interrupted by an air traffic controller with a headset. “Hey, Dr. Nadeen, how goes it?”

  “Good. Thank you. Everything ready to go, Lewis?” Pesh asked, as he pumped the man’s hand.

  “Gassed up and checked out. We just need your flight plan.”

  Pesh’s gaze went to Megan before he said, “We’ll be flying into Savannah/Hilton Head airport.”

  “Great. Thanks,” Lewis replied, before he started back inside the hanger.

  “You’re taking me to Savannah?” she asked.