Lexie
Lexie's cheeks flushed after getting the text from Mark. She tried not to check her phone almost every hour after he had left the hospital, wondering if he would make good on his promise to reach out to her about possibly going out for a date.
She couldn't remember the last time she had been this excited about a guy. She couldn't remember the last time she had wanted someone to be interested in her just as much as she was interested in them.
It had only taken an hour after he had been discharged, for his room to be turned over for another patient to take his place. She found herself walking by his room a couple of times during the remainder of the day, thinking she might still catch a glimpse of him—even though she knew he wouldn't be there.
This was a completely foreign feeling for her. Her whole entire life had been about medicine. First, making sure she could get good grades to get into Harvard medical school. Then, focusing on her studies to be top in her class at med school. Becoming the best intern was next, and now being the best attending in her specialty.
Never once in that scenario, had there been a guy that had taken root in her head, making her want to focus on something other than opening up someone's brain and trying to fix what was broken.
Even Jackson, who had admitted having a crush on her when she had first interned at this hospital hadn't been enough of a temptation to deviate from her plan to be one of the youngest, most accomplished, neurosurgeons in all of Seattle. Looking back, she was glad she never slept with the Plastics doctor—especially now that he was engaged to April and April was probably the closest doctor she had as a friend next to her sister.
She tried not to bite her lip and think about the fact that their first date was going to be at his house. No, a mansion. There was an excitement to the fact that she was going to see the grand place in which he lived, but it was also the fact that she was going to be in his most intimate place as well.
She suddenly wondered how many other women had the opportunity to have been taken back to his place. She tried to shake that thought away, not sure she really wanted to go down that rabbit hole and think about Mark Sloan being with any other woman. As it was, she saw how many of the nurses and female doctors' heads turned when he had left the hospital.
He looked dapper and sexy—just as she had figured he would—when he had dressed in his three-piece suit that Derek had brought him when he was discharged. He could have very well graced the cover of GQ magazine and she would have been first in line to buy a copy of that issue.
Now she was going to be alone with him at his home. She understood that because of his job and cover that he had wanted to be discreet, and she sensed his constant hesitation of either wanting to see her again or push her away. She sensed it, because it was something she was doing herself with him.
She liked being good at things. She liked being proficient at things. Being a girlfriend was not something she really had any practice with, and being with a man that obviously knew his way around the female anatomy—as well as a gun—was a completely new thing for her in general.
She needed advice, and she needed it now. She had less than twenty-four hours to prepare herself for a date with Mark Sloan.
She rounded the hall towards their attending lounge, relieved when she opened the door and found both her sister and April there eating their lunch. April sitting on the couch eating a bowl of spaghetti, while her sister was stuffing another forkful of salad into her mouth at the table.
"Oh, good…just the two people I wanted to see," Lexie said, as she walked into the room.
April grabbed the napkin from her lap and wiped at her mouth after taking another forkful of spaghetti, red sauce left on her lips. "I thought you would have left after your patient had been discharged. What are you on thirty-six hours or more straight?" she asked.
Even just saying it, made the fatigue Lexie was pushing down come back to the forefront. She was actually close to almost being up for forty-hours. Chief Own had already told her she wasn't supposed to step foot back in the hospital until after her day off, but she couldn't bring herself to leave for a few more hours. Just to make sure she was here in case…in case Mark had to return due to an emergency.
"I'm leaving soon," Lexie assured.
Meredith turned towards her. "What did you need?"
She bit her lip, her eyes focusing more on her shoes. She was trying to figure out how she could ask her question without sounding like a complete and utter loser.
"I need your guy's opinion…I have a date tomorrow," she informed.
The door behind her swung open, in mid-sentence, both Jackson Avery and Alex Karev having come barreling through.
Just great.
"Dating advice, huh. Baby Grey has a date. Seeking advice from these two wouldn't be the way I would go," Karev chimed in.
Lexie gritted her teeth. Karev was her least favorite of the attendings here. Mostly, she tolerated him because of the fact that even though he was a gigantic dick, he was a really good doctor, especially since he had a knack for working with kids in pediatric surgery.
Outside of that one redeemable quality, he was nothing but a jerk, who slept with any passing female that was willing to warm his bed. He was the last person to give anyone advice about dating or relationships since he was practically allergic to them himself.
Plus, she hated that even though she had told him repeatedly to stop calling herBaby Grey, he did it anyway. How her sister ever considered him one of her closest friends and like a brother was beyond her. Derek Shepherd was more of a brother figure…but since her sister was interested in getting in Derek's pants, that would be extremely awkward.
Avery plopped down next to his finance, April giving him a quick peck on the lips before offering up a forkful of her spaghetti which he happily accepted. She giggled when he joked about using her face as a napkin after she alerted him to having red sauce on his lips.
"Can you two go and be disgusting somewhere else." Karev scoffed, his expression turned upwards in disgust as he grabbed a bag of nuts off the counter in the basket and took a seat next to her sister.
April shot him a haughty look. "I don't think we will."
Lexie was proud that over the last couple of months, April had seemed to find her own thick skin and stop letting people like Karev boss her around and tease her. A lot of that confidence had come after she had started dating Avery. He had kept telling her she was talented and an awesome person, encouraging her to stick up for herself more and more. April was doing just that.
Avery took the container of spaghetti from his wife. "So, you got a date?" he asked after shoving another forkful in his mouth.
She sighed. She really didn't want everyone in her business, but it was too late. The cat was already out of the bag. "Yes, I have a date."
April clapped her hands together excitedly. "This is so awesome. Do we know him?"
Lexie hadn't prepared to have to answer any questions, so she did her best to answer as best as she could—more like truth, by omission.
"Um, no," she replied evasively.
"Look at Baby Grey finding herself a guy," Karev teased.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's Lexie," she corrected pointedly.
Meredith shot her a questioning gaze. She knew that Mark was a mobster, but she didn't know that he really was an undercover agent for the FBI. If she figured out that her date was with Mark Sloan, she knew that her sister would object and she would never hear the end of it.
"Whatever," Karev said, plopping a couple of nuts in his mouth. "What loser decided to ask you out? Let me guess, a grocery clerk at the local supermarket?"
"Alex," Meredith said in a warning tone.
He rolled his eyes, but backed off, plopping another few more nuts in his mouth, followed by a swig of water.
"Where did you meet him?" April asked.
Crap on a cracker!"Um, the, Er, grocery store," she lied, using Karev's previous guess knowing it was only going to make things worse for her.
Karev snorted, before breaking into a full-on laugh, making her grit her teether harder. She was going to need to visit her dentist for a checkup after this little talk was over.
"That's so cute. Isn't that cute," April said, wrapping her arm around Avery's bicep.
Avery grunted a noise in agreement, more focused on polishing off the last of April's lunch. Lexie caught Meredith still starring at her, not believing for a second that her mystery date did actually come from the grocery store.
"Alright, Baby Grey, listen. When a man likes a woman, they have this thing called a penis—"
"Ugh, shut up, Karev," Lexie cut in with a groan.
"Don't listen to him Lexie, what is it that you wanted our advice on?" Meredith asked.
Now that she stood there, she felt embarrassed and a little bit ridiculous with four sets of eyes on her waiting for her to explain what it was she was looking for advice on.
"I haven't been on a date in a while—shut up Karev—" she said turning her gaze towards him, stopping him from opening his mouth, before turning back towards the rest of the group, "—so I just want advice on what not to do or say, to not really push him away or turn him off," she said hesitantly.
"Men just take you out so they can have sex with you. That is all there is to it," said Karev.
April scowled. "No, they don't," she protested. "Jackson didn't just take me out thinking he was going to get lucky the first time."
Karev's eyes rolled in the back of his head. "Listen, Mother Theresa, contrary to what you want to believe, the whole entire time he was thinking about getting you naked."
"Not true!" April cried. She turned to Jackson. "Tell him that's not true."
Avery slowly removed the fork from his mouth, chewing the spaghetti noodles slowly. When he didn't respond, April's eyes widen before her hand came to her mouth.
"April…"
"That was all you wanted? You just wanted sex from me!"
Avery groaned. "Obviously not. I'm marrying you aren't I." he shot back more as a statement then a question.
"Don't ask me why," Karev muttered.
"Shut up!" April and Avery said in unison.
Lexie instantly regretted ever walking into the attending lounge and seeking out anyone's advice anyway. It wasn't like she was sheltered or anything, but she had never been this nervous before. She never wanted a man to like her as much as she wanted Mark to like her. She just wanted to make sure she didn't say or do anything that would turn him off—especially having been out of practice for a while. She doubted he would want to hear all about how the brain worked and her process for opening up a brain in surgery. She didn't think that was dating etiquette.
"April, honey, of course I would want to sleep with you. Your sexy as hell, but I also took you out on dates, because I like spending time with you away from these idiots," he explained.
April seemed to relax at his statement, and just like that the two lovebirds were back to be happy again.
"Meredith, help me out here. I mean, you were just sucking face in the supply closet less than twenty-four hours ago with a guy you had just met," Karev said.
"With who?" Avery asked, turning towards her.
Meredith's eyes narrowed. "Who told you that?"
Karev took a piece of chicken from her salad. "Please, nothing stays a secret in this hospital. The nurses were all talking about it. Some guy—" he snapped his fingers and looked back at Lexie "—I think that guy who was following your patient around like a puppy, if I remember correctly." He licked the dressing off his thumb. "Anyway, sex. It's the only thing men ever want or need."
"It's amazing that anyone even sleeps with you," April muttered in disgust.
"Last night, and I'll get some again tonight," he said smugly, causing April's mouth to scowl.
Meredith stood and threw remaining pieces of lettuce in her salad container in the trash. "Even if the guy wants sex, doesn't mean your expected to give it to him," she said turning back around to look back directly at her. "It's just a date, Lexie. You'll ask each other some questions, get to know each other, and then call it a night."
Karev stood, throwing his empty wrapper and water cup in the trash, making a sound that sounded like a buzzer when someone gave the wrong answer on a television game show. "Nope. You like this guy? You want to keep his attention. Dress like it. Stop wearing all those turtlenecks that practically put you in the same category as Mother Theresa over there—" he said, tilting his head in April direction, earning another cold stare from her, "—and show some skin. Men like a little appetizer before the main course."
"Ugh, gross," April said, getting up from the couch. She turned to Lexie. "My advice, be you. He obviously likes you if he asked you out. With or without you needing to display all of your body parts," she emphasized, shooting Karev a look.
Karev just shrugged at her, before she walked out the door. Avery stood up, probably realizing it was best to go after his fiancé and somehow make her feel better even though he didn't do anything to upset her in the first place.
Avery stopped and offered her a smile. "Listen, if the guy is worthy of you…he will be ok with whatever you are comfortable with saying and doing, Lexie. If he really likes you, he'll put the time in to get to know you better. And if he does…" he smiled, looking out the door his fiancé just went through, "he'll want to follow you anywhere. Trust me on that…it's what I have and feel when it comes to April."
Her eyes softened at that comment. She was a little sad that April wasn't in the room, but she made a mental note to herself to tell April that little nugget later. She knew the redhead would melt at hearing Jackson say something like that about their relationship. About her.
Karev gagged, as if he was going to hurl in the garbage can, "Oh, I'm outta here. You all are going to make me puke."
He walked out the door, followed by a grinning Avery. Lexie turned back to the only remaining person left in the room—her sister.
"I don't suppose you want to tell me who your mystery date is with?"
"Nope."
Meredith looked like she was going to protest, but then sighed, really taking to heart about their previous conversation and said, "Fine. Just be careful."
"I will," Lexie said.
"Oh, and I agree with Avery. If the man has any smarts, he will know he already has a good thing in his midst."
Lexie beamed at her. "Thanks."
"Now, get out of here and go sleep. Call me after your date. I want to hear all about it."
She couldn't fight the smile from her face. "Okay."
Lexie stood in front of the mirror of her small modest apartment, looking at the fifteenth outfit she had tried on. She couldn't seem to get Alex's words out of her head, about always being buttoned up, and now she was afraid and subconsciously worried that she might pick out something that would leave her less than desirable.
It was already just after seven, and it was going to take at least twenty to thirty minutes to get from her place to Mark's. She wanted to make sure that she would be on time for their date and not keep him waiting. She hated that she was starting to feel like a teenager going on their first date.
She pulled out her phone and looked at her contact list. She thought about texting April first, but knew her thoughts about dating and sex were far more on the conservative side, knowing her answer might be swayed in one particular way. She found her phone and text her sister.
Lexie:What should I wear?
Her sister's reply was instant.
Meredith:Whatever makes you comfortable.
Lexie:Not helping. Pajamas or sweats are what makes me comfortable.
Meredith:Then wear that. He will definitely know you might not want sex then.
Lexie:I am NOT looking for sex.
She sent her sister a couple of added emojis including an angry face, the person with the hand to the face, and the round emoji where it looked like the person was in considerable pain.
Meredith:In all seriousness, dress for you. Not for him. If jeans make you comfortable, wear that. If you want to wear a sexy black dress…wear that. Just be YOU.
Lexie stared at her phone feeling more frustrated. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate all the positive things they were saying, but for once, she would really like for someone to just give her a direct answer. She shot a quick thanks to her sister and contemplated down her phone list at Alex's name.
Nope. She wasn't that desperate.
She looked back to the mirror hanging behind her door at the outfit she had on, and then her closet. Just one more. She would try on one more outfit. The outfit had been the exact one she was aiming for as soon as she had it on and looked back at her reflection in the mirror.
It was an easy pairing that felt like her, but just enough to accent some of her best features for her date. She chose a partially-sheer cream top that dipped into a "V" that showed just the top swell of her breasts, without being too revealing. Her ass had been her favorite feature, especially since she didn't really have much going in the chest area, picking out her butt-hugging black skinnies that still fit like a glove. She accented her outfit the most with just a simple couple of swipes of a sultry red lipstick and a pair of black boots—and she was ready.
She tried to keep the nerves and butterflies in her stomach at bay, navigating through the torrential down pour as she made her way to Mark's house, letting her GPS guide her each step of the way. Usually, the sound of rain was something that usually calmed her when it would beat against the window of her apartment as she tried to fall asleep, but now it only seemed to enhance her nerves.
The drive had taken her ten additional minutes, but when she had finally pulled up in front of the house, she understood why it was a mansion. The place was gorgeous…and huge. The entire house was guarded by a cement wall, iron gate, and even a gate house which had three men cramped into the small space with rifles immediately lined against the wall for easy access.
Because of his job and who he is.
"Good Evening, Ma'am," said one of the guards at the gate.
"Good evening," she greeted, suddenly feeling extremely even more nervous.
She gave her name and ID, the guard handing it back and nodding to her that she was approved to go through. His mansion had more security detail that seemed to walk the grounds, as she pulled her much older, beat up red car at the front of the roundabout.
As she exited the car, she took a moment just to look up at the place. It was two maybe three stories high. There were two stone columns at the end of the walkaway, black lanterns lighting the pathway of the expensive stone walkway. This entire curb appeal and look of the house was designed specifically, to show wealth and status.
Her eyes traveled to the cream color paint, red tiled roof, and gorgeous black oval pair of doors, where the top half were paneled glass. Just inside, she could see a grand staircase, exquisite chandelier, and more expensive looking porcelain tile matching on the floor.
As she climbed the last few steps of the porch, bringing her to the large oversized doors, her steps slowed. The warm lightening from inside the foyer, spilling out into the paneled window of the door, made her feel that even though the place was huge, it felt like a home.
Her hand extended to knock on the door, but her fingers trembled. Was she really going to do this? Was she really about to go on a date with Mark Sloan? Her nerves were threatening to take over, and she thought about turning tail and running—but the back part of her brain that was still working knew his security would have already alerted him that she had arrived.
She smoothed out her outfit—even though she had already done it five times since she exited the car—pulled the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder, and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. She chose to straighten her hair, leaving it down to flow past her shoulders. It was how she liked it best, and since most times it was always up or hidden behind a scrub cap, she felt all the more that she was attempting to show whatever sex appeal she had here tonight.
You can do this. You can do this. Just be yourself.
It did nothing to calm her fears, but she was sure if she didn't knock on his door within the next few seconds, he was going to come searching for her and catch her about to freak out and run. If she could work on coming up with a plan to remove an inoperable tumor on the spine, she could certainly go on a date with Mark Sloan.Right?
She finally found the courage to knock on the door, the sound vibrating off the massive doors into the open porch around her. She absolutely loved the stone round pillars over the doorway. It made the house feel important and grand, and with the same black lanterns from the pathway now framing either side of the door—even more elegant looking than her first assessment of the place.
Him.Her breath caught in her throat seeing him come from an opening just down the hallway. She had looked back through the glass of the window, hoping to see if she would get an indication of his silhouette before he saw her… but his presence—just like in the hospital—was one she felt no matter how many walls or doors might separate them.
He made the massive hallways, grand staircases, and oversized furniture look so small as his large sturdy frame started walking towards her. She was aware that with each step he took, she took a long swallow. The black sweater he wore stretching against his muscles as he glided across the floor. His dark blue jeans hugged his hips, clinging against his powerful thighs. Another swallow.
Her pulse was skyrocketing, her heart starting to race more and more once his eyes met hers, his lips stretching until they turned upwards into a smile. She didn't—couldn't process—what her own face was doing, but she was hoping it was something similar.
She tried not to let the sensation low in her belly threaten to take over. He looked so unfazed, so utterly relaxed as he strode towards her. She wondered in that moment if he was even at all feeling a fourth of what she was feeling, or if she was the only one that felt like her entire world was tilted on its axis.
Just as he reached the door, he did one of the things that made her entire body flood with heat. Some people liked a guy's smile. Some like their eyes, ass, or chest. She could go on and on. And, while she liked all those things…it was his arms that had her in a trance. The movement was so small, but the way he tugged the sleeves of his sweater up to his forearm to stop at his elbows so she could see how defined and strong they were—made her mouth go dry.
His hand reached for the knob on the door, his strength fluid as he opened it so easily as if it weighed nothing. He greeted her with a smile that lit up his whole face, showing the whiteness of his teeth, as his eyes raked over her from head to toe. She felt that familiar creep of a flush racing up the back of her neck to her cheeks—her heart pounding louder and faster than before.
Mark Sloan was the kind of man that anyone in a room would be instantly drawn too, especially when it came to her sex. She had seen him in a hospital gown and a dress suit…but this Mark, the casual Mark in jeans and sweater, was her favorite looking Mark.
She wanted to instantly pull her jacket tighter towards her, and not because of the freezing rain or colder temperatures, but because she could swear as their eyes locked, he could see everything about her as if was Superman with x-ray vision. That notion both thrilled and made her nervous as hell.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," she replied.
He stepped aside. "Come on in."
She stepped into the house the warmth immediately rolling over her skin, her head dipping back so her nose could lift upwards, at the mouthwatering smells coming from down the hall. He shut the door behind her, ever the gentlemen to help ease her out of her coat, as he hung it up in the coat closet just to the left of the front door.
As she turned back to face him, something shot between the both of them, the unspoken words in each of their own minds. He wanted her. She was forhim. Now, that she was inside the house, he could take his time to appreciate her unlike the greedy glances outside of the door.
It was no longer the physical temperature that was keeping her warm, it was the heat in his eyes as they lowered from her neck to the V in her sweater, hesitating a moment there—making her chest heave again, only giving him a better look—to the tightness of the jeans. From what she could tell, he very much liked what she had chosen to wear.
She cleared her throat, a flush rising to her cheeks as well as to a part of her anatomy that had been out of commission for quite some time. It no longer seemed dormant now, making her shift on her feet uncomfortably.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, trying to bring them back to safer grounds.
Talking about injuries and medical information was not what she figured would be exciting date material, but she felt obligated—him having been her patient, she his doctor—to check on his well-being before she could fully relax.
He grinned. "I'm good. I had a pretty remarkable doctor that patched me up."
She smiled, looking away as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. It was something she always did when she was either nervous or embarrassed, and taking compliments was always something that made her more embarrassed than it actually should.
"Dinner is almost ready. I just have the salad to make. Would you like to help, or maybe we can do a tour and I can show you around first," he offered.
"Dinner would be great. I'm actually kind of hungry. Your home is beautiful…so something to look forward too after dinner."
They started walking down the hallway, and as they did, the smell of their dinner got stronger. Lexie could almost distinguish the difference spices and herbs used. Mark had mentioned making one of his favorite childhood meals, and based on the smell, she could pinpoint right away it was something Italian.
If she was being honest, he was already scoring major points with going out of his way to cook her a homemade meal. No one had ever done anything that thoughtful for her before. She knew they had to have their date at his home because of his job, but considering he was for all intense and purposes a double agent, the fact that he took time out of his busy day to do something nice for her, made her feel like no one else in the world mattered but her. It was a pretty amazing feeling.
As they rounded the corner into the massive kitchen, Lexie stopped, her eyes taking in the beauty of the room. She felt like she could very well be in a speakeasy. The cabinets were a dark rich mahogany wood, with all different shades of browns and creams in the granite countertops. Modern light fixtures hung over the massive detached island, with stainless steel appliances and a huge farmhouse sink. It was a dream kitchen—a chef's dream kitchen.
"This house is really beautiful."
Mark's back was to her, as he bent over to open the oven and take out a rectangular bake wear dish from the oven. He stood, using his foot to close the oven door, setting the hot dish on the island. Lexie couldn't help herself, leaning over to close her eyes and take a whiff of what she now knew was a lasagna. Her second favorite dish.
"That looks amazing," she said.
He smiled. "I hope it taste good. It was my mother's recipe. She used to make it for me all the time. It's always been my favorite food," he replied.
She rounded the island and came to stand next to him, their hips almost touching. "Something that smells this good, would have to taste good. I'm certain of it."
He stared down at her, and her stomach did that flip flop again. They were talking about food, but the way he was looking at her right then and there, was as if he wanted to clear the counter, and hoist her up there so he could have his way with her.
No. This isn't just sex. He wouldn't have told you about his mother and this recipe if it was only about sex.
"Lasagna is also one of my favorite foods too," she squeaked, taking a tiny step to the left to put just a little distance between them. Distance meant she could think. "Spaghetti was always my number one."
"Spaghetti is a close contender," he admitted. "I look forward to seeing if your answer is the same after you try this."
She laughed. "Can I help with the salad?"
He shook his head, but when he did, she noticed the slight wince in his expression. Her guard immediately went up. It had only been three days since his entire ordeal, and even though he was relatively a healthy and strong man, he still needed to take it easy.
"You did the bulk of the work. I can at least make the salad. Just hand me the ingredients," she insisted.
"Has anyone ever told you that you can be a little bossy?"
His voice was light and teasing, which only made her want to bite her lip, as he turned away from her to grab the lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, and olives so she could start putting together the salad.
"I'm afraid it comes territory with the job. Especially, when you have stubborn patients that don't want to listen to their doctor's orders," she replied, arching her brow at him.
He put his hands up knowing when he had been defeated. He turned with all of the ingredients in his hand, walking them over to her so they could get started. Once he had deposited everything in her vicinity, she expected him to go and sit down while she got everything together, but that was not Mark's style. He stayed right by her side, his back to the counter so that he was looking down at her while she worked.
She tried to focus on the handfuls of lettuce in her hand as she put them in the salad bowl, grabbing the cucumber next to start slicing it into smaller pieces. Now that Mark was standing over her, she could see that he was a full head taller than her. She had been correct on her initial assessment that his chest was solid, broad, and even with some separation between them, she could feel the heat radiating against him and onto her.
Chop. Chop. Chop.
She focused on the chop, and not his warm breath fanning over her just as his eyes was doing. She still had a hard time getting out of her own head. She didn't really think she was anything special. Especially when it came to her looks.
She would never admit to anyone that she had spent a better part of her day off agonizing over her look, outfit, acceptable amount of makeup for the date than anything else. In her true Lexie fashion, she even spent load of time reading articles and internet searches about this subject. She had never realized how many articles were written alone just on this one type of thing. It was shocking.
While she thought her outfit was still more casual chic—or what the internet had dubbed it—her makeup had been limited with the thinnest layer of foundation and red lipstick to her lips. She had made a note on her next free time to do some more shopping. It wasn't like she wore much of it when she was constantly changing and working long hours at the hospital when her patients were always unconscious anyway.
None of that seemed to matter though. Mark seemed to be looking at her like she had just walked into his house in the sexiest black dress that was available on the market. Even she couldn't be mistaken with the desire that lingered there in his eyes. She had never seen it that strong before with any of the men she had dated or slept with.
Once the salad had been completed, her quick ability to make an oil and vinegar dressing, Mark escorted them to his dinning room area. The table was massive enough to seat twelve comfortably. She sighed in relief when he didn't set it up that they would be on opposite ends of the table, but instead right next to each other.
He poured her a nice half glass of white wine, and even though she cringed inwardly at the fact that he was taking a glass for himself—not recommended after his injuries and medication—she was not here as his doctor tonight. This was a date.
She brought the glass to her lips, taking a sip, letting the sweetness of the grapes she could taste slide past her tongue. It was the exactly kind of wine she loved to drink—whenever she drank it.
"Is it ok?" he asked.
She smiled at him. "It's perfect."
Mark put the bottle on the table and sat down in the chair next to her. The silence lingered for a bit as they both took hold of their silverware, Lexie plopping a mouthful of the lasagna in her mouth. Her eyes closed, as her tongue swept out to get any remaining sauce off her lips, trying to stifle the moan as she chewed and swallowed.
When she opened her eyes, Mark's heated gaze was on her, making her pulse skyrocket. "Ok, it's really good," she admitted.
"I knew it." he boasted.
She took another bite, wiping the corner of her mouth with her napkin, before she cleared her throat. "So, this house," she said at last.
Mark looked around the room, before back at her. "A necessary when it comes to the job. What kind of crime lord would I be if I did not live in the nicest home on the block or the city," he said.
"Makes sense. The security too," she guessed.
He nodded. "All agents. Including any staff, you ever might see here."
She shot him a questioning gaze. Not just because of the fact that there were so many uncover agents a part of the operation, but also because he was talking so freely about it in the open, and that he talked as if this wouldn't be the only time she might be here. It made a tingling sensation course through her.
She leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is…is it wise to talk about that in the open?"
He smirked. "We have some of the highest-grade tech available. Even if someone tried to bug my house, not only would the bug be jammed immediately, but nothing can be tapped or recorded. Your about as safe to talk here as the White House."
"Wow…"
"The security is more for show being that I am the leader, but also to give me proper warning for any unwanted visits so I can be prepared."
She placed a forkful of salad in her mouth. "Does Derek live here?"
"He has a smaller place away from here, but for the most part, he stays here when he is not off doing personal things."
Lexie figured those personal things could be like making out with her sister in supply closets. She suddenly wondered if Meredith and Derek had made any plans to meet up with each other after she had caught them, or if it had truly been a one and done thing. She wondered if Meredith wasn't telling her for the same reasons, she wasn't telling her that she was on a date with Mark. The only difference, Lexie at least knew that they weren't really bad men.
Mark lifted his glass of wine, and took a sip. "So, why medicine?"
She let out a long breath. "My mother is a surgeon. Was a surgeon," she corrected.
"I'm so sorry, did she pass?"
Lexie shook her head sadly. "No. But sometimes, I think it would have been easier. She has late-stage Alzheimer's. It started with things like misplacing her keys, or forgetting simple medical tools, before we finally started to pick up the signs. With Meredith in her internship at the time, and I was in medical school, we couldn't be there for around the clock care for her. My father is a professor, so most of his days were keeping him occupied at his college." She paused, her fingers playing with the stem of the wine glass. "Right when I started my internship, it had progressed to the point where she didn't recognize any of us anymore. We had to move her to a care facility."
"I'm sorry."
She offered a sad smile as she took another sip of wine. "Thanks."
That was where a lot of her inner guilt lied. She wanted to visit her mother more often, but even the times that she did get to see her, her mother never recognized her. Meredith, had stopped going for the most part, but her father, he still went every day after work even if most of the time the care facility staff told him it would seem to agitate her.
The parents' marriage she remembered as kids—loving and full of laughter—had not been the marriage they had about the time she had moved into middle school. That wasn't saying a lot since she had skipped third grade due to her ability to excel in her studies. They fought all the time, especially once Meredith and her decided to go into medicine—her father mostly accusing her mother that she didn't care about anything other then surgery—and her mother accusing her father about not understanding that saving a life was more important than making sure that she had dinner on the table for him by the time he had gotten home.
"So, surgery was always in your blood then?"
She shrugged. "I guess you could say that. I don't think for my mother, anything else would have been as important or acceptable. I really didn't know anything else."
"You didn't want to be a professor like your dad?"
She shook her head immediately. "Not enough excitement. School wasn't hard, but it was a bore. I need the adrenaline."
He laughed. "You sound like Derek. He almost said that exact same thing about why he wanted to be a cop too," he mused.
She was happy for the opportunity for the subject change. "Did you always want to be a cop?"
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and she could sense the reason for behind why he wanted to be a cop was something far more meaningful then why she had wanted to be a doctor.
"Actually, it was one of the professions I had wanted when I was a kid. Being a doctor was another one."
She arched her brow. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yeah. When I was five, my mom bought me a play medical kit. I loved that thing."
"Oh, my god, me too," she said excitedly, her hand reaching out and grazing his. She pulled back, not realizing what she had done, almost sad the moment the was over. "Did yours come with the lab coat?"
He laughed. "It was the complete kit. Including the list of medicines to treat your patient."
"Ugh, jealous. My mother was a surgeon, and mine didn't even have that." They silence lingered for a second, and then she tried again. "So, what changed your mind? From wanting to be a doctor?"
His eyes left hers and traveled to his own glass of wine. He looked at the liquid, and for how hard he was gripping it, she worried he was going to snap it into two. He brought the liquid to his mouth, pausing, before he answered quietly, "She was murdered."
Lexie's bottom lip fell open, her eyes softening at how broken he had sounded even after all these years must've gone by. She could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn't recent, because like her own mother it was the look of pain you harbored for years.
This time, her hand reached out and she let it rest on top of his. When his hand squeezed hers back, it made the strength she was trying to push through to him that much more intense.
"I'm so sorry," she said.
He let out a ragged sigh. "It was a long time ago."
"Did…did they catch who did it?"
There was that slight shake to his head again. "No. That's why I wanted to become a cop. I figured if they couldn't catch him, then I would have to do it myself." She wanted his eyes to look at her, but he wouldn't based on his next words. "I still haven't found who did it. I could lie and tell myself it's because of this operation, but that wouldn't be true. I spent the first few years coming out of the academy using all my free time to look into it, but the shotty work by the arriving cops on scene in securing evidence has made it hard to search for her killer."
"Your mother would be proud of everything you are doing to bring the awful person to justice. To let her rest in peace."
"Except no justice has happened."
She squeezed his hand again. "You're smart, Mark. So is the FBI. I believe that you or they will find who did this. Even if you don't, it doesn't mean you or she loved you any less."
He was looking at her again, like he was reading into her soul, the emotion building inside of her becoming too strong for just a first date. She took back her hand, picking up her fork again so they both could finish eating their meals.
They moved on to lighter subjects. Mark asking about her internship and her reason behind choosing neurosurgery. She left out all of the drama between her insecurity of her mother never being proud of anything she had did, and focused more on her interest on the mind. Mark talked more about the academy, his eyes lighting up about his and Derek's time as agents before going undercover. Once the topic of his operation came up, he tended to become more closed off and provide less details. Whether it was because it was privileged information, or the fact that he had mentioned several times that her knowing anything could be dangerous for her to know—she decided not to push for more than what he was willing to offer.
There was a part of her that thought it was sweet that he wanted to shelter her from wanting to know anything bad or dangerous about his job. Unlike Meredith or her mother—who she felt they kept stuff from her because they didn't think she wasn't strong or capable enough to know—Mark seemed to want to protect her because he cared. Because he liked the fact, she could remain innocent from the violence he had to see every day. If only he knew how much horrific and gory things she saw coming into her ER, he might think differently. She smiled to herself, realizing even then, he probably still would want to protect her.
Was it wrong that she wanted to be corrupted with a little more of that confidence and power that he seemed to have? That she didn't want to always be the innocentBaby Grey, as Karev so annoyingly put it. She wanted to be bad for once. Unpredictable. Just once.
As they picked up the dishes—her arguing that she was going to help since he cooked the entire meal—she couldn't help but wonder why she had been so nervous about the date tonight. Talking with Mark, just felt naturally. It felt so easy. Like it was something they had done together for years and years.
Mark put the leftover lasagna in the fridge, the both of them quickly getting into a rhythm of washing and drying. She washed and he dried since she didn't know where to place all the clean dishes.
She was on the last couple of dishes, when Mark bumped his hip into hers waiting for the next clean dish to put away again. She laughed, taking her hand from the soap filled water in the sink and flicked some in his direction. The whole thing had started innocently at first, Mark using the dish towel to block her attempts to get him wet with water, until he found an opening to get past her defenses, his hands wrapping around her waist, her back slammed against his defined chest.
She sighed, letting out a jagged breath. Mark's right hand came up to shut off the water facet, Lexie seeing the heat of his gaze through the reflection in the window just above the sink. Something in herself snapped. He barely had to coax her, her own body turning until she was facing him directly. Her hands were still wet, her fingers having various amounts of bubbles that were starting to pop.
Even Lexie knew as their gazes locked, what was passing between them was more than just simple lust. She had lust before. This…this was something different. His eyes traveled down her face, stopping at her lips. She wondered if any of her red lipstick still remained. When she sucked in her bottom lip, she heard the groan vibrate through his entire body, his arms tightening around her more snugly.
His eyes skimmed the rest of her of her body, before they came back and settled on her lips. He must really like them, because he kept starring at them as if they were going to share a secret with him. She so badly wanted to share a secret with him.
The only thing that was keeping her from ravishing him in this moment was the fact that she was lacking confidence. She was sure that Mark was a very skilled lover. He was gorgeous, powerful, and exuded confidence. Mark Sloan was the kind of man that took what he wanted, when he wanted. Probably didn't even need to take, because woman would be willing to just give it up. Just like she was willing to right now.
There were two voices in the back of her head. Well, one voice and one alarm bell. The voice in her head was screaming to kiss the man already. Kiss and take what she wanted. The alarm bell in her head was saying, this was dangerous territory, and she was sure that if he kissed her, there was no turning back. There was no—just one kiss—with Mark Sloan. She would want the whole kit and caboodle.
She didn't have time to weigh either option, because Mark was already making the decision for her. His head started to dip, his single purpose to take her lips in his. She wanted it so bad, she could feel and taste him before his lips even met hers. Her only answer of yes, and encouragement to his was by her tightening her grip on his collar. His collar that was now wet and soapy from her hands.
Her breath hitched as her lips parted for him, it becoming more difficult to breath, and he hadn't even kissed her yet. The anticipation was slowly killing her with each passing second.
Astonishment wasn't even the right word to explain Mark Sloan's kiss. She was right, that he was skilled and an expert kisser. Knowing that, she didn't want it to end. She didn't even want to think about how he had gotten to become such as expert, because the red hot jealously she could feel in her gut at the notion would be unwelcoming.
His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her into him like she was his next breath. His only source of oxygen. As his lips met hers, her toes were practically the only thing left touching the floor, his muscular arms keeping her secure against him. His heat radiating through her, seeping into her bones.
She had expected based on the passion Mark exhibited in everything he did, that his kiss would be demanding and possessive. His first contact of his lips to hers was soft and gentle. Mark Sloan was a tease. His lips grazing against hers as if he was asking for permission that he didn't even need.
The kiss deepened from there, his lips firmly pressed against hers and she couldn't stop the moan coming from the back of her throat. The small moan made his body harden, the perfectly cool, calm, and restrained control starting to slip and fall through the cracks. The cracks that she had put there.
For the last day, she had been worried that all he would want is to have sex with her—not that she hadn't wanted that too—but she had been afraid that would maybe be all he had wanted. As they stood in his kitchen, the both of them holding on to each other, kissing and trying to gain the upper hand, she realized their roles were reversing. He was fighting the urge to want to keep things slow, while she was the one trying to consume all of him before she even had the opportunity to appreciate what she was tasting already.
She heard his groan in her mouth as he reluctantly pulled away, his forehead touching hers. Her lips felt swollen and puffy—like she had just finally been kissed the way she should have always been kissed for the first time—her cheeks hot, and her body humming with desire.
"I've wanted to do that ever since I laid eyes on you," he said, his voice thick with emotion once they had pulled apart.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
She smiled. "Do it again."
Their second kiss was already proving to be better than the first. His tongue traced across her lips, and she was powerless to fight against his request for her to open for him. She wanted it just as badly as he did.
The moment their tongues collided, a new wave of pleasure cascaded down her entire body, setting her alive in his securely wrapped arms. She felt him push her back against the sink, some of the water from their splash fight soaking through her top. She clung to him never wanting the kiss to end.
Everything in the room seemed to tilt and spin with his hands on her. That involuntary response from her body that she was having a hard time controlling. She didn't know any more if she wanted too. If it wasn't for the back of her mind screaming that he was injured and still recovering, she was sure she would let him take her right here and right now—without reservation.
As much as it pained her to break the kiss, she pulled her head back, since her body was flushed against the counter and sink. She was glad that his arms were still around her, because she was pretty sure that kiss just left her dazed, the entire room still spinning from their contact.
Mark made no move to pull back, and she made no move to put space between them. Both of them attempting to catch their breath, mouths slightly open, as she attempted to not only get back to normal levels of breathing, quieting the pounding in her ears.
Mark reluctantly started to pull back, easing her back to the floor. She had to fight the whimper in her throat from the loss of the contact. After all, she had been the one to pump the breaks and pull away. Now, she wanted to be the one to hurt Sergei Anatoly for why she had to be the responsible one and dump cold water onto her desires.
"If we didn't stop…I'm not sure I could."
His voice was strained as he took another step back, her hands coming behind her to hold onto the counter now that she no longer had his strong arms to keep her upright.
"I know," she panted.
She refrained from looking him in the eyes again, but that crackle of electricity was still there between them, and since he was still within arms reach that she could grab onto him and pull him back towards her…she didn't trust herself in that moment.
He cleared his throat. "How about that tour," he said, turning from her view.
They both needed that minute to adjust themselves. She smoothed out her hair and top, her hand grazing her lips again. Lips that very much showed the evidence that they had been properly kissed. She was definitely going to be replaying that kiss in her mind and dreams on repeat. That, she was sure.
"I'd love a tour," she replied.
She spent the next thirty minutes getting the full tour of his mansion. All ten bedrooms, eight bathrooms, media room, basem*nt that was set up as a bar with a pool table and a big screen tv, and his office. It was when they got to his master bedroom, that the familiar heat from the kitchen returned.
She figured Mark must've felt it too, because he tried to maintain his distance from her as she stepped into the room and toured his massive bathroom that was comfortable for five to be in there in one time. She tried not to think about dirty thoughts, but the standup shower that had heads from the top and sides with different kind of jets suddenly made her want to know what shower sex would be like. Shower sex with Mark Sloan.
Their moment was interrupted when Mark's pants started to buzz. He groaned, pulling his phone from his pocket, his face tensing when he looked at the screen.
"I have to take this," he said.
She nodded. "Of course."
He stepped just outside of the room, but his voice on the other end of the door still reached her. He started out in harsh whispers, before he growled in agreement, his phone snapping shut.
She made her way back through the bedroom door, until she was out in the hallway, his back turned towards her. As soon as he heard her, he turned to face her, his face crestfallen mixed with annoyance.
"That was the gate. I have an unexpected visitor," he informed.
She tried to hide her disappointment. She hadn't wanted the evening to end just yet. She was having the best time with him. She was having the best time she had had in such a long time.
"I can get my bag and go," she said quickly, moving to walk past him.
"No." He reached out to grab hold of her arm, and she stopped instantly.
Something in his expression sent the alarm bell off in her head. That same look he had back in the hospital when he had tried to push her away from him because of the job. He was giving that same look to her now. The fear that because she had been here, he had just placed her in danger.
"One of the other leaders of the crime organizations is here. She wants a word with me," he said.
"She?"
He nodded. "Her name is Addison Montgomery. She is the head of the Italian crime organization. Out of all my adversaries, she is one I watch closely. Her mother was Irish, her father Italian…so she has connections in both gangs. It's why she often feels so inclined to just show up unannounced. I need to keep her as an ally," he explained.
Lexie doubted that was the only reason this Addison wasn't stopping by was because of the connection piece, but she wasn't going to say anything to Mark. It's not like she had some claim over him. Even though she was desperately wanting too.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "I want you to stay in my room. Don't come out, don't make a sound. As soon as I can get rid of her, I will. I don't want her to know you are here."
She tried to tell herself that him saying that was because of her safety and not because he was possibly ashamed to be seen with her. Those insecurities that she fought deep inside were threatening to show again.
As she looked up into Mark's eyes, there was something there, that told her this was more about his protectiveness because of his job and his cover and not because he was afraid her being here could possibly ruin his chances with this Addison Montgomery. She suddenly wanted to know if he found this Addison attractive. She wanted to know if something had been between them. If he had ever slept with her before. Her gut twisted.
"Lexie," he said, snapping her from her thoughts.
"Yes, of course," she replied.
He shot her a sad smile, his movements so swift as he grabbed hold of her again, his lips coming down on hers in one swift passionate kiss, before he released her by slowly backing her until she was in his master bedroom.
"I'll be right back." He promised.
She nodded and he turned on his heel, leaving her alone in his bedroom. She should have shut the door like he asked, but her need to want to see this Addison Montgomery and know what was going on was too strong of a pull.
Besides, she wasn't always good at following orders to begin with. She stayed in his room, peeking around the corner, just as his front door opened.
Addison Montgomery, she presumed.
